Adieu, Paris

I woke up freakishly early today to help Whitney and her brother off to the airport, after we had stayed up probably a bit too late having a slumber party of sorts and basically catching up on the last 13 years...as well as gossiping about the people we used to know but don't care about enough to actually catch up with them in person, just behind their backs. You know how it is. Through a series of unfortunate incidents the siblings had missed their flight back to the states yesterday, so they came back into Paris to hang out with me and eat more falafel rather than risk their lives and belongings and precious hours of sleep camping out at the airport.

When I finally popped my head out my window later in the morning, the sun was shining and the sky was clear and blue and a single thought hit me: Boat ride! One must always see a city from the water in order to truly know and appreciate it. That's Bonnie Russo wisdom, and it's the truth. I had originally planned to take a boat ride down the Seine on one of my first days in Paris, in order to get a feel for it and a lay of the land, but I was distracted by the metro strike and the joys of walking through cobbled streets. However, today's boat ride seemed like the perfect way to bid farewell to Paris.


My tourist-avoiding strategy seemed to work...I got on the Batobus at the Hotel de Ville stop, one of the least busy ones, and I happened to be early enough (before noon) to beat the big crowds. For 12 euros you can buy a day pass which allows you to hop on and off the boat all day long at any of its eight stops, and the bonus is that it's the only boat service that doesn't have an annoying running commentary or guide. So I hopped on the boat, staked out a prime place on the outdoor deck railing, and pulled out my camera.


The boat ride was fantastic...so relaxing being on the water, in the sunshine, and with my back to all the other passengers it was just me, the water, and Paris. The photo opportunities were overwhelming, as Paris never stops being unabashedly elegant and graceful and stately. I got to see all the sights from the river that I had already toured on foot, a last glimpse of each lovely place.

So until we meet again, Paris, farewell.