6.15 WEDNESDAY-THE LOUVRE

OR

How the Concorde Station had us running to the Louvre.

“Is it This stop Chucky?”

“Nope… next one, Concorde, and then we transfer to the #1 to get off at Palais Royale-Musee Louvre.

“Wait… now it says Madeleine, Chucky.”

“What… how did we miss Concorde, it was supposed to be the next stop after Invalides!”

Ok… we'll start this correctly.

Our tickets for the Louvre were for 1100 so we got to sleep in a bit before rolling out for a quick shower and email checks and the trek to Felix Faurer station for Metro#8 to transfer at  Concorde Station to the #1 for the Louvre underground entrance to beat the heavy security lines at the Pyramid.

Finding Felix Faurer was a cinch… getting off at Concorde was not, hence the opening dialogue. 

As we pull into the Madeleine station we hustle off the metro to the sortie leading to the opposite track to get back to Concorde, not understanding how we could have missed it.

As we jump on the train to head back, HE notices the red slash over the Concorde stop on the #8 Metro map with the word “Ferme pour Reparation”.

Oh… THAT’s how we missed it, the Damn Station was closed for repairs and here we were back at Invalides station.

Soooo we jump off and Chucky was all for taking the RER C to Notre-Dame and a short walk back a bit to the Louvre or a longer walk to Concorde and grab the # 1 from there.

BUT Dragon Chic has another plan…

“Let’s just walk to the Louvre from here, just the reverse of our walk Monday through that lovely garden it isn’t that far.”  Says she of the Navigationally Challenged Tribe.

“Are you kidding that’s a 30 minute walk and we have 15 minutes to our reservation.”

After a serious debate, he relents [ She IS of course the Ever-Lovely Dragon Lady and the light of his life] and they strike off at a very quick pace, across Pont Alexandre III [Adele’s bridge – ya gotta see the "Someone Like You" video to get it], through the Place de la Concorde and past the Eye of Paris [Ferris wheel], all-the-way-through the Jardins de Tuileries,

{huff…huff..pant…pant…}

and just to the left past Napoleon’s arch - next to the Place du Carrousel, we find the stairs down to the Carrousel esplanade of shops {adjacent to the METRO #1 stop}, trekking across the below Pyramid entry plaza to ask a Gendarme where the entry is for reservations.

Whew… I'm outta breath just remembering it.

The Gendarme starts to point them back up the stairs to the looooooonnnnnggggg line in front of the pyramid when a museum guard sees the pre-printed tickets that Chucky is brandishing and waves them into the VIP entrance to the Security check point, x-ray machines and metal detector

[“don’t forget the bag this time dear.”]

and they stroll into the Louvre just 10 minutes late, but they're in.

We used The Rick Steve’s Audio app to spend about 3+ hours wandering around doing all the Museum things, and after finishing Ricks, tour, struck off to find the Egyptian stuff… but missed a turn somewhere, and were too tired and hungry to try to find it again so it was back the way we came, and out onto the Quay d’Orsay to find lunch.

“Hey, how about that little place Pauline recommended that was closed?”

“Sure.”

So we grabbed a bus that would take us to Avenue de la Bourdonnaise – ONE MORE TIME…except…

Yeah, another EXCEPT and you know what’s coming…

The bus driver stops at the Esplanade des Invalides, gets off and says’

“Please – OFF, Le chemin es Ferme.” [The way is closed]

YUP, the STEEL CURTAIN of Police surrounding the Eiffel and Champs de Mars will not even allow buses to enter it and here we are again at 
FREAKIN’ INVALIDES METRO STATION. 
Or just a block away.

Sooooo now we decide to take the RER C to the Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel stop and find something around there for a bite before trying to get to the Arc de Triomphe. 

Once we find ourselves back on the Quay Branly near all the madness, Spain and France play tonight and the crowds are swelling.

We finally find another unremarkable spot for another unremarkable bite.  There was, however a small win here.  Chucky manages to Score a cute Gold rimmed Black Demitasse cup and saucer from the manager to go with his world collection.

Now to figure out how to get to Arc De Triomphe and Chucky decides they should go to a central spot where they were picked up by Uber before… the corner of Pont d’lena and Quay Branly, not expecting that all 10,000 of their closest, dearest FUTBOL FAN-ATIC friends would also be descending on the same corner, via taxi, pedicab, bus, camel, pogo stick [seriously there was one dude on a Freakin’ Pogo Stick] walking etc… Causing such a grid lock that the first two Uber’s he orders can’t find him, even as he stands on the corner waiving and trying to direct them to the Carrousel on the corner, while 10,000 Screaming, Waving, FAN-ATICS are doing the same thing.

After canceling 2 Ubers, DL convinces him to cross the bridge towards the Trocadero where once past the madness they drew an Uber in 2 minutes, Lovely and Personable Amssa who braved some serious gridlock, dodging in and out and dropping them at the foot of the Arc de  Triomphe, to the blaring horns of those unhappy cabbies behind her who she just cut off to get to this spot.

Pictures from every conceivable angle except the top [remember she is acrophobic – and he wasn’t going to leave her at the base by herself] and they are off to find something cool and rest the feet before heading home for the re-packing ballet and a decent nights rest for the train to Amsterdam in the morning.

One more Uber, hard to miss them this time standing in front of GUCCI on the Champs Elysee.

A fast ride home, a quick pack, a NOWAT post and it was off to Nonny Nonny land for our weary travelers.

Tomorrow, Garre du Nord and a Thalys train and on to Amsterdam.

Ciao Pour L’instant,

Uncle Chuck & The ready for a change of weather

Dragon Lady