Paris - La Défense - La Défense

Plate I - La Defense

I had flown into Orly airport at around midday, and taken the Orlyval and various metro or RER trains to reach my hotel, only a stone’s throw from the RER stop at Nanterre Préfecture. I will confess to having been so overconfident that I could navigate the city like a native Parisian that I hadn’t noticed that two opposing direction metro lines terminated at either Boissy or Poissy (of course I could have confused myself even further had I known there was another headed for Roissy).  Clearly remembering only the ‘oissy part of where I was going (and assuming there was only one), I followed the signs at Chatelet to the Boissy option and nervously realised I was headed in the wrong direction for La Défense only some four station stops later. Who cared … I was in Paris (or under it). Having had glimpses of parts of the city when the train ran above ground, I could not wait to start discovering this destination I had so long dreamed of visiting. 

My hotel was indeed a very short walk from the RER (it was in fact built immediately above the underground rail tracks and at night the rumble of the trains either kept you awake … or lulled you into sleep). I deposited my baggage in my room, and without even pausing to refresh myself from the long overnight flight from South Africa, I set out to discover as much about the city as I could on day one. I could not wait as long as it would take to reach Etoile, and started my familiarisation with La Defense.

Coming up to ground level a carousel was operating in the large public space between the office blocks and shopping centres of La Défense. Activity was brisk … and it appeared that an ambulance was on hand to cater for any heart stoppages I may have experienced as I finally got my first real glimpse of Paris. I knew immediately I was going to love the place.