It is time to farewell Toulouse. I could have stayed longer. The city is rich in sights and it feels a lot more relaxed here than the north. There is also more food to try!
We ride the metro to the station and board our TGV INOUI. For once, our car (18) is only a short walk away. We are upstairs and it is almost full, but at least it is a lot more comfortable than the OUIGO train down.
The train departs under grey sunrise skies, but the cloud gradually burns off, revealing a perfect blue sky day. We are reversing our trip down to Toulouse, sitting on the opposite side of the train, enjoying the scenery we missed the first time. I am resting, writing yesterday’s blog post, listening to music and just staring out.
At Bordeaux we are delayed while the train police remove and search a man of African descent. He does not look well off at all. A young French lady appears to have been the victim from what we can make out.
Basically just your average Australian long distance train ride with different characters.
Further north we lose the red terracotta roofs and return to grey stone. We pass the Futuroscope amusement park and the wind turbines doing their stately dance in the breeze.
We arrive into the concrete caverns of Paris Montparnasse only ten minutes late due to the police operation, needing to walk the length of the train, then change to Line 6 of the Metro.
The metro line emerges from the tunnel out into elevated tracks. Our station is familiar from 15 years ago, on our tenth anniversary trip. When we get out at La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle the hotel from the trip is right in front of us. This time we are a couple of buildings down.
Once we have checked into our “apartment” the first order is to get lunch. There are a number of bistros close by and the one that takes our fancy is La Gaulois, and it is fancy. Proper waiters, old fashioned luxury decor (plus Christmas decorations) and service. This is not usually our scene, but what the heck, let’s treat ourselves to a proper French meal!
This is the second onion soup of the trip, but it is on a whole other level. Sweet, savoury, a thick layer of cheese. Alex likes this one. B orders escargot, snails, and Alex has his first try. Not to his taste.
The mains are incredible. Alex has scallops with risotto, B and I, salmon and potato. The dishes may sound simple, but they are on a whole other level. The flavours are incredible.
For dessert Alex and B share chocolate mousse scooped out of a pot, so rice and smooth. I order the “famous Crepe Suzette”, flambeed Grand Marnier, orange and butter sauce. I can taste why it might be famous.
The bill is very high, but this is food of quality that we rarely eat in Australia. Such restaurants feel so inaccessible there. We decide that it is a delayed birthday and anniversary celebration meal.
With such fine weather I look into tickets for the Eiffel Tower, but the only availability is after 9.30pm. So we just walk there to admire from the ground. It’s not far from us anyway.
The Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris, is a truly magnificent structure. We went to the top on our honeymoon and tenth anniversaries, the latter when Alex also joined us. The view from the top must have been magnificent today as it was then. From below the tower is still impressive. Tiny people climbing stairs, elevators moving within.
I notice the names of familiar mathematicians, physicists and engineers embossed around the structure. Foucault, Cauchy, Coulomb and more.
We continue on to the banks of the scene. Today was the fifth and perhaps final planned student march and many stations and routes are closed, including the Champs Elysees. Instead we walk west along the right bank of the Seine towards Pont de Bir-Hakeim. This is a quieter route, though people still pose for photos with the tower in the background.
The enormously long Princess of Paris boat cruises past along the Seine, passengers lying on deckchairs up the top, taking in the view. A railway line runs beneath the left embankment with double decker RER trains stopping at Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel station. It would make an amazing model railway layout.
The same elevated line we took continues to run across the bridge, the trains adding visual interest as the low westerly sun reflects off the river water and highlights the golden leaves of the trees as the faint crescent Moon is transected by contrails.
We return to the left bank across the bridge, dodging bicycles and wedding photographers. Then it is a long walk back to the hotel via the busy Monoprix supermarket
My teeth are hurting again and I just want to return and apply the sensitive toothpaste and take a painkiller. The other two are after instant noodles to make in the kitchenette and seek out an Asian grocery, disappointed by the selection in Monoprix.
After such a huge lunch there is little desire for a big expensive dinner. There is a McDonald’s at the corner, but strangely the others are sick of hamburgers. Can’t think why. We find a creperie across the road. I have a sausage galette, the others; dessert crepes. Then it is back to the hotel via a patisserie for a blessedly early night. I actually get to stream some music out loud. Just for a short while before the English language television endlessly repeats the news.
Tomorrow I will enjoy not needing to wake up for an early start and a long train ride.