Time flies in Paris and then you're home again wondering what happened.
To continue...we enjoyed our anniversary champagne and then walked to a restaurant that had been recommended by the woman from whom we were renting the apartment. It was on a small street in the 9th, in a neighborhood with nothing else around (OK, there was a laundromat across the street). If you didn't know the address you'd walk right by--no sign. But inside was a cute French neighborhood bistro, and we were soon studying the interesting menu. The food was fabulous! Not just good French cooking, but creative and interesting dishes that were both delicious and beautiful. For an appetizer Tom and I each had the "Verrine de queues d'écrivisses, émulsion de pamplemousse, guacamole, et mozarella." It was beautiful--a glass filled with green guacamole, then a layer of white mozzarella, topped with crayfish and grapefruit emulsion--and very tasty.
For the main course Tom indulged his love of duck (this version served with shrimp), while I opted for "Rable de lapin farci aux saveurs du Périgord," or rabbit stuffed in the style/flavor of the Perigord region of France. Yum. Ann and Stephanie joined us for the celebration, and we were all glad for the walk home after a great meal.
Tuesday morning we ladies decided to meet our neighbors in the Montmartre Cemetery. It was a beautiful day, and we had a lovely stroll and saw the tombs of Francois Truffaut, Hector Berlioz, Adolphe Sax (inventor of the saxophone), Edgar Degas (the tomb says "Famille de Gas"), Louise Weber (the creator of the Cancan, AKA La Goulue, meaning the glutton, because she always finished the clients' champagne), and Najinksy, complete with cowboy boots.
After lunch we continued on our theme of dead people and went to the Basilica of Saint-Denis, in the town of the same name, just north of Paris (and easily reachable by metro). This is the burial place of most of the kings and queens of France and is quite amazing. We saw the very ornate tombs of Francois I and Claude de France, Henry II and Catherine de Medici, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and a number of other Louis, Charles, etc. The tomb of Clovis I, who was king of France from 481 to 511, was also there. Fascinating to see all this history in one place. The basilica itself was large and beautiful, with many fascinating gargoyles, and the nearby town square a delightful mix of ethnic groups and people.
That evening we went North African and had various kinds of couscous at Chez Bébert. There are three restaurants of the same name and ownership in Paris. Last time we enjoyed the one near Gare Montparnasse; this time we tried the one near Place de Clichy.
We've really been enjoying getting to know these new neighborhoods of Paris. In general they are much less touristy than other places we have stayed. The restaurants are in general quieter, and seem to attract a neighborhood crowd. Although we don't have the great variety and choice we had around St. Sulpice, there is an easiness about the life here, a slower pace perhaps (except for rush hour on the metro...). Although we're not far from Montmartre and Pigalle, we aren't really aware of them as we go about our days.
Wednesday...we become more aware of the short time we have left in Paris. In the morning I accompanied Stephanie and Sarah to the Marché St. Pierre, a huge fabric market at the foot of Montmartre. Floors and floors of fabrics of all types, and lots of sales people with their measuring tapes ready to cut your selection. For Stephanie it's as good as a museum; but not being in a mood for sewing myself, I soon took the funicular up Montmartre (my knees LOVE the funicular. For the price of a metro ticket--or in our case with a weekly Navigo pass it's "free" you can save yourself a whole lot of stairs!)
I went to the Montmartre Museum, which is in the oldest house in Montmartre. The house was once home to various artists, including Renoir and Utrillo. It's a small museum that gives a real appreciation of the history of Montmartre and the beginnings of its nightlife--the Moulin Rouge and the many other clubs and cabarets that flourished there. The original painting of the Lapin Agile (which is a painting of a rabbit jumping from a frying pan, by the artist André Gill. The "lapin à Gill" soon became the Lapin Agile) is there, as are several Toulouse-Lautrec paintings of the Moulin Rouge, Aristide Bruant, etc. Really fun to get a sense of the history. Did you know that Montmartre used to be a big gypsum quarry? The plaster was used in buildings and also in medicine--thus the term "plaster of Paris."
After that I met Ann for a guided tour of the Opéra Garnier, another of my favorite buildings. Last fall we were lucky enough to see the ballet Les Enfants de Paradis in this beautiful setting, and I wanted to know more about the building. The tour was great, with lots of interesting information about the history and the social scene--it was much more important to be seen at the opera than to actually see what was being performed, thus the high status boxes with lousy views of the stage, but great opportunities for everyone to see you! Charles Garnier, the architect, was chosen in an anonymous competition, and he had never built anything before! Apparently the judges thought from the style that they were voting for Violet le Duc, but were surprised to discover it was a 35 year old unknown. Lots of marble, gold, chandeliers, and detail throughout, and a magnificent central staircase (which is sometimes used as part of the production--there were jugglers and clowns and ladies there last fall when we came for Enfants). Another beautiful Paris building. I'm getting spoiled!
Dinner was at Aubergine, a lovely restaurant that had no aubergine (eggplant) on the menu, but lots of other very good food. We all had delicious dinners, but Stephanie wanted some frites (French fries), so she asked the waiter. His response, "C'est possible" gave us all a great laugh and has become an new to our vocabularies.
Still with me? Sorry this is so long, but I couldn't get around to writing in those last few busy days.
Thursday Stephanie and Sarah headed back to Bordeaux. Tom and I spent a quiet morning home writing and then walked to an outdoor cafe for lunch. I then decided to check out some of the covered passageways of Paris--shopping arcades built in the 1800s, narrow passages with glass roofs and an assortment of restaurants, shops, and galleries along the way. I only visited 3 but later learned from a book that Ann gave me that there are 17 still in existence in Paris, and another 20 or so that have been demolished. So I now have an agenda for our next visit, to check out the other 14!
For our final evening we decided to take in some Paris views. Tom, Ann, and I went to the Tour Montparnasse--the big ugly building that everyone hates, but which provides fabulous views and is much easier to access than the Eiffel Tower (we didn't wait at all). We got to the observation deck about 7 PM, when it was still light. It was somewhat cloudy and hazy, but still fabulous to see all of Paris laid out before us. Just before 8:00 the lights started coming on the Eiffel Tower, and we were treated to a beautiful sunset behind the Tower, that got more red and dramatic as it got darker. The lights gradually came on the other monuments--Arc de Triomphe, Invalides, Notre Dame, Louvre, Sacré Coeur--and then at 8:00 the sparkling lights started on the Eiffel Tower (they come on for about 5 minutes every hour). Magical! I love panoramic views of Paris, and this was spectacular. A great last evening.
But the evening wasn't over yet, as we headed over to our old neighborhood near St. Sulpice to find dinner. We were reminded what a lively restaurant scene this area is--the streets were packed, and there were so many restaurants to choose from. We decided on a small bistro called "Comme a Savonnieres." Savonnieres, I have just learned, is a town in the Loire Valley. These folks are obviously very attached to it, since they also have a road sign out front that indicates it's 258 kilometers to Savonnieres. Another great dinner--duck, veal, and game hen--topped off with profiteroles, those delicious little cream puffs filled with ice cream and covered with chocolate sauce. After all, it was our last night in Paris!
We needed a walk after that, so we strolled back toward the Seine, and then across to the Louvre. As we stood on the road that cuts through the Louvre waiting for the bus to take us home, we all had the same thought--this was a pretty amazing place to be waiting for a bus!
So home we went, to face the next day of packing up and leaving. The morning we left was absolutely gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky. There's never a good time to leave Paris, but it's particularly hard on a glorious day. So we will hope to find such a day when we return!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Our anniversary in Paris!
Today is Tom's and my 24th wedding anniversary, and we're happy to be celebrating it in Paris. And we're also lucky because we get to celebrate with my college friend Ann Branston, and our friend Stephanie from Bordeaux, and her daughter Sarah.
We've continued to enjoy good weather and good times in Paris. This weekend was "Heritage Days," or Journées du Patrimoine, when government buildings and monuments all over France are open to the public, free, all day long. In some cases, such as the Elysée Palace, home of the President, you might wait in line for 3 hours or so to get in. We chose to visit the Hotel de Ville, or city hall, which is one of my favorite buildings. I had been to a couple of exhibits there, but nothing prepared me for the glory of the formal salons, with their chandeliers, painted ceilings, lots of gold, and other decorations. I was thrilled to be there and spent well over an hour visiting the many rooms that were open. In the various large reception rooms they also had exhibits on things like how the inlaid floors are made, the electricity and heating systems, and even the cleaning and maintenance processes! It was fascinating on many levels, and you really got the sense that it was the city hall of the people of Paris.
Toward the end of the visit you actually visited the chamber where the city council meets, various conference rooms, and the Mayor's office (with a very nice view of Notre Dame). You really got the sense of the Hotel de Ville as both a ceremonial center and a working center. The exit was through the garden, where you could also visit the Hotel de Ville nursery school! A thoroughly enjoyable time.
We decided to try the Elysée Palace after that, but as I walked along the very long line and started getting discouraged, I asked a policeman how long the wait was from that point. "Une petite heure, Madame," he politely responded. I wasn't sure how long a "little hour" was, but since the line went on and on after that, we decided to pass. Instead we went to the Left Bank and visited a small office of some minor part of the bureaucracy. It was again interesting to see the mix of old and new--glass conference tables and multiple phones on a desk underneath a large portrait of some old dignitary. Just today I read in the paper that more than 12 million people visited 15,772 monuments across France over the weekend. The Elysée Palace had 18,725 visitors, but that was nothing compared with the French Senate (in the Luxembourg Palace--in front of which we saw Rigoletto last June), which had 27,500 visitors!
We walked along the Seine--living in the 9th arrondissement we hadn't gotten there much--and then headed back to our quiet apartment. Ann arrived that evening and we had a nice dinner in Montmartre.
Sunday morning we packed our bags and moved to our second apartment, in the 18th just across from the Montmartre Cemetery. In fact, we have fabulous views of the cemetery from the big French windows in our bedroom and living room. It's wonderful to be in the city and yet look out on large chestnut trees and open vistas. And quiet neighbors! I want to go find the tombs of people like Francois Truffaut, Dégas, and others who are buried there.
Inspired by my visit to the Hotel de Ville, Sunday found me at the Palais Royale. This was originally built by Cardinal de Richlieu in the 1600s, when he wanted to be near the Louvre and Louis XIII. It's been rebuilt and refurbished over the years and today houses the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Council of State, and the Constitutional Council. More gorgeous rooms that are today working offices of various elements of the French government. Wonderful to see the old and new--hard to imagine having some of those spaces as your office!
Stephanie and Sarah arrived in the late afternoon, and we had a jolly meal of great organic produce from Stephanie's garden and her wonderful chocolate cake. She is an expert at traveling food, and she carried an 11.8 kilo cooler bag on the train from Bordeaux to bring us dinner! The only problem with having moved to a different apartment was that we had to learn a whole new set of appliances. The oven, with its six inscrutably labeled buttons, was the challenge this time, but after lots of attempts and much laughter I managed to get it to work.
Today's lesson was in French banking. Sarah, who is a lawyer working for a bank, kindly offered to help us set up a French bank account. She arrived with a fat envelope of papers for us to sign, as well as the all important credit cards with a "puce," (French word for flea, but in this case meaning computer chip so we can use it in France). We went through a comedy of errors trying to deposit cash into our account. The first bank didn't handle cash(!), so they told us where we could find one that did. We all walked down there and had to learn to get through the triple set of air-locked doors, only to discover that the "caisse" or tellers, were closed for lunch from 12 until 2! So after a nice lunch with Ann at a little outdoor cafe near a lovely park on Rue des Batignolles, we went back and were successful.
So now we've bought a bottle of champagne and are home overlooking the cemetery, working for a while until it's time to celebrate our anniversary. I just feel so lucky to be here!
We've continued to enjoy good weather and good times in Paris. This weekend was "Heritage Days," or Journées du Patrimoine, when government buildings and monuments all over France are open to the public, free, all day long. In some cases, such as the Elysée Palace, home of the President, you might wait in line for 3 hours or so to get in. We chose to visit the Hotel de Ville, or city hall, which is one of my favorite buildings. I had been to a couple of exhibits there, but nothing prepared me for the glory of the formal salons, with their chandeliers, painted ceilings, lots of gold, and other decorations. I was thrilled to be there and spent well over an hour visiting the many rooms that were open. In the various large reception rooms they also had exhibits on things like how the inlaid floors are made, the electricity and heating systems, and even the cleaning and maintenance processes! It was fascinating on many levels, and you really got the sense that it was the city hall of the people of Paris.
Toward the end of the visit you actually visited the chamber where the city council meets, various conference rooms, and the Mayor's office (with a very nice view of Notre Dame). You really got the sense of the Hotel de Ville as both a ceremonial center and a working center. The exit was through the garden, where you could also visit the Hotel de Ville nursery school! A thoroughly enjoyable time.
We decided to try the Elysée Palace after that, but as I walked along the very long line and started getting discouraged, I asked a policeman how long the wait was from that point. "Une petite heure, Madame," he politely responded. I wasn't sure how long a "little hour" was, but since the line went on and on after that, we decided to pass. Instead we went to the Left Bank and visited a small office of some minor part of the bureaucracy. It was again interesting to see the mix of old and new--glass conference tables and multiple phones on a desk underneath a large portrait of some old dignitary. Just today I read in the paper that more than 12 million people visited 15,772 monuments across France over the weekend. The Elysée Palace had 18,725 visitors, but that was nothing compared with the French Senate (in the Luxembourg Palace--in front of which we saw Rigoletto last June), which had 27,500 visitors!
We walked along the Seine--living in the 9th arrondissement we hadn't gotten there much--and then headed back to our quiet apartment. Ann arrived that evening and we had a nice dinner in Montmartre.
Sunday morning we packed our bags and moved to our second apartment, in the 18th just across from the Montmartre Cemetery. In fact, we have fabulous views of the cemetery from the big French windows in our bedroom and living room. It's wonderful to be in the city and yet look out on large chestnut trees and open vistas. And quiet neighbors! I want to go find the tombs of people like Francois Truffaut, Dégas, and others who are buried there.
Inspired by my visit to the Hotel de Ville, Sunday found me at the Palais Royale. This was originally built by Cardinal de Richlieu in the 1600s, when he wanted to be near the Louvre and Louis XIII. It's been rebuilt and refurbished over the years and today houses the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Council of State, and the Constitutional Council. More gorgeous rooms that are today working offices of various elements of the French government. Wonderful to see the old and new--hard to imagine having some of those spaces as your office!
Stephanie and Sarah arrived in the late afternoon, and we had a jolly meal of great organic produce from Stephanie's garden and her wonderful chocolate cake. She is an expert at traveling food, and she carried an 11.8 kilo cooler bag on the train from Bordeaux to bring us dinner! The only problem with having moved to a different apartment was that we had to learn a whole new set of appliances. The oven, with its six inscrutably labeled buttons, was the challenge this time, but after lots of attempts and much laughter I managed to get it to work.
Today's lesson was in French banking. Sarah, who is a lawyer working for a bank, kindly offered to help us set up a French bank account. She arrived with a fat envelope of papers for us to sign, as well as the all important credit cards with a "puce," (French word for flea, but in this case meaning computer chip so we can use it in France). We went through a comedy of errors trying to deposit cash into our account. The first bank didn't handle cash(!), so they told us where we could find one that did. We all walked down there and had to learn to get through the triple set of air-locked doors, only to discover that the "caisse" or tellers, were closed for lunch from 12 until 2! So after a nice lunch with Ann at a little outdoor cafe near a lovely park on Rue des Batignolles, we went back and were successful.
So now we've bought a bottle of champagne and are home overlooking the cemetery, working for a while until it's time to celebrate our anniversary. I just feel so lucky to be here!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Back in Paris!
So here we are back in Paris, loving it as much as ever. We arrived on Tuesday, and somehow it's already Friday--how did that happen?
We're getting spoiled with non-stop flights from Logan to CDG. It's great to get on the plane and get off again after only about 6 and a half hours. We weren't rested when we landed, and of course the plane was full, and the baby two rows in front of us cried for the entire flight, but at least when we landed we were in Paris. Have you ever had your luggage be the last thing to come off a 747? It can take a while. Nevertheless, we were soon on the RER and then the Métro, with our Navigo passes set for a week of transportation in Paris.
We had decided to get to know a new area of Paris this trip, and for reasons that I will spare you, we've ended up renting two apartments, five days each. Our first apartment is on Rue Fontaine, in the 9th arrondissement. When we got off the Métro the first thing we saw was the Moulin Rouge, the famous nightclub. It's about 3 blocks from our apartment, and Pigalle is also nearby. But the neighborhood in general is a typical Paris working class area, with the occasional sex shop thrown in. And lots of groceries, bakeries, and traiteurs--prepared food places. This morning I walked down to a bakery on rue de Douai, and discovered there are five model railroad shops in about a half a block area. Who knew?
The croissants were buttery, the baguette was aux pavots--poppy seeda--and delicious. That and a cup of café au lait and I was ready to go.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Our first day here, Tuesday, we went down the street to a café for breakfast, then unpacked and had jet-lag naps. That afternoon we wandered around Montmartre, our neighbor just to the north. We fully appreciate the Funiculaire, which saves my knees the climb up to Sacré-Coeur. The day was hazy so views weren't great, but still fabulous to see. We wandered around until we found the famous Montmartre Vineyard, the only vineyard in Paris. The vendanges--grape harvest--were last week, earlier than normal (global warming?) so we didn't see any grapes. But we enjoyed seeing the "back side" of Montmartre.
That night we went to Le Gourmet, a restaurant recommended by the woman from whom we are renting the apartment. Just the kind of place we like--good food, friendly proprietor, good prices, and a nice walk. A nice start to our visit.
Wednesday dawned grey again, but no rain. We slept in, part from jet lag and part because we can't figure out who lives upstairs from us, but they appear not to sleep at night and either to hold bowling parties or move their wheeley bags around a lot in the middle of the night...The usual trip to the bakery for breakfast. Then my plan was to tour the Opéra Garnier, but found the main hall was closed so put that off. Instead I opted to do some research on shopping--Galléries Lafayette and Printemps, two huge Paris department stores that both have great restaurants and wonderful open terraces where you can get panoramic vistas--for free. I had lunch at the cafeteria at Galléries Lafayette and was introduced to a wonderful concept. A "boissons" (drinks) station in the middle of the cafeteria, where you could fill your glass from spigots offering soft drinks, beer, and about 4 kinds of wine! I then sat and enjoyed my salad and red wine at a table with a view of the Eiffel Tower. This is OK, I thought.
For dinner we walked a few hundred feet down the street and went to a Turkish restaurant, where Tom was delighted to speak Turkish (much easier than French, he says.) We had great dinners of kebabs, rice, salad, and delicious French fries, plus Turkish wine, for 23 euros.
Thursday another late morning, and then I headed off to the Jacquemart-André Museum, on Blvd Haussman, in the 8th arrondissement. It's housed in a beautiful hotel particulier and was the private collection of Eduard André and his wife Nelie Jacquemart. Lovely spot, normally very calme, but I happened to go just after a special exhibition of Bruegel, Memling, and Van Eyck had opened. So I spent 40 minutes in line but enjoyed it.
After that I walked down to the church of St. Augustin. I had been curious about this, because whenever you look at a panorama of Paris, from the Tour Eiffel or the Tour Montparnasse, or anyplace, you see this large church with a black dome. I never knew what it was or where it was, and now I do! Great to see it. Nice statue of Joan of Arc in front.
Last night we did something very unusual for us--had nightlife! We went up to Montmartre, had dinner at a very nice old fashioned restaurant with simple, good food at reasonable prices, served by an elderly gentleman who said, "Je vous en prie" a lot and did everything "comme il faut." We did not expect this on Montmartre and were pleasantly surprised. Afterwards we walked down to the Lapin Agile, a famous old cabaret where the likes of Picasso and Apollinaire (my favorite French poet) used to go, and had a wonderful evening of music. You go into a small, dimly lit room, with a piano player and some small tables. One table is inhabited by about seven musicians. Spectators sit around other tables, drinking the house special, a sort of cherry brandy with real cherries (with pits) in it. It starts as a sing along, but over the course of the evening each musician performs individually--singing, playing guitar or accordion, etc. They were all very talented and it was great fun. The music was a combination of French drinking songs, and "chansons de la rue," sort of old folk tunes. We wished we had known more of them so we could sing along more. For over a century the Lapin Agile has been a place for acoustic music, and some musicians have gotten their start there. It's a great tradition and we enjoyed it. We left about midnight, but the show went on until 2:00.
Today, Friday, rain was predicted, so I set out with my umbrella and sweater...and later wished I had left them at home and taken sunscreen! A beautiful day. I had planned to visit a couple markets, neither of which was open, so I spent my time exploring the Rue Mouffetard area, which is great. Rue Mouffetard is a wonderful market street, with fabulous cheeses, meats, fish, and produce. My big decision was where to have lunch, and I finally chose a restaurant (one of several) where I could get a 3-course lunch for 11 euros! And people think Paris is expensive! Of course it can be, but there are bargains if you look.
Afterwards I wanded through the Jardin des Plantes, and then went to Ile St. Louis and Ile de la Cité. It was amazing to me that I had been in Paris for 3 days and this was the first time I saw the Seine or what I consider the heart of Paris! There is so much to see and do here, and I feel incredibly lucky to be spending time here again.
Tonight was a quiet dinner at home, accompanied by a bottle of our favorite cheap sparkling wine, with the wonderful name of Café de Paris. Tomorrow more adventures!
Instead of writing this blog, I should be updating our website, www.paristravelplanner.com. I will, I promise!
We're getting spoiled with non-stop flights from Logan to CDG. It's great to get on the plane and get off again after only about 6 and a half hours. We weren't rested when we landed, and of course the plane was full, and the baby two rows in front of us cried for the entire flight, but at least when we landed we were in Paris. Have you ever had your luggage be the last thing to come off a 747? It can take a while. Nevertheless, we were soon on the RER and then the Métro, with our Navigo passes set for a week of transportation in Paris.
We had decided to get to know a new area of Paris this trip, and for reasons that I will spare you, we've ended up renting two apartments, five days each. Our first apartment is on Rue Fontaine, in the 9th arrondissement. When we got off the Métro the first thing we saw was the Moulin Rouge, the famous nightclub. It's about 3 blocks from our apartment, and Pigalle is also nearby. But the neighborhood in general is a typical Paris working class area, with the occasional sex shop thrown in. And lots of groceries, bakeries, and traiteurs--prepared food places. This morning I walked down to a bakery on rue de Douai, and discovered there are five model railroad shops in about a half a block area. Who knew?
The croissants were buttery, the baguette was aux pavots--poppy seeda--and delicious. That and a cup of café au lait and I was ready to go.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Our first day here, Tuesday, we went down the street to a café for breakfast, then unpacked and had jet-lag naps. That afternoon we wandered around Montmartre, our neighbor just to the north. We fully appreciate the Funiculaire, which saves my knees the climb up to Sacré-Coeur. The day was hazy so views weren't great, but still fabulous to see. We wandered around until we found the famous Montmartre Vineyard, the only vineyard in Paris. The vendanges--grape harvest--were last week, earlier than normal (global warming?) so we didn't see any grapes. But we enjoyed seeing the "back side" of Montmartre.
That night we went to Le Gourmet, a restaurant recommended by the woman from whom we are renting the apartment. Just the kind of place we like--good food, friendly proprietor, good prices, and a nice walk. A nice start to our visit.
Wednesday dawned grey again, but no rain. We slept in, part from jet lag and part because we can't figure out who lives upstairs from us, but they appear not to sleep at night and either to hold bowling parties or move their wheeley bags around a lot in the middle of the night...The usual trip to the bakery for breakfast. Then my plan was to tour the Opéra Garnier, but found the main hall was closed so put that off. Instead I opted to do some research on shopping--Galléries Lafayette and Printemps, two huge Paris department stores that both have great restaurants and wonderful open terraces where you can get panoramic vistas--for free. I had lunch at the cafeteria at Galléries Lafayette and was introduced to a wonderful concept. A "boissons" (drinks) station in the middle of the cafeteria, where you could fill your glass from spigots offering soft drinks, beer, and about 4 kinds of wine! I then sat and enjoyed my salad and red wine at a table with a view of the Eiffel Tower. This is OK, I thought.
For dinner we walked a few hundred feet down the street and went to a Turkish restaurant, where Tom was delighted to speak Turkish (much easier than French, he says.) We had great dinners of kebabs, rice, salad, and delicious French fries, plus Turkish wine, for 23 euros.
Thursday another late morning, and then I headed off to the Jacquemart-André Museum, on Blvd Haussman, in the 8th arrondissement. It's housed in a beautiful hotel particulier and was the private collection of Eduard André and his wife Nelie Jacquemart. Lovely spot, normally very calme, but I happened to go just after a special exhibition of Bruegel, Memling, and Van Eyck had opened. So I spent 40 minutes in line but enjoyed it.
After that I walked down to the church of St. Augustin. I had been curious about this, because whenever you look at a panorama of Paris, from the Tour Eiffel or the Tour Montparnasse, or anyplace, you see this large church with a black dome. I never knew what it was or where it was, and now I do! Great to see it. Nice statue of Joan of Arc in front.
Last night we did something very unusual for us--had nightlife! We went up to Montmartre, had dinner at a very nice old fashioned restaurant with simple, good food at reasonable prices, served by an elderly gentleman who said, "Je vous en prie" a lot and did everything "comme il faut." We did not expect this on Montmartre and were pleasantly surprised. Afterwards we walked down to the Lapin Agile, a famous old cabaret where the likes of Picasso and Apollinaire (my favorite French poet) used to go, and had a wonderful evening of music. You go into a small, dimly lit room, with a piano player and some small tables. One table is inhabited by about seven musicians. Spectators sit around other tables, drinking the house special, a sort of cherry brandy with real cherries (with pits) in it. It starts as a sing along, but over the course of the evening each musician performs individually--singing, playing guitar or accordion, etc. They were all very talented and it was great fun. The music was a combination of French drinking songs, and "chansons de la rue," sort of old folk tunes. We wished we had known more of them so we could sing along more. For over a century the Lapin Agile has been a place for acoustic music, and some musicians have gotten their start there. It's a great tradition and we enjoyed it. We left about midnight, but the show went on until 2:00.
Today, Friday, rain was predicted, so I set out with my umbrella and sweater...and later wished I had left them at home and taken sunscreen! A beautiful day. I had planned to visit a couple markets, neither of which was open, so I spent my time exploring the Rue Mouffetard area, which is great. Rue Mouffetard is a wonderful market street, with fabulous cheeses, meats, fish, and produce. My big decision was where to have lunch, and I finally chose a restaurant (one of several) where I could get a 3-course lunch for 11 euros! And people think Paris is expensive! Of course it can be, but there are bargains if you look.
Afterwards I wanded through the Jardin des Plantes, and then went to Ile St. Louis and Ile de la Cité. It was amazing to me that I had been in Paris for 3 days and this was the first time I saw the Seine or what I consider the heart of Paris! There is so much to see and do here, and I feel incredibly lucky to be spending time here again.
Tonight was a quiet dinner at home, accompanied by a bottle of our favorite cheap sparkling wine, with the wonderful name of Café de Paris. Tomorrow more adventures!
Instead of writing this blog, I should be updating our website, www.paristravelplanner.com. I will, I promise!
Return to the Midwest, part 2
In early September Tom and I flew out to St. Paul to help Lydia get settled at Macalester. Lydia had gone out a week ahead of us to participate in "Macward Bound," a pre-orientation hiking program. Small groups of kids spent 5 days back packing, hiking, and camping along the Superior Hiking Trail, in northeastern Minnesota near Lake Superior.
As a result of doing this, by the time we arrived with the other half of her stuff, she was already living in her dorm room. Her roommate, Jia, had arrived from China while Lydia was off hiking, and they had fun rearranging furniture and fixing up their room.
Orientation was great, again reinforcing the value of high quality small liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. And it turns out both the President and the Provost came from Lawrence! The convocation was impressive, as students marched in carrying flags of some of the 67 countries represented in Mac's student body. The first years followed in their orientation groups, which given Mac's Scottish heritage are called Clans.
They kept us all busy on Friday and Saturday. By the time parents were invited to leave on Sunday morning, Lydia's room was all set up, she had her books (when we bought them and the woman rang up the sale, she said "Oh my!." Turns out we were her biggest sale so far that day at $520, and that was buying virtually all used books. As she said, although some book prices have come down, math, science and language tend to be high. Lydia's taking calculus, geology, German, and history (which required 8 books) so it added up. But we were glad that she was set up.
Tom and I then took the bus to the Minnesota State Fair, the largest state fair in the US, known for serving "everything on a stick." There's corn on a stick, hot dogs on a stick, and even hot dish on a stick, alligator on a stick, and deep fried candy bars on a stick. We kept our eating to a minimum. The main reason we went was to see our friend Sean Emery, father of one of Lydia's Smirkus friends, perform. We met up with my Lawrence friend Kathy Teegarden, who lives in Minneapolis, and had fun until the crowds got too big and we headed out. I think all college orientations should end with the sad parents being sent off to see a clown!
As a result of doing this, by the time we arrived with the other half of her stuff, she was already living in her dorm room. Her roommate, Jia, had arrived from China while Lydia was off hiking, and they had fun rearranging furniture and fixing up their room.
Orientation was great, again reinforcing the value of high quality small liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. And it turns out both the President and the Provost came from Lawrence! The convocation was impressive, as students marched in carrying flags of some of the 67 countries represented in Mac's student body. The first years followed in their orientation groups, which given Mac's Scottish heritage are called Clans.
They kept us all busy on Friday and Saturday. By the time parents were invited to leave on Sunday morning, Lydia's room was all set up, she had her books (when we bought them and the woman rang up the sale, she said "Oh my!." Turns out we were her biggest sale so far that day at $520, and that was buying virtually all used books. As she said, although some book prices have come down, math, science and language tend to be high. Lydia's taking calculus, geology, German, and history (which required 8 books) so it added up. But we were glad that she was set up.
Tom and I then took the bus to the Minnesota State Fair, the largest state fair in the US, known for serving "everything on a stick." There's corn on a stick, hot dogs on a stick, and even hot dish on a stick, alligator on a stick, and deep fried candy bars on a stick. We kept our eating to a minimum. The main reason we went was to see our friend Sean Emery, father of one of Lydia's Smirkus friends, perform. We met up with my Lawrence friend Kathy Teegarden, who lives in Minneapolis, and had fun until the crowds got too big and we headed out. I think all college orientations should end with the sad parents being sent off to see a clown!
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