All Aboard The Backpacker’s Express

The cold I caught the moment I got here is finally clearing off. Don’t worry guys it’s not coronavirus, just an allergic reaction to the French air!

The day began with a trip to the northern suburbs of Paris. It is here, in the Basilica Saint Denis that almost every French monarch, their queens and many family members have been buried since the 10th century. A sombre yet majestic church, it’s royal tombs were ransacked after the revolution with the royal remains dumped into unmarked trenches by the revolutionaries. The restoration of the monarchy under Louis XVIII saw what was left of the remains reinterred into their rightful resting place along with the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette who had been buried elsewhere after their executions.

After paying my respects to centuries of french royalty I returned to the heart of Paris to see its second largest church Eglise Saint Sulpice. Not much to say about this one other than it’s a beautiful building and well worth an hour of your time to visit.

Next up was the Chateaux Vincennes. A fort come palace, it was a royal residence for generations until Versailles rose to prominence, after which it became a prison. Interestingly, Henry V of England died here during the Hundred Years War.

Vincennes is a huge complex. In the eastern reaches of Paris it is clearly a less visited site than many other attractions in the city. Yet it has a medieval charm to it that I very much enjoyed.

On the way to Sacre Coeur I took a quick five minute stop at the Place de la Bastille. The site of the infamous Bastille fort prison, the storming of the site marks the start of the revolution. Today, only a towering monument stands as a marker to what happened here.

Back on the metro and onto Sacre Coeur. Consecrated in 1919, this church sits on the highest part of Paris. Sod the stairs to get to the top, I took a ride on the funicular. My legs are eternally grateful!

Unlike many places I’ve been to so far, tourists were abundant here, as were the locals. Not wanting to intrude on peoples prayers or get my toes trodden upon by other tourists, I had a quick look round before making my way back to the hostel.

And that brings my last day in Paris to an end. Tomorrow I get the train to Avignon!

The cold I caught the moment I got here is finally clearing off. Don’t worry guys it’s not coronavirus, just an allergic reaction to the French air!

The day began with a trip to the northern suburbs of Paris. It is here, in the Basilica Saint Denis that almost every French monarch, their queens and many family members have been buried since the 10th century. A sombre yet majestic church, it’s royal tombs were ransacked after the revolution with the royal remains dumped into unmarked trenches by the revolutionaries. The restoration of the monarchy under Louis XVIII saw what was left of the remains reinterred into their rightful resting place along with the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette who had been buried elsewhere after their executions.

After paying my respects to centuries of french royalty I returned to the heart of Paris to see its second largest church Eglise Saint Sulpice. Not much to say about this one other than it’s a beautiful building and well worth an hour of your time to visit.

Next up was the Chateaux Vincennes. A fort come palace, it was a royal residence for generations until Versailles rose to prominence, after which it became a prison. Interestingly, Henry V of England died here during the Hundred Years War.

Vincennes is a huge complex. In the eastern reaches of Paris it is clearly a less visited site than many other attractions in the city. Yet it has a medieval charm to it that I very much enjoyed.

On the way to Sacre Coeur I took a quick five minute stop at the Place de la Bastille. The site of the infamous Bastille fort prison, the storming of the site marks the start of the revolution. Today, only a towering monument stands as a marker to what happened here.

Back on the metro and onto Sacre Coeur. Consecrated in 1919, this church sits on the highest part of Paris. Sod the stairs to get to the top, I took a ride on the funicular. My legs are eternally grateful!

Unlike many places I’ve been to so far, tourists were abundant here, as were the locals. Not wanting to intrude on peoples prayers or get my toes trodden upon by other tourists, I had a quick look round before making my way back to the hostel.

And that brings my last day in Paris to an end. Tomorrow I get the train to Avignon!

The cold I caught the moment I got here is finally clearing off. Don’t worry guys it’s not coronavirus, just an allergic reaction to the French air!

The day began with a trip to the northern suburbs of Paris. It is here, in the Basilica Saint Denis that almost every French monarch, their queens and many family members have been buried since the 10th century. A sombre yet majestic church, it’s royal tombs were ransacked after the revolution with the royal remains dumped into unmarked trenches by the revolutionaries. The restoration of the monarchy under Louis XVIII saw what was left of the remains reinterred into their rightful resting place along with the bodies of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette who had been buried elsewhere after their executions.

After paying my respects to centuries of french royalty I returned to the heart of Paris to see its second largest church Eglise Saint Sulpice. Not much to say about this one other than it’s a beautiful building and well worth an hour of your time to visit.

Next up was the Chateaux Vincennes. A fort come palace, it was a royal residence for generations until Versailles rose to prominence, after which it became a prison. Interestingly, Henry V of England died here during the Hundred Years War.

Vincennes is a huge complex. In the eastern reaches of Paris it is clearly a less visited site than many other attractions in the city. Yet it has a medieval charm to it that I very much enjoyed.

On the way to Sacre Coeur I took a quick five minute stop at the Place de la Bastille. The site of the infamous Bastille fort prison, the storming of the site marks the start of the revolution. Today, only a towering monument stands as a marker to what happened here.

Back on the metro and onto Sacre Coeur. Consecrated in 1919, this church sits on the highest part of Paris. Sod the stairs to get to the top, I took a ride on the funicular. My legs are eternally grateful!

Unlike many places I’ve been to so far, tourists were abundant here, as were the locals. Not wanting to intrude on peoples prayers or get my toes trodden upon by other tourists, I had a quick look round before making my way back to the hostel.

And that brings my last day in Paris to an end. Tomorrow I get the train to Avignon!

Versailles. It’s very name conjures up images of outlandish decadence. Originally a hunting lodge, under the Sun King, Louis XIV, it became a royal palace of vast proportions.

Walking up the wide avenue towards the palace on its hilltop, the scale of this kingly residence becomes clear. Columns, statues, gold gilt, its exterior is a masterpiece.

Once inside, you walk up a plain spiral staircase. Then the fun begins. Room after room of the royal apartments, stripped of their furniture after the revolution but now faithfully restored. The decor declares for all to see the wealth and power of the Kings of France.

Separting the apartments of the King and Queen is the most famous room in the palace. The Hall of Mirrors, site of the declaration of the German Empire and of its defeat in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty Of Versailles. Being in such an historic room was a joy.

Aside from the Palace itself the estate of Versailles is vast. Its gardens, with its many fountains run down the hill towards the cross shaped Grand Canal. At one end of this lake lies the Grand and Petit Trianon, small palaces where the King and Queen would come to escape royal court.

The most peculiar feature of Versailles is the Hameau de la Reine. It is a small hamlet of buildings constructed in a rural style for Marie Antionette to pretend at living in a rural idyll with her guests. Unfortunately the lake that the hamlet is built around had been emptied and was being dredged in a restoration project so alas, no Instagram worthy photos.

Overall this UNESCO world heritage site is a must visit for anyone in Paris. A whole day can be spent wandering the estate and of course, that’s exactly what I did.

It’s amazing how a lack of sleep can suck the enjoyment out of the day. When you’re walking around all day on four hours sleep it rapidly sucks the life out of you.

Despite this I mustered up enough energy to see all the days planned sites. It began with a walk around the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps France’s greatest architectural symbol, not even the Coronavirus could really hamper the crowds to this monumental structure. I thus contented myself to walking around the base as the sun shone down upon from above.

A walk past France’s answer to Sandhurst, Ecole Militaire, I made my way to Les Invalides. The equivalent of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, this impressive complex now houses a military museum and boasts it’s own cathedral.

Most importantly however are the tombs that lie under the great gilded dome of Les Invalides. Here are interred the bodies of Napoleon Bonaparte and other members of the imperial dynasty. Even as a mortal enemy of England, Napoleon is one of the greatest military minds in history and as such it was a privilege to have gazed upon his tomb.

After briefly resting my legs in the gardens of Les Invalides I hoped on over to Sainte Chappele and the Palace of Justice.

Walking into the upper chapel of this gothic church has the be one of the most breathtaking moments of my life. Huge stained glass windows take up most of the walls, turning the room pink as the sun shone through the blue and red glass. No photo can ever do it justice. If you’re ever in Paris, take a moment to visit.

Next up was the Palace of Justice. Once a royal palace, it became a prison after the revolution. It’s most famous prisoner, Queen Marie-Antionette spent the last of her days locked up in this foreboding medieval building.

Not happy enough with seeing dead royals and their prisons, I finished the day at the Catacombs. Below the streets of Paris, 6 million bodies are interred in the former limestone mines. It is a grisly yet fascinating look at how Paris dealt with its overflowing cemeteries.

Finally, my energy depleted, I slowly made my way back to the hostel and had a nice long nap. Now, filled up with a burger from the hostel restaurant, I think its time for bed.

Today’s the day. Despite the sedate start, everything felt rushed. The excitement and sudden anxiety about the journey ahead merged to reduce my perception to a blur.

Before I knew it I was sitting in the eurostar departure lounge at St Pancras awaiting my carriage to Paris. Upon arrival I made the quick dash to the hostel before dumping my bags and setting off into the beautiful streets of France’s capital.

Had all gone to plan I would have spent the afternoon in the Louvre. Unfortunately, ongoing panic by the museum staff about the Coronavirus epidemic meant that the famed art museum remained shut for the second day in a row.

Never mind though, having only 3.5 days in Paris leaves very little time to sit around. Having never been to the city before, I’m determined to enjoy as much of it as possible.

First stop then, the Pantheon. Resting place of giants such as Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. Once conceived as a church, it now stands as a temple for some of the greatest minds of all time. The building itself is as wonderous as the people who are interred within its walls.

Leaving the Pantheon, I wandered down to Notre Dame. Though gutted by fire, her towers still stand as a symbol of French pride. Looking upon the scarred facade it is clear it won’t remain closed to her people for long. Work is already well under way to secure and restore this most famous of Churches.

As an aside I couldn’t help but hum One Day Out There to myself – a song from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame for those uncultured folk who don’t know. Go watch it if you haven’t!

Following a stroll around the Ile de la Cite I trekked my way down the Tuileries Gardens to the Place de la Concorde. By this time my feet were getting tired so I hopped onto the metro to see Paris from the top of the Arc de Triomph as the sun set.

Suffice to say the view of Paris at dusk is a stunning one. Thank goodness the weather cleared up in time!

It’s time. After seven months of saving, planning and booking, the grand tour is about to begin.

Very soon I’ll be making my way across cities, countries and continents, catching a glimpse of what our world has to offer.

If you like reading about travelling then this is the blog for you. Between all the sights, sounds and tastes of my many destinations I’ll try and give you all a flavour of what it’s like to experience the world.

So climb aboard the backpackers express, sit back in your seat and travel there and back again with me, a little hobbit from the English shires.

First stop? My home from home…