Saturday 27/08/2011 in Paris: Gare Saint-Lazare and the Luxemberg Gardens

Paris
27/08/2011 Saturday: Non-working day.

Up early but got side-tracked by my Smart Phone. I tried typing in the #123# to see if I had an account and it came up on the second try; plus the menu I needed to load my 10 Euro voucher and to purchase the Internet Max Option. For the next couple of hours I was happily engrossed translating the menu instructions/options then working through them logically. The instructions in the Wiki were spot-on and it all appeared to work. The 9 Euro cost of the Internet Max was deducted from the 10 Euro voucher that I had entered initially. You have to wait 48 hours for the installation to take effect but according to the Wiki it is usually "up" way before that. I will give it 24 hours then try; i.e., tomorrow morning at the same time. I have to turn the Wifi and 3G back on, hopefully I remember how the Orange Telecom lady turned them off.

The "test" is to see if playing with the internet draws any funds from your Orange account. If it does then Internet Max is not working. If it is working it means I will be able to use the map function in Le Havre, when I will most probably need it.

Following my technology challenge I tried a transport challenge and headed for the Bus 21 "Stade" Chartely. This is the bus I need to get me to Gare Saint-Lazare to catch the train to Le Havre and I though a little pre-planning would not go astray. That bus also goes past the Opera House, Louvre, and the Luxemberg Gardens, so I also thought that some sight-seeing on the way would be a good idea. I had not virtual-walked the train station with Google Map so it was all new.

Bus 21 took a bit longer than I had estimated, meaning an earlier rise on Monday morning. It was interesting passing the open-air tourist buses going along most of our public bus route. There is an object lesson in there somewhere. Gare Saint-Lazare has 24 platforms and multiple multi-screen arrival/departure information points. I had a good wander around but did not see a train or platform marked intercity Le Havre, nor I did not see an "Information" booth, which is a worry.

Monday morning will be interesting. My ticket, booked over the internet, has the statement "place assise non garantie". I assume that there are no set seat allocations, much like a suburban train in Queensland; the alternative is that I stand all the way to Le Havre. If I can find the elusive "Information" booth, clarification is my first task when I get to the station.

On the way back, Bus 21 stopped at the Louvre where I hopped out and walked along the Seine and through the adjacent gardens. A magic spot for a picnic! Similarly I used the Bus 21 to get to the Luxemberg gardens and these too were spectacular. I managed a window seat for almost all of the trip segments so was very happy with the days outing. I was particularly interested as we went past the Opera House as adjacent there is the BNP Paribas Bank branch that I need to set up a non-resident account.

I called into the pastry-shop opposite Stade Chartely on my return, to pick-up a filled-bread-stick and a pastry for a late lunch. The plan was to eat my "picnic" in the grounds of Cite Universitaire but I was so hungry most of it was gone before I got through the gates.

Tomorrow is the last day on this weeks Navigo card. I will recharge it after I get back from Le Havre. I still have 5 single trip tickets from the "carnet" I bought in the EuroStar station in London so can get to the Gare Saint-Lazare on those on Monday (and back on the following Thursday).