Sorry about the delay. Day 4 was mainly driving and then I didn't have wifi, so I couldn't post anything.
Day 3 was pretty good. We got up and had breakfast. We didn't get going until closer to lunch time. Mom's knee was acting up so we took a taxi to our bus stop, which irritated the taxi driver, because it was relatively close. We had lunch at the Turkish place, which was kind of a disappointment. I had Shish Taouk (or the Turkish relative) and it was kind of plain. We've had Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese, and we both agree that the Lebanese is the best. More spice and flavor. At least the hommus was okay, and they brought us unlimited, slightly burnt bread.
After lunch, a bus pulled up, so mom hightailed it back to the hotel. I took the Green Line to the Musee d'Orsay. It's got the largest collection of Impressionist art in the world, and those are my favorite, so I had to go! Mom almost came but decided not to.
The museum was pretty good. I had bought my ticket online, so I got to go in a separate entrance, with it's own security. I had to open the main pocket on my purse and walk through one of those regular security scanners. There were signs saying to watch for pickpockets.
The museum was very open and light and really packed. Also a bit warm. You walk in on kind of the 1st floor (for Europe) and then there were stairs to the 0th floor for the main floor. I couldn't find a ramp anywhere. I even saw a dad with a stroller going down the stairs!
So I went down the stairs and then walked up a ramp to get to floor 1 on the other side. They had some post-impressionist stuff that I looked at in a side gallery. Then I had to walk down a flight of stairs to get to the bathroom. Mom said the one at the Turkish place was really bad, so I waited for d'Orsay.
So I come back up the stairs, and luckily there was a set of escalators to get you to the 5th floor where the impressionists are housed. It was great! Crowded, warm, etc. but still the impressionists. I spent a little time there and then decided it was time to go home.
I went to the opposite side of the museum, to find the down escalator, but it wasn't there. There was an "elevator." It was a door in the wall, and it had a handicapped sign and said push button for handicapped help. I looked around more and finally found a down escalator at the other side of this end of the musuem. And it only took me to about floor 2.5. Seriously. I walked down a flight of stairs, then there was a long-ass double flight that I had to walk down. My knee was twinging badly by the time I got down.
I finally made it out of the musuem at 3:15. I now had the choice of taking a taxi home, or taking the bus home for free. Which would also allow me to buy gyros for supper. Of course, I decided on the bus. I took the Green Line, so I could make the loop back to Notre Dame. I sat in the very back, by myself, and listened to the music and tourist info.
Next thing I know, a lady from Seattle and her group sit next to me. We talked off and on, and I started to nap off and on. Half her group got off at the Eiffel Tower, and the rest got off later. So I was finally alone again. I even thought of a present for my brother-in-law.
The traffic was horrendous - Friday afternoon - but I finally got back to Notre Dame. I booked it to a tourist stall and got the present, then booked down the alley to a gyro stand. Our gyro stand was run by Indians, but it was also 5 euros. We got chicken gyros, with fries piled inside. I booked it around the corner and saw my Blue bus. It was getting ready to leave, but someone else ran up before me, so it stopped and I made it.
More traffic, more traffic, more traffic. I finally reach my stop near the stadium. I'm walking pretty fast, since I'm by myself. I stopped in at the market to get cokes and candy for us, then headed to the hotel. I walk in, and mom is sitting in the lobby. She'd been out wandering the village shops and looking for me. It was 6:30. So it took me over 3 hours to get home. Blargh!
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