Return to the Midwest

I spent last weekend in Appleton, Wisconsin, at my 40th college reunion. Lawrence University is a small, liberal arts college that is really very creative and innovative. I had a wonderful group of friends there from 1965-69 and am still close to many of them, and quite a few were back for this milestone reunion. We had a wonderful time catching up, picking up easily from wherever we left off. The women all looked great, the men less so, and we were convinced that we didn't really look like we should be celebrating our 40th.

The campus has changed a lot since we were there, with many new buildings, including a big new campus center that will open in September and will really change things--centralized dining, all student mailboxes in one place, lots of space for meetings, concerts, events, etc. The best thing about all the new buildings on campus is that they take full advantage of the location next to the now cleaned up Fox River. When we were there the river was a smelly, messy liability, and it's now an important part of the town and the campus.

The heart of the college is still excellent liberal arts education. I attended "alumni college" on Friday and went to classes on energy conservation, dijeridu, literature of aging, and wine making, complete with tastings (taught by a professor from whom I took botany 38 years ago...)

I also sang with the Alumni Choir for our convocation, which was fun. I expected we'd sing a couple familiar numbers that most people would know, but the conductor instead gave us two unfamiliar pieces which we learned in an hour and a half. Challenging and rewarding.

But the best part was being with friends. Sitting around the dorm lounge talking. Spending Thursday evening with Jenny and Tony. Having meals together with friends and combining the best of reminiscing with the best of our current lives. Hearing about parents, children, and grandparents. Comparing travel adventures, careers, and volunteer experiences. Laughing about how naive we were 44 years ago when we arrived--and 40 years ago when we left. Marveling at some of the opportunities we had as young graduates. Remembering campus antics and shaking our heads over creaky knees. Being grateful for those who have come through things like breast cancer or addiction, and mourning the relatively large number of deaths of classmates. Missing my favorite professor and dear friend, Gerry Reed, who died in 2007, but enjoying catching up with his wife, Mary Kay. Meeting Jill Beck, the current President of Lawrence (she says we can't call her the new president any more since she's been there 6 years and the average tenure for presidents is 4.5 years!). Dancing to Gloria, Brown Sugar, and Hey, You, Get off of my Cloud, outside by the Art Center, with the class of '69 vying with the class of '84 for space on the dance floor.

As always, the reunion reinforced for me the value of a liberal arts education, and the incredible quality of some of these small midwestern colleges. They may not be well known in the east, but they do provide excellent educations and wonderful friendships. Makes me glad Lydia is going to Macalester, another excellent small, midwestern liberal arts college (whose President came from Lawrence!)

Reflections on being back home

How does the time go so quickly? Here we are back home again in lovely Concord. But I miss my view of St. Sulpice and my morning croissant. I loved getting to know another Paris neighborhood and learning my way around the 6th arrondissement. Apartment living is definitely the way to go if you're staying in Paris more than a few days. We had a fabulous two-bedroom in the Marais last fall, on a busy pedestrian street that kept us always entertained as people walked back and forth all afternoon and evening and into the night (but it was pretty quiet in the early morning-definitely not an early rising crowd). Then this time a one-bedroom in the St. Germain area, just behind the beautiful St. Sulpice church. Better window views, but less interesting pedestrian traffic. Lots of great restaurants within a few blocks, as well as a market around the corner if we wanted to buy food. The option of eating at home when we wanted to was great, and the convenience of having room to spread out was also important. Our table switched back and forth from dining table to office several times a day. We also had the flexibility to have guests, which we enjoyed.

We also really loved the ability to walk to all sorts of places-restaurants, bakeries, museums, monuments, train stations, etc. Life without a car is really wonderful in a place like Paris, and being in the center you have the option of walking to so many places (and catching those great views along the way). And walking off the pain au chocolat you had for breakfast.

This trip seemed so easy and straightforward compared to others I have taken. We flew non-stop from Boston to Paris, something I have done only rarely in the past. And once in Paris, we went straight to the apartment and stayed there the whole time. No unpacking and repacking, no dragging bags all over the place. A settled lifestyle in a vibrant city. We did some day trips from Paris (Versailles, Chartres, and Giverny) but basically just lived in Paris the whole time and enjoyed every minute. Fortunately, we still have lots more work to do on paristravelplanner.com, so we'll just have to keep going back. And then we'll expand to francetravelplanner.com and go to other parts of the country. I feel lucky to have this opportunity. And I have lots more web pages to write based on this trip, so I'd better get to work!

Giverny

This is a little out of sequence, but yesterday I went to Giverny to see Monet's home and gardens. I should never believe weather.com, since I went yesterday instead of today based on their forecast and found that the sun never came out all day and it rained off and on (and today was lovely). In spite of that, I was able to enjoy his beautiful gardens and see the water lily ponds--having just been to the Orangerie last week, it was really great to see them. The gardens were amazing--at this time of year lots of poppies of all colors, plus lots of roses, some peonies, beds of geraniums, and a few remaining irises--plus various lovely things I can't identify or name. Quite beautiful and extensive. The water lily ponds are peaceful and there were quite a few lilies in bloom, in various colors. The house is interesting, and the gift shop is actually the former studio where he did the water lilies-very big a airy with couches where I sat to rest and wait out the rain. There is another small museum in Giverny that has changing exhibits, and it just happened to have one on Monet's gardens, so I got to see a lot more Monet. It was a fun day and a nice excursion--about 45 minutes by train from Paris, plus a short bus ride. Quite a few tourists, but I'm sure nothing like the summer. Now I just have to write up those Monet pages for the website...

Opéra en Plein Air

Tonight was our last night in Paris for this trip and it was wonderful. We went to hear a performance of Rigoletto, which was being done en plein air in front of the Palais de Luxembourg, the lovely palace in the Luxembourg Gardens that is the home of the French Senate. A beautiful setting and a fabulous performance--the singers were all magnificent and the sound quality was amazing. It was also a great scene, with risers and chairs set up in front of the palace. It was still light when the performance started (stays light until 10 PM this time of year) and gradually got dark. Lots of people, a huge undertaking. From here the company tours about 6 other sites in France, always performing in front of chateaux or other beautiful buildings. Very special and a nice ending to our time here. A little champagne and a simple supper at home before were also nice--finishing up our three kinds of cheese and bit of saucisson, with some bread from Eric Kayser, one of the big names in bread in Paris these days.

Earlier today we went to the Hotel de Ville and saw a fascinating exhibit on Gustave Eiffel and the building of the Eiffel Tower. It had some amazing photos. We followed that with lunch at one of our old favorites in the Marais, to finally get some onion soup. Afterwards I toured the Museum of Jewish Art and History and went back to the Orsay, which is always so great. I want to do some web pages on the various places to see Monet in Paris so needed to refresh my memory.

What I love about Paris

Views: Paris is beautiful. I don't know how any one city can have so many beautiful buildings. Everywhere you look there's something lovely to see. I love the panoramas of Paris--from the Eiffel Tower, Tour Montparnasse, Arc de Triomphe, etc., but I also love the unexpected panoramas that pop up everywhere. Walking down a street and all of a sudden there's Sacré Coeur in the distance, glowing in the sun. Visiting the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and glancing out a window to see the beautiful Opéra, or out another to see the Place de la Concorde. The wonderful view from the tiny bathroom window of our apartment--the back of St. Sulpice, and chimney pots on nearby buildings. And then I discovered that at night we could see the very top of the Eiffel tower, with its golden lights and ever moving beacon. And then last night I happened in just after 11:00 PM, when the white sparkling lights were on (they come on for about 5 minutes an hour after dark). What a treat. Best bathroom window I've ever had.

Food: I guess ca va sans dire, but it really has been great. Bread. Pastries. More cheeses than I could eat in a lifetime. Dry saucisson. Beautiful and delicious salads. Lamb chops that look like what lamb chops should look like. In general meat that is fresh and well prepared. And reminders that meat comes from animals--the most graphic being the chance to buy "avant de lapin," or the front half of a rabbit, in the market. Inexpensive wines that taste great. Couscous-it used to be common in Paris, but these days it's not as easy to find. But when you find it, yum. Markets with piles of fresh cherries, red and green lettuces artfully arranged, bright orange carrots, and huge artichokes. Big piles of frites à volonté-all you can eat (and then some). Crèpes served with cider in small bowls. More markets. Fresh stuff. More cheese. More bread.

Sense of history: Paris values and takes care of its monuments. There's always something with scaffolding on it, because it's being restored or repaired, but the result is amazing quality across the board. The Marais was scheduled for demolition about 30 years ago, but thanks to André Malraux and others it was preserved and restored and is now a vibrant and beautiful area. The Nazis were supposed to burn Paris but fortunately didn't. The French removed stain glass windows from Chartres during the war to protect them.

Greetings: I love walking into the boulangerie in the morning to buy bread or croissants and being greeted with, "Bonjour Madame." And then being thanked, "Merci Madame, bonne journée Madame." It's so pleasant and civilized. Or when I tossed a few coins into a street musician's case and said, "Merci, Monsieur," and he replied, "C'est moi qui vous remercie Madame." That's always been one of my favorite French expressions. Oh and it's also great just to hear and see French all the time.

Street cleaners: Paris has an amazing infrastructure of street cleaners, people who empty the replace the poubelle bags, and others dedicated to keeping the city clean and fresh looking. They hose down the public squares and wash the streets. People with small brooms sweep away the water.

Walking: Paris is a wonderful walking city. In part it's because of all the views, in part it's because there are always cafés, restaurants, shops, etc. to look at. I have to head over to the Seine at least every couple days because I love walking along there, seeing the boats and the people, checking to make sure Notre Dame is still there, remembering previous walks, etc. I walk more here than anyplace else and I love it.

Public transportation: When I don't want to walk, I can use the wonderful Paris métro or the RER, or the city buses, which I've finally begun to figure out. We took trains to Versailles and Giverny, and they were great-comfortable, quiet, fast, pleasant. We've learned to take the RER from Charles DeGaulle Airport, for a cheap and easy transit to the city. If we can avoid the huge Châtelet station we're even happier.

Once again I've gone on too long, though there's still lots more I love about Paris. I think I'll be building this list for years to come. I'll stop for now. A bientôt!

Paris in June

Well hi everyone. I've decided it's finally time to start a blog.

Tom and I are winding up two weeks in Paris, working on our paristravelplanner.com web site. We've had a fabulous time and have made progress on the site. I thought I'd share some of our experiences with those who might be interested.

We arrived in Paris early on Sunday morning, May 31. Paris is not an early morning city, and as we walked through the Jardin de Luxembourg, dragging our wheely bags behind us, the only other people we saw were a few joggers. We settled into the Café de la Mairie, just across from St. Sulpice church, for a café crème and a croissant. The apartment we're renting is just behind St. Sulpice, and we have wonderful views of the back of the church from our windows. (When I learn how to post photos on a blog I'll add some!) The apartment has a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bath. It's quite nicely furnished, though we can't quite figure out the eight-foot tall fabric hanging that features a life-sized embroidered figure of Chairman Mao! After waking up to that the first morning we opted to cover Mao's face.

We actually went to church at St. Sulpice that first morning, mostly to hear the wonderful organ recital after the service. We didn't realize that Pentecost Sunday is a big thing in France, and the service went on much longer than normal! C'est la vie. We had a lovely lunch of great salads at a nearby restaurant, sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful, warm, sunny day.

Monday was a holiday, again because of Pentecost, and we didn't have any plans. My day started with a surprise--I woke up and looked at my clock and was annoyed to see that the battery must have died because it said 12:00, and obviously it wasn't 12:00. Well, actually it was--I had slept until just past noon! With the late start to the day, we mostly just walked around and got to know our neighborhood. Lots of restaurants, a market, and at least two boulangeries/ patisseries within a block of our apartment (très important!).

I decided to focus on museums during this trip, so we could build up that section of the web site. So Tuesday I hopped on a bus and headed off to the Marmottan Monet, which has the largest collection of Monet paintings in the world. It was wonderful--beautiful works of art in a lovely setting. After the visit I decided to wander over to the nearby Bois de Boulogne. I arrived at the edge of the Lac Inferieur and on a whim took the small launch over to the Chalet des Iles, a lovely restaurant on the island in the middle of the lake. Since we were still blessed with gorgeous weather, I sat on the terrace and had a lovely lunch.

Going from the sublime to the ridiculous, I next went to visit the catacombes (a sort of museum, I guess), home of thousands of bones and skulls from various cemeteries. It was actually a very interesting visit, and being the end of the day, about half way through those of us who moved slowly found we were followed by three guards, one of whom kept reminding us that "It is closed." Didn't want to get locked in there!

The next day I bought a two-day museum pass and set out to get my money's worth. That day I visited the Delacroix Museum, the Guimet (amazing Asian art), the Egouts (sewers--yes it's a museum!), the Rodin, and after dinner, the Louvre, which stays open late on Wednesday and Friday. Pretty overwhelming but fun, but boy was I ready for bed that night!

Day two Tom and I went to the Orangerie, with its fabulous water lillies, and also a wonderful impressionist and post-impressionist collection on the lower level-a real bonus. The water lillies are so wonderful-peaceful, gorgeous, inspiring. We had lunch in the Tuileries (not one of the highlights of our Paris dining, but fun to sit outside there) and then I went back to the Louvre to figure out how to write it up for the web site--take a look at the pages and tell me if they're helpful. From there I went to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which was really fun. I'm not really into design and furniture and all, but the displays were great. And I discovered that I was actually in one of the towers of the Louvre, on the Rue de Rivoli side. I always wondered why you never got to those towers when visiting the Louvre, and now I know why. Great views from the windows too.

I was ready to head home after that, but when I discovered the Pompidou Center was open until 9, I figured I'd go there first. Always interesting, though not my favorite. It was fun to go back to the Marais, where we lived when we were here last fall.

Friday we spent the entire day in Chartres, which was fabulous. Our spate of amazing weather continued--sunny, 70s, bright blue sky. It made for perfect conditions for seeing the incredible stained glass of the cathedral. We stayed inside for a long time--the longer you stay, the more you see. On Fridays they move the chairs so that the Chartres labyrinth is accessible, so I got to walk it. Quite wonderful. The Chartres labyrinth is one of the basic designs used in labyrinths around the world. We also went to a lecture by Malcolm Miller, a Brit who has been studying and touring Chartres for 50 years. He was amazingly knowledgeable and funny--a great addition to the visit. But mostly it was just staring at the stained glass.

Saturday our spell of good weather started to change, so we spent much of the day inside, writing. That evening we had crèpes at a little restaurant on a one-block street that had at least a dozen creperies! We then went to the Gare Montparnasse to meet our friend Stephanie, from Bordeaux, who came for a visit. Wonderful to see her!

Sunday after our usual breakfast (croissants and/or pain au chocolat, and baguette, plus café au lait) Stephanie and I set out for the Sunday marché biologique--organic market--near here. Lots of great food of all types, so we brought home lunch. After some afternoon walks we had a great couscous/tajine dinner at a very popular restaurant near Gare Montparnasse--Chez Bebert.

Monday was rain day, writing day. Got lots of museum pages up on line, and Tom did a lot on Chartres, Tour Montparnasse, etc. Writing web pages is a lot of work but fun at the same time. By the time dinner time rolled around we were exhausted and it was raining, so we were happy to walk about a half a block to a great little restaurant and have a delicious dinner. We have definitely been eating well on this trip! The area around St. Sulpice (on the left bank, not far from Boulevard St. Germain and the Odéon, about 10-15 minute walk from St. Michel) seems to have a lot of great little restaurants, and we've been taking advantage of that.

Today (Tuesday) we went to Versailles, but unlike everyone else on the train, we didn't go to the Chateau. We've visited it before, and wanted to see the town. Versailles has an amazing market--more cheeses than it would be possible to eat in a lifetime, all sorts of meat, fish, and produce. Very colorful and tempting. We had lunch with our friend Samantha from Concord, who has spent this year as an au pair in Versailles--great to catch up with her and learn about her experiences.

Et voila! A brief overview of our time so far. I know I've left out lots but wanted to at least get some information up. A bientot! Check out www.paristravelplanner.com!