Rodin

This is one place that I have read about but never been. I actually for some reason thought that it was really far out of the city, but was totes surprised to learn that it is actually located right next to the Hotel d'Invalides.

It is a very unassuming looking museum which is actually refreshing. The displays and sculptures are spread out withplenty of room, and unlike so many other European museums they haven't bombarded the visitor with too many things to look at.

Seeing all the sculptures in the garden is amazing. The doors of hell is mindblowing and the most famous piece is The Thinker which is was a thrill to see. I really enjoyed this museum and will totally go back the next time I am in Paris.

Neighbours

The neighbours of the Eiffel Tower are surprisingly enough The Australian Embassy and The House of Japanese Culture in Paris.

The Australian Government has a nice piece of real estate with this Embassy and became the owner apparently because the Germans gave it to us when they were losing the war and retreating from Paris, so it is kind of tainted with the liberty of the French, but still Australia knows what's good for it so we ain't going to give it back.

The building is totally gross and looks like it hasn't been renovated since the war. It is grey and kind of gross generally, I got very bad vibes from it, even though it was nice to see the Australian flag etc. On the other side of the building is this huge billboard advertisment from Tourism Australia, which has some guy in a crocodile hunteresque outfit in the middle of a desert in what looks like the outback of the Northern Territory with "Visit Australia".

Now I am not saying that the outback of the Northern Territory isn't Australian but surely we are more than the bloddy outback. I thought it was a bit fo a shame that this is what we have decided to show the French (and all the tourists going to the Eiffel Tower too) and perpetuate the sterotype that Australia is just one big dustbowl. I think that a collection of images that showcased our forrests, outback, beaches and cities would have been a better reflection of what people can expect from Australia and a better use of the advertising space.

The House of Japanese Culture in Paris is amazing even though there really isn't anything to see. They don't have exhibitions but they do have a TV screen where you can watch sumo matches and a collection of bonsai's that rich Parisian woman have created. The same rich Parisian woman are the ones who sit down and watch the sumo with a puzzeled look. It was the perfect mix of cultres. The gift shop is also amazing if for the only reason being that old Japanese woman speak French in it - A-MAY-ZING!!!!!

I'm just here to see the tower

I decided this time that I wouldn't go and see the Eiffel Tower because I have been there and done that and while it is an amazing structure it is totes touristy always packed with people and going there in January is not the best as it is always freezing. However one day I found myself in the area so I walked under it and took a few photos.

However I kind of wish I hadn't. First of all there were about a million people trying to sell you shitty Eiffel Tower souvenirs which I knew there would be from last time, but this time they were EVERYWHERE and even walking up to you under the Eiffel Tower. Like back up and get out of my grill mister. They made me feel really unsafe.

Also there were several people with clipboards (never a good sign) trying to get people to donate money to a charity. So these people were all mute and so just shoved the clipboard infront of you after they spotted you and launched themselves at you. I was so not interested and even wondered if they actually were mute because how hard would it be to pretend? And they had no identification on them saying that they were from this certain place, but what they did have was heaps of people's signatures and their money.

So between the men rattaling the chains at me and every deaf and mute Parisian chashing me down I was totally happy to get away from that place. Just after the Tower is a park thing where I thought I could take some refuge - not so. There were a group of these three African guys who looked dodgey as hell and were standing in the middle of the park and stopping people as they walked past, trying to get money out of them. Because they travelled in a pack it was pretty full on. Anyway as soon as I saw them I tried to walk as far in the opposite direction to aviod them while still getting to where I needed to go.

It was such a bad experience of Paris' most popular tourist attraction, which is a shame because so many other tourists must encounter the same set of characters. The thing that I found amazing was that the numerous police and even soldiers that patrol the Eiffel Tower were happy just to walk past and let tourists get harrased by these people. Being at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower during the middle of the day was the unsafest I felt in Paris.

LIZ HURLEY STOP IT!!!

Liz Hurley has got to be the dumbest hoe around for actually wanting to go anywhere near Shane Warne, who's ability to inflate his own ego and prolongue his career (instead of fucking off the face of the earth) is a modern miracle, don't worry about all that Mary McKillop shiz Pope Benny needs to take a look at what is going on currently in Melbourne.

Bitch flew across the world to spend some time with this mess, perhaps it is to compare hair tips, how to perfect that orange tan, or for Shane to show Liz how to get her teeth whiter than reflex paper (a little tip -  having orange skin to start with helps). Whatever the reason this bish has totes gone down in my books. I just hope that this is Liz trying to cry out for someone to help her as she has clearly sunk to a new all time low in her life, if she thinks that Shane is a good idea.

A little slice of delicious

Because I was eager to get out of the hostel as often as I could I made sure that I had the majority of my meals out of it. Thankfully there was a little bakery two or three shops up. It was a pokey little store where the ladies behind the counter seemed to know each and everyone of their customers life stories and would chat to them over and again during their visit, all except for me ofcourse. Whatever they don't even know me!!! It even looked like a sterotypical french bakery with wooden woven basket shit hanging off every wall and baguetts and other amazing pastries for sale.

But anyway that is niether here nor there because the real glory of this place (which I am actually convinced is a portal straight into heaven) was their lunchtime chicken baguettes. I had them every day I was there and each time was better than the last. The beauty of the French is that they can turn a simple thing like a baguette, tomato, lettuce and chicken into the most delicious sandwich thing I have ever had. I also loved that they served it with a side of mayonaise and hatred of non fluent French speakers such as myself.

Even though this is what I am sure angel tears would taste like, the hot messes at the bakery only charged me like 2.50 Euros for the baguette and a bottle of water. So here's my tip for Paris, canvas your local area for all the corners bakeries and then launch yourself on their goods. It is cheap and yummy. A dumb hoe once told me that bread makes you fat but if it is European bread it doesn't count right?

Champs Elysees

The Champs Elysees at night is stunning. Even though the entire street pretty much caters only for tourists with its five million shops, it still remains a delightful stroll. There is such an atmosphere to this area which has people on it pretty much all day everyday and it is all capped off at the end by arriving at the Arc de Triomphe. Seeing it all lit up is amazing. My favorite route to walk in Paris is from the Jardins du Tulliers, up the Champs Elysees and ending at the base of the Arc.

Of bridges and locks

On one of the many bridges that connect the two sides of Paris lies a bridge where for some unknown reason people have hung locks. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason, it just is because it is. Some of the locks carry love dedications, others have flags of where people are from and others are just blank. Looking at them all together is cool if not a little puzzeling.  What they are meant to represent I am not sure, decided for yourself.