Healthy, Park
One of the guide-translators told us about the history and culture of France, the traditions and customs, about national holidays and the main attractions that we had to see in Paris, Versailles, Ruan. And as soon as we ended up in the waters of France, they began to show the program of French cinema on ship television, starting with the once beloved film "Paris secrets".
Imagine with what feeling we waited for meeting the city, which Chopin once said: "Paris is all you want".
We wanted to see Paris from the highest hill – Montmartre. Until the middle of the XIX century, he was known for its vineyards and mills. Now only one remained on Montmartre, but the most famous – red mill, and simply speaking – "Moulin rouge", famous for the whole world of cabaret with traditional cannomy. (Maybe thanks to Great Toulouse-Lotrere, who left his brushes on his walls.)
Small restaurants, cafes, cabaret, nightclubs and today Renaires are drawn throughout the cliches boulevard. Here, the area of Pigal, around which the nightlife of the city is concentrated. All this is the bottom Montmartre. At the top of the hill, the appearance of Montmartra XIX century was preserved almost unchanged – narrow curves of the streets, low old houses and, of course, Square Du Terrters, on which, like a century ago, unlucky artists write their still lifes, landscapes, portraits of passersby.
Carefree tourists look at the paintings, houses and restaurants, closely clouded around the square. And here is the most famous of them – "Mamas Katrin". How many celebrities visited here! After all, it works since 1793! And from the top of the hill your gaze opens an impressive panorama. At the accumulation of buildings and roofs with open mansard windows, the high towers of modern buildings, the domes of gothic structures and, of course, the spire of the Paris Cathedral of the Paris.
From Paris bohemian and romantic go down to Paris historical.
Notre Dame de Paris – Pride of France. It is from here, from the small island of Site, which in the times of Caesar was called Lutection and was the capital of the Celtic tribe of Parisians, the city began, who later became, in 360, Paris. And here since 1163, for more than one and a half centuries, the main cathedral of the city was built. This greatest product of Gothic is striking with three grand portals and two tower 69 meters high, and inside, despite some glooming of the interior, – amazing beauty stained glass and the richest treasure collection. Under the arches of the Cathedral, you remember Horoev Hugo. It seems that their shadows are present here, and the quasimodo will appear because of the column
The driving quarter over the quarter along the left bank of the Seine, we were not tired to admire what they saw: and the famous sorbon, founded in the XIII century; and a majestic pantheon; and the charming ensemble of the Luxembourg garden with beautiful sculptures of the XIX century and the palace built by order of Catherine Medici, who wanted him to remind him of his native Italy; and a very cute area of Saint-Germain de Pre, where in a small cafe, near the church, they loved to sit Sartre, Cami and other famous writers; And the amazing architectural ensemble of the Palace of the Disabled, built by Louis XIV for the Veterans of the Army
– Gentlemen, hurry, please! – This is our guide, standing at the bus, the name of tourists, for a long time photographed by the palace of disabled people. – We are waiting for the most elegant lady of Paris.
The most elegant lady weighs seven thousand tons, however, with a height of 320 meters. And even in one hundred years old, she is really slight and elegant. Already a long time ago, the symbol of Paris, immediately after the construction, it seemed to many ugly and looking absolutely alien city-handsome. And then a well-known letter appeared "Four hundred", Signed in protest intelligentsia Paris. True, one of the most tary and irreconcilable wisers Gi de Maupassan soon began to visit the restaurant on the second tier tier (now it is called "Jules Verne"). When he was asked why he comes here, the writer answered: "This is the only place where I can not see her".
But with the tower itself created by the engineering genius of the Eiffel and erected at the Marsfield to the World Exhibition of 1889, it can be seen absolutely!
Height-dried tourists, before that strictly holding each group, crumbled on the balconies of the observation deck. Under us – no much nor little – there was a live map of Paris. From here the wide avenue and the streets seemed narrow streams running in all directions. And park ensembles, boulevards, domes of temples, even at a decent distance, were visible so that even those who first found themselves in Paris could determine: Pantheon is or the palace of disabled, the Church of Sorbonne or Saint-Germain de Pre.
"Armed" binoculars or video camera, it was possible, not going down from the tower, make a unique journey throughout Paris
The evening caught us on the Champs Elysees.
We anticipated an unforgettable walk, but our plans broke the torrential rain. I had to escape in expensive prestigious stores, the benefit on the Elysee fields there are a lot of them. Fifteen-year-old Katya Pultnitsova, a beautiful girl with long brown hair, during the excursion carefully listened to the guide, herself became "work" by a translator, helping her mother with a grandmother, then the father with his grandfather to communicate with sellers; And everything crushed that because of the rain could not just walk and see everything – because tomorrow was the trip to Versailles, who also want to see.
In fact, if for a cruise for three days in Paris is a huge luxury (especially since "stood" We are not in the Havra, but on the shore of the Seine, in the ancient Ruang, just an hour drive away from the capital), then for dating Paris – it’s just a short moment. Therefore, in the remaining two days, planned on excursions to Versailles and in Defense, buses left without those who preferred to stay in Paris and stroll through his streets, boulevards, look into one of the restaurants, – in a word, make it up with air and closer to learn
Twelve streets, as if the rays of the sun, diverge in different directions from the Triumphal Arch, and from the Square, this can go on any of them. But as again, now in good weather, not stroll through the Champs Elysees? All seen removing on the camcorder: Beautiful buildings with forged iron balcisses, exquisitely decorated showcases of expensive shops, famous cabaret "Lido", Cozy street restaurants. Some of them put the tables between the ranks of high plane fees, which on both sides of the two-kilometer prospectus stretch to the square of consent itself.
On the square, I met several people from my. Initially, Sergey Unild, not by the years a serious young doctor who carefully considered Obelisk from Luxor. In France, he was removed by Napoleon during the Egyptian expedition.
Did not have time to part with Sergey, as Olga and Yuri Ivanov, who wound six cruises came to the camera lens "Primaxpress", and their old friends Lyudmila and Vladimir, the same fans of marine travel. Greeted.
– That preferred Paris Versailles? – I ask.
– In the morning we went to the Museum of D’Orce, I looked at Impressionists. There is a great collection. Oh, and then quite by chance we saw a stunning thing. – Olga even smiled. – True, guys? At the palace of disabled people, we saw the guardsmen in the parade form took the real Eastern Prince. Very beautiful ritual. Yura with Volodya even removed him to the chamber.
– Something I did not see you last night in dinner
– Because we have dinner not on the ship, but in "Lido". – Yuri, smiling, showed her hand towards the Elysees fields.
– The most interesting thing happened before the start of the main program, "Olga says, – before the appearance of beautiful girls from the corps. You can imagine: the scene came out the eighty-year-old grandmother with grandfaths. She is in an old dress. In his dance, they highlighted such PA that the audience was delighted. And then, after twelve, we went to Dance de Pigal. And we are lucky again. You imagine, the mass of people on the rollers, in masks, some carnival costumes are young, old, with children, accompanied by policemen with some kind of screams, shouts, worn under the music, along the streets. They even flew in the cafe on these rollers, took sandwiches and beer. All this was very beautiful and fun, especially when lighting lights and advertising.
– And when to return to the ship?
– We agreed with the Directorate, which will return tomorrow, to the waste of the ship to London.
After a quarter of an hour, passing through the garden of Tuileries with elegant sculptures and fountain, I found myself at the Arch, behind which the Louvre began.
Here I met Pavel Kujawsky with his wife, who were sent to the museum. In the past, a team player on the handbank, he traveled a lot in Europe and could easily navigate in any city.
– Ploy to the restaurant – one, across the road, – Pavel advised. – We are just from there. Ate the famous French onion soup, but at least just look out, look at the menu.
At the entrance to this restaurant, located next to the Louvre, on a rack, similar to the Püpiter, lay neatly printed, beautifully decorated menus in English, French and German. And there was a hollow tight sheet of white paper, on which it was written in Russian from hand: "Minor" And further: "Borsch Pie Salom Pelmeni" And for some reason "Soup with bows". It was slightly shot for me, but did not inspire a visit, because Pale Pale Royal was waiting for me, Grand Opera
By the way, on the way to the Opera, on the Avenue Opera, in several stores, especially in perfumery, saleswoman, although not pure, spoke Russian. Apparently, Paris is already well aware of the purchasing power of our compatriots
Much naturally remains beyond this article. And a grandiose Grand Opera, and Pale-Royal, and the famous Vandom Square, with luxurious hotels and jewelry shops, and the area of Bastille, and Defense with Montparnasse, and famous Paris boulevards, and much more. Just do not fit.
And if Henry IV said: "Paris stands Mesca", he is the more worth seeing to see him
. It was a pity to part with France, but tourists "Primaxpress" Waiting for the United Kingdom. During the maritime transition, they naturally did not miss – a meeting with Satyrian Writer Felix Dadaev took place in the music salon. Very cheerful, smiling and sharp in the tongue, for eight years of travel on ships "Primaxpress" He did not just go around the whole of Europe, but also pleased the guests of cruises with his cheerful jokes, sharp epigram and amazingly funny draws. And this time there were a lot of laughter in the hall, and all travelers with a good mood were waiting for meetings with London, a story about which – in the next issue.
