Day 10 - St. Germain des Pres and Yellow Vests
More "manifestations" today. I was planning to take the #67 bus up to Montmartre, then walk down Rue des Martrys, which is a popular market street. But, when I got to the bus stop, the electronic sign indicated that the bus was not running because of the "manifestations." I walked back to the hotel, sat in the lobby and looked at my maps to decide where I might go and how I would get there. I saw that I could take the Line 7 Metro across to the Left Bank and transfer to the Line 10 that would take me to St. Germain des Pres, so that is what I did.
Four of the Metro stations on Line 7 were closed due to the demonstrations, and it was really weird going through the empty stations. Line 7 goes to the Opera, which is where some of the action was today, so that station plus the 3 leading up to it were closed for security reasons.
St. Germain is in the 6th arrondissement and is probably "tourist central." There are a couple of very old churches and some famous cafes, including Les Deux Magots (pronounced "magoh" and refers to a couple of Chinese gentlemen) and Cafe de Flore. Both of these cafes were popular among the literary set back in the 1920s to 1950s and were frequented by the likes of Hemingway and Sartre.
There is a small Christmas market around the Church of St. Germain des Pres that had some nice things, but I only bought some more foie gras.
I decided to have lunch at Les Deux Magots as I had never been inside before. It was not nearly as intimidating as I thought it might be. The service was fast, and there were lots of people in there, and nice decor. I ordered a croque monsieur that came with salad greens. It was okay, but I have had better, also a beer and something chocolate for dessert. It was a pleasant lunch and I was glad to be in from the cold weather.
After lunch I walked up Rue Bonaparte to the Pierre Herme (should be an accent on the last e - I need to figure out how to do those on this Chromebook) shop and bought 7 macarons, which cost, and I am not kidding, 20.50 euros. They had better be good - I am taking them home and hope they survive the trip.
Leaving the shop, it was bitterly cold and starting to rain, so I flagged down a taxi. I 1gave the driver the address of my hotel and he explained that there are barricades around the Opera, so he can't get through. I suggested an alternate route up Boulevard de Sebastopol, and he agreed, so off we went. It was actually a pretty direct route and probably better than one going through Place de la Opera. I saw a lot of police vans and other vehicles, even a tank (!) as we rode up the boulevard but no "yellow vests." However, when the driver turned west onto another main boulevard we saw a bunch of "yellow vests" marching towards us and the police had a barricade on one side street. But, this was a peaceful march and not a large one. A couple of the marchers even told the driver how he could get through, I noticed that people walking on the sidewalks were simply going on with their business and didn't appear to be at all concerned. Fortunately, the street leading up to my hotel was clear, so that was the end to the excitement. I did not feel at all threatened or in danger.
Getting back to the hotel, I spent some time getting organized for packing as tonight is my last in this hotel. Tomorrow I will leave my bags with the concierge and go out for awhile before heading to airport where I will spend my last night at the Novotel.
I had my last dinner in Paris at Le Petit Cadet where I had that good lamb shank earlier in the trip. This time I had a really good salad with lots of veggies and cheese for a starter, and a main course of prawns and risotto that was good and had lots of garlic.
Just as I am ready to leave I have finally made a realization. Many doors have the French word for "push" and "pull" on them, but I can never remember which is which. Today it finally dawned on me that the word for "push" starts with a P and the word for "pull" starts with a T. So: "Push = P" and "Pull = Tug = T." So instead of pulling the door open, I now "tug" it open. And, it has taken me how many trips to figure this out?? I just hope I get to open a lot of doors tomorrow, now that I know what I am doing.
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Friday, December 14, 2018
Day 9 - Shopping
At the last minute last night I decided not to go to the concert at La Madeleine. I was really cold and just didn't want to go out into the cold night. Then, I discovered that the housekeeper had left one of the windows open under the drapery, so it didn't take long to get the room warmed up once I closed the window. I have a hard time going out at night once I have settled in for the evening anyway.
Today was a shopping day as I really haven't done any until now. As mentioned in one of the earlier posts, the hotel is very close to a couple of "covered passages," so I walked that direction. I discovered a third covered passage that connects to the others and is a short-cut of sorts. The first shop I saw was a needle work shop, embroidery and counted cross stitch mostly, but they had fat-quarters! I picked out 8 pretty fabrics at 3 euros each. European fat-quarters are based on the meter, so are larger than ours, which are about 18 x 22 inches. For the uninitiated, a fat-quarter is a half-yard of fabric cut in half at the fold and provides more options for cutting than a 9-inch wide quarter-yard cut the width of fabric.
These covered passages were the forerunner to modern shopping malls. They date back as early as the 1830s, back when streets were muddy and women wore long skirts. The covered passages allowed them to shop under cover out of the weather. There are only about 12 or so remaining and the shops in them are mostly one-of-a-kind, some specializing in just a few items.
I walked back to the hotel to leave my purchases, which included foie gras from the shop a couple of doors from the hotel. Then took the bus - three in fact - to go over to the Left Bank to a small Christmas Market near Notre Dame. When transferring from one bus to another, I realized I was close to one of my favorite restaurants, so stopped for lunch at Ambassade d'Auvergne. This was at least the fourth time I have eaten there. I ordered the plat du jour, which was another duck confit, but this time served with aligot and a green lentil salad as a starter. Aligot is a specialty of the Auvergne region and is potatoes, garlic, and cheese that is beaten until it is elastic. The waiter often brings it to the table to demonstrate how elastic it really is by beating it with a wooden spoon, then lifting it high in a long ribbon. I really like it and tried to make it once, but not very successfully. I think duck confit must be on every one's winter menu because this is the third time I've had it, but it is good and I like it.
The Christmas Market was small but with mostly hand-crafted made-in-France products and food. I bought some earrings for myself. It was cold and I was tired, so I rode the bus, just two this time, back to the hotel. A big lunch, so just a snack for dinner tonight.
I think there may be some demonstrations tomorrow, but haven't heard to what extent. The shooting in Strasbourg has taken some of the wind out of the yellow vest's sails. The police and military are ready for whatever occurs, but haven't heard about any planned closures. In any event, I plan to stay well away from the gathering places, which are mainly the large squares, such as at the Arc du Triomph, La Concorde, La Opera, Bastille, etc.
We have had three or four days of nice sunny but cold weather, but there is a chance of rain tomorrow, and Sunday will be a little warmer, maybe.
At the last minute last night I decided not to go to the concert at La Madeleine. I was really cold and just didn't want to go out into the cold night. Then, I discovered that the housekeeper had left one of the windows open under the drapery, so it didn't take long to get the room warmed up once I closed the window. I have a hard time going out at night once I have settled in for the evening anyway.
Today was a shopping day as I really haven't done any until now. As mentioned in one of the earlier posts, the hotel is very close to a couple of "covered passages," so I walked that direction. I discovered a third covered passage that connects to the others and is a short-cut of sorts. The first shop I saw was a needle work shop, embroidery and counted cross stitch mostly, but they had fat-quarters! I picked out 8 pretty fabrics at 3 euros each. European fat-quarters are based on the meter, so are larger than ours, which are about 18 x 22 inches. For the uninitiated, a fat-quarter is a half-yard of fabric cut in half at the fold and provides more options for cutting than a 9-inch wide quarter-yard cut the width of fabric.
These covered passages were the forerunner to modern shopping malls. They date back as early as the 1830s, back when streets were muddy and women wore long skirts. The covered passages allowed them to shop under cover out of the weather. There are only about 12 or so remaining and the shops in them are mostly one-of-a-kind, some specializing in just a few items.
I walked back to the hotel to leave my purchases, which included foie gras from the shop a couple of doors from the hotel. Then took the bus - three in fact - to go over to the Left Bank to a small Christmas Market near Notre Dame. When transferring from one bus to another, I realized I was close to one of my favorite restaurants, so stopped for lunch at Ambassade d'Auvergne. This was at least the fourth time I have eaten there. I ordered the plat du jour, which was another duck confit, but this time served with aligot and a green lentil salad as a starter. Aligot is a specialty of the Auvergne region and is potatoes, garlic, and cheese that is beaten until it is elastic. The waiter often brings it to the table to demonstrate how elastic it really is by beating it with a wooden spoon, then lifting it high in a long ribbon. I really like it and tried to make it once, but not very successfully. I think duck confit must be on every one's winter menu because this is the third time I've had it, but it is good and I like it.
The Christmas Market was small but with mostly hand-crafted made-in-France products and food. I bought some earrings for myself. It was cold and I was tired, so I rode the bus, just two this time, back to the hotel. A big lunch, so just a snack for dinner tonight.
I think there may be some demonstrations tomorrow, but haven't heard to what extent. The shooting in Strasbourg has taken some of the wind out of the yellow vest's sails. The police and military are ready for whatever occurs, but haven't heard about any planned closures. In any event, I plan to stay well away from the gathering places, which are mainly the large squares, such as at the Arc du Triomph, La Concorde, La Opera, Bastille, etc.
We have had three or four days of nice sunny but cold weather, but there is a chance of rain tomorrow, and Sunday will be a little warmer, maybe.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Day 8 - Laverie, Orange, La Defense
This morning I gathered up my laundry and headed for the "laverie" or laundromat. It is fun to figure out how French laundromats work. Everything is operated from a central payment station on the wall. The detergent cost 1 euro, it was 4.50 euros to wash, and 1.20 euros for 12 minutes in the dryer - I needed to run it twice. So that was 7.90 - not bad, especially compared to the price list for the hotel's laundry service - 11 euros for a set of pjs - yikes!
Believe it or not, there was a woman from Seattle at the laverie to do her laundry as well. Small world, isn't it?
It took about 90 minutes to do one load of clothes, then I returned to the hotel to put everything away.
My next chore for the day was to "top up" my SIM card. I tried to do it online, but no such luck. I had to find an Orange "boutique." There is one at Place de la Opera, so I rode the bus down there, walked all around the Opera Garnier before I found the Orange store, though I had seen it before. It works a lot like the Xfinity store, but in French. I was able to top up my SIM for 20 euros (the SIM cost 40 euros to begin with), but only got one hour of voice, which is what I really needed, plus another 1000 texts and 10 more gigs of data. I guess no one talks on the phone anymore. Mom likes me to call everyday, and on other trips when I stayed in apartments, I had free calls to the US. This time I have to use my cell. Add to this the fact that somehow our home phone got messed up with PSE turned off the power to replace our light meter, communicating with the home folks has been a challenge.
I went to a very nice place for lunch, which wasn't exactly my plan, but I was hungry and went to the first place I saw: Grand Cafe Capucines, which is just off Place de la Opera. I had the fixed price menu, which turned out to be duck confit (very good) with potatoes cooked in duck fat (yum!) plus dessert of profiteroles (cream puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce - also yum!). This place is very art deco, and appear to have been there for some time.
After lunch I took the Line 7 Metro to where I could transfer to Line 1 - Direction La Defense. There is a Christmas Market under the Grand Arch at La Defense and I wanted to check it out. It is a huge market, but I wasn't too impressed. Most of the "chalets" had commercially manufactured and imported goods rather than locally made things made in France. The food stalls looked great, though, but I was still satisfied from lunch. The market at the Tuileries is much better, so I think I might go back. There are also a couple of other markets in central Paris opening tomorrow. I just stayed long enough to see that there wasn't anything I needed to buy, so took the Metro back.
One benefit of having a Navigo transportation pass is that if you go someplace that turns out to be a disappointment, it only costs time.
Tonight's dinner is a sandwich I picked up around the corner from the hotel. I am going to a concert at La Madeleine tonight. Update on that tomorrow.
10,700 steps; 8 floors of stairs.
Day 7 - Wednesday, December 12 - Atelier des Lumieres and Christmas Night Lights Tour
Wednesday morning I had a timed ticket for Atelier des Lumieres, which is an exhibit where works of art are projected all around - an immersible art exhibit. The main presentation was the work of Gustav Klimt with lesser exhibits of Hundertwasser and Poetic_Ai. I really enjoyed the Klimt portion, especially the music that went with it. This was very similar to to "Imagine Van Gogh" exhibit I saw in Paris in 2017.
Afterward, I walked up to a small tea room I had heard about for a light lunch. There was a Norwegian woman there who has lived in the US and is currently living in the South of France in the Languedoc region where Mom and I have spent some time. She is about my age and speaks excellent English, and we must have talked for 2 hours. It was really fun.
I rode the bus back to the hotel and put my feet up for awhile before riding the Metro to Place de la Opera and the Open Bus Christmas Lights Tour. Sounded like a really good idea and I did bundle up as much as I could, but it was freezing cold on the top of that bus! The traffic was terrible - most of the time the bus barely moved, and when it did move, the wind cut right in to you. The lights were pretty and the bus managed to arrive a Trocadero right when the Eiffel Tower was sparkling. After about an hour everyone moved down to the lower level of the bus where it wasn't a lot warmer, but at least we were out of the wind. I had intended to stick it out up there, but just couldn't do it.
By the time I got back to the hotel, I was hungry, so stopped at a restaurant around the corner for a hamburger and beer. The couple sitting next to me are British and staying at the same hotel and we must have talked for a good hour and half.
So now we are up-to-date.
11,470 steps; 4 floors of stairs.
This morning I gathered up my laundry and headed for the "laverie" or laundromat. It is fun to figure out how French laundromats work. Everything is operated from a central payment station on the wall. The detergent cost 1 euro, it was 4.50 euros to wash, and 1.20 euros for 12 minutes in the dryer - I needed to run it twice. So that was 7.90 - not bad, especially compared to the price list for the hotel's laundry service - 11 euros for a set of pjs - yikes!
Believe it or not, there was a woman from Seattle at the laverie to do her laundry as well. Small world, isn't it?
It took about 90 minutes to do one load of clothes, then I returned to the hotel to put everything away.
My next chore for the day was to "top up" my SIM card. I tried to do it online, but no such luck. I had to find an Orange "boutique." There is one at Place de la Opera, so I rode the bus down there, walked all around the Opera Garnier before I found the Orange store, though I had seen it before. It works a lot like the Xfinity store, but in French. I was able to top up my SIM for 20 euros (the SIM cost 40 euros to begin with), but only got one hour of voice, which is what I really needed, plus another 1000 texts and 10 more gigs of data. I guess no one talks on the phone anymore. Mom likes me to call everyday, and on other trips when I stayed in apartments, I had free calls to the US. This time I have to use my cell. Add to this the fact that somehow our home phone got messed up with PSE turned off the power to replace our light meter, communicating with the home folks has been a challenge.
I went to a very nice place for lunch, which wasn't exactly my plan, but I was hungry and went to the first place I saw: Grand Cafe Capucines, which is just off Place de la Opera. I had the fixed price menu, which turned out to be duck confit (very good) with potatoes cooked in duck fat (yum!) plus dessert of profiteroles (cream puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce - also yum!). This place is very art deco, and appear to have been there for some time.
After lunch I took the Line 7 Metro to where I could transfer to Line 1 - Direction La Defense. There is a Christmas Market under the Grand Arch at La Defense and I wanted to check it out. It is a huge market, but I wasn't too impressed. Most of the "chalets" had commercially manufactured and imported goods rather than locally made things made in France. The food stalls looked great, though, but I was still satisfied from lunch. The market at the Tuileries is much better, so I think I might go back. There are also a couple of other markets in central Paris opening tomorrow. I just stayed long enough to see that there wasn't anything I needed to buy, so took the Metro back.
One benefit of having a Navigo transportation pass is that if you go someplace that turns out to be a disappointment, it only costs time.
Tonight's dinner is a sandwich I picked up around the corner from the hotel. I am going to a concert at La Madeleine tonight. Update on that tomorrow.
10,700 steps; 8 floors of stairs.
Day 7 - Wednesday, December 12 - Atelier des Lumieres and Christmas Night Lights Tour
Wednesday morning I had a timed ticket for Atelier des Lumieres, which is an exhibit where works of art are projected all around - an immersible art exhibit. The main presentation was the work of Gustav Klimt with lesser exhibits of Hundertwasser and Poetic_Ai. I really enjoyed the Klimt portion, especially the music that went with it. This was very similar to to "Imagine Van Gogh" exhibit I saw in Paris in 2017.
Afterward, I walked up to a small tea room I had heard about for a light lunch. There was a Norwegian woman there who has lived in the US and is currently living in the South of France in the Languedoc region where Mom and I have spent some time. She is about my age and speaks excellent English, and we must have talked for 2 hours. It was really fun.
I rode the bus back to the hotel and put my feet up for awhile before riding the Metro to Place de la Opera and the Open Bus Christmas Lights Tour. Sounded like a really good idea and I did bundle up as much as I could, but it was freezing cold on the top of that bus! The traffic was terrible - most of the time the bus barely moved, and when it did move, the wind cut right in to you. The lights were pretty and the bus managed to arrive a Trocadero right when the Eiffel Tower was sparkling. After about an hour everyone moved down to the lower level of the bus where it wasn't a lot warmer, but at least we were out of the wind. I had intended to stick it out up there, but just couldn't do it.
By the time I got back to the hotel, I was hungry, so stopped at a restaurant around the corner for a hamburger and beer. The couple sitting next to me are British and staying at the same hotel and we must have talked for a good hour and half.
So now we are up-to-date.
11,470 steps; 4 floors of stairs.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Day 6 - Macarons!
This morning I went to La Cuisine Paris for a class on making Macarons. These are the French meringue macarons, not the coconut macaroons. The chef, Elina, has worked for two of the well-known patisseries in Paris, Pierre Hermes and Eric Kaiser. There were 7 of us in the class: a couple from Scotland, a couple from North Carolina, a young woman from Amsterdam, another from Australia currently living in Boston, and myself. This was a very hands-on course and it lasted three hours. Everything was pre-measured and ready to go, and all we had to do with the dirty pots and bowls was put them in the "magic" sink and someone else took care of them.
We made two different meringues, Italian and French. The main difference is that the Italian is made with a boiled syrup while the French isn't, which makes it a little easier. Both recipes use ground almond flour, but the former is crisper, while the latter is chewier. We also made four different fillings: chocolate, lemon curd, pistachio butter cream, and salted caramel. All of which used lots of sugar and butter. The hardest part was piping the meringue evenly. There is a real art to it. But, they all seemed to come out perfectly. We did some tasting as part of "quality control," but weren't able to actually eat any because they needed to be refrigerated overnight, but we got to take "home" what we made, and fortunately, they fit into my minibar fridge. Tomorrow, I sample! The class was a lot of fun.
After the class, I returned to the hotel to store my macarons, then went to lunch at a place around the corner. I ordered onion soup (it is not called French Onion Soup here). It was deconstructed in that the cheese and croutons were on the plate separately. The broth was rich with lots of onions, but it was sour, not in a bad way - but different. After lunch I took the bus down to the Pompidou Center just to wander around the neighborhood where I have stayed in previous trips, then rode the bus back.
Dinner was at a little Greek place near the hotel and was really good. I had a Greek salad, which was fresh and delicious with lots of fresh feta cheese - not the dry stuff we are used to. I always find it hard to get enough vegetables here, so I really enjoyed it. I ordered the duck confit, which is duck that has been cooked and stored in duck fat, but when it is served it is crisped up and is really very good. The platter came with two large duck legs and a pile of potatoes, and I'm afraid one of the duck legs and most of the potatoes went back to the kitchen. I hope there was a lucky dog back there who got to eat what I left.
10,345 steps; 0 floors of stairs
This morning I went to La Cuisine Paris for a class on making Macarons. These are the French meringue macarons, not the coconut macaroons. The chef, Elina, has worked for two of the well-known patisseries in Paris, Pierre Hermes and Eric Kaiser. There were 7 of us in the class: a couple from Scotland, a couple from North Carolina, a young woman from Amsterdam, another from Australia currently living in Boston, and myself. This was a very hands-on course and it lasted three hours. Everything was pre-measured and ready to go, and all we had to do with the dirty pots and bowls was put them in the "magic" sink and someone else took care of them.
We made two different meringues, Italian and French. The main difference is that the Italian is made with a boiled syrup while the French isn't, which makes it a little easier. Both recipes use ground almond flour, but the former is crisper, while the latter is chewier. We also made four different fillings: chocolate, lemon curd, pistachio butter cream, and salted caramel. All of which used lots of sugar and butter. The hardest part was piping the meringue evenly. There is a real art to it. But, they all seemed to come out perfectly. We did some tasting as part of "quality control," but weren't able to actually eat any because they needed to be refrigerated overnight, but we got to take "home" what we made, and fortunately, they fit into my minibar fridge. Tomorrow, I sample! The class was a lot of fun.
After the class, I returned to the hotel to store my macarons, then went to lunch at a place around the corner. I ordered onion soup (it is not called French Onion Soup here). It was deconstructed in that the cheese and croutons were on the plate separately. The broth was rich with lots of onions, but it was sour, not in a bad way - but different. After lunch I took the bus down to the Pompidou Center just to wander around the neighborhood where I have stayed in previous trips, then rode the bus back.
Dinner was at a little Greek place near the hotel and was really good. I had a Greek salad, which was fresh and delicious with lots of fresh feta cheese - not the dry stuff we are used to. I always find it hard to get enough vegetables here, so I really enjoyed it. I ordered the duck confit, which is duck that has been cooked and stored in duck fat, but when it is served it is crisped up and is really very good. The platter came with two large duck legs and a pile of potatoes, and I'm afraid one of the duck legs and most of the potatoes went back to the kitchen. I hope there was a lucky dog back there who got to eat what I left.
10,345 steps; 0 floors of stairs
Monday, December 10, 2018
Day 5 - Sunshine and Lunch
It is a little colder now than it has been the past few days, but the sun came out this morning and it sprinkled only a little bit.
I left the hotel before 10 and took the Metro to the Pont Neuf stop where I transferred to the #24 bus. There was a bit of a wait for the bus - there must have been 3 or 4 of every other bus that passes that spot for one #24. But, it was okay and it was the first time this trip that I have been near the river.
My first stop was the Jardin des Plantes, a park with a small zoo, green houses, and natural history museum. I was going to the green house. There is a tropical rain forest in there, so it is a good place to go to get out of the cold. There were lots of kids on school field trips - as usual - it seems like French kids are always on field trips. There was also a large group of adults doing tai-chi. Being winter, the garden wasn't at its best, but there were still a lot of people walking around. They have illuminations at night and I enjoyed walking by the "sculptures" of animals that are lit up after dark.
The big event of the day was lunch at Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyon. Of course, I got there more than an hour early, so looked for a place to get some coffee. Since most places are for travelers to grab something as they run for a train, there are not many places with seating except...wait for it...Starbucks. I got a latte and sat there listening to Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett for nearly an hour. I swear I have never been to Starbucks so often in Paris before. Heck, in the past 5 days I've gone to Starbucks more than I have in the past 2 years at home.
It was pretty hard to find the restaurant as it is in a really large train station, but it was worth the search as you can see from the pictures. As a solo diner, I was treated very well. The service was very good, the decor was over-the-top, and the food was good and expensive. Possibly the most expensive lunch I will ever have, but it was my one splurge for this trip. When I got there I felt like something the cat dragged in, but a lot of people were obviously coming or going by train, dragging suitcases and looking travel-worn, so it was okay; and, when I finally looked in a mirror, I found I had done a fairly decent job of finger-combing my hair. Several times the uniformed doorman came into the restaurant and would sing a song, then talk about the decor - in French, of course. He really has a good voice, too. It was a very enjoyable and delicious lunch.
After lunch, I got back on the bus to go to Bercy Village. Bercy is an area that used to be warehouses but now has a lot of modern but austere apartment buildings. Bercy Village consists of a couple of rows of old wine store houses that have been converted to shops and restaurants. Many of the shops are familiar chains, but some are interesting concept stores. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there except that it is close to Gare de Lyon and I had not been to the area of Paris before.
I rode the bus all the way back to the hotel, transferring just once. It was a nice ride, a lot of it right along the river and past major landmarks. So nice to see my two favorite bridges without the ugly "love locks." It was about 4 when I got "home."
12,700 steps today, 5 floors of stairs.
No dinner tonight. Still full from lunch, but I do have some snacks if I get peckish later.
It is a little colder now than it has been the past few days, but the sun came out this morning and it sprinkled only a little bit.
I left the hotel before 10 and took the Metro to the Pont Neuf stop where I transferred to the #24 bus. There was a bit of a wait for the bus - there must have been 3 or 4 of every other bus that passes that spot for one #24. But, it was okay and it was the first time this trip that I have been near the river.
My first stop was the Jardin des Plantes, a park with a small zoo, green houses, and natural history museum. I was going to the green house. There is a tropical rain forest in there, so it is a good place to go to get out of the cold. There were lots of kids on school field trips - as usual - it seems like French kids are always on field trips. There was also a large group of adults doing tai-chi. Being winter, the garden wasn't at its best, but there were still a lot of people walking around. They have illuminations at night and I enjoyed walking by the "sculptures" of animals that are lit up after dark.
The big event of the day was lunch at Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyon. Of course, I got there more than an hour early, so looked for a place to get some coffee. Since most places are for travelers to grab something as they run for a train, there are not many places with seating except...wait for it...Starbucks. I got a latte and sat there listening to Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett for nearly an hour. I swear I have never been to Starbucks so often in Paris before. Heck, in the past 5 days I've gone to Starbucks more than I have in the past 2 years at home.
It was pretty hard to find the restaurant as it is in a really large train station, but it was worth the search as you can see from the pictures. As a solo diner, I was treated very well. The service was very good, the decor was over-the-top, and the food was good and expensive. Possibly the most expensive lunch I will ever have, but it was my one splurge for this trip. When I got there I felt like something the cat dragged in, but a lot of people were obviously coming or going by train, dragging suitcases and looking travel-worn, so it was okay; and, when I finally looked in a mirror, I found I had done a fairly decent job of finger-combing my hair. Several times the uniformed doorman came into the restaurant and would sing a song, then talk about the decor - in French, of course. He really has a good voice, too. It was a very enjoyable and delicious lunch.
After lunch, I got back on the bus to go to Bercy Village. Bercy is an area that used to be warehouses but now has a lot of modern but austere apartment buildings. Bercy Village consists of a couple of rows of old wine store houses that have been converted to shops and restaurants. Many of the shops are familiar chains, but some are interesting concept stores. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there except that it is close to Gare de Lyon and I had not been to the area of Paris before.
I rode the bus all the way back to the hotel, transferring just once. It was a nice ride, a lot of it right along the river and past major landmarks. So nice to see my two favorite bridges without the ugly "love locks." It was about 4 when I got "home."
12,700 steps today, 5 floors of stairs.
No dinner tonight. Still full from lunch, but I do have some snacks if I get peckish later.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Day 4 - Rain, rain, go away...
Weather-wise today was miserable.
I left the hotel after 10. My plan was to go to the Musee Marmottan, which is clear across the city in the 16th arrondissement. Since it appeared that the bus that could take me directly from here to there wasn't running today (Sunday), I decided to take the Metro, which required changing trains and walking a fairly short distance to the museum. It was raining quite hard when I got above ground again, but I did have my umbrella. I stopped at a bakery/cafe for a "noisette," which is a shot of espresso with a drop or two of milk. No, I didn't not get a pastry. Then walked on to the museum in the downpour.
I really enjoy watching the kids. The walk to the museum took me through a park and there was a little boy who had a spoon and kept wanting to dig in the dirt with it, but Maman just wanted to get in out of the rain. Maman dragged the little guy while he kept trying to reach down to dig with his spoon.
The Marmottan is in a beautiful old mansion and contains both the collection of M. Marmottan and a large collection of donated art, mostly Impressionists, including the largest collection of Monets in the world, which was donated by Monet's son. There is also a large collection of work by Berthe Morisot, who was the most successful woman in the Impressionist movement. It is a lovely setting, but I was surprised that there was no place to check coats and umbrellas - a real nuisance on such a miserable day. I stuffed mine into the little shopping bag I carry with me, so at least I didn't have to carry a dripping coat over my arm.
When I left, I decided to see if I could find the bus stop (maybe I was wrong about the bus not running) to save myself from having to walk back to the Metro. It was really blowing a gale, causing my umbrella to blow inside-out. I just missed an available taxi when I got to the main street, so decided to wait for awhile to see if another would come along, but finally decided to go back to the museum and call one. G7 is a reputable taxi company with an English dispatcher, and the taxi came just a few minutes after I called.
It was an interesting ride once the driver and I agreed on where I wanted to go as apparently there are several streets with 'Cadet' in their name. We passed many apartment blocks of classic Paris architecture, and quite pricey I'm sure. Some even had Christmas trees out on balconies waiting to be brought in and decorated. Finally, we came up to the Arc de Triomphe and the driver entered the etoile where 12 avenues converge. I had been around it before in a bus, but this was the first time in a car. It was pretty exciting, especially when another taxi came up along side within inches of my door! The driver left the etoile on Avenue de Friedland which becomes Boulevard Haussmann and I could see some of the damage caused at yesterday's "manifestation." Mostly, smashed windows. Many windows were tempered or laminated glass, so were just shattered, but some weren't, leaving the shops wide open. Some windows were still boarded up. There was also a lot of graffiti and I saw at least two damaged ATMs. It was sad to see.
Except for the days when I have something specific booked, I don't plan an itinerary for specific days. Rather, I try to plan a day's activities according to the logistics of getting around, such as what I can get to on the same bus or Metro line(s). Then I just decide "in the moment" when I will go. Included in today's possible activities were a stop at Trocadero for lunch and views of the Eiffel Tower, and another stop at the Musee d'Art Moderne at the Palais de Tokyo. However, the weather was so miserable, I just went back to the hotel.
After a couple of hours at the hotel (I snacked for lunch), I took advantage of a lull in the rain to go out. I walked a few blocks south to the Grands Boulevards, stopping along the way for some Amorino gelato (my favorite ice cream in Paris). As in Seattle, ice cream knows no season in Paris. Everyone eats it all year around. Two of the best examples of covered passages are in this area, so I visited Passage Jouffroy and Passage des Panoramas. Being Sunday, most of the shops were closed, but I will go back another day.
A lot people wonder what to do in Paris on Sundays, but there is no need to worry. Yes, many shops, restaurants, and cafes are closed, but many are open (in some cases the ones open on Sunday will be closed on Monday). Up until a year or so ago, the City required many stores to be closed on Sundays, but the rule as been relaxed at least in central Paris, so the big department stores are now open. Every neighborhood has at least one boulangerie open on Sunday and many grocery stores are open until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. One need not worry about finding a place to eat or otherwise spend money. The Parisians are out in droves on Sunday. Lots of families. The sidewalks were crowded.
I did a picnic in the hotel for tonight's dinner. My Fitbit says I did more than 10,000 steps and 7 floors of steps.
The forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday is much more promising, so I have my fingers crossed.
Weather-wise today was miserable.
I left the hotel after 10. My plan was to go to the Musee Marmottan, which is clear across the city in the 16th arrondissement. Since it appeared that the bus that could take me directly from here to there wasn't running today (Sunday), I decided to take the Metro, which required changing trains and walking a fairly short distance to the museum. It was raining quite hard when I got above ground again, but I did have my umbrella. I stopped at a bakery/cafe for a "noisette," which is a shot of espresso with a drop or two of milk. No, I didn't not get a pastry. Then walked on to the museum in the downpour.
I really enjoy watching the kids. The walk to the museum took me through a park and there was a little boy who had a spoon and kept wanting to dig in the dirt with it, but Maman just wanted to get in out of the rain. Maman dragged the little guy while he kept trying to reach down to dig with his spoon.
The Marmottan is in a beautiful old mansion and contains both the collection of M. Marmottan and a large collection of donated art, mostly Impressionists, including the largest collection of Monets in the world, which was donated by Monet's son. There is also a large collection of work by Berthe Morisot, who was the most successful woman in the Impressionist movement. It is a lovely setting, but I was surprised that there was no place to check coats and umbrellas - a real nuisance on such a miserable day. I stuffed mine into the little shopping bag I carry with me, so at least I didn't have to carry a dripping coat over my arm.
When I left, I decided to see if I could find the bus stop (maybe I was wrong about the bus not running) to save myself from having to walk back to the Metro. It was really blowing a gale, causing my umbrella to blow inside-out. I just missed an available taxi when I got to the main street, so decided to wait for awhile to see if another would come along, but finally decided to go back to the museum and call one. G7 is a reputable taxi company with an English dispatcher, and the taxi came just a few minutes after I called.
It was an interesting ride once the driver and I agreed on where I wanted to go as apparently there are several streets with 'Cadet' in their name. We passed many apartment blocks of classic Paris architecture, and quite pricey I'm sure. Some even had Christmas trees out on balconies waiting to be brought in and decorated. Finally, we came up to the Arc de Triomphe and the driver entered the etoile where 12 avenues converge. I had been around it before in a bus, but this was the first time in a car. It was pretty exciting, especially when another taxi came up along side within inches of my door! The driver left the etoile on Avenue de Friedland which becomes Boulevard Haussmann and I could see some of the damage caused at yesterday's "manifestation." Mostly, smashed windows. Many windows were tempered or laminated glass, so were just shattered, but some weren't, leaving the shops wide open. Some windows were still boarded up. There was also a lot of graffiti and I saw at least two damaged ATMs. It was sad to see.
Except for the days when I have something specific booked, I don't plan an itinerary for specific days. Rather, I try to plan a day's activities according to the logistics of getting around, such as what I can get to on the same bus or Metro line(s). Then I just decide "in the moment" when I will go. Included in today's possible activities were a stop at Trocadero for lunch and views of the Eiffel Tower, and another stop at the Musee d'Art Moderne at the Palais de Tokyo. However, the weather was so miserable, I just went back to the hotel.
After a couple of hours at the hotel (I snacked for lunch), I took advantage of a lull in the rain to go out. I walked a few blocks south to the Grands Boulevards, stopping along the way for some Amorino gelato (my favorite ice cream in Paris). As in Seattle, ice cream knows no season in Paris. Everyone eats it all year around. Two of the best examples of covered passages are in this area, so I visited Passage Jouffroy and Passage des Panoramas. Being Sunday, most of the shops were closed, but I will go back another day.
A lot people wonder what to do in Paris on Sundays, but there is no need to worry. Yes, many shops, restaurants, and cafes are closed, but many are open (in some cases the ones open on Sunday will be closed on Monday). Up until a year or so ago, the City required many stores to be closed on Sundays, but the rule as been relaxed at least in central Paris, so the big department stores are now open. Every neighborhood has at least one boulangerie open on Sunday and many grocery stores are open until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. One need not worry about finding a place to eat or otherwise spend money. The Parisians are out in droves on Sunday. Lots of families. The sidewalks were crowded.
I did a picnic in the hotel for tonight's dinner. My Fitbit says I did more than 10,000 steps and 7 floors of steps.
The forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday is much more promising, so I have my fingers crossed.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Day 3 - Yellow Jackets and Montmartre
After sleeping all the way through Thursday night, last night I was only able to sleep until 3 am - a symptom of jetlag. I read for awhile, but was still wide awake, so turned on CNN and was ready to go down to breakfast at 7.
I left the hotel around 10 and because many bus lines were going to be interrupted today, I took Metro Line 7 to the Stalingrad station where I transferred to Line 2. OMG! That is a huge station and I had to go up stairs, then down, then back up, walking what seemed like miles. Eventually, I felt fresh air coming into the tunnel and was met with another looooong flight of stairs, but with an escalator along side, and it was working! Then another shorter flight of stairs up to the above-ground platform to the train. The first train was jammed tight, so waited for the next, which was also jammed, but I got on anyway, holding my purse in front of me and keeping my hand on it. I was planning to get off at Pigalle, but the train was so crowded I decided to get off at the stop before (Anvers), which is the stop closest to Sacre Coeur and the Funicular. It was raining quite hard by then, so I pulled up the hood of my coat and headed uphill toward Sacre Coeur and rode the Funicular up the steepest part of the hill. I was going to ride the Montmartrobus, which runs a circuit around the the hill, but failed to see the stop right across from where I got off of the Funicular (I saw it while on the bus, going around its circuit). It seems everyone else trying to avoid the day's "manifestations" also decided to go to Montmartre and it was crowded. I had to wave off three "petition girls," who usually aren't aggressive, but saw no other scammers. I walked up the hill to Place du Tertre where there were only a few of the hardiest artists displaying their wares. To get out of the crowd, I walked further to where I knew there to be a stop for the bus.
At the end of the line, everyone had to get off and cross a square to get onto what was probably the same bus to go back up and around the hill. Well, the square is in front of the Mairie (City Hall) for the 18th Arrondissement, which is a very pretty building decorated for Christmas, with a church on one side and a carousel in the middle. This is on the "backside" of Montmartre that few tourists ever see. What a charming place. It was nearly lunch time and I was desperate for "un cafe," so went to Cafe Nord Sud. I walked in and a waiter immediately made eye contact. I indicated that I wanted a table for one and he opened his arms, gave me a big smile and sat me at a nice table looking out on the square. I felt so welcome. I ordered a "grand creme" (a large coffee with milk) and a "croque monsieur" (open-faced ham and cheese sandwich) for my lunch.
Paris has 20 districts or "arrondissements" and each has its own "mairie" or city hall with its own mayor and council under the larger umbrella of the Mayor of Paris and the Hotel de Ville, the huge "city hall" on the Right Bank of the Seine. Anyone who wants to get married does so at one of these "mairies," then has a religious service at a church if they so desire. In fact, it appeared that there was a wedding going on today with people posing out front for pictures.
While I was having lunch the sky cleared a bit and the sun came out, but it was short lived. I got back on the Montmartrobus, riding it to the Musee de Montmartre. This museum celebrates the artists that settled in Montmartre in the 19th century, into the 20th. In fact, Renior once lived in the building. There were several works by him as well as Toulouse-Lautrec and others. There were also photos showing how Montmartre looked during this era - quite different from how it looks now. Originally, Montmartre was a separate village with vineyards. There is only one remaining and every year there is a festival when the grapes are harvested at this tiny little vineyard and made into a few barrels of wine. Montmartre was annexed into the City of Paris in 1859, so there is a lot of history here...along with tourists...but to really experience Montmartre one needs to get away from Pigalle, Sacre Coeur, and Place du Tertre.
While wandering around, I was surprised at how many available taxis there were. That made me happy because while I was hiking through the Stalingrad Metro station I decided to take a taxi back to the hotel. Of course, I also thought that when I wanted one, there wouldn't be one. Wrong. I was outside the museum only a minute or so when two empty ones came along, so I hopped in the first one. Since I had been up since 3 am, I took a nap after I got back to the hotel.
Everywhere I went today it was business as usual. I did see some Yellow Jackets in a Metro car heading east towards the Opera while I was on the opposite platform. They were yelling and chanting, but seeming to have a good time. I also saw some on the street near the hotel, coming from the Opera area when I went out around 4:00. But, they were non-threatening and appeared to be going home. Some were carrying surgical-type masks. I really haven't gotten a clear picture of what happened today from CNN - their news seems to be mostly in soundbites, repeated over and over again, without much depth. I've just tuned to France 24, so maybe I'll learn more. The picture in the background just shows Yellow Jackets milling around, so at least in that locale, it appears to be mostly over. The newscaster says that the level of violence didn't reach the level of last Saturday. The city was very proactive and just about everything thing in "tourist central" was closed today.
The picture of Sacre Coeur was as close as I got as it was engulfed by people.
Only 8,300 steps today, but 15 flights of steps - I think that includes hills, too.
After sleeping all the way through Thursday night, last night I was only able to sleep until 3 am - a symptom of jetlag. I read for awhile, but was still wide awake, so turned on CNN and was ready to go down to breakfast at 7.
I left the hotel around 10 and because many bus lines were going to be interrupted today, I took Metro Line 7 to the Stalingrad station where I transferred to Line 2. OMG! That is a huge station and I had to go up stairs, then down, then back up, walking what seemed like miles. Eventually, I felt fresh air coming into the tunnel and was met with another looooong flight of stairs, but with an escalator along side, and it was working! Then another shorter flight of stairs up to the above-ground platform to the train. The first train was jammed tight, so waited for the next, which was also jammed, but I got on anyway, holding my purse in front of me and keeping my hand on it. I was planning to get off at Pigalle, but the train was so crowded I decided to get off at the stop before (Anvers), which is the stop closest to Sacre Coeur and the Funicular. It was raining quite hard by then, so I pulled up the hood of my coat and headed uphill toward Sacre Coeur and rode the Funicular up the steepest part of the hill. I was going to ride the Montmartrobus, which runs a circuit around the the hill, but failed to see the stop right across from where I got off of the Funicular (I saw it while on the bus, going around its circuit). It seems everyone else trying to avoid the day's "manifestations" also decided to go to Montmartre and it was crowded. I had to wave off three "petition girls," who usually aren't aggressive, but saw no other scammers. I walked up the hill to Place du Tertre where there were only a few of the hardiest artists displaying their wares. To get out of the crowd, I walked further to where I knew there to be a stop for the bus.
At the end of the line, everyone had to get off and cross a square to get onto what was probably the same bus to go back up and around the hill. Well, the square is in front of the Mairie (City Hall) for the 18th Arrondissement, which is a very pretty building decorated for Christmas, with a church on one side and a carousel in the middle. This is on the "backside" of Montmartre that few tourists ever see. What a charming place. It was nearly lunch time and I was desperate for "un cafe," so went to Cafe Nord Sud. I walked in and a waiter immediately made eye contact. I indicated that I wanted a table for one and he opened his arms, gave me a big smile and sat me at a nice table looking out on the square. I felt so welcome. I ordered a "grand creme" (a large coffee with milk) and a "croque monsieur" (open-faced ham and cheese sandwich) for my lunch.
Paris has 20 districts or "arrondissements" and each has its own "mairie" or city hall with its own mayor and council under the larger umbrella of the Mayor of Paris and the Hotel de Ville, the huge "city hall" on the Right Bank of the Seine. Anyone who wants to get married does so at one of these "mairies," then has a religious service at a church if they so desire. In fact, it appeared that there was a wedding going on today with people posing out front for pictures.
While I was having lunch the sky cleared a bit and the sun came out, but it was short lived. I got back on the Montmartrobus, riding it to the Musee de Montmartre. This museum celebrates the artists that settled in Montmartre in the 19th century, into the 20th. In fact, Renior once lived in the building. There were several works by him as well as Toulouse-Lautrec and others. There were also photos showing how Montmartre looked during this era - quite different from how it looks now. Originally, Montmartre was a separate village with vineyards. There is only one remaining and every year there is a festival when the grapes are harvested at this tiny little vineyard and made into a few barrels of wine. Montmartre was annexed into the City of Paris in 1859, so there is a lot of history here...along with tourists...but to really experience Montmartre one needs to get away from Pigalle, Sacre Coeur, and Place du Tertre.
While wandering around, I was surprised at how many available taxis there were. That made me happy because while I was hiking through the Stalingrad Metro station I decided to take a taxi back to the hotel. Of course, I also thought that when I wanted one, there wouldn't be one. Wrong. I was outside the museum only a minute or so when two empty ones came along, so I hopped in the first one. Since I had been up since 3 am, I took a nap after I got back to the hotel.
Everywhere I went today it was business as usual. I did see some Yellow Jackets in a Metro car heading east towards the Opera while I was on the opposite platform. They were yelling and chanting, but seeming to have a good time. I also saw some on the street near the hotel, coming from the Opera area when I went out around 4:00. But, they were non-threatening and appeared to be going home. Some were carrying surgical-type masks. I really haven't gotten a clear picture of what happened today from CNN - their news seems to be mostly in soundbites, repeated over and over again, without much depth. I've just tuned to France 24, so maybe I'll learn more. The picture in the background just shows Yellow Jackets milling around, so at least in that locale, it appears to be mostly over. The newscaster says that the level of violence didn't reach the level of last Saturday. The city was very proactive and just about everything thing in "tourist central" was closed today.
The picture of Sacre Coeur was as close as I got as it was engulfed by people.
Only 8,300 steps today, but 15 flights of steps - I think that includes hills, too.
Friday, December 7, 2018
Day 2 - Rain, wind and Christmas Market
This morning, I was surprised to see that I had slept right through until 8:45. I got dressed and went down to breakfast. This hotel has a very pleasant breakfast room with attentive staff and a gorgeous buffet. A pot of coffee and warm milk is brought to your table and the buffet consists of several different breads and pastries, including baguettes and croissants; also yogurts, cold meats and cheese, eggs and sausage, and crepes.
After breakfast, I took the Metro to the Palais Royale-Louvre stop and went to the Musee des Arts & Decoratifs. I had never been to this museum before and it was wonderful. It is a collection of decorative arts from several centuries. Most of what I saw was from the 17th and 18th centuries. Lots of porcelains, jewelry, furniture, etc. that only the rich to could afford back in the day, and only museums can afford today. Everyone who likes the Belle Epoch and Art Decco should go to this museum.
When I left, I was desperate for something cold to drink. Again, I was faced with a choice between McDonald's and Starbucks, both being across Rue du Rivoli from the museum. I chose Starbucks and got a bottle of cold water that I drank outside under cover, but with rain being blown in on me. No matter, I was so warm that I had my coat off anyway. I enjoyed looking at the Haussmann era buildings with their mansard roofs and decorative wrought iron balconies. The people-watching was pretty good, too.
After my rest, I went to the Christmas Market at the Tuillerie Gardens. It was amazing. There were a ton of food booths, serving up everything from oysters on the half-shell to sausages roasted over wood fires ("Rouge Chaud" - Red Hot!). There was even a filet of salmon cooked Northwest style - standing vertically across from a tower of wood coals. Me, faced with all this wealth of choices, I had a crepe with Nutella and bananas. It was good, too.
The market was very busy and many of the "chalets" (stalls) were selling items made in France. There were several amusement rides, and in spite of the weather, everyone seemed to be having a good time. There is a "big wheel" costing 10 euros, but I decided not to take a ride since the weather was so bad.
Rain and wind was the weather of the day, and I was so damp - inside and out - that I decided to go back to the hotel. While on the bus about 8 or 10 police vans with blue lights and sirens blaring went by in the same direction I had come from. I still have no idea where they were going or why, but I have a feeling that it wasn't good.
Housekeeping was still working in my room when I got there, but she finished up and I put my feet up for awhile, leaving the window she had opened for some fresh cool air. I had downloaded some videos from my Amazon Prime account, so watched one of those. It rained really hard for quite awhile, so I was glad to be inside, but around 4:00 I looked out and the sky was clear, so I decided to go out again.
I rode the Metro to the Opera station (I have discovered that Line 7 is the deepest line at the stations where two or more lines connect, and there are lots of stairs to climb up and out). Then I walked over to Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, two of the big department stores, to see the animated holiday decorations. The are so original and imaginative. There was a big crowd of people, but everyone was smiling as they watched the windows, and I couldn't help but think that tomorrow there will be "manifestations" and probably violence, but tonight everyone is smiling. I posted a picture and a couple of videos on my Facebook page. So far, all of my pictures are on my phone and once I figure out how to transfer some to my Chromebook, I will post them on this blog.
I rode the bus back to the hotel and decided I was too tired and damp to go out for dinner, so did some shopping on Rue Cadet, bringing dinner back with me: half of a baguette, meat tureen, green olives, an orange, and a pastry for dessert. It was pretty good and satisfying.
According to my Fitbit I did 13,600 steps and 27 flights of stairs today! I think Fitbit counts a flight of stairs as about 10 steps, give or take.
Well, that's all until tomorrow.
This morning, I was surprised to see that I had slept right through until 8:45. I got dressed and went down to breakfast. This hotel has a very pleasant breakfast room with attentive staff and a gorgeous buffet. A pot of coffee and warm milk is brought to your table and the buffet consists of several different breads and pastries, including baguettes and croissants; also yogurts, cold meats and cheese, eggs and sausage, and crepes.
After breakfast, I took the Metro to the Palais Royale-Louvre stop and went to the Musee des Arts & Decoratifs. I had never been to this museum before and it was wonderful. It is a collection of decorative arts from several centuries. Most of what I saw was from the 17th and 18th centuries. Lots of porcelains, jewelry, furniture, etc. that only the rich to could afford back in the day, and only museums can afford today. Everyone who likes the Belle Epoch and Art Decco should go to this museum.
When I left, I was desperate for something cold to drink. Again, I was faced with a choice between McDonald's and Starbucks, both being across Rue du Rivoli from the museum. I chose Starbucks and got a bottle of cold water that I drank outside under cover, but with rain being blown in on me. No matter, I was so warm that I had my coat off anyway. I enjoyed looking at the Haussmann era buildings with their mansard roofs and decorative wrought iron balconies. The people-watching was pretty good, too.
After my rest, I went to the Christmas Market at the Tuillerie Gardens. It was amazing. There were a ton of food booths, serving up everything from oysters on the half-shell to sausages roasted over wood fires ("Rouge Chaud" - Red Hot!). There was even a filet of salmon cooked Northwest style - standing vertically across from a tower of wood coals. Me, faced with all this wealth of choices, I had a crepe with Nutella and bananas. It was good, too.
The market was very busy and many of the "chalets" (stalls) were selling items made in France. There were several amusement rides, and in spite of the weather, everyone seemed to be having a good time. There is a "big wheel" costing 10 euros, but I decided not to take a ride since the weather was so bad.
Rain and wind was the weather of the day, and I was so damp - inside and out - that I decided to go back to the hotel. While on the bus about 8 or 10 police vans with blue lights and sirens blaring went by in the same direction I had come from. I still have no idea where they were going or why, but I have a feeling that it wasn't good.
Housekeeping was still working in my room when I got there, but she finished up and I put my feet up for awhile, leaving the window she had opened for some fresh cool air. I had downloaded some videos from my Amazon Prime account, so watched one of those. It rained really hard for quite awhile, so I was glad to be inside, but around 4:00 I looked out and the sky was clear, so I decided to go out again.
I rode the Metro to the Opera station (I have discovered that Line 7 is the deepest line at the stations where two or more lines connect, and there are lots of stairs to climb up and out). Then I walked over to Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, two of the big department stores, to see the animated holiday decorations. The are so original and imaginative. There was a big crowd of people, but everyone was smiling as they watched the windows, and I couldn't help but think that tomorrow there will be "manifestations" and probably violence, but tonight everyone is smiling. I posted a picture and a couple of videos on my Facebook page. So far, all of my pictures are on my phone and once I figure out how to transfer some to my Chromebook, I will post them on this blog.
I rode the bus back to the hotel and decided I was too tired and damp to go out for dinner, so did some shopping on Rue Cadet, bringing dinner back with me: half of a baguette, meat tureen, green olives, an orange, and a pastry for dessert. It was pretty good and satisfying.
According to my Fitbit I did 13,600 steps and 27 flights of stairs today! I think Fitbit counts a flight of stairs as about 10 steps, give or take.
Well, that's all until tomorrow.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Day 1 - Arrival
I got to the airport way too early, but it took very little time to drop my bag, go through security, and get to the gate. It was a beautiful day to fly. Blue sky, Mt. Rainier looming in the near distance with Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood lined up behind her. The flight took off on time and I had a nice (and good looking) Frenchman sitting next to me. He works for Amazon and few into Seattle on Monday for a meeting on Tuesday, so slept most of the way back to Paris on Wednesday. He took a big box of king crab home with him. As usual, I couldn't sleep on the plane - after all, it was barely my bedtime at home when we landed in Paris at 7:15 am Paris time.
Getting deboarded and on my way was a breeze. It took a little less than an hour to get off the plane, stop at "les toilettes," grab my suitcase that was on the conveyor when I got there, buy a SIM card for my phone, and get into a taxi.
It took about an hour to get to the hotel as I was in the midst of the morning rush hour. Riding in the taxi was a little unnerving because even though I gave the driver a note with the hotel's name and address on it, I kept wondering if he knew where he was going because for most of the trip nothing looks familiar. It is all suburbia - dull, grey, hulking apartment buildings, commercial buildings, and lots of cars. When he finally got off the expressway onto surface streets where I could see familiar street names and the arrondissiment number, I could finally relax. However, the guy overcharged me. It is supposed to be 50 euros flat to the Right Bank or 55 euros to the Left Bank. My hotel is on the Right Bank and I didn't notice until we were underway that he had 55 euros plus a 4 euro supplement on the meter. I didn't want to mention it while we were in traffic, but did upon arrival. He claimed it was correct, but I know it is 50 euros - no supplement - for up to 4 passengers and luggage. Unfortunately, I don't know enough French to argue the point, so my 50 euro ride cost 59. Arrrrgh!
Once at the hotel, I was warmly greeted and checked in, and my room was ready at 9:15 am! So, I could go to my room, unpack and rest up a bit. Nice. The room is actually pretty big by Paris standards. I have a good sized bed - bigger than a double - and a little sofa in an alcove. The closet is small, but there are shelves for storage and a place to stash my bags. Bathroom is small. It is billed as a "simple" single room and lists for 320 euros per night (according to the list at the front desk), but that is more than what I've seen it advertised for on the hotel's website, and my rate is only 123 because I booked so early and I'm staying for 10 nights, so got a special rate, including breakfast. It is a 4-star hotel, but that is mostly due to the fact that they have a bar and 2 elevators (good sized ones by European standards). The star system here is a little different than in the US as it refers more to the amenities than to the level of luxury. It has a lovely breakfast room in an atrium overlooking a garden. Mom and I stayed here in 1994.
After a short rest, I went out. I was really hungry, but it was too early for lunch. There is a McDonald's up on the corner and I thought I would go in to get something, but then I spied a
Starbucks and decided that was the lesser of the two evils (I never go to either when I am in Paris unless I need "les toilettes). So, I got a chocolate chip cookie to tide me over. I went down into the Metro station to load up my Navigo pass (22.80 euros for a week, but this will only last me through Sunday when I will need to reload for next week - worth it for the convenience, though, as I can go anywhere in the Ile de France, including Disneyland Paris). Then, I set out to find the bus stop.
The hotel is just off Rue Lafayette, which is one-way going east, so the west-bound buses run on parallel streets a couple of blocks away. I caught the #42 as my destination was Rue Royal off Place de la Madeleine. The bus goes behind the Opera Garnier, so I was able to get a glimpse of the holiday windows at Galleries Lafayette, as well as around La Madeleine. Though it wasn't a very long trip - its actually walkable in a more direct route - it took quite awhile because of the traffic and narrow streets. I got off at Rue Royal and went to Laduree (famous for macrons) for lunch. I had their club sandwich, which is quite good. But, only in Paris do they give you bread when you order a sandwich. Normally, I would pass on the bread, but it was warm and there was butter! Usually, the bread is fresh, but not warm, and they rarely serve butter except at breakfast. So, of course, I had to have some of that bread with butter. I skipped the macrons, though.
After lunch, I was so tired, I just went back to the hotel, and took a short nap. After I woke up, the funeral service in Houston for George Bush was on CNN, and I was glad to be able to watch that since I didn't get to see the service at the National Cathedral yesterday.
I went out again around six. The street the hotel is on is a small market street that has limited vehicular traffic. When Mom and I were here in 1994 I thought it was rather dark without much here, but since then there are more shops and cafes as well as a lot of lively foot traffic. I had a hamburger at a cafe down the street. It would have been excellent except that the meat was practically raw. The waitress noticed I was eating around the meat and asked if it was okay. I explained that it was too rare, so she took it back to the kitchen. When it came back, it was still rarer than I like, but I could eat it. I can eat rare steak, but I like my ground meat cooked through. She was very nice about it, and the pommes frites and beer were good.
It is pretty warm here. Cloudy today, but it didn't rain. I was really overly warm in my raincoat, but saw so many people in puffy jackets and scarves wrapped around their necks. The forecast is for cooling over the weekend, so I expect it to be sunny and colder next week.
There is to be a big demonstration on Saturday. The plan is for the demonstrators to march from La Bastille in the 11th arrondissiment to the Arc du Triomphe in the 8th, so traffic on the route will be disrupted and it will be difficult to get across the river to the Left Bank from here. I had tickets for a ballet demonstration at the Opera House on Saturday, but I received notification that it has been cancelled and my money will be refunded. The booking for a holiday lights tour I had for Saturday evening has been changed to Wednesday as well. So, I think I will go to Montmartre on Saturday - that is just about as far from the demonstration - they call it a manifestation here (sounds less threatening?) - as I can get and still be North of the river. I just hope this will be a peaceful demonstration without the violence of last Saturday.
Well, that was a pretty full first day and I'm really zonked, so hope I can sleep well tonight.
I got to the airport way too early, but it took very little time to drop my bag, go through security, and get to the gate. It was a beautiful day to fly. Blue sky, Mt. Rainier looming in the near distance with Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood lined up behind her. The flight took off on time and I had a nice (and good looking) Frenchman sitting next to me. He works for Amazon and few into Seattle on Monday for a meeting on Tuesday, so slept most of the way back to Paris on Wednesday. He took a big box of king crab home with him. As usual, I couldn't sleep on the plane - after all, it was barely my bedtime at home when we landed in Paris at 7:15 am Paris time.
Getting deboarded and on my way was a breeze. It took a little less than an hour to get off the plane, stop at "les toilettes," grab my suitcase that was on the conveyor when I got there, buy a SIM card for my phone, and get into a taxi.
It took about an hour to get to the hotel as I was in the midst of the morning rush hour. Riding in the taxi was a little unnerving because even though I gave the driver a note with the hotel's name and address on it, I kept wondering if he knew where he was going because for most of the trip nothing looks familiar. It is all suburbia - dull, grey, hulking apartment buildings, commercial buildings, and lots of cars. When he finally got off the expressway onto surface streets where I could see familiar street names and the arrondissiment number, I could finally relax. However, the guy overcharged me. It is supposed to be 50 euros flat to the Right Bank or 55 euros to the Left Bank. My hotel is on the Right Bank and I didn't notice until we were underway that he had 55 euros plus a 4 euro supplement on the meter. I didn't want to mention it while we were in traffic, but did upon arrival. He claimed it was correct, but I know it is 50 euros - no supplement - for up to 4 passengers and luggage. Unfortunately, I don't know enough French to argue the point, so my 50 euro ride cost 59. Arrrrgh!
Once at the hotel, I was warmly greeted and checked in, and my room was ready at 9:15 am! So, I could go to my room, unpack and rest up a bit. Nice. The room is actually pretty big by Paris standards. I have a good sized bed - bigger than a double - and a little sofa in an alcove. The closet is small, but there are shelves for storage and a place to stash my bags. Bathroom is small. It is billed as a "simple" single room and lists for 320 euros per night (according to the list at the front desk), but that is more than what I've seen it advertised for on the hotel's website, and my rate is only 123 because I booked so early and I'm staying for 10 nights, so got a special rate, including breakfast. It is a 4-star hotel, but that is mostly due to the fact that they have a bar and 2 elevators (good sized ones by European standards). The star system here is a little different than in the US as it refers more to the amenities than to the level of luxury. It has a lovely breakfast room in an atrium overlooking a garden. Mom and I stayed here in 1994.
After a short rest, I went out. I was really hungry, but it was too early for lunch. There is a McDonald's up on the corner and I thought I would go in to get something, but then I spied a
Starbucks and decided that was the lesser of the two evils (I never go to either when I am in Paris unless I need "les toilettes). So, I got a chocolate chip cookie to tide me over. I went down into the Metro station to load up my Navigo pass (22.80 euros for a week, but this will only last me through Sunday when I will need to reload for next week - worth it for the convenience, though, as I can go anywhere in the Ile de France, including Disneyland Paris). Then, I set out to find the bus stop.
The hotel is just off Rue Lafayette, which is one-way going east, so the west-bound buses run on parallel streets a couple of blocks away. I caught the #42 as my destination was Rue Royal off Place de la Madeleine. The bus goes behind the Opera Garnier, so I was able to get a glimpse of the holiday windows at Galleries Lafayette, as well as around La Madeleine. Though it wasn't a very long trip - its actually walkable in a more direct route - it took quite awhile because of the traffic and narrow streets. I got off at Rue Royal and went to Laduree (famous for macrons) for lunch. I had their club sandwich, which is quite good. But, only in Paris do they give you bread when you order a sandwich. Normally, I would pass on the bread, but it was warm and there was butter! Usually, the bread is fresh, but not warm, and they rarely serve butter except at breakfast. So, of course, I had to have some of that bread with butter. I skipped the macrons, though.
After lunch, I was so tired, I just went back to the hotel, and took a short nap. After I woke up, the funeral service in Houston for George Bush was on CNN, and I was glad to be able to watch that since I didn't get to see the service at the National Cathedral yesterday.
I went out again around six. The street the hotel is on is a small market street that has limited vehicular traffic. When Mom and I were here in 1994 I thought it was rather dark without much here, but since then there are more shops and cafes as well as a lot of lively foot traffic. I had a hamburger at a cafe down the street. It would have been excellent except that the meat was practically raw. The waitress noticed I was eating around the meat and asked if it was okay. I explained that it was too rare, so she took it back to the kitchen. When it came back, it was still rarer than I like, but I could eat it. I can eat rare steak, but I like my ground meat cooked through. She was very nice about it, and the pommes frites and beer were good.
It is pretty warm here. Cloudy today, but it didn't rain. I was really overly warm in my raincoat, but saw so many people in puffy jackets and scarves wrapped around their necks. The forecast is for cooling over the weekend, so I expect it to be sunny and colder next week.
There is to be a big demonstration on Saturday. The plan is for the demonstrators to march from La Bastille in the 11th arrondissiment to the Arc du Triomphe in the 8th, so traffic on the route will be disrupted and it will be difficult to get across the river to the Left Bank from here. I had tickets for a ballet demonstration at the Opera House on Saturday, but I received notification that it has been cancelled and my money will be refunded. The booking for a holiday lights tour I had for Saturday evening has been changed to Wednesday as well. So, I think I will go to Montmartre on Saturday - that is just about as far from the demonstration - they call it a manifestation here (sounds less threatening?) - as I can get and still be North of the river. I just hope this will be a peaceful demonstration without the violence of last Saturday.
Well, that was a pretty full first day and I'm really zonked, so hope I can sleep well tonight.
Monday, November 26, 2018
MEMORIES OF PREVIOUS PARIS TRIPS
1978 (July)
My first trip to Paris was in 1978. Mom went with friends on a 3-week bus tour of the British Isles, followed by a 3-week bus tour of the Continent. I was to meet them at their first continental stop in Paris.
After a long flight from Seattle to Paris, via a long lay-over in London because my connecting flight was cancelled, I flew standby (thus began my long distain of Heathrow), and arrived in Paris late afternoon. I took a bus into Paris. The bus driver was very friendly and pointed out some landmarks. The bus terminated in an underground transit center someplace in Paris, and from there I took a taxi to our hotel, which was somewhere in the suburbs. Coincidentally, Mom was out in front of the hotel when I arrived.
That's the thing about bus tours - you rarely know where you are. You are always somewhere in London, or Rome, or Paris, or Vienna, or Venice - usually out in the suburbs, away from all the action.
We were in Paris only two nights, so one full day. Our tour included a guided bus tour of the city, but Mom and I jumped ship at Notre Dame so we could go to Ste. Chappelle. There were very few people there, compared to the crowds that visit nowadays. We were overawed by the beauty of the stained glass windows. It was like being inside a jewel box. Another memory that sticks with me is having lunch on the top floor of the Samartine Department Store. It was just a cafeteria, but it seemed so special with its view overlooking the Seine to the Left Bank and the Eiffel Tower. The store closed many years ago, and the building has been undergoing extensive renovations, which should be complete soon. I believe the plan is for retail, a hotel, and apartments.
With that little taste of Paris, we left on the bus for Switzerland the next morning.
1994 (September)
Sixteen years later, Mom and I decided it was time to make another trip to Europe. I was able to take five weeks off from work, and at first we thought we would revist the countries we briefly visited in 1978, spending more time in each and using a Europe Train pass for transportation. We were inspired by Rick Steves, having watched his shows on PBS. Mom was the same age I am now, and had had a hip replacement, so it quickly became evident that the train wasn't going to work well for us. Once we decided to do a driving trip, it became evident that we were trying to do too much, so we settled on 2 weeks in England followed by 3 weeks in France.
Even though the "Chunnel" had just opened, we flew from Stansted airport to Paris. I think we probably flew into Orly because I wrote in my journal that the bus took us to Les Invalides (on the Left Bank south of the Seine), and we took a taxi from there to our hotel in the 9th Arrondissiment (on the Right Bank north of the Seine).
We chose our hotel (Hotel Opera Cadet) because it has a garden and atrium, which looked so inviting in the pictures, and we were looking forward to having breakfast there. Unfortunately, we were there during fashion week and the atrium was being used for other purposes, so had to have breakfast in our room.
We were in Paris four nights, and as I read my journal, I am amazed at all we crammed into three days. The first day upon arrival, we walked down to Place de la Opera so we could change our travelers checks for francs at the American Express office. We stopped someplace for coffee - I can picture the location and think it was Café des Paix, across from Opera Garnier. At the time, my French was very basic: bonjour, s'il vous plait, merci, au revoir, deux café. So we ordered "deux café" and the waiter, spotting us as tourists, asked if we wanted a crepe. "Oui!" A crepe would be great, then he asked if we wanted "sucre." I was tired and my ears were not tuned to French yet, so I thought we was asking if I wanted a cigar. "No, I don't want a cigar!" I exclaimed. Mom leaned over and said "Sugar, do you want sugar." "Oui, Oui!" Thus began a wonderful three days in Paris.
We bought a 3-day Metro pass, started out the next morning, and hit the day running.
Day 1: Opera Garnier - "Fabulous;" Musee d'Orsay - bought a museum pass; Ste. Chappell - "Crowded, but just as beautiful as 16 years ago;" Notre Dame; Deportation Memorial; Flower Market. It exhausts me now how we possibly did all that in one day, but still managed to squeeze in lunch at the d'Orsay restaurant and a coffee break between Ste. Chappelle and Notre Dame.
Day 2: Le Louvre - Mona Lisa, Venus da Milo, Winged Victory; Tuillerie Gardens; Orangerie - "breathtaking Monet Waterlilies;" Eiffel Tower - 2nd level - took a taxi from Place de la Concorde "best 31 francs we spent today." Skipped the Rodin Museum, too tired, so went back to the hotel.
Day 3: Montmartre, Sacre Coeur - "prettier on the outside than the inside;" Arc de Triomphe - to the top; Versailles - huge blister-causing cobblestones. While in Montmarte, we stopped at a café at Place Pigalle for coffee. While there a "lady, all painted up, came up to us, dropped her bags and burst into song." She was quite a character and had a very good voice.
Nowadays, I wouldn't suggest anyone try to do so much in such a short time, but everything we did was a priority, and while we didn't spend the recommended length of time at most of these sights, we enjoyed everything and still had time for café sitting and people watching.
The next day we went to CDG to pick up a car and spent our remaining time in France, visiting Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Burgundy, and Champagne. It was a trip that provided memories for years to come.
2000 (September)
We decided it was time for another trip to France. This time we concluded the trip with three nights in Paris, following a driving trip through Alsace, Luxembourg, Belgium, Normandy, and the Loire. We dropped the car off at Chartres and took the train to Paris. Our hotel was the Relais Bosquet, a block off Rue Cler in the 7th Arrondissiment. The hotel was "very nice with a roomy elevator" and view of the top third of the Eiffel Tower (it sparkled for 5 minutes on the hour after dark). We mostly walked this trip and took taxis. I don't remember taking the Metro at all. Since we had been before, we didn't seem to be so frenzied to cram in as much as possible.
Day 1: Les Invalides - Napoleon's Tomb; Rodin Museum; Batobus (hop-on-hop-off cruise on the Seine); evening concert at Ste. Chappelle - Bach. We bought some "original" water colors from the alleged daughter of the artist for about 50 francs each. When we got them to the hotel, we discovered they were prints that had been highlighted with gold and white paint. We got a good laugh out of it and they are framed and hung in our hallway.
Day 2: Musee Marmottan - "this is where to go if you can't get enough of Monet!"; Les Cars Rouges as far as Notre Dame; Ile St. Louis - "Ice Cream!"; Les Cars Rouges to Place de la Opera; Evening tour: Boat cruise, dinner on 1st floor of Eiffel Tower, city lights bus tour. Because of Y2K, there was a huge lit 2000 sign on the Eiffel Tower and the tower began to sparkle as we were walking under it after dinner It was magical.
This was a short visit, but we both felt like we had really been to Paris because we didn't pack so much in an could spend time savoring the city. The next day it was back to the airport and our flight home.
2005 (April)
This time our focus was on the South of France, specifically Languedoc. We began planning, we didn't realize that I would be laid off and have more than three weeks, so opted not to include a Paris stay. I always regretted that we skipped Paris on this trip.
2010 (September)
Ah, Retirement! We could go to France for 5+ weeks and did. By this time Mom was 87 years old, and had had two hip replacements, a knee replacement and shoulder replacement. She was using a rollator walker to get around, but was a real trooper. This time we stayed for three nights at Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche in the 5th Arrondissiment, which is near Notre Dame. We decided that the best way to get around would be to make use of the Hop On Hop Off bus L'Open Tour, which has 4 routes with stops near our hotel. However, because of Mom's walker we didn't get on and off, just rode around to see the sights.
Day 1: Notre Dame; HOHO tour; dinner with friends who were also visiting Paris.
Day 2: HOHO tour; evening cooking class at Cookin' with Class - a delightful, hands-on class with delicious results.
Now, I don't recommend HOHO tours, especially for transportation, but it worked well for us. We were able to see many of the places where we had been before as well as see a lot of new things. Since it was a short trip, we felt like we did what we could and enjoyed our stay.
The next day we took a taxi to Orly to pick up our leased Peugot van and headed for Beaune for a couple of nights, followed by a week in Provence, two weeks in Languedoc, a week in the Dordogne, and ending with a couple of nights in Normandy.
2013 (September)
Rick Steves' new season with an episode in Paris inspired me to go back to Paris. This time for two weeks and alone. I decided to rent an apartment and found a cute but small studio in the 3rd Arrondissiment near the Pompidou Centre.
I loved being in Paris on my own and loved being in an apartment. Each morning I would start the coffee pot and then walk over to my local boulangerie to buy a "demi" baguette (half loaf) or a croissant. After breakfast, which also included fruit and excellent French yogurt, I would start out to explore Paris.
I made the decision that I would not waste time waiting in line to see something I had seen before. So concentrated on new sights. I rode the buses and everyday visited a new neighborhood. Paris was so much more crowded than I remembered from former trips. By this time, travel had become less expensive due to cheaper plane tickets and both Russia and China had an emerging middle class that could afford to travel. I was glad that my focus was on new places rather than the major sights that attract big crowds.
Being away from the big crowds also kept me away from the scammers. There are several scams being perpetrated toward tourists in Paris, including the "gold ring drop," "petition girls," and the "string bracelet guys." The first was attempted on me twice, coincidently, at the place on different days. I just shrugged and walked on. The second is a real annoyance, but they were easy to wave off, and I didn't see the third at all. At the same time, while violent crime is rare in Paris, pickpockets are a real problem and those who do not secure their valuables are at risk of losing them, especially in crowded Metro stations and trains. Being alert, securing valuables, and using street smarts is the best protection against these nuisances.
Please see my blog at www.cjtparis2013.blogspot.com for a detailed report of this trip.
2015 (May)
This time I met my friend Kathy, a former colleague who splits her time between Georgia and Palm Desert, in Paris. We rented a one-bedroom apartment, also in the 3rd and not far from where I stayed in 2013.
Since my trip 20 months previously, Paris had experienced a couple of terrorist attacks, the most noticeable difference was a much larger military presence. I had seen armed military in Paris before, but they seemed pretty relaxed and would often stop to talk with people. This time, though, they were serious and ready for business. It was also noticeable that the terrorist threats had little impact on the number of tourists or size of the crowds.
Other than a couple of "petition girls" I don't think Kathy and I saw any scammers. Again, we avoided large crowds as Kathy had been to Paris before and had seen the major sights. We rode both buses and the Metro, did a lot of shopping and café-sitting, and discovered that beer is cheaper than Coca-Cola. It was a fun trip and I enjoyed having a companion.
More detail on this trip can be found at www.cjtparis2015.blogspot.com
2017 (September)
Another 2-week trip, solo once again. I rented a very small studio apartment in the 4th near Metro Station St. Paul and just down the street from Place des Vosges. Even though this apartment was smaller than the one I had in 2013, it was well organized with lots of storage, which was severely lacking in the other apartment.
This trip was spent mostly visiting places I had not been before, including Chateau Malmaison, Josephine's home while Napoleon was off fighting wars; the Basilica of St. Denis where the kings and queens of France are entombed; and La Butte aux Cailles, a hill-top neighborhood in the 13th, quaint and historic without the tourists of Montmartre. I also did two out-of-town day trips with a tour company. The first to Giverny (Monet's Garden) and Auvers-sur-Oise (Van Gogh's home for the last few months of his life. The second to Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau, both gorgeous and much less crowded than Versailles.
For more detail on this trip, see my blog at www.cjtparis2017.blogspot.com
This brings us to December 2018. Why would I want to go to Paris in the Winter? Well, keep reading to find out.
1978 (July)
My first trip to Paris was in 1978. Mom went with friends on a 3-week bus tour of the British Isles, followed by a 3-week bus tour of the Continent. I was to meet them at their first continental stop in Paris.
After a long flight from Seattle to Paris, via a long lay-over in London because my connecting flight was cancelled, I flew standby (thus began my long distain of Heathrow), and arrived in Paris late afternoon. I took a bus into Paris. The bus driver was very friendly and pointed out some landmarks. The bus terminated in an underground transit center someplace in Paris, and from there I took a taxi to our hotel, which was somewhere in the suburbs. Coincidentally, Mom was out in front of the hotel when I arrived.
That's the thing about bus tours - you rarely know where you are. You are always somewhere in London, or Rome, or Paris, or Vienna, or Venice - usually out in the suburbs, away from all the action.
We were in Paris only two nights, so one full day. Our tour included a guided bus tour of the city, but Mom and I jumped ship at Notre Dame so we could go to Ste. Chappelle. There were very few people there, compared to the crowds that visit nowadays. We were overawed by the beauty of the stained glass windows. It was like being inside a jewel box. Another memory that sticks with me is having lunch on the top floor of the Samartine Department Store. It was just a cafeteria, but it seemed so special with its view overlooking the Seine to the Left Bank and the Eiffel Tower. The store closed many years ago, and the building has been undergoing extensive renovations, which should be complete soon. I believe the plan is for retail, a hotel, and apartments.
With that little taste of Paris, we left on the bus for Switzerland the next morning.
1994 (September)
Sixteen years later, Mom and I decided it was time to make another trip to Europe. I was able to take five weeks off from work, and at first we thought we would revist the countries we briefly visited in 1978, spending more time in each and using a Europe Train pass for transportation. We were inspired by Rick Steves, having watched his shows on PBS. Mom was the same age I am now, and had had a hip replacement, so it quickly became evident that the train wasn't going to work well for us. Once we decided to do a driving trip, it became evident that we were trying to do too much, so we settled on 2 weeks in England followed by 3 weeks in France.
Even though the "Chunnel" had just opened, we flew from Stansted airport to Paris. I think we probably flew into Orly because I wrote in my journal that the bus took us to Les Invalides (on the Left Bank south of the Seine), and we took a taxi from there to our hotel in the 9th Arrondissiment (on the Right Bank north of the Seine).
We chose our hotel (Hotel Opera Cadet) because it has a garden and atrium, which looked so inviting in the pictures, and we were looking forward to having breakfast there. Unfortunately, we were there during fashion week and the atrium was being used for other purposes, so had to have breakfast in our room.
We were in Paris four nights, and as I read my journal, I am amazed at all we crammed into three days. The first day upon arrival, we walked down to Place de la Opera so we could change our travelers checks for francs at the American Express office. We stopped someplace for coffee - I can picture the location and think it was Café des Paix, across from Opera Garnier. At the time, my French was very basic: bonjour, s'il vous plait, merci, au revoir, deux café. So we ordered "deux café" and the waiter, spotting us as tourists, asked if we wanted a crepe. "Oui!" A crepe would be great, then he asked if we wanted "sucre." I was tired and my ears were not tuned to French yet, so I thought we was asking if I wanted a cigar. "No, I don't want a cigar!" I exclaimed. Mom leaned over and said "Sugar, do you want sugar." "Oui, Oui!" Thus began a wonderful three days in Paris.
We bought a 3-day Metro pass, started out the next morning, and hit the day running.
Day 1: Opera Garnier - "Fabulous;" Musee d'Orsay - bought a museum pass; Ste. Chappell - "Crowded, but just as beautiful as 16 years ago;" Notre Dame; Deportation Memorial; Flower Market. It exhausts me now how we possibly did all that in one day, but still managed to squeeze in lunch at the d'Orsay restaurant and a coffee break between Ste. Chappelle and Notre Dame.
Day 2: Le Louvre - Mona Lisa, Venus da Milo, Winged Victory; Tuillerie Gardens; Orangerie - "breathtaking Monet Waterlilies;" Eiffel Tower - 2nd level - took a taxi from Place de la Concorde "best 31 francs we spent today." Skipped the Rodin Museum, too tired, so went back to the hotel.
Day 3: Montmartre, Sacre Coeur - "prettier on the outside than the inside;" Arc de Triomphe - to the top; Versailles - huge blister-causing cobblestones. While in Montmarte, we stopped at a café at Place Pigalle for coffee. While there a "lady, all painted up, came up to us, dropped her bags and burst into song." She was quite a character and had a very good voice.
Nowadays, I wouldn't suggest anyone try to do so much in such a short time, but everything we did was a priority, and while we didn't spend the recommended length of time at most of these sights, we enjoyed everything and still had time for café sitting and people watching.
The next day we went to CDG to pick up a car and spent our remaining time in France, visiting Normandy, Brittany, Loire Valley, Burgundy, and Champagne. It was a trip that provided memories for years to come.
2000 (September)
We decided it was time for another trip to France. This time we concluded the trip with three nights in Paris, following a driving trip through Alsace, Luxembourg, Belgium, Normandy, and the Loire. We dropped the car off at Chartres and took the train to Paris. Our hotel was the Relais Bosquet, a block off Rue Cler in the 7th Arrondissiment. The hotel was "very nice with a roomy elevator" and view of the top third of the Eiffel Tower (it sparkled for 5 minutes on the hour after dark). We mostly walked this trip and took taxis. I don't remember taking the Metro at all. Since we had been before, we didn't seem to be so frenzied to cram in as much as possible.
Day 1: Les Invalides - Napoleon's Tomb; Rodin Museum; Batobus (hop-on-hop-off cruise on the Seine); evening concert at Ste. Chappelle - Bach. We bought some "original" water colors from the alleged daughter of the artist for about 50 francs each. When we got them to the hotel, we discovered they were prints that had been highlighted with gold and white paint. We got a good laugh out of it and they are framed and hung in our hallway.
Day 2: Musee Marmottan - "this is where to go if you can't get enough of Monet!"; Les Cars Rouges as far as Notre Dame; Ile St. Louis - "Ice Cream!"; Les Cars Rouges to Place de la Opera; Evening tour: Boat cruise, dinner on 1st floor of Eiffel Tower, city lights bus tour. Because of Y2K, there was a huge lit 2000 sign on the Eiffel Tower and the tower began to sparkle as we were walking under it after dinner It was magical.
This was a short visit, but we both felt like we had really been to Paris because we didn't pack so much in an could spend time savoring the city. The next day it was back to the airport and our flight home.
2005 (April)
This time our focus was on the South of France, specifically Languedoc. We began planning, we didn't realize that I would be laid off and have more than three weeks, so opted not to include a Paris stay. I always regretted that we skipped Paris on this trip.
2010 (September)
Ah, Retirement! We could go to France for 5+ weeks and did. By this time Mom was 87 years old, and had had two hip replacements, a knee replacement and shoulder replacement. She was using a rollator walker to get around, but was a real trooper. This time we stayed for three nights at Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche in the 5th Arrondissiment, which is near Notre Dame. We decided that the best way to get around would be to make use of the Hop On Hop Off bus L'Open Tour, which has 4 routes with stops near our hotel. However, because of Mom's walker we didn't get on and off, just rode around to see the sights.
Day 1: Notre Dame; HOHO tour; dinner with friends who were also visiting Paris.
Day 2: HOHO tour; evening cooking class at Cookin' with Class - a delightful, hands-on class with delicious results.
Now, I don't recommend HOHO tours, especially for transportation, but it worked well for us. We were able to see many of the places where we had been before as well as see a lot of new things. Since it was a short trip, we felt like we did what we could and enjoyed our stay.
The next day we took a taxi to Orly to pick up our leased Peugot van and headed for Beaune for a couple of nights, followed by a week in Provence, two weeks in Languedoc, a week in the Dordogne, and ending with a couple of nights in Normandy.
2013 (September)
Rick Steves' new season with an episode in Paris inspired me to go back to Paris. This time for two weeks and alone. I decided to rent an apartment and found a cute but small studio in the 3rd Arrondissiment near the Pompidou Centre.
I loved being in Paris on my own and loved being in an apartment. Each morning I would start the coffee pot and then walk over to my local boulangerie to buy a "demi" baguette (half loaf) or a croissant. After breakfast, which also included fruit and excellent French yogurt, I would start out to explore Paris.
I made the decision that I would not waste time waiting in line to see something I had seen before. So concentrated on new sights. I rode the buses and everyday visited a new neighborhood. Paris was so much more crowded than I remembered from former trips. By this time, travel had become less expensive due to cheaper plane tickets and both Russia and China had an emerging middle class that could afford to travel. I was glad that my focus was on new places rather than the major sights that attract big crowds.
Being away from the big crowds also kept me away from the scammers. There are several scams being perpetrated toward tourists in Paris, including the "gold ring drop," "petition girls," and the "string bracelet guys." The first was attempted on me twice, coincidently, at the place on different days. I just shrugged and walked on. The second is a real annoyance, but they were easy to wave off, and I didn't see the third at all. At the same time, while violent crime is rare in Paris, pickpockets are a real problem and those who do not secure their valuables are at risk of losing them, especially in crowded Metro stations and trains. Being alert, securing valuables, and using street smarts is the best protection against these nuisances.
Please see my blog at www.cjtparis2013.blogspot.com for a detailed report of this trip.
2015 (May)
This time I met my friend Kathy, a former colleague who splits her time between Georgia and Palm Desert, in Paris. We rented a one-bedroom apartment, also in the 3rd and not far from where I stayed in 2013.
Since my trip 20 months previously, Paris had experienced a couple of terrorist attacks, the most noticeable difference was a much larger military presence. I had seen armed military in Paris before, but they seemed pretty relaxed and would often stop to talk with people. This time, though, they were serious and ready for business. It was also noticeable that the terrorist threats had little impact on the number of tourists or size of the crowds.
Other than a couple of "petition girls" I don't think Kathy and I saw any scammers. Again, we avoided large crowds as Kathy had been to Paris before and had seen the major sights. We rode both buses and the Metro, did a lot of shopping and café-sitting, and discovered that beer is cheaper than Coca-Cola. It was a fun trip and I enjoyed having a companion.
More detail on this trip can be found at www.cjtparis2015.blogspot.com
2017 (September)
Another 2-week trip, solo once again. I rented a very small studio apartment in the 4th near Metro Station St. Paul and just down the street from Place des Vosges. Even though this apartment was smaller than the one I had in 2013, it was well organized with lots of storage, which was severely lacking in the other apartment.
This trip was spent mostly visiting places I had not been before, including Chateau Malmaison, Josephine's home while Napoleon was off fighting wars; the Basilica of St. Denis where the kings and queens of France are entombed; and La Butte aux Cailles, a hill-top neighborhood in the 13th, quaint and historic without the tourists of Montmartre. I also did two out-of-town day trips with a tour company. The first to Giverny (Monet's Garden) and Auvers-sur-Oise (Van Gogh's home for the last few months of his life. The second to Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau, both gorgeous and much less crowded than Versailles.
For more detail on this trip, see my blog at www.cjtparis2017.blogspot.com
This brings us to December 2018. Why would I want to go to Paris in the Winter? Well, keep reading to find out.
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