Some of the usual Paris stops - day 1

Got settled into our hotel, it's a small, older hotel around the corner from the National Opera. Not bad, but nothing compared to where we stayed in Kensington (London).

The first thing we picked up on in France (well Paris specifically but I suspect France in general) was that no one here, the locals, were very interested in helping out the Americans. Just getting a big enough taxi, not to mention an idea of what it would cost, to get us to our hotel (which turned out to be very close to the EuroStar terminal) was a huge challenge! Then similar experiences with the waitress at the restaurant when we asked about the breakfast menu*.

*breakfast was odd, the menu seemed big enough but what they actually had was limited, or at least the way they could prepare it was limited. We all, each of us, ended up having the exact same omelet because the waitress did not seem to want to ask the "chef" if he could vary the ingredients. Yeah, and they were like 12 euros each, and a 15 euro bottle of water did not help things.... don't get me started! I'll leave it at that.

After breakfast we hopped on a Red Bus (the standard open top tour bus you see everywhere. Here is how my first interaction goes with the driver:
Me - how much for two adults and two kids?
Driver - how old kids, 11?
Me - no, 12 and 16.
Driver - 96 euros!
Me - you take credit cards?
Driver - no credit cards! You have check?
Me - no, how about cash?
Driver - Yes, cash.
I give him 100 euros (its 96 so I should get change)
He gives me back 5 euros and asks for 1 euro back.
Me - you don't have 4 euros?
Driver - no, you give 1 euro to me!
Me - I don't have one!
Driver - you give me one!
Me - I'll tell you what, I have my change and my tickets and receipt, get it from someone else!
Driver - ok.

Need I say more?

Off we went. Started feeling the effects of the early wakeup call later in the day, kids falling asleep on the bus, etc. Wrapped up the bus thing, got dinner, back to the hotel. Off to the Louvre tomorrow and some sightseeing via foot.