Saturday 16th July: Blue Skies, cool in Avignon 18°C to warm in Paris 30°C
Malaucene to Paris: Malaucene to Avignon by car, Avignon to Paris by TGV.
Accommodation: Air BnB 31 Boulevard de Rochechoart Paris
Paris and The Sacred Heart
Highlight was getting the TGV - Tren Grande Vitesse - which means Big Fast Train - 700k from Avignon to Paris in 2hrs 43 mins, at speeds of up to 300kph - faster than a car, faster than a plane after all the messing around at airports. In fact the TGV holds many speed records approaching 600kph.
We're all up early at 6am in Malaucene. A big day travelling to Paris. Time for a shower, a quick cup of tea but no breakfast – we’ll have that later at the Avignon TGV Station - then packing and cleaning the apartment and shopping for fresh bread for lunch. The car is parked in the free parking area near the church, just 50 metres around the corner. Ian sets the GPS for Avignon and we're off.
It's easy driving on the roads this morning with no traffic at 7am on a Saturday morning. In less than an hour we're through Carpentras, around the Avignon ring road, filled up with petrol and arrive at the AVIS office at the TGV with five minutes to spare until it opens at 8am. Dropping the keys off was quick, we just had to show the petrol receipt and make note of the minor ding in the back from someone who had bumped into Graham when they parked in Bedoin on Mont Ventoux day. The cost of 570 Euro for 4 days split between 4 people was well worth it just to be at The Tour de France on Mont Ventoux and at the time trial in Bourg St Andeol. Cheaper and more convenient for us than buses and trains.
Paris and Moulin Rouge
Jan and Ian at the Arc de Triumph
Jan and Ian at the Arc de Triumph
Paris on the Champs-Élysées
Shopping in Paris at Morgan's
Paris, walking alomg teh Seine
Paris Le Louvre
Time for a leisurely breakfast in the bus shelter - muesli, yoghurt and another cup of tea. The TGV train station is just over the road and we have 45 minutes to spare - better than getting caught in traffic or getting lost on the way and being late. The TGV pulls in on Platform 4, and we've booked 1st class seats (just 4 euro extra pp). We're in a set of 4 seats sitting opposite each other across a table. The train cruises out and within 20 minutes we've reached speeds of around 300kph!! It's 700k from Avignon to Paris, and today it's a non-stop TGV and takes only 2hrs 43mins. Imagine going from Brisbane to Newcastle in less than 3 hrs – quicker than flying by the time you get to the airport and check in.
We’ve already had breakfast, so we can enjoy the view. After whizzing through the French countryside, at 12.20pm, our TGV pulls into Paris Gare du Lyon, five minutes early. We head for the ticket office to buy tickets for the RER line D to Gare du Nord. The RER lines (Réseau Express Régional) connects major tourist destinations and ports of entry like Gare du Lyon, to the heart of Paris like Gare du Nord.
So far so good. At 1pm the RER pulls into Gare du Nord and we walk up to Rue Dunkerque, then around the corner to 31 Boulevard de Rochechouart, our AirBnB for 3 nights. It's easy to find, and we follow the instructions to enter the code for the front street door, then the next security door, then walk to the 3rd floor. As arranged, Michel arrives by lift in two minutes, and shows us through the apartment explaining all the electrical stuff and giving us a run down on the photos and paintings on the walls - he used to live in this apartment but AirBnB has been a very viable little business for him and he now lives around the corner in a smaller room. The apartment is fabulous, two bedrooms and a largish dining/lounge room with kitchen and bathroom. Quite big for Paris.
Michel had already brought our large Salvos suitcase (the one we posted to him from Menton 4 weeks earlier) and it's there safely in our bedroom. The apartment looks out on Montemarte and through the trees we can see the Sacre-Couer Basilica. We thank Michel and then have lunch with a view.
Later, Ian and I go walking - that's what you do in Paris - to the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysee, along the Seine to Notre Dame, up through the Louvre and back to Montemarte - about a 10k walk in 3 hrs. Jenny and Graham have gone shopping at Carrefours and have returned with enough food for the next 3 days. Tonight’s dinner is smoked trout with salad, together with a pink champagne. Bed at 10pm.