Tourists in Paris ( tout en anglais)

 After the Christmas crazyness and before the old year's one let's have a nice quiet and healthy walk on the riverbank of La Seine.
I was prepared for the cold that time, over prepared. But this december is really not cold, I mean 10 degres isn't normal for this season in France. I'm not complaning, just very surprised. I would have liked to get some snow. This is the hottest winter I've ever had in France.
But, not traumatizing Rohan for his first trip here is a good point, lucky him !

I asked some walker to take a picture of us.
Yes I officially started to be a Tourist in France !!! It's sounds like fun though, I've always found tourists ridiculous, especially in places I go to everyday, but I will play the role for 2 weeks.
I thought a lot of all that is to be seen and done in Paris and around.
My list has enough excursions to fill up a 2 months full time trip. So, I have to think even more, choose what's the best to do, some amazing things, some resting ones, some walking ones, driving ones, culturing ones, fun ones, a lot to discover, friends to see, family to meet,
things to try, to taste.....
Let me try to organise the outings by geography. Paris' centre, north, Eiffel Tower area, Versailles, l'Essonne...

Ok, I have a semblance of plan. But it's an open, modifiable one. I would love to do everything but I don't want to be in a race, and Rohan and myself seem to have a particular very serious disease that doesn't allow you to get up in the morning. We tried a lot of treatments and technics but no significant results. So we have to deal with that, and it's not easy for us, I mean being late isn't necessary cool, when people are waiting for you, people you really don't want to be upset, because they are nice persons, you know, and you really really love them ( Stephanie yes this is a personal subliminal message, Chike, Neysa, this can work for you too ) and you really make an effort to be less late the next time but.... illness is illness. If someone finds the cure, let me know please. Thank you.

So the plan for today, friday 30th December 2011, is: the Tocadero ice rink, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Marché de Noel, Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, rue de Rivoli, Chatelet les Halles.
I need this :

Well, just me and that book won't be enough... I want Rohan to have the best time possible, so not get lost, not miss important things, and have fun... so what I really need is this :

Stephanie is the Best !!!!

The guy in the left bottom corner agrees:
Rohan: Relax ! this isn't worse than a van and Yes You Are a tourist so PICTURES !

Here she is La Tour Eiffel !!!

Yes french readers you can lauch at me for those pics, i know what you think lol.

Ice skating... mmmm how to say.... It's haaaarrrrrdd !!!!!
Well I personally really suck at it.
I was sooo hot from the efforts I made not to fall down. I remembered that feeling of being outside in the cold, feeling the icy air on your face skin but being sweating under all your clothes.... bwerrrrrrrrgghhh...

Marché de Noel des Champs Elysees. Artcraft and traditional french food from every french country sides, directly from the farms. Really pretty and christmassy but, of course, expansive. I had a Foie Gras sandwich ( very small, 6 euros ), not very good, and a soup ( a regular plastic cup, 3 euros ). Stephanie got a ham sandwich and Rohan... a Donut...

La grande Roue de la Place de La Concorde.

I marked a point at the Musee du Louvre on the following map, but we actually just had a walk in the shopping arcade around the Museum. Tea store, apple store... really nice designed shop windows (that made me think again that Barbados has a looot of work to be done in terms of visual merchandising improvement).
And we had the biggest bathroom surprise ever: 1,50 euro. The place looks like a store, but when you look at the items more carefully you realise they are only toilet paper rolls. Different colors, patterns, materials. The cashier is at a modern well designed counter and looks very nice, wearing a pretty suit, fitted-carpet on the floor, chairs for the accompanyists to wait for the users... Unbelievable !!

I have to admit that not going to the Museum was a choice. I'm sorry for what i'm going to say, it's a personal opinion: this Museum is the classical, conventional type, the paintings are realistics and old, all the art work is old school and boring. And I studied Art. The Museum is huge, it's crowded and tiring. After one room in the Gallery you are usually done, if you are not keen on this kind of art. To me, for Rohan, and for me, it would have been a waste of time. As I said earlier we have a lot to see, and missing it isn't a real big deal.
Yes I'm actually kind of apologizing for not having taken my guest to one of the most famous place in Paris, maybe even in Europe ( maybe in the world),
I'm so sorry O God of Art, please forgive me, please don't punish me by taking away from me my art skills, I didn't really betray you, I still believe in you and still love Art.

( The first orange section was in the subway )

We stopped for dinner, in a Japanese restaurant. Yes I know, not typical, but I was missing japanese food soooo baaaad. Fortunately they had chicken in the buffet, whew Rohan could eat.
Belly full, legs rested and toes warmed up. Let's go to Saint-Michel now, thru la cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris.

Notre Dame de Paris:

I guess the 2 next pictures are good examples of why people find Paris romantic, the old bridges, the Bateaux-Mouches, the lights... I admit it's pretty.

Saint-Michel is area that could be compared with Saint Lawrence Gap. So you see the Gap, multiply it by 10 and you have Saint-Michel. Bars, restaurants, night clubs, souvenirs, travelling artcraft sellers, street performances...