Nate in Paris

I got to see very little of Paris. I didn’t want Nate to suffer and hang back with me with the poetic sounds of dry heaving when he could be out wandering and hearing La Vie En Rose playing over and over. So I kicked him out even though he didn’t want to leave. 

Words by Nate Paynter

Our train arrived in Paris on Saturday night around 9:00 PM. I had kicked around the idea of taking the Metro to the hotel, but we both agreed that lugging our bags through the subway would be a bit much at the end of a long day so we grabbed an Uber.  I asked Melessa if she wanted me to see if our driver would be willing to take us around to some of the famous sites so that we could see them illuminated at night, but she said she wasn’t feeling too hot so we decided to get checked into the hotel and call it a day.  Great hotel! Hôtel Square Louvois

After we got settled I offered to try to find some bread or crackers to help settle Melessa’s tummy.  The markets nearby were closed, but I found an Indian restaurant that was open so I picked up some naan bread for Melessa (and some Tandoori chicken and garlic naan for me, because I was on vacation and I love me some Tandoori chicken and garlic naan!  Who cares if it was almost 11:00 PM?! You Only Live Once!).  In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best decision to bring the delicious aroma of Tandoori chicken into a confined space with a nauseated spouse, but in my defense, I thought we were just dealing with an upset tummy from a day that involved the consumption of Belgian waffles, French fries, and chocolates… Melessa nibbled at the naan and tried to get some rest so I hit the sack as well.

Fast forward to 2:00 AM. I was awakened by the sounds of my sweetheart praying at the porcelain altar. Total bummer.

After a rough night, we both decided to sleep in and give Melessa a chance to rest up. I suggested that we kick back in the hotel room, watch some movies, get some room service and give Melessa a chance to recover.  We’d both been programmed to give an upset stomach 24 hours to run its course, so I was cool with just taking it easy for the day.

Melessa suggested that I get out and do some site-seeing while she was recovering.  I wasn’t to jazzed about the idea, but she insisted. So, that’s how I ended up walking around Paris by myself for an entire Sunday.

It was only about a 10-minute walk to the Louvre from our hotel.  The gardens were impressive.  I figured that Melessa and I would visit the Louvre and the Orangerie Museum on Monday when she was feeling better, so I crossed the Seine and walked over to Musée d’Orsay.  It’s in an old train station. One could spend weeks walking the museum and taking a look at each work of art.  It was a little overwhelming due to the sheer number of works, but it was really impressive.

After a couple of hours in Musée d’Orsay, I walked the 15 minutes to the Rodin Museum. Again, very impressive but not nearly as large as Musée d’Orsay, as this museum is an old home set in a beautiful garden.

I got ahold of Melessa and asked if she felt up to getting out of the hotel room to grab some dinner, but she still wasn’t in the mood to eat anything so I decided to head over to the Ile de la Cité.

Normally, I would have been all about a 35-minute walk through Paris, but it was already late afternoon and most sites close between 5:00 and 6:00 PM, so I decided to brave the Metro.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The subways were inexpensive, clean, well-lit and easy to use. I had to change trains once and got off at the Cite stop right in the middle of the island.  I was hoping to catch Sainte-Chapelle (the stained-glass is spectacular), but unfortunately, it was closed.  So, I wandered along the river to Notre Dame. It was amazing!  The pictures don’t do it justice.  The area in front of the cathedral was PACKED with people. It was Palm Sunday after all… I knew there was no way that I’d have time to get in there before it closed at 6:45 PM, so I decided to grab some dinner.

I found a little cafe’ right across the street from Notre Dame called L’Esmeralda.  I decided to go for something that I wouldn’t normally try, so I ordered escargot and steak tartare. I sat outside and enjoyed my meal while taking in the sites.  Across the street, someone was playing the accordion…  It was quite charming. Melessa would have really enjoyed it.  I missed my sweetie.

After dinner, I walked through the gardens behind Notre Dame and meandered over to the river.  Again, it’s difficult to overstate how impressive the exterior of Notre Dame truly is. I made my way back around to the front of the cathedral and it was even more crowded. Turns out people were waiting to get in for the Palm Sunday evening mass.  I decided to follow the crowd, made my way inside and spent the better part of the next hour enjoying the service and interior of Notre Dame.

I got ahold of Melessa again to find out if she was up to visit some of the sites after sunset.  She was still in rough shape, so I said that I was coming back to the room, but again she insisted that I make the most of the evening, so I hopped back on the Metro.

By the time I made my way over to the Eiffel Tower, the sun was down and the tower illuminated.  Very cool. I enjoyed a walk down the Seine and then headed back to the Metro.

I made my way up to the Arc de Triomphe and I did a lap around the monument. Very impressive.  I’m glad that I was able to see at night.

I got ahold of Melessa again to see if I could grab her anything on the way back to the room.  She requested crackers.  I found a market that was still open and totally lucked out: they had saltines and ginger ale.  WINNING!

Melessa was still in pretty rough shape.  We ended up taking her to the hospital at about 3:00 AM, and then spent the better part of the next two days in the hospital, so I’m REALLY glad that Melessa insisted that I get out and see Paris.  If she hadn’t my Paris experience would have consisted of the inside of a hotel room and the inside of a hospital room.  Instead, I got to experience some of the romance and beauty that Paris has to offer.

Thanks for kicking me out of the hotel room, Gorgeous!  Love you.