My Action Star Moment in Paris...

I think this deserves it's own post...it was that entertaining and amusing.

After dining with our friends at a crepperie (the one with the buck wheat crepes and accepted cash only) - we took the RER back and had to go our separate ways.  My friend clearly explained which stop to get off at (Notre Dame St. Michel) and what direction to walk - so I was very confident I could do it.  Thankfully, my son was asleep on my back and I had my ticket validated easily.

I boarded the RER and my friend and her daughters were across the track waiting for theirs (going in the opposite direction).  Once boarded, I sighed in relief at having a very full tummy and a sleeping toddler on my back (he was extremely tired due to the 1-hour time difference between Finland and France).  I wanted to send a text message to my husband, to notify him that I was en route to the hotel and will leave the door un-locked so I don't disturb V�in� by letting my husband in (he was at a dinner with the folks from the conference).

I didn't have my phone...or my Passport...or my wallet....I had nothing but a baby on my back and a validated ticket in the back pocket of my jeans (easier to reach with a carrier on my back).
My instant thought was "How the Hell did I get pick pocketed in Paris?! I am soooo careful and cautious."
Then it dawned on me...my friend kindly offered to carry my Moomin bag (diaper/everything else bag) as my shoulders and back were sore from carrying a +12kg child on my back all day.

*Cue action-star-like music*

I jumped off the RER and ran back down the stairwell and tried to find the route she took to get on the other side of the track - I couldn't find it and huffed/puffed back up the stairs towards mine and looked anxiously.  It's very big in those subways and busy - so I didn't want to yell and:

• (A) Look like an idiot -especially if they had left already without my knowledge and 
• (B) wake up a cranky child who had just fallen asleep.

So I listened as best as I could (thank goodness for those years in music training!) and managed to pick up the girls' talking and bickering in Finnish/French.  WHEW!
Now- where were they?! 

I jumped back onto the RER and ran down a cabin looking through the windows trying to find them and still try and listen for their voices (I know - this is getting so intense).  I managed to spot their brightly colored umbrellas and began to pound the crap out of the glass on one of the doors and wave like a mad-lady.
I managed to catch the older child's eye and she smiled and waved at me for about 10 seconds (felt like forever of course, during these slow-moving-action-star-moments)....I nearly died with relief and frustration.  So I waved some more, smiled a bit and pointed at her mother-who was talking to the younger one.  The older child kept waving at me and finally because I had a look of urgency and bulging eyes about to pop out of my sockets - she tapped her mom on the shoulder and pointed at me happily.
Then my friend waved to me happily.  Oh dear....

*Cue embarrassing moment music*

I'm mouthing repeatedly (and probably yelling without realizing it) "MY BAG - YOU HAVE MY BAG!!!"  While making motions at my shoulder and lifting a leg (that she obviously cannot see as the window isn't full length of the door) and grabbing an imaginary bulge near my arse.
She finally looks down her shoulder and stares in shock and I gave her a thumbs off and leap off the RER....

*Cue "Will she make it back onto the RER music"* - because I certainly was terrified that the doors would shut and the RER would leave and I wouldn't have a phone or her number handy to get a hold of her or my husband...or internet it appeared. (Turned out I did need my phone that night as V�in� got out of control at the hotel and refused to sleep or go near the bed without screaming).

She ran back to me, gave me the bag with a huge apology - I dash and jump (literally) over people's legs who are sitting near the door way of the RER....and the door closed and we sped off.


I couldn't make this up if I tried....needless to say - my friend and I laughed about it a great deal the next day, my husband was impressed with my skills - especially after carrying our son for a few hours that day (think 6 or more) and for not getting lost.  And V�in� stayed asleep until we got into the hotel room!

I treated myself to a Nutella, banana and crushed almond crepe the next night - and didn't feel a bit of guilt.
I now have a new appreciation and understanding for the French eating so many baguettes, croissants and crepes...you need the energy just to travel onto a subway!

Review of: The Royal Cardinal Hotel (Paris)

During our stay in Paris (April 27-30th, 2011), we stayed at The Royal Cardinal Hotel in the Latin-Quarter of Paris.
You may have read my previous posting about our trip to Paris - it was quite lengthy - but here are the pros and cons of the hotel based solely on my opinion and experience there.
Please note it is a 2-Star rated hotel and that the hotel itself does not necessarily look like the photos portrayed on their web site.  We had a single bedroom at a rate of a little over 104�/night.

PROS:

• Staff are friendly and bilingual (for the most part)
• Very conveniently located near the Finnish Institute, in which my husband was participating in some conferences (approximately 10 minutes walk down the road at a slow "tourist taking everything in" pace)
• Crepperie across the road
• Continental breakfast is delivered to your room before 10am (cost is 6� per person per breakfast) which includes � a baguette, a croissant and your choice of beverage (hot chocolate, tea or coffee or juice)
• Not sure if this is recorded either - because during check-out -we were asked if we had had any breakfasts and how many in total
• **Please note if you order tea or coffee - you get hot milk  - not cold...as a North American - we usually put cold cream or milk in our hot beverages to cool off the drink...so this was new to me and just as delicious!
• Close to a pharmacy and a grocery shop called "Monoprix"
• Just close to lots of things in general - took less than 30 minutes to walk to the Notre Dame
• Supposedly has WI-FI (wireless internet)
• Cable television, flat screen and high up on the wall (away from a curious baby! BONUS!)
• Balcony is available on all floors (from the outside it appears that way) - however, the plants are not maintained and they were brown and dead.  
• The decor in the hall way (spiral stair case) is beautifully painted
• 1 Key per room and you leave it at the desk and don't have to worry about losing keys
• You punch in your requested wake-up time on the phone
• Shuttle from Hotel to airport is available at 17� /person (minimum 2 people) - however I don't think they have a way of keeping record of it.  Because we were asked at check-out if we had booked one...

CONS:

• 1 elevator and it can be small if breakfast is being served or trays are being removed from rooms in the morning, as there's a table inside that folds out from the wall.
• Once, the elevator was locked open on the bottom floor (as they were preparing and serving breakfasts to other clients - understandably) and this was a great inconvenience as we had a huge suit case and while I made it to the bottom with my son on my back - I noticed the staff were merely chatting (one was prepping the next tray for delivery) and the one who was doing the delivery eventually went in and had nothing extra to bring....seeing as the hotel is 6 floors - this could be a great inconvenience to those needing to depart quickly and with luggage.
• The shower was confusing to use - but even still - the water changed temperatures regularly (to ice cold to scalding hot) and changed in pressure and amounts.  The last day there - I couldn't even get one!!  The water was barely dripping from the overhead shower head...I was not impressed at all.
• For those expecting high amounts of services - these were not available (no list or booklet by the phone that I could see):
• No Room service (aside from breakfast that seems to be the same everyday)
• No Laundry service
• No ironing table or iron
• Didn't see a Bible for those that like a bit of late night reading
• No emergency sewing kit (I don't always see them but occasionally)
• No lint brush or shoe horn or shoe brush (we had this all in Estonia) and I do realize not all hotels offer this as well - but for those that perhaps are used to it - it'd be best to bring your own.
• **However, there was an electronic safe in the closet**
• We were not notified (nor did we think to ask as "Continental Breakfast" is usually included in the hotel fees) of the cost of the breakfast until we sleepily got into the elevator.  Cheaper than eating out - but the baguettes could've been fresher.
• The walls are pretty thin...so if you're thinking Paris is the City of Romance and thinking of getting romantic with your loved one - bear in mind - the whole floor will probably hear you.  The door is quite thin as well - and it was easy to hear anybody in the hall at any time of the day.
• This was a huge issue for me, as my son was teething (and still upset after being given pain medication) and the neighbours next door repeatedly pounded/knocked on the wall.  Thankfully, I know they were not asleep prior to our arrival around 10pm - as I could hear their television and chatter.  However, it's annoying and a pain - so I ended up yelling through the wall my apologies and had half a mind to leave them an angry note.
• I asked if the WI-FI connection required a password, I was advised there is no password - and had to assume that the network would be listed under "Hotel Cardinal" or something similar to the name of the hotel we stayed in.  There was no such network and any other network we could find, required a password.
• My husband was with a colleague who asked how to access the WI-FI (in fluent French) to the lady manning the front desk and she had no idea what "Wireless internet" or "WI-FI" even was...despite the promotion of it on their website and a large and bright pink/purple sticker on the front door.

So as you can see - I tried to make mental notes (written ones too) of average hotels in comparison to this one...There is a reason this place has a current 2 star rating.  

I do not want to sound overly harsh or rude - but this place would only get a 1-star rating from me because the grill next door was delicious and of it's convenient location.

The water tasted a bit off too - but perhaps that is all throughout France - as suggested by a colleague of ours living there currently.

Bonjour From Paris!

(I'm back from Paris and couldn't blog while on the go because the internet was weird in our hotel....a review of our hotel to come later.  More like a butchering I suppose...)

So we travelled via 3 different countries in 1 single day.  We took the boat from Estonia to Helsinki and then we flew from Helsinki to Paris (a little over 2.5 hours).
By the time we arrived in the airport, it was after 9pm (1 hour behind Finland) and we were exhausted.  There was the option of taking a shuttle bus at the wonderful cost of 17� per person.  Tim had the instructions for how to take the RER (subway) - so we opted for that and it turned out to be significantly cheaper (17,40� for the two of us - kids are free under age of 3 I think) and it took about 35 minutes.
We checked into our hotel, The Royal Cardinnal, and accepted a continental breakfast to be delivered to our room the next morning.  Once we squished ourselves into the elevator - we then noticed it was 6� for breakfast (but not specified if it was per person or per room)....
We quickly prepped for bed and crashed.

The next morning, we awoke early to cloudy skies and it was chilly.
The continental breakfast was our choice of hot beverage or juices (we opted for tea and coffee) and it came with hot milk (I'm used to cold milk to cool off the tea or coffee....so this was different!) and 1 baguette cut in half and 2 croissants.
The baguettes were good but not fresh.  I only say this because there was this off-taste about it and it wasn't hard as a rock or anything - but it wasn't as fresh as the ones you get from the bakeries.  My son devoured the croissants however!
After looking at the shower and figuring out that the bigger knob was the one that controlled the overhead shower head - we managed to get dressed and go explore.  We didn't have to meet our friends for a few hours so we grabbed a map and headed towards the Notre Dame.

A word of advice: go early in the morning - say around 9am or so...because by the time 10:30 rolls around - the line ups are massive for getting in.  Lots of school groups and tourist groups going in too.  There is free admission and you CAN take photos!

*You also have to remove your hat, be dressed respectfully (not necessarily your Sunday best but don't go there dressed like you're going to a club) and be quiet, especially if there is a service going on.*

Inside is breath taking....despite the dim lighting, the stained glass detailing is beautiful and all of it is amazing.

One thing I noticed while inside was the "modern style confessionals".  I've never confessed with a priest before, but typically it's inside a wooden box with a metal grate between you and the priest and your identity is a mystery.  (My husband said he saw those in there but I didn't).

What I did see were clear glass offices with a desk and 2 chairs sitting opposite of each other....and a sign outside saying it was a Confessions area!  How Modern!

While travelling on the bus - you can use a NaviGo (a purple colored electronic pad is located at all entrances for subways and air transportation - not planes but subways that go above ground and on the bus) Pass or you can purchase little tickets (10 for 12�) and insert it into a box to validate them.

One validated ticket is good for 1.5 hours and can usually be used to transfer between transportation systems but there's a trick.  (I forget if it's not used between RER and bus or what...it was complicated!)

It's easy enough to get on the bus with a stroller (you get on at the front and the aisles are wide enough for a standard single stroller) but getting to the RER has it's difficulties!  First of all, because it's a subway system underground - you have a lot of stairs to go down or around....super pain in the neck for a stroller!  Sometimes there are escalators (most times they are broken or stopped the direction that you need to go of course!)....and there's an occasional elevator...but not often!  So if you can  - back pack!

Sure lots of people have strollers with older children and the kid hops out and goes up/down the stairs by themselves while you maneuver the stroller along the stair well....but if your kid is asleep - then it can be difficult waking up a sleepy little one....

(The buses have an empty space in the middle for strollers or wheel chairs)

Oh and don't sneak onto the bus through the back door!  I saw 2 girls sneak on through the back door and the driver caught them, yelled loudly (how embarrassing!) and they exited the bus to get on through the front and pay.

Eating out in Paris

• Taxes and tips are included in the price
• There was a great little grilli place beside the hotel we stayed at - it was cheap, tasty and very friendly people working there (don't go at lunch time - you'll be yelling a lot to get your order!)
• There's a "Great Canadian Pub" with very expensive prices
• Pop can be expensive (at least 3� for a glass)
• Crepes are wonderful, cheap and can be hearty if you order the savoury ones!
• We went to a crepperie with our friend and it did not accept card payments...only cash
• Their savoury crepes were made with buckwheat
• We ate at the Mosque for lunch on our last day there and if you are a woman - be warned!  Not all waiters enjoy serving women and many don't.  So if you are a mixed group - then often the men will be served nicely and the women will have their plates tossed onto the table.
• The inside is beautiful and the food is tasty!!!!
• They also serve a mint tea and pour it from great heights (our waiter didn't...) and they have a platter of sweets and charge you based on how many you eat...it was so tasty!

Some lamb with prunes and almonds...no couscous or rice though.

Pouring the mint tea (the other waiters were pouring it from a much taller height...he probably doesn't like women).

We had some extra guests join us...

The delicious platter of pastries!

My choice...dates with walnuts

School System in Paris

• Kids start at the age of 3....as in they're sitting in a desk and learning - not running around and playing like most pre-schools at that age.  They start to prepare for regular school from the ages of 3-6.
• Kids go to school (regular school) from 8:30am-4:30pm
• They go to school 4x a week and have Wednesdays and weekends off, then they have 2 WEEKS OFF.  This cycle repeats itself throughout the year.
• Summer break is for nearly a full 2 months (July and August) and they resume school the first week of September.
• Christmas break is typically 2-2.5 weeks depending on when the holidays fall (similar to Canada)
• For lunch - they get a 3-course meal everyday
• They don't have school books...the teachers photocopy the school books and put them in a duotang of sorts.  (Why I don't know).
• Parents pick up their kids from school (or a friend does and there's a mutual meeting place) and then they get a baguette...EVERYDAY.  I found this interesting because I personally would think a baguette everyday would be very boring - but  I guess it's not for the kids.

Random Bits and Pieces

• You don't buy stamps at the Post Office...I know what an odd idea!  You buy them at the tobacco shops.
• The French are very proud of their postal system - to the point if you're trying to drop off a form - they ask that you put it in the mail box. (A friend experienced this).
• Don't drive here - it's not worth all the gas (and money) you'll burn.  It's cheaper and much easier to go by foot, bus or RER.  
• It took our friends about 4 hours to drive back from the airport after dropping a friend off (it takes 35 minutes by subway/RER)
• Most public bathrooms are free and they automatically disinfect themselves (how I don't know - I never needed the bathroom when we went by one).
• There's a lot of terrible parking here...and terrible driving - you can tell by the cars parking along the curve of the corner between 2 cross walks...Oh and by the scratches, scrapes and dents in the vehicles.
• If your kid throws a tantrum - don't be surprised if a random stranger will lecture them VERY LOUDLY (and in French)....this simply doesn't happen in Finland and often not in Canada either.  You typically mind your own business and let the parent do their thing.
• PICK POCKETING DOES HAPPEN!  If you are approached by people (typically of Roma culture or something similar) who are using sign language to you and shoving a clip board in your face with some pages on it (like a petition for you to sign) - DON'T SIGN IT.  Why? Because while you're reading what it's about - someone is pick pocketing you at the same time from behind.
• Just don't sign anything....it's far too risky.
• Cell phones are dirt cheap here  - but majority of the companies require you sign up for a contract of a minimum of 2 years.
• Disney Paris has a train that can go there frequently...oh and the entrance fee is 51� per child, 57� per adult (although...there IS a sale right now that adults can get in for a child fee...).  Needless to say - we didn't go.
• We did go to the Eiffel Tower (tour de Eiffel) via RER and it was huge.  There's a lengthy line up to go up the ET...get there by 9am if you don't want to wait too long.
• Same with the Louvre - we saw the outside of it but didn't have time to go inside...maybe next time!
• We were warned about an excessive amount of dog poop on the ground and that approximately 600 people get hospitalized from sliding in it and hurting themselves. (Hence why we didn't bring a stroller).
• However, if you stick to tourist locations - you rarely see any...there was more in Finland than in Paris.