This is Thursday and I leave Paris in 2 days. This morning I was concerned about how we would get to the Airport on Saturday Also as Glenda and I want to go to Versailles on Friday we were thinking we would take a tour that would provide transportation. Glenda decided that she would go to the Musee d'Orsay this day. After a delicious breakfast of Croisants, quiche and fruit at our apartment we got dressed and went up the Mouffetard street to the Comfort Inn where I hoped I could talk the gentleman at the desk to book us a taxie on Saturday and call the tour place to book us the tour for the Versailles. I guess I was pressing my luck as he told us that on saturday when we get ready to leave he would call for a taxie and he also told us that in order for us to book a tour we would have to go to the actual tour office to book the tour. I really can not blame this gentleman for not helping us more as I have now not stayed at this hotel for almost 2 weeks but I had hoped he might have helped. C'est la vie. Hopefully everything will work out on Saturday when we have to leave.
After this visit to the Hotel ,Glenda went to the D'Orsay and I decided to try to find the Carrefour store that supposingly was located a metro stop away. The Carrefour is that huge store that I went to when John and I were in Dijon that was like a Super Walmart but better. One would have thought the day was the 13th and not the 14th as when I arrived at that metro stop I did not see the store or have any idea in which direction it might be. As I sort of stuck out at the hotel I was feeling shy to go into another business to ask if they knew where the Carrefour was. What I did was walk back to the apartment. At the apartment I went on the internet to see if I could find an address but only could find a picture of the Carrefour store as it was in 1930. If you want to see that picture, go to Carrefour, Gobins, Paris, France. That told me that the French had come up with this type of store long before America came up with Walmart. As I could not find it I decided that I would gather my laundry and go to the laundrymat. This I did and in this task I was successful. The laundry mat was empty and I happily did my laundry and read my book. I had no problems buying the soap or using the machines via the French coin method. In this laundrymat, one selects the machine you will use by pressing the corestponding button of the number of the machine and then inserts coins into the cabinet on the wall where the buttons are located. That process automatically turns on the machines but you have to go over to the machine and press the start button.
After the laundry was completed I went back to the apartment and worked on getting my luggage in order for Saturdays departure. I also looked at the internet to attempt to book another apartment or the same apartment for my return to Paris after the Italy trip. I typed out the itinerary of the places I was staying in Italy on the Italian trip and sent those to John and Laura for their information in case they needed to find me and could not get me by my cell phone. My efforts with finding another apartment for when I return in November has not yet paid off as I have not heard from the owner if the apartment I am choosing will be available.
I have to admit this day was not an exciting day except that I got my laundry done. Glenda got home at about 7:30 pm and told me of her adventures of the day. She loved the D'Orsay but said that getting there and getting back was a little frightening as there were many policemen with machine guns walking in the Metro station. She said that the people at one station she was at, had to get out of the station fast as someone found a suspicious looking package left on the seat of one of the metro cars. She said they all ran out of the station. However we have never heard if the package was a bomb or just a package someone left by mistake. She said she had to walk to another station and that it took her almost an hour to find her way. I have to admit that the French police are very active in there attempts to prevent any incidents. You see them everywhere and in all shapes and forms. The other day we saw 5 national guards on rollerblades skating down the sidewalks going somewhere in a hurry. The police who wear the chamoflodge suits and carry machine guns walking on the streets and subways are the ones that really make you feel safe.?
Glenda and I ate dinner at the mexican restaurant (cafe') on the Mouffetard street. The food was good, tasted sort of like mexican food and there were lots of students who were eating there along with Glenda and I. After we went to that restaurant we went to another little cafe that made crepes and I had a crepe with nutella and Glenda had a chocolate muffin. This day I also was beginning to feel a little homesick and I called Laura and we talked for a few minutes. I was happy when John called me and it was good to hear his voice and heard of the activities he had engaged that day.
We are planning on going to Versailles tomorrow and we decided not to book the tour as the man at the hotel told us the strike is over and we do not have to worry about the lack of transportation. I know it will be a long day tomorrow, hopefully the weather holds up and we do not get lost like Lisa and I did when we went the last time.
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