Metro....Schmetro!!

I had read so much extolling the virtues of the Paris mass transit system. Tres bon! Oui?! Well...it is amazing and it can get you anywhere in this lovely city for a reasonable fee. BUT...I've had a few problems with this system. I came here feeling empowered by my research and awareness of the metro map. So, we set out to board RER C...and we do this successfully....yeah, us! But then I notice that none of the names of the stops look familiar. So I try to ask someone what may be wrong. Well...I can't speak French and the three people we were sitting by couldn't speak English and yet they were very willing to try to help me out of my dilemma. One young woman said we needed to get out and she got out with us and explained with hand gestures that we were headed in the opposite direction of our intended destination. We needed to get on the train on the other side of the station. Hmmm....do we just run across the tracks?? "Non," she explained...we must go up the stairs and then down other stairs. Amazing how you can communicate without words when the need arises.
Another problem I have with this system is their use of arrows. Now when I see an arrow facing down (especially one that is near a set of stairs) I presume one is supposed to go down the stairs. But after going down a set of stairs just to find another sign that led us back up the stairs (on several occasions), I started to figure out that an arrow facing down means go straight. Huh?
Then there is the problem with pickpockets (see yesterday's post) which is a real concern. All money needs to be properly hidden and safeguarded.
Just when I think I'm getting this jaunting about under control, I run into a new problem. Since I don't speak French (I know...you're surprised!), I can't pronounce or remember the names of the stops we're supposed to use. So I just usually remember the beginning of the name of the stop and off we go. Well today we got on the correct train (following the arrows that headed straight), headed the correct way (yeah us!), looking for the station that started with Roch..... All was going well. When we get to the street level I start searching for the street we need to walk down and can't seem to find it anywhere. Since I have found the French to be so kind and helpful, I stop to ask a young couple for assistance. Seems they weren't French, (I think they were Dutch) but they were very willing to help me out even though we couldn't communicate with words. It turns out that yes, we had gotten out at the Roch... metro stop but it was at the opposite end of the line from the CORRECT Roch...stop....so back on the train we went!
Despite all the mishaps with the metro, we still had a delightful day. We started the day by visiting the local boulangerie and picking up a baguette and a chocolate croissant. Then we went to the fromagerie where we tasted some cheeses and made our purchase. We took our little picnic and headed to the Luxembourg Gardens. There just happened to be an orchestra playing for our listening pleasure. After that we went to the Sacre Coeur, the Sainte Chapelle (amazing stained glass!) and the Eiffel Tower. All in all...a very good day of day-dreaming.

(the upper and lower chapels of Sainte Chapelle)

Answer to yesterday's question of the day: To find where the Left and Right Banks are located, just look for Louvre (it's so huge that it's hard to miss). The Louvre is on the right bank (La Rive Droite), so then you can figure out which side is which.