Un jour en Paris, one night in London

Hello friends.

I am writing this from the London City Hotel where I have come from a day in Paris to fly out of Heathrow tomorrow.

It might seem folly, and somewhat counterintuitive, to spend just one day in arguably the world greatest tourist city (though I would argue for New York or London).

But with the return leg going out of London tomorrow, I had the option of spending today in Budapest (assuming I could've gotten a flight to London tonigh, London (assuming I could've gotten a flight from Budapest to London yesterday) or, well, Paris.

Ironically because my Paris airport (Beauvais) was a long bus ride to a Metro  to my hotel, which I got lost walking to, the time from the Paris airport to the Paris hotel was roughly the same as the time from the Paris train station, on the train plus the Tube, to the London hotel.

Because I have been in Paris three times previously--including just 18 months ago--though just for two days then, I felt no need to attempt to do absolutely everything one might do as a tourist in Paris.

I went to the modern art museum at the Pompidou Center, which I hadn't been to in 20 years, then strolled to Notre Dame nearby. I'd been inside it in November 2011, so didn't wait in line to get in, and noted that It is the venerated church's 850th anniversary.

I went to the Carousel du Louvre, which is a shopping mall under the museum--you can see the inverted pyramid there--and went and took pictures of the Eiffel Tower, with no need to go up it as I did the last time (actually the last three times). I also took some nice shots of Invalides.

I would say I had a nice dinner back near my hotel, but in Paris a "nice" dinner consists of what they call ribeye steak and fries. Essentially it's a flat piece of steak like you might get it Sizzler.

The train ride under the chunnel was pretty smooth and now I'm back in London. I tried to get a bite at the Trinity pub next door but they were no longer serving food. And I'm not thrilled that the London City Hotel put me on the fourth floor of a no elevator hotel but such is life.

If all goes as planned I should be home around 9 o'clock tomorrow. Like on the outbound trip I fly into JFK and then have to get to LaGuardia to fly to Chicago.

Depending on the Wi-Fi situation in New York, you may get a recap post but otherwise this may be it for this trip. I hope you enjoyed taking the journey with me.

Cheers,

Seth