{"id":1301,"date":"2011-05-01T12:29:31","date_gmt":"2011-05-01T19:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rayivey.com\/wordpress\/?p=1301"},"modified":"2011-05-01T12:29:31","modified_gmt":"2011-05-01T19:29:31","slug":"spring-forward-day-43","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.rayivey.com\/wordpress\/spring-forward-day-43\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"rss\"<\/a>\"instagram\"<\/a>

Paris\/Brussels
\nApril 24, 2011<\/h2>\n

Distance Traveled Today:\u00a0 162<\/h3>\n

Distance So Far:\u00a0 7700<\/h3>\n
\"Gare<\/a>
Gare du Nord<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have achieved the Notre Dame bell tower! It wasn\u2019t easy.\u00a0 Months ago when I planned this excursion, I didn\u2019t realize it was to be Easter Week.\u00a0 Paris was a zoo, and the lines for everything were horrifying.\u00a0 On Saturday I gave up on the slow-moving line to climb the bell tower.\u00a0 I arrived early on Easter Morning, got a much better place in line, and got comfortable for my wait.<\/p>\n

\"Ethel<\/a>
Ethel Merman posed for this gargoyle sculpture when she was touring Europe in CALL ME MADAM in 1955. "I just hacked away everything that didn't look like Ethel Merman, " the appalled sculptor said to reporters, shortly before killing himself.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Evidently all Scout Guides in Europe come to Notre Dame on Easter Sunday.\u00a0 There were thousands of them, all in uniform.\u00a0 I kept wanting to stop them to find out if they practiced institutionalized discrimination like the Boy Scouts of America did, but I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 I looked it up online later and the answer was more complicated than I expected.\u00a0 The Guides are completely affiliated with the Catholic Church, so there has been a traditional animus against atheist and homosexual members.\u00a0 However, in many European countries, these restrictions have been relaxed or eliminated in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"skinny_window\"<\/a>The best thing about the Scout Guides was that, since they were European, many of them were smoking.\u00a0 In uniform.\u00a0 It was fantastic. I am very sorry I didn\u2019t get a good picture of that.<\/p>\n

At last it was my time to climb.\u00a0 I have to say that getting to the top of the bell tower was certainly harder than it was when I was 27, but I made it without too many palpitations.\u00a0 Got some good photeax on the top of the Cathedral.\u00a0 The gargoyles just don\u2019t let you down.<\/p>\n

After Notre Dame, I went to that neighborhood the waitress had recommended last night:\u00a0 Butte aux Cailles.\u00a0 Must confess I was underwhelmed.\u00a0 Perhaps because everything, and I mean nearly EVERYthing, was closed for Easter.\u00a0 I went back to my favorite Montparnasse haunt and had a nice ham egg and cheese crepe for lunch.\u00a0 Then headed to the Gare du Nord early.<\/p>\n

\"Statler<\/a>
Statler and Waldorf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If I was a bit let down by my Paris trip, I actually think that\u2019s okay.\u00a0 I still really enjoyed myself, and if it wasn\u2019t as golden as it was in my memories, that\u2019s a good life lesson.\u00a0 Memories are fine, but it\u2019s the present that counts.\u00a0 Maybe after this trip my new favorite city will be Tallinn, or even Moscow.\u00a0 Who knows?\u00a0\u00a0 The best of times must always be NOW, or else we\u2019re doing it wrong.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The design of the Cite Metro station is very Jules Verne.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No problems on the train returning from Paris.\u00a0 I actually enjoyed my overlong stay at the Gare du Nord. \u00a0Sometimes, even in Paris, it\u2019s good to just sit still and do nothing.\u00a0 I read, worked on my computer, took pictures, etc.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The famous "Honey Badger" gargoyle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is impressive to make the 162 miles between the two cities in just eighty minutes.<\/p>\n

I love trains.\u00a0 I love everything about trains.\u00a0 I love movies and books set on trains.\u00a0 I like traveling by train better than any other form of travel, by a wide margin.\u00a0 Trains are so civilized.<\/p>\n

\"Lookout\"<\/a>
Lookout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

\"Sacre<\/a>
Sacre Coeur is so breathtaking I can't even come up with a jokey caption.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The beauty and majesty of the famous Rose Window in Notre Dame proves that the Judeo-Christian God is actually real.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"I<\/a>
I love this. The sign says they're never closed . . . except they are.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"see_that_big_board,<\/a><\/h4>\n

“See that big sign, with all the trains schedule on it, Son?”<\/p>\n

\n

\""Everywhere<\/a>
"Everywhere those trains go, there are French people smoking."<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/h4>\n

\n

\""Papa,<\/a>
"Papa, when I grow up, I want to work in middle management in a drab anonymous office block in Brussels, and then die of emphysema in my early forties."<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n<\/h4>\n

\n

\""You<\/a>
"You will, my son. You will."<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n<\/h4>\n

Memorable Train Rides<\/h4>\n

Menton (French Riviera) to Pisa, Italy, 1987<\/h4>\n

Los Angeles to San Francisco, 1994<\/h4>\n

London to Edinburgh, arriving in Edinburgh in a beautiful snowfall, 1998<\/h4>\n

Montreal to New York during fall foliage, 2003<\/h4>\n
\"The<\/a>
The legendary Paris institution of higher learning, The Sorbonne. In this very building, French scientists discovered fire more than 130 years ago, changing the course of human history and earning the eternal love of candle makers everywhere.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n
\"Hot<\/a><\/dt>\n
Hot air balloon caught between the towers of St. Germain-des-PresUnder the Tower<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
\n
\n
\"This<\/a><\/dt>\n
This was a lot easier to climb 24 years ago. But I did it!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

\"skinny_gargoyle\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
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\"Many<\/a><\/dt>\n
Many many scouts!!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
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\n
\"I<\/a><\/dt>\n
I was able to get a piece of the True Cross for the incredible low price of only 7.50 Euro! This proves that the story of Easter is actually true!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

\"up_the_tower_from_the_bottom\"<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Average Rating: 4.8<\/span> out of 5<\/span> based on 240<\/span> user reviews.<\/span><\/div><\/p>

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