Up bright and early this morning to weigh our bags and get on the coach. Three of our group missed the bus and were left behind to find their own way to Paris, so note to self: DON’T MISS THE BUS! Clare gave us a safety talk and a bit of an introduction to the tour. We were all really tired though, so I think she may have only had half an audience at times. It was a shortish trip to Dover where we boarded the ferry to cross the English Channel and head to Calais. No problems with security here at least. The ferry is absolutely massive – think its more than 7 levels with a duty free, a food court and a whole lot of other stuff. A few of us went and got a proper breakfast. Being on the ferry is the strangest feeling. Just as I thought I was getting used to it we went over another big wave and all sense of stability was lost. But finally we are in France.
Welcome to Calais.
Firstly, everyone drives on the wrong side of the road. Secondly, it is beautiful. I mean it kind of looked like Stellenbosch in places, but its not. Its France. Excitement.
Every now and then Clare would tell us a bit of history as we passed important things such as the World War I battlefields. Ten members of the group (and our missing friends) are joining us in Paris. We have 21 South Africans, 2 Americans, 2 Canadians and the rest are all Aussies. So far I’ve met almost everyone who’s already here, and will meet the rest later probably.
World War 1 Battlefields.
We’ve checked into the Ibis Budget Hotel in Paris. Its quite nice actually. Plain and simple, but clean and has what you need for a place we’re basically only sleeping and changing. We had dinner at a Turkish place just next door, really yummy and tender chicken. Then we went on our sightseeing drive. We saw almost all the major sights Paris has to offer. As we were driving at one point Clare was telling us a story about a rumour about Napoleon and asked us to look for something in the 40-somethingth window on our left. We’re all staring out the window counting when she suddenly tells us to look to our right. And there was the Eiffel Tower! We’re really in Paris now.
We stopped off somewhere for champagne and escargot. They weren’t bad. In fact they don’t really taste like anything. Having them again tomorrow night because I didn’t know we were having them tonight. We carried on with our drive and then had a chance to jump out and actually see the Eiffel Tower up close. Its every bit as cool as I had imagined. We were given the choice to line up and go up if we wanted, but then we had to find our own way home so we all decided to rather carry on with the drive and take the coach home.
Escargot 🙂
When we were back we decided to go back to the Turkish place for some drinks. It was weird in the beginning because they were playing live Turkish music. But eventually almost the whole group ended up there and everyone was just chilling and drinking and playing drinking games and stuff. Think this is going to be a crazy tour if last night is anything to go by! Was such fun though.
The group at Le Sultan Turkish restaurant
Love,
The Parisian Traveler
x
Find Contiki Day 2 here.
Megan's Travel Adventure 