August 2, 2008 Part VIII

All things end, good or otherwise, and we wrap up our last day shopping in Paris and having lunch on Rue Cler. We had read about the Bon Marche, so we headed there. It is interesting, impressive, but ultimately uninteresting and crowded. On the top floor, however, Phyllis finds some wonderful needlepoint and all the presents we need to bring back to Gayle (Nana) and Aunt Sharon for taking the kids to camp for a week. If you must go, head up quickly away from the crowds, perfume and ridiculous fashion (ok, there were a few cool things we saw for bajillions of dollars). There are other smaller bookstores and shops nearby and we head to them before going off for lunch. Again, if you want a quieter place to stay in Paris, Rue Cler is the place to settle in. St. Germain de Pres is larger and also nice, but nothing compares to the Rue.

From Paris 2008

Our travel out I’m almost hesitant to mention. I saved a few dollars by routing us from Paris to Dusseldorf then to Atlanta and on to Roanoke. Don’t do this. Don’t go from one European country to another to connect then to fly back. Yes, yes, they have a “union”. That’s great, but that is not the United States. They dump you out on the tarmac and have you go back through security, if you can find it, check in to your next connection, go back through security and, running now, make your connection if you are lucky. We were not happy.

From Paris 2008

But we did make it home, harried and long suffering, but so glad to see everyone.
Some things I learned, knew, found useful:

• Paris can be very hot in the summer- maybe not quite as bad as Washington, DC or New York.
  
• People get concerned about wearing shorts to tourist sites in Paris. Pah, no issue. Wear them.
  
• As mom says, always take a slow boat down the river.
  
• The end of the Tour de France is a great show.
  
• Steak Frites, baby.
  
• Do it. Wait in the line. Go to the top of the tower.
  
• The Louvre is excellent, but there are many other fantastic art collections in Paris- Orsay, Chantilly and many we missed.
  
• For lunch- museum cafes; for dinner- the Marais; for sleep- Rue Cler.

August 1, 2008 Part VII

As with excitement about vacations, my notes start to run down and run thin as we near the end. We’ve gotten to the point where we are talking about the kids more than what we are going to do in the city, so it’s time to escape someplace away from the crowds and noise. We head for Gare du Norde then off to Chantilly. This 16th century castle is much smaller, much quieter and much more relaxing than Versaille. The castle was burnt down during the French revolution, but rebuilt in 1875–1881 by Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale (1822–1897) to the designs of Honore Daumet. The duke clearly loved his hounds and his house and it shows in his statues and private art collection.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

The Duke's dogs were a huge highlight for us.

From Paris 2008

The Duke's art collection was impressive and worth the trip.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

The Chateau is a long 2 km walk from the train station, but through a lovely park and quite nice with good weather. There is a hippodrome you can walk along behind rather than taking the long way down the road.


After returning to Paris, we head for Le Marais, the Jewish Quarter, for dinner. It turns out, five days later, we’ve found an area just down the way from where we are staying that is the best area for finding small, inexpensive and fun restaurants. And for our last two nights we wandered back to this fun neighborhood.

July 31, 2008 Part VI

It’s Phyllis’ birthday and we are headed for a full day at the Louvre. We slept in and had a large brunch with coffee that I can taste months later. All of the sidewalk cafes have a prix fixe breakfast and are well worth sitting for to start the day with people watching.

From Paris 2008

The Louvre is huge. Sure, you’ve read about it before- it is very, very, very large and you could spend three days in it and be lost and maybe forget to leave a trail and be wandering the halls well past your flight home. But you have to understand, that is all understatement. It is absolutely, magnificently, stupendously huge. And that’s the first floor.

From Paris 2008

My Favorite painting. Well, besides the Harem.


I’m a complete art novice and I’m sure I will get everything wrong- I’ll like the wrong pictures and think something priceless is a stupid piece of junk (I’m looking at you victory, yes you. Ugh. Snooze). But I absolutely love some of the pictures and even the Mona Lisa, which I am fairly sure other people know about. The Harem, Italy, Temptation of Jesus are all wonderful. The Raft is stunning. But I love the statues. I love to wander among them and photograph them. The detail and form the Greek and Roman artists used are quite stunning.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

So, you’ve taken your wife to Paris for a week without the kids, over her birthday, you had better make sure you’ve arranged a nice dinner on the day. And I had. I had researched and found a nice mix of French home cooking, just a little tiny bit upscale and raved about on Trip Advisor. So I had. And I had made reservations via email. An odd way to do it, but it seemed to work. The people at Aux Lionnaise seemed nice enough and setup the reservation no problem. Well, no problem until we showed up and saw that they are closed for the month of August, conveniently starting on July 27. Sure, they could have mentioned that in the email and pointed out that they would actually be CLOSED the day I made the reservation for, but, well, that wouldn’t be very French, would it? After apologizing profusely to Phyllis, we made for a corner and found a wonderful restaurant. I didn’t write down the name, but it is just on the corner down from a very rude and probably closed all year round Aux Lionnaise.

From Paris 2008

After dinner, we cabbed it out to the Eiffel Tower. It was a long wait to get all the way to the top- wait at the bottom to get a ticket, then wait at the 2nd level in a huge line to get to the top. There was a distant lightening storm as we waited to ascend that back lit clouds off to the north. The Eiffel Tower has an EU light show that started as we went up. At the top, the clouds continued to flash in sudden silhouettes. We had champagne at the top and toasted the 11th anniversary of Phyllis’ 29th birthday.

From Paris 2008

July 30, 2008 Part V

The heat is brutal and it is humid- we may as well be back in Virginia and not at 48.86 degrees north. 48.86? Yes, I like to be exact and know exactly how outraged I should be to be hot at this latitude. Home is 37.23 degrees north. We have hardly made good use of more than 10 degrees of northerly movement. The cheap apartment I’ve found in the “whore’s district” has no air conditioning. Why would it!? We’re at 48.86 degrees north and have no continental effect – Paris is regularly washed from the north and west by air chilled by the North Atlantic. That’s air coming straight down from Iceland!

From Paris 2008

Maybe the English have put up a fence or something. Maybe all the new wind farms are slowing down that cool air. Whatever it is, I vow to always ask for air conditioning in Paris in the summer from here on out, and to stay in someplace near rue Cler or St. Germain.

And we went to Versaille today, but, you know what? I’m going to give it a pass. It was nice, but also very easy to skip. Hot, crowded, so huge it is over the top and ultimately sad. And you can read about it anywhere- though you probably won’t read about me bumping into a university of Miami jerkoff who thinks Ron Mexico is still our QB. So, nice picnic there, but I’d never recommend going. At the end of this I’ll write about Chantilly- a wonderful outing from Paris.

From Paris 2008

But coming back from Versaille, we stop by the rue Cler. If you want the quieter, more settled Paris, you want rue Cler. It is a wonderful pedestrian street with outdoor cafes, fresh vegetables and seafood and it is so wonderfully quiet.

From Paris 2008

Oh, and just an FYI- don’t ever get sushi on the Grand Boulevards. For all I know, Paris is not a sushi city- and I base that on a visit to one restaurant. Want Sushi? Go to Osaka or Washington, DC.

July 29, 2008 Paris Journal Part IV

A good night’s sleep pays for the sins of enthusiastic travel- today we are up earlier and off to the old city! In the middle of the Seine that splits Paris into North and South, are the original islands of the original Roman settlement- Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis. Our first stop, after crossing Pont au Change and walking up the beautifully shaded Boulevard du Palais, is La Conciergerie. This is an old palace with the best gothic interior example in Paris. It later became a revolutionary jail.

Not that you can see it, but in my actual journal right here there is a nice red wine spill during the writing of the actual notes. Cote du Rhone, Chatalet. Nothing special I can remember, but I did write down the name. Now, I’m typing this on a computer from notes and memory months later, but the stain looks fabulous.

The most famous “visitor” to the jail La Conciergerie was Marie Antoinette. The gothic architecture was nice to see. The rest of it was incredibly depressing. Sure, high arches are fantastic, flying up to meet each other in odd points. But the small cells with hay on the floor and little else weren’t what I was interested in seeing in Paris.

From Paris 2008

Saint Chappelle

From Paris 2008

After La Conciergerie, we visited Saint Chappelle. The upper chapel is quite amazing, and I’m surprised so few hear about it before visiting. Notre Dame is bigger, but not nearly as spectacular in artistry. Pictures say much more than I ever could. A friend, Monika, told us we had to visit Saint Chappelle and we owe her dearly for that insistence.

From Paris 2008

Notre Dame was our next stop, but was extremely disappointing. First of all, it is free! We bought a 4 day museum pass and I was not happy to get something free! Ah, well. Ok, Notre Dame is big. And quiet. Hmm… interesting frescos, but I just liked Saint Chappelle so much more. The best part of Notre Dame is the outside- so many gargoyle rain spouts and flying buttresses.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

After the obligatory visit to Notre Dame, we crossed the bridge to Ile Saint-Louis. It was mid afternoon and that was a shame, since it would have been a delight to eat lunch here on the quiet and picturesque smaller island in the river. The best ice cream shop is on the main street on this tiny island, but it is open only Wednesday through Sunday, and we came on a Tuesday. A complete mess and many points lost for me.

From Paris 2008

Ile Saint Louis and Phyllis

From here we hopped back on the Batobus to go to the Louvre stop, then cross over to the Musee d’Orsay. It is a huge and newer museum that is a converted train station. The main hall, open for four or five stories, is a statuary on various open levels. We made our way upstairs for tea and a bite to eat before heading to the impressionists. Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is my favorite and astonishing in person. Another wing has the realists with “Whistler’s Mother”. I can only take that suicide inducing genre for a few minutes and I scamper away down the hall.
We meandered briefly through the Jardins du Luxembourg, just to see what it is like and to watch people. This is another beautiful and large park and garden with shaded lanes, ball fields, tennis courts and a central pond and fountain. As with some other places, at another time of day we would have spent much more time here.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

Steak Frites. You go to Paris, you like to eat at bars/cafes on the corner and watch the people, you are going to have to order steak frites perhaps many times. And we wind this day up somewhere in the 6th arrondisement, I think, sitting on a corner and eating steak frites, drinking bottled water and rose. It was a very hot and humid day- well into the high 80s and I’m wishing I had brought more t-shirts. As we end the day with our wine, the man with the ponies from Tuileries walks down the cobblestone street by our café.

July 28, 2008, Paris Journal Part III

Ah, to sleep past noon. I can’t remember doing that for more than 15 years, but I also have a very poor memory. We got out for a long walk to get all of the toxins we carried with us from too much travel, drink and jetlag. We headed due south form the apartment to the grounds of the Louvre. It was fairly hot, bright and humid. We perused the crowd and grounds and moved along to the Jardin des Tuileries. This long stretch of park reminds me of the mall in Washington DC, but with less regular sections of walk and grass. To the right side, coming from the Louvre, there is a large amusement park. Outrageously expensive, it’s still much less than a visit to Disney World or Busch Gardens- and you can just buy tickets for one or two rides. We had to, of course, ride the massive carousel. I would recommend this to anyone early in a trip to Paris to enjoy the sights.

From Paris 2008

The Jardin also had many free and open playgrounds back in tree covered cool nooks as well as pony rides (later in the trip we got to watch the ponies being walked back to their stable through the Parisian streets).

From Paris 2008

We wandered on past the 20 lanes of traffic at the Place de Concorde. We were getting hotter and just bumbling about, so we made it to a Tourist Information booth near Champs Elysees. There we bought the very useful 4 day museum pass to start using the next day. After that we hopped on the metro to wander aimlessly by the Eiffel Tower. Now, I thought it would be smart and quick to take the RER- train – that runs from Elysees to Eiffel, but that train sat in the heat with no air conditioning for 15 minutes. Huge mistake I should never live down.

The lesson there, I cannot stress too much, don’t take the RER point to point in the city. Some guidebook that would make good firewood might claim it is a good idea, but they lie. And that’s why they should be shoved into my woodstove and blogged about publicly. But I am above actually saying that Frommers recommended this idiotic course.

So, we wander on to the tower. Huge and imposing, this steel tribute to mathematics and the triangle seems to follow you down every little street in this arrondisement, and crowd you along the river front. And, below it, it contains a grand stage for all the tourists and vendors and even the odd gypsy women who come by to beg for money. But I’m getting a little big for my journal britches. Places like the tower are neat, and worth seeing, but the park just south of it is wonderful for laying down and watching people and taking a nap. While we didn’t manage to get a picnic, we did very much enjoy the park. We first found a wonderful side street café – I had salmon over rice that was perfect. Then we headed right back to that park for a nap.

From Paris 2008

From Paris 2008

There is a batobus just down from the tower on the river and we got a pass to use that- like a bus that follows the Seine and stops at all the highlights- Musee d’Orsey, Notre Dame, the Louvre, etc. While we didn’t need the four day pass, the batobus was a really nice, unique way to get around. The batobus got us some nice pictures and back to the Louvre. A late night cheese plate at café at the Opera metro to finish off the day.

From Paris 2008

Passing Notre Dame

From Paris 2008

Some advice from things I learned:

• Get some sort of transport pass, but only for a couple of days- maybe you are like me or different, but three days bugging around a city is plenty of time
  
• See Paris from the river- it is a must, must, must. An hour cruise is fine, but you must do it!
  
• Take a picnic of bread and cheese and wine to the Eiffel Tower
  
• Take the metro in the city, not the RER

July 27, 2008 , Paris Journal Part II

Ok, so you surprise your wife for her 40th birthday by taking her to Paris. Be sure you keep it a secret- only telling her two weeks before you go. Swear the kids to secrecy and watch amazed as they both actually keep it secret! Make all the arrangements… flight, a private car from the airport, coach class sure, but the airline club during layover through work so you can have wine and cheese, oh, and Paris, did you mention Paris? It’s Paris on her 40th. You got an apartment. Not some little hotel box, but an apartment with a bedroom, washer, living room. Nothing grand, but an apartment. Then, tired, but happy you head off in the private car and enjoy the early Sunday morning drive in to Paris.

And, as the streets become more narrow and the houses become steadily older, the driver says, “oh, rue St. Denis, it’s just up ahead. But, this was (is?) the street of hooores.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is all hoores.”

“Whores?”

“Yes, whole street.”

“Red light district?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

Oh. My. Well, it looks nice. It is early Sunday morning, but it’s very nice. Sure, there are a couple of peep shows and sex shops, but what street in Paris doesn’t have those? It turns out most don’t, but rue St. Denis has four every block, along with an afternoon show of women over 40 parading in front of doorways selling their bodies. C’est la vie. The only saving grace, the only thing that didn’t kill me off right away, was that Phyllis was tired and also couldn’t care less- we were in Paris!

From Paris 2008

Someone will be angry that I posted this picture here!

We managed a shower in the odd little flood stall shower that was in the apartment we rented. How the French or any young person can think a one inch pan, no wall and then a drop off into the bathroom then apartment proper is a decent shower, I have no idea. I traded time in a “corporate” apartment in dc with a, ahem, poo and spit shower arrangement and also did time in Navy housing and they were never as wacky or useless as this. But we managed to get and stay clean. And, frankly, it wasn’t bad, just very weird.

I can’t recall completely now in what order we did these things, but we got out, got lunch, saw the madness that is the Tour de France coming to Paris, then got back for a nice nap. Paris late afternoon in July usually has incredible light and large edible looking clouds, and this evening was no exception. We wandered on down to the river and crossed over to the Ile St. Louis. It was neither hot nor humid and we were still a little punchy after our nap, but so happy to be in Paris.

Then, finally, to a café. A café just on the left bank, looking back across the Seine to Notre Dame. This is where we could really get into Paris, away from the circus crowd that was the Tour. Here all the chairs face the sidewalk and tight intersection. We order a carafe of rose and sit back to steak frites and quiche- too much food! Our eyes and nose overcome sane ordering, but that’s the point. We’re in Paris. Enjoy. Over-enjoy.

From Paris 2008

So, it’s hard to sit down and write what is so great about a French café. The service is impeccable and it is hard to tell if you pay more for that or the good quality of food. Ah, who cares, both are outstanding. Just a simple steak, pounded out and cooked in a pan, is fantastic. With the crowds to watch, the light coming down in front of use streaking through the clouds and rose, we couldn’t be happier.

Our return from the café has us wander over three hours, maybe more, the 9 blocks back to our apartment. Into the pietone zone, we stop café by café, enjoying small drinks as we go (too many, I think) and arrive at the English pub the Frog and Rosbif that we saw on the travel channel. Our final stop is the tiny café just outside the apartment.

From Paris 2008

Silly French Cafes...

Top ways you know you are in Paris:

• Constant scooter noise
• Business men bustling down streets with the mandatory two baguettes
• Soldes!
• Almost everything is in French

Paris Journal Part I

July 26, 2008

July 26 found Phyllis and I at the Roanoke Airport waiting for a flight to Cincinnati and then on to Paris. We managed to get the kids all packed to go with Grandma Gayle and Aunt Sharon to Augusta for a week long folk crafts camp. We managed to haul all three dogs off to the kennel and get all of our own stuff together and geared up for travel. We were meticulous in packing to take as little as we could so that we could carry on everything. I still brought one pair of shorts too many and two shirts too many since our apartment had a washer and we were able to re-wear so much of our wardrobe. We also used older non-frame backpacks to carry all of our clothes- these were nice for fitting in the overhead bins but, being both in our 40s now, it would have been much nicer to have small roller suit cases.

Flying from Roanoke to Cincinnati on Delta went smoothly and the Cincinnati airport is perfect- large, clean but not the bustle of Atlanta. We saw Lou Holtz strolling through the International terminal too! The airport has a small duty free, but we didn’t care, we wanted to travel light and live off the land. I was surprised at how nice it is to fly transatlantic on a 767. It has seats of 2, 3 then 2 so we had a couple just to ourselves and Delta puts in leather seats so it was very comfortable. Enough of mundane travel details, but here are some initial nice to know items:

• Do not exchange money from dollars to Euros at the airport- the rate I got was $1.71 for a Euro. At the ATM in Paris right off the plane it was $1.57 plus a 1% fee from my credit union making the actual rate $1.59.
  
  
  
  
• Always take a good book- not a heavy one (subject wise) but one you want to read, even if it is junk. Airplane entertainment is horrible and unreliable.
• Neck pillows are great and absolutely worth taking.
• Carry on. If you are travelling, you can carry on. Do it. Coming and going. Follow the old trick of laying out all the clothes you think you will need on your bed, put half of each item back and pack the rest.
• Learn all you can about the neighborhood you are staying in. More on this later.

Summer plans

Well, at some point I'm going to have to finish writing up the report from last summer, and last winter. And forget California- I got pictures, that's it.

Ok, writing this week, that's my goal- old trips recalled and filed away.

This summer is Seattle with the kids and the wild about. Then a week home and off to London! Kids are off for a week with some gypsies and we have tickets to see U2 in Dublin. I'm dizzy thinking about it.

From My Window (rev 7)

The cold this morning
washes the sky white
and painful to look at
directly
the moon
up early
a pulled fingernail
chased by weak sun

I can’t bear to breathe
nine degrees and westerly wind

There is no permanent
damage
but isn’t all damage permanent?

There is a fountain
improbably
jetting high white water
and steam just below
the hill
frozen foam
a crystallizing volcano
tumbling over grass, it’s
steam still in air and
I can smell it
like anticipating a blow
to the head
and the metal that follows

If it snows
it will snow on my confessional

But the fountain looks inviting
warm
it is so painfully white
it would burn my lungs
but I know it would
give you nothing but nonsense
and me
nothing
but grief

From My Window

The cold this morning
washes the sky white
and painful to look at
directly
the moon
up early
a pulled fingernail
chased by weak sun

I can’t bear to breathe
nine degrees and westerly wind

There is no permanent
damage
but isn’t all damage permanent?

There is a fountain
improbably
jetting high white water
and steam just below
the hill
frozen foam
a crystallizing volcano
tumbling over grass, it’s
steam still in air and
I can smell it
like anticipating rape

If it snows
it will snow on my confessional

But the fountain looks inviting
warm
it is so painfully white
it could burn my lungs
but I know it would
give you nothing but nonsense
and me nothing
but grief


---------
Nothing like taking a simple image and trying out a new meaning in it. That's all I am doing here as I write this for the 5th or 6th time.

From My Window

With the cold this morning
the sky is washed white
and painful to look
at directly.
The moon, up early,
is a dead fingernail
chased by the weak sun.

There is a fountain
improbably
jetting high white water
and steam just below
the parking lot.
It is frozen foam
a cold volcano
tumbling over grass, it’s
steam crystallizing in air.

It looks inviting, warm, it
is so painfully white
but I know it would
give me nothing
but grief.