STRIKE! We had heard there might be one...and sure enough, France is striking, and especially Paris! I want you to all know we're safe...the only part of the strike we saw was the many police wagons driving down the freeway going to keep order. The strike is over raising the retirement age. In France, the retirement age is 60 and the govt wants to raise it to either 62 or 64...and the French are mad! Jeannette told us that the French don't mind striking at all...the last big strike lasted ONE MONTH! Oh my! Public transportation was basically shut down today, the post office...and for us, the Palace of Versailles:( We didn't know if we would be able to get to our guide in time for our city tour. Because the public transit (metro) was shut down...and busses...the traffic was unbelievable. What normally takes 10 minutes to travel, was taking an hour. Fortunately, our guide was having just as much trouble as us, so we both ended up arriving at the same time. We had our tour...always keeping in safe areas.
Our first big stop was Notre Dame. Our guide, Annalisa, talked to us about how it was built...both the actual construction to the functions of each part. As beautiful as it is, each part of the Cathedral has a purpose..except for one small statue of the Hunchback! We toured all around the city...ending up at Sacre Coeur, a white basilica that sits on top of a hill. We ate lunch in and toured the artists district Montmartre, which was a haven for artists and writers even before WWI. We had also told the delegates about the gypsys, about the people who are so persistent trying to sell you their wares...I'm not sure if they had believed us, but they certainly did after today! It was definitely a cultural experience for them! The area directly below Sacre Coeur is full of shops...souvenir shops...so a bit of time was spent there. If you're reading this, you may be the recipient of something from that area. 
Our first big stop was Notre Dame. Our guide, Annalisa, talked to us about how it was built...both the actual construction to the functions of each part. As beautiful as it is, each part of the Cathedral has a purpose..except for one small statue of the Hunchback! We toured all around the city...ending up at Sacre Coeur, a white basilica that sits on top of a hill. We ate lunch in and toured the artists district Montmartre, which was a haven for artists and writers even before WWI. We had also told the delegates about the gypsys, about the people who are so persistent trying to sell you their wares...I'm not sure if they had believed us, but they certainly did after today! It was definitely a cultural experience for them! The area directly below Sacre Coeur is full of shops...souvenir shops...so a bit of time was spent there. If you're reading this, you may be the recipient of something from that area. 
As I said, the Palace of Versailles was closed because of the strike, but we drove out there anyway so they could at least see it from the outside. Fortunately, the gardens were open so we had plenty of time to roam through there. They are extensive! Jeannette told us that one time she spent 8 hours roaming the gardens and didn't see it all. 
Walking to dinner from the palace, we saw a fire truck...well, our restaurant had caught on fire, so we were transferred to another restaurant close by. Fortunately, our food had already been prepared, so they just transferred it to the new location.
Now, here we are back at the hotel...in our last night in Paris. I decided to buy some internet time (if you saw the blog yesterday, I wrote that I wasn't going to do this here...)but because of the strike, I wanted to let you all know we were OK...safe and sound...and ready to take off in the morning for Belgium!
Walking to dinner from the palace, we saw a fire truck...well, our restaurant had caught on fire, so we were transferred to another restaurant close by. Fortunately, our food had already been prepared, so they just transferred it to the new location.
Now, here we are back at the hotel...in our last night in Paris. I decided to buy some internet time (if you saw the blog yesterday, I wrote that I wasn't going to do this here...)but because of the strike, I wanted to let you all know we were OK...safe and sound...and ready to take off in the morning for Belgium!
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