34. First two days wandering Paris by bus

I wrote this earlier and so bummed that it got lost,

So, I will try to remember what I wrote at any cost!

I purchased a two-day pass from the tourist office to ride the bus,

Which I highly recommend, it cuts out all the time and fuss.

You get your bearing of how large the City,

And, can then pick and choose where the type of visit.

I spent two days on the bus going around and around Paris,

I started on the orange route for it was near Montparrasse.

My hotel is quite near the Montparrasse main train station,

And it seems like a perfect place for my location.

From the Orange, I got off at the connecting green line,

Crossed the street to the Musee de L'arme.

I have never seen so much armor in one place

Even armor for children and horses, enclosed in case.

Napoleon also has a museum as well as his tomb,

With dedications to other people that to me are unknown.

On display are his emperor's medals and paintings, 

As well as his stuffed horse, getting ragged and tainted.

Back on the bus and we go towards Champs-Elysees,

The grandest of streets in all of Paris.

Around the L'obelisque at La Concorde,

This is the oldest monument in Paris,

Brought here on a barge from Egypt, the rarist!

It is from the lst century A.D. that tells the story of creation

On the panels of its foundation.

But an awful gruesome part to know is this,

That in this square 2,000 people were beheaded, including Marie Antoinette.

It was said that the blood stench was so thick,

The oxen refused to enter the square, even if beat with a stick.

At Rue Royal, you will pass by the Plaza de la Madeline,

And thought quickly turn to the little sponge cakes "madelines,"

but now the square has been given over to gourmet pleasures,

Of chocolates, truffles and cavier houses.

As you turn the to the right corner

You head towards the Opera Garnier.

This building was designed by a 30-year old,

And the "Phantom of the Opera" has the story unfold.

It was because of the deep underground lake caverns

That this building had a long history supported by taverns.

To the corner on the left is the Comedie Francise,

The chair in which Moliere sat on stage is still in its place.

An impressionable palace once stood.

Now since 1793 houses the greatest masterpieces of art,

But its history began as lean to for artists and taverns in the park.

Did you know that you must cross the bridge Pont Neuf

To reach the island where the Notre Dame has stood?

The Plaza has a point of a bronze star that indicates,

 "The centre of the country in terms of traveling distances."

Cross the bridge to the 'Left Bank"

And view the Musee D'Orsay and all its swank.

Was once a train station at the Exposition of the 1900s

But saved in 1979 to become an art museum.

The bus turns back up the Champ Des Elysees,

One of the prettiest boulevards that one will ever see.

With majestic tree-lined streets, your eyes wander

Far in the distance to the Arc de Triumph in its splendor.

Going to the left down Kleber Avenue,

The Trocadero Square, Musee de la Marine are in front of you.

Crossing the bridge, you see the symbol of Paris

Camps de Mars and The Eiffel Tower, the rarest.

Built for the Exposition of 1889 it was to be torn down,

But kept as a beacon for the radio it was found.

So it stand today, 342 meters in the air,

And, 1,665  steps if you dare.Day

Crossing another line for the bus is the blue,

It takes you to the industrial part, which is fairly new.

The bus starts at St. Germain

Takes you to many designers shops with famous names.
I decided to take a late lunch, early dinner,
 I came across the Cafe de Flore, it's a winner.

It was once the headquarters where intellectuals and artists dined,
Such as Sartre, Fargue, Faulkner and their kind.
The Matre de was incredibly rude and trite
But the waiter was superb and treated me just right.

Going down De Rivoli is the site for many churches,

Reaching the point of Place de La Bastille where a monument perches.

If you go down to the Bercy district you will find

In history, the merchants sold their trades and smuggled wine.

For you weren't taxed outside the walls,

So they pumped wine into tunnels that filtered into halls.

Now stands two contemporary buildings since Mitterand,

The Finance Building of Budget and the Bercy Sports Auditorium.

My bus suddenly stopped on the square

And told us we had to get out right here.

It was 6:30 and all trams stop

So I had to huff it until I dropped.

I found my way, it really wasn't too far,

Back to my hotel, too bad I don't have a car.

Second Day on the Bus

I arrived fairly early and again had to wait at the bus stop from my walk

Met two women from Brazil, Camile and Deborah and we began to talk.

They both work at credit card companies in marketing in San Paulo

Enjoy taking holidays and the dreams they follow.

Very energetic and enthusiastic women

Makes me wish that I had done this when I was young.

We said our goodbyes and parted ways

I wish them the best each and every day.

I had a ticket for the Bautobus that I needed to use

Off my bucket list, I've paid my dues.

I dreamt of  'sailing on the Seine' since I was 15,

From a song of Judy Collins I retain.

My father always promised us that we would live in France.

We'd go boating on the Seine and I would learn to dance.

I was much younger than, he worked in the mines,

Vision of my father's dreams drifted away in time.

I was very relaxed on this boat, but of course there were crowds.

We stopped at my ports and the younger people were quite loud.

A woman sat next to me, not saying too much,

But she smiled broadly and then we got in touch.

She didn't speak English, nor I Russian, but we communicated somehow,

Laughed & told each other stories, and she talked of Moscow.

How ironic I thought, that many years ago

We were taught to fear each other while we were growing.

 Cruising the river you get a different perspective of the sites,

We sailed under bridges that were built of iron tight.

Bridges still stand with Napoleon's seal

And many others with golden statues horses that reel.

Various barges were parked on the banks,

Some living quarters for people who boarded on planks.

I reached my destination port at the Eiffel Tower ,

To photograph this iron power.

Marina and I  said goodbye

I turned, she blew me a kiss with tears in her eyes.

I have been quite blessed on this journey,

To meet guardian angels from which I'm learning.

It was late afternoon and I hadn't had a thing to eat,

Decided on a vendor who was making a crepe.

So fascinating to watch as he whipped them so fast,

I got ham and cheese for my hunger to pass.

Up to the tower and underneath,

I took this picture from beneath. 

Pretty amazing of its stature

And all the fascination and rapture.

Many people asked me to take their photos,

Families and lovers that I felt sad, although

I had to remember that they must have seen in my eyes,

That I wasn't a crook in disguise!

I had one last leg of the City that I hadn't seen

Off to Montmarte, where artists and dancers were obsene.

I wasn't too far off when we drove through the streets

I thought it was run down, full of stores pretty cheap.

Where once reigned the Rex theatre in its glory,

Now kept alive through all the stories.

The Moulin Rouge windmill still stands

Of the old days when the can can was grand.

Now sex shops and thrill seekers come,

To this side of town for some fun!