Last day in Paris

I added one final night at the hostel here in Paris with the idea I would head for the airport in the morning either to catch my flight or else pick up the car from the guys headed home, depending on whether I stay here another week for work or not. I then walked up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica where, on the way, the scammers tried to get me in this thing where they tie something to your finger and charge you to let you out - definitely the most uncomfortable I've felt since getting here and I cannot believe how brazen they are about it - can not believe it. I mellowed out listening to a street musician playing violin then enjoyed the view from one of the highest points in Paris, perhaps the highest, then headed back to the hostel where my Paris crew and I said our goodbyes.

I then headed for the Metro and the Centre Pompidou to see the collection of modern, post-modern, and contemporary works. Decided to take the opportunity to have a crepe between the Metro and the musee and also take in some Eastern European street music.

Unfortunately, not long into the museum my feet started to ache like they have never ached before in my life. Not a blistery ache like I had been feeling, something totally different. I longed for a bench to sit down on and take my shoes off but there really wasn't a good spot. So, I trudged on. Which kinda sucked because I was seeing all kinds of great stuff - Matisse and Picasso and Kandinsky but I couldn't stop feeling my feet, even my fingers were swollen by the end of the visit. I sorta wished I had gone to the big museum with the Impressionist stuff just because I felt I could sit down and stare at some of those pieces longer than the newer stuff. If not that, I wished I at least had started with the stuff I really was looking forward to instead of the temporary Eileen Gray exhibit and the contemporary works. C'est la vie; I still enjoyed it.

As soon as I was done there, though, I made for the Metro and home to the hostel - where my Paris crew was just then finally actually leaving! We said another round of good-byes and they were off for real this time - I presume.

But, then I sat down and chatted with a new arrival, Nick, and we decided to go grab a very over-priced Heineken together at the place around the block where I had that great salmon, right across the street from the Sacré-Cœur. He grabbed dinner but my final mission for Paris is to have some foie gras, which I will head out for presently but wanted to get this down first.

I didn't get to see La Grande Jatte (from my favorite painting) nor did I see the big museum with the impressionist stuff in it. Otherwise, I feel I had a most excellent first visit!

Sacré-Cœur Basilica