As I begin to write, the song “I am Sailing” pops into my head immediately transporting me back to the days when we travel by ship from South Africa to the United Kingdom and, a year later, home again. Rod Stewart’s famous song always takes me back in time to our year in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, where our neighbours were employed by the navy, and my best friend’s Dad was employed by the navy. There was a tv documentary at the time about life in the navy and the most I remember about this is the “I am Sailing” soundtrack (I was 12 and 13 years old that year).
When I was 5 we sailed on a Union Castle ship from Port Elizabeth, South Africa to Southampton, United Kingdom, for my Dad’s sabbatical year at Exeter University (we were to live in Tavistock, Devon), the ship was the most affordable travel for our family of 5. No luggage weight restrictions and while it took a while, I remember carefree days in the sunshine and the pool on the ship. I remember feeling so smug as I never got seasick unlike my middle brother though karma dd intervene and in a running race as part of the children’s entertainment, I met the ship’s deck with force and both my knees were cut and got infected so for a while I was not allowed in the pool, much to my despair. Despite injured scabby knees both that journey and our return sea trip a year later, were days of innocence, ice-creams galore, fancy dress parades and a giddy sense of fun and freedom.
Arriving at Southampton docks, even at my tender age, I will never forget feeling somewhat embarrassed as we disembarked from the ship with my Dad holding an iced Christmas cake (he had won a ‘guess the weight of the cake ‘ competition), my Mom was carrying an old-fashioned bread-making bucket full of coat hangers – I am sure I was cringing and never stopped cringing when travelling with my parents because they always so disorganised when packing despite my Dad’s obsession with frequently weighing our cases as we packed. In 1977, leaving the United Kingdom my Dad was wearing his duffel coat boarding the plane and in one of the pockets was a pair of scissors which had not been packed – you can feel me rolling my eyes as I type this. Oh how has travel changed!
No scissors allowed on board, you are able to check-in electronically with few people frantically checking-in at the nth hour (how that still happens is a mystery to me but it does) and you can buy your seat if you prefer a seat at the emergency exit providing more leg room! On our recent flights I sentimentally remembered the days when I was able to successfully request an emergency exit seat at no extra cost. My next travel goals are to either pay for an emergency exit seat for my legs and one better would be to afford an economy premium/business class seat.
Paying for extra baggage for our flight from Rome to Paris on Transavia was not enough and upon checking-in our bags, we received the rude farewell to France from them, with an excess baggage charge of the eye-watering amount of €60.00 – upon reflection maybe the train would have been better or paying extra to fly to Rome on the national airline or another airline which would have had the same baggage limit as Qatar Airways which we flew to Paris via Doha. Travel lessons!
Our Exploring Europe Expedition started in Paris, France on 25 September 2024. We opted for an uber to transport us from Charles de Gaulle airport to Hotel Anya in the 11th arrondissement. Hotel Anya is a small family-run hotel with no lift and a steep spiral staircase which was something of a challenge with our suitcases but we made it to our room at the summit (the 3rd floor). A small private room with minute en-suite bathroom which suited us and, most importantly, met our financial constraints. The hotel is situated on a passage viallet similar to an alleyway. While traffic can go up and down the passage it is seldom that a car did travel this passageway; but cars are allowed as our Uber delivered us almost to the doorstep of the hotel. There was a school at the far end and children could be heard in the morning and late afternoon going to and from school. Johan watched a Papa load his children into fitted seats on a platform behind his bicycle seat and deliver to them to school by bike.
We were naively not prepared for the density of bicycles, whether a pedal bike or an electric bicycle; electric scooters, vespa scooters and similar, electric and fuel-driven and had to learn to stop and check for traffic and to do the same for the bike lanes all over Paris. We developed huge admiration for children and adults of all ages, who easily navigated the traffic and travel around Paris either on an scooter or bicycle (frequently while not wearing helmets). Rain was not a deterrent and we worked hard at defying it and not letting it literally rain on our Parisian parade.
We found Parisians friendly and helpful; and Paris is certainly a city of great diversity.
We loved the habit of a pain-au-chocolat or croissant and coffee for breakfast (always buying our croissants from an artisanal boulangerie) and applaud the art of ‘people watching’ at any café or restaurant. It is typical to see all chairs on the pavement of a café or restaurant facing the street, thus making the practice of people watching that much easier. And I love 'people watching' and creating stories in my imagination and was so bemused by a very glamorous "Golden Girl" sipping a glass of white wine at a corner brasserie at 10am on a Saturday morning.
After a few false turns navigating Google maps, the metro and bus, we soon became comfortable at using the metro and bus. We certainly seemed to reap the benefits of visiting a post-Olympics Paris, the remnants of which were still in evidence and we actually witnessed the removal of Olympic spectator grandstands and other paraphernalia from the Place de la Concorde.
We have developed a style of travelling which is vastly different to the stereotypical tourist. Buying tickets for the Louvre, or participating in a paid tour for any attraction was neither our style let alone in our budget. Dreams of baguettes, cheeses, tarte au pommes and wine picnics while watching the Eiffel Tower light up as the sun set, sadly did not come to fruition because of the rain, yet my dream of visiting the historic and tiny Shakespeare & Company independent bookshop did come true. Imagine a bookshop with burly bouncers monitoring the number of people entering and exiting this historical highlight for book aficionado! I was delighted to find Ernest Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast” for sale and Johan treated me to buying a copy of this book which had been out of print for many years. I am thrilled to have a book from Shakespeare & Company with a stamp and a paper bag from Shakespeare & Company – no need for a shopping bag from Harrods for me but a brown bag from Shakespeare & Company was first prize for me.
Shakespeare & Company is located on the banks of the Seine River opposite the magnificent Notre Dame.
I chose this particular version of this famous book because of the cover photo - can you see why?
The construction and reconstruction work of Notre Dame Cathedral was still ongoing when we were there on 26 September restoring the medieval cathedral after it was sadly ravaged by fire on 15 April 2019. Cranes obstructed part of the views and we could have gone across to sit on the packed spectator grandstands but we did not opt to join the masses and were content with the photos we managed to take from our vantage point.
Being in the surroundings of the Louvre and the iconic glass pyramid, the rain started falling and the umbrella and poncho vendors immediately sprang into action. One of our travel umbrellas was not coping with the gusting wind and rain, like a swarm of bees the umbrella vendors headed in our direction but we were able to escape intact, travel umbrella too!
The sun chased the rain away long enough for us to enjoy sitting on chairs in the Jardin des Tuileries and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Chairs are dotted all around the park for people to sit on and enjoy; some people came to the gardens for their work lunch break and ate a picnic lunch in this calm and tranquil environment despite the constant noise of traffic and sirens. The same chairs, we were to discover, were portrayed on the special edition gift boxes by the Parisian macaron specialist, Laduree, which we visited on the Friday morning to collect my very special birthday special from my very generous and good friend, Angie.
The gift box which was filled with the most delectable macarons
As we walked through the gardens, the rain started again, very persistent this time so we resembled drowned rats by the time we reach our next destination of Galleries Lafayette to view the beautiful dome and views of Paris from a very wet rooftop terrace.
Walking to Galleries Lafayette we passed countless high-end designer shops from jewellery, clothing, shoes and luggage. We also saw so many chauffeur driven luxury cars and chauffeurs and/or bodyguards waiting for their clientele, a sight which reminded me of witnessing the same thing in New York City many years ago.
Paris is expensive and there is evidently money in this “City of Lights” and tourists with limitless spending clearly visit Paris for the shopping and fashion. The tv series, “Emily in Paris” gives the impression that everyone in Paris dresses in haute couture but obviously that is not the case. We saw some exceptionally well-dressed people, some interesting fashion choices and statements, but this was not de rigeur.
A magic show on Thursday evening was a highlight for Johan. We had bought tickets to this magic show, conducted in English with French translation by Boris, at Le Double Fond. We had an amazing time, everyone was so friendly, the stage for the shows is deep in the bowels of the building - think narrow steep steps and I paled at the challenge with my leg calf muscle still giving me grief, but I made it down and up and we had a very special evening; and Johan was especially thrilled meeting one of his favourite magicians and mentalists.
Luke Jermay (British magician and mentalist) and Johan
Our Friday explorations took us from Laduree, to bypassing Petis Palais and Grand Palais and crossing the Seine River (which looked clean from our view point of the bridge) .
Laduree, is the most exquisite shop – a delight for all your senses especially visual (and we had not sampled a macaron yet – they were sublime!)
The oldest mustard shop in the world, established in 1747 was enthralling – we did not go in but it, like so many shop windows in Paris, were a vision to behold.
A picnic in a small park, witnessing a very-movie like police escort along with blaring sirens and speeding vehicles, passing the Parisian café, Le Recrutement, made popular by social media and influencers (it was definitely not on our list but google maps had us traipsing around the 7th arrondissement looking for an atm as we were having an issue with my bank global card). It also brought us as close as we were going to get to the Eiffel Tower in the current inclement weather conditions, for some great photos.
An afternoon at the Museum of Illusions was so much fun and worth the entrance tickets. It was intriguing, provided hilarious photographs and we had a great time exploring and experiencing this (we have yet to experience the Jo’burg Museum of Illusions which opened earlier this year).
Our last evening was spent navigating the steep cobbled streets of Montmarte from the Moulin Rouge to the Basilica Sacre-Coeur, as we embarked on a free walking tour with Raj, our very knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide who lives in Montmarte. We learned about Van Gogh’s time living with his brother, Theo, in Montmarte, went past the brasserie which inspired the movie, Amelie, and learnt about other artists, film directors, singers and writers who have over the years lived in Montmarte. As we climbed up and up, and learnt about Montmarte, the heavens opened and the cobbles became exceptionally slick and slippery. And while I huffed, puffed, and silently cursed my calf injury and my hospitalisation, runners were running up and down the streets as though the streets were dry and flat. Breath-taking views and the Eiffel Tower all lit up were the ultimate reward followed by delicious galettes (crepes made from buckwheat flour) and sweet crepes at a Montmarte creperie recommended to us by Raj.
Paris had originally sprung from the idea that, as a family, we would all go to Italy and en route go to Disneyland in Paris. That did not happen, maybe one day it will and despite the weather, my physical challenges, Paris was a delight and so much was left unexplored and one day we will return.
From a cat lying across the shoulders of its owners, with a long leash, walking down the boulevards and on the metro, to dogs in baskets on bicycles, to the incredible temptations in all the shop windows, particularly the patisseries, to delectable pain-au-chocolats, chickens being roasted over open flames (no Woolworths rotisseries for the French merci beaucoup!) to the constant traffic of cars, taxis, scooters, motorbikes, e-scooters and bicycles of every description, to the beautiful Haussmann architecture of the city, to the Moulin Rouge windmill, the cranes surrounding the Notre Dame and the iconic glass pyramid at the Louvre, as the famous quote from Casablanca states : “…. We will always have Paris”.
Exploring Europe (Part II) highlights our next stop : Rome and our Roman adventures and exploring Firenze and Orvieto .....
“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.” ~
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