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Several asked me to list all the activities I did, so I will try. This was my very first trip to France, so I used Rick Steve’s Paris book to assist me. It was most helpful esp. about transportation. I did a lot but no taxi, bus nor train. Next time!
Sunday & Monday – flew to Paris. Lugging my 47# suitcase and carrying my purse and backpack, I took Roissy Bus from airport to Opera House. This was a grand entry along a wide boulevard. It was like an old black and white photograph as all the trees were bare and there was no color of green anywhere. I was surprised having just come from California and my lush green yard. I stood at the stairs to enter the Opera Metro trying to read the signs in French when someone quickly explained in limited English no tickets were sold at the bottom of those stairs. I needed to go across the street to go down stairs and get my tickets. I had tried at the airport to buy a set of 10 but they were out of tickets. Thank goodness I didn’t have to heave that suitcase, etc. down and back up those stairs. No wonder no one is overweight here. So, I crossed the street and went downstairs to main entrance at the Opera Metro Station, got the cheaper set of 10 tickets and hopped on the Metro. This is a whole new sensation moving rapidly underground. Getting off at École Militaire stop, I then walked several blocks (of course the wrong way at first..) to my hotel on Rue Cler in Arrondissement 7. The hotel is only a double door on the street. After getting into my room and putting my passport and money into the safe, I went onto Rue Cler to check it out and have dinner.
It is after 6 pm by now and dark out, but the street is well lit. There are Leftover Christmas décor of big swags of lights across the street from building to building. They are not lit here. Elsewhere in the city they are and it is charming! By the end of my 7 night visit the swags have been taken down during the night (too many people on the street during the day) and put away for next year.
At a small deli/restaurant with a Greek owner I ate a cheese crêpe, French wine, (He REALLY wanted me to have Greek wine, but I am in France now for my first time!!!), and a fresh blueberry and dark chocolate crêpe for dessert. Yum! It was funny because I ordered the crêpe while standing outside on the street. When I saw the tables inside I asked to go in to eat. The elderly Greek owner became very upset, as he had quoted the price to go of 3€. To sit and eat is 5€ for a cheese crêpe. No problem for me to pay more. At the end I noticed he charged me less for the dessert, but he wouldn’t change it. This was all translated thru another customer. I really do NOT know French and answer in Spanish half the time!
Tuesday I caught up on sleep walked around Rue Cler Then raced by Metro to my Cooking class across the city. On way home in the dark from Cooking class I stopped at the Grand Palais to check out a rumor my 1 o’clock ticket is for the middle of the night. The Security man was just closing up the exhibit at 6PM. He assured me to come back on Sat. I was relieved. Closing at 6 tonight. Come back on Saturday. The ticket was for Sat aft at 1:30, I was sure. Thinking back his English was limited and he didn’t say when to come back on Sat…. Traveled back on the Metro and ate in a restaurant on Rue Cler.
Wednesday See Wed. Shopping
After that I zipped (35 min.) on 2 dif Metros and walked a few blocks to the Cooking Class for Wine and Cheese Pairing. What a delight! Chinese lady from Tues class there too. Loved the champagne paired with pears. My fav cheese was a fresh goat cheese marinated in Burgundy wine. Must be eaten within 3 weeks. Perfect!! Couldn’t find it to bring home. L
Thursday Spent more time walking around my neighborhood and then joined up with the Bus Tour, ending with the Seine Dinner Cruise. Oh, there was a movie crew filming a strange movie on our street. This required everyone to stop moving at intervals. Fun!
Friday Bus Tour and finding La Coupole Restaurant along the route, after eating late lunch more bus tour until 6. Getting lost Saint Michel area looking for certain dress stores. Hit a cafe/bar. Several Metros and walk to hotel.
Saturday I spent an hour on the tour bus before arriving at the Grand Palais for the Monet Exhibit (See Sat. Monet Exhibit Finally blog) by 12:30 for 1:30 (heh-heh) ticket. 5+ hours later I catch the last Tour Bus to see the Montmartre area and the Moulin Rouge etc. The bus ended at Gare du Nord Train Station, which is huge!! By then it was cold and dark out, so I Metro-ed to the Hard Rock area on Boulevard Montmartre, ate dinner in a cute health food restaurant, found the Hard Rock Café, then Metros-ed over to the other side of the city to the Concord Lafayette Hotel to have a view of the Eiffel Tower and a cosmopolitan to sip. Of course, it was raining coming and going. The 33rd floor has an expensive bar with a great view. I heard about it in the Cheese and Wine pairing class. Had to go, but it sure felt out of town and not many knew where it was. There was one young Metro worker who told me where to get off. I asked what then? She kept saying I should look around and I would see it. Well, I came up from the Port Dauphine Metro looked around in the drizzle and there was this huge hotel across the boulevard. It turned out to be easy even in the dark to cross and get into the hotel VERY fancy. Lots of Asians. Lots of furs! Up in the bar, on the cushy couch I enjoyed my Cosmo and was excited to see the flickering lights come on the Eiffel Tower! What a site! When saturated, I walked back in the drizzle and took 2 Metros back to my stop to walk back to my hotel. Good thing the hotel didn’t notice I was carrying a Hard Rock Café teddy bear in my bag! Not too swanky!
Sunday Woke late. Wandered thru Rue Cler. Disappointed some stores closed early today. The fish store and vegetable stands were open earlier. My fav breakfast café wasn’t open so I went to a new one. It is a bar café, so I wasn’t sure what to expect at 1 in the aft for breakfast. I sat on the side next to 2 young ladies. Many kids and families there. I enjoyed watching a group of 8 with several babies. At one point 2 of the men were holding the babies. Never too noisy. When I asked for an English menu the ladies next to me did also. We got into conversation. Yours out they are from Germany. They had 7:30 AM tickets for the Monet and had taken the train during the night for 4 hours, saw the show and ended up here for lunch. This was an out of the way place so not sure how that happened. They explained that there was such a demand to see the art that the show was opened up 24 hours for the last 2 days. When I went on line in Nov. I never thot to scroll down as I assumed the 9-12 tickets (I had seen in Sept.) had already sold out and I wanted tickets before it all sold out.
For breakfast I had an amazing tuna –so fresh but cooked – salad with bitter, lively greens, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese and a perfect dressing – not too sour nor too sweet!
Since this was my last full day in Paris I chose to go to the Louvre. Wow! Is that big! I only went thru one area of the Richelieu Wing relaxing and enjoying the pictures and colors. I enjoy the Dutch Masters.
Of course, I was confused coming off the Metro as there are 3 ways to enter. Rick Steves suggested entering above ground to come in thru the glass pyramid. I didn’t manage that and was confused while walking underground by the signs to the Carrousel du Louvre. What was that? Well, it is a 2 story huge underground shopping mall. Some high end, some touristy. There was a tea store, of all things. I stuck my nose up as I went by. Why a tea house here? When I came out of the museum I stopped into the tea store - Thé Mariage Frères. What an experience! Drawers floor to ceiling of dif teas. One kind harvested in 1985 was only $100 an ounce. I didn’t get that one, but found an interesting one to try R-erh 2000. It turned out to be very mellow. When I went on line I learned it is a famous Tea Company… Ouch.
At the Louvre they will not check fur coats! So, many ladies in their Sunday showoff wore or carried them throughout the exhibit. I enjoy checking my coat! Such a dif thing to do.
After the Louvre closed, I decided to go back to the Monet Exhibit as I still had my 2nd ticket and maybe the lines had slowed down by now. I Metro’ed over to the Grand Palais by 7:30 pm (19:30) and immediately walked to the correct line. The first Security man to greet me was the same nice man who had helped me yesterday. He recognized me as he looked at me and then looked back at the ticket, grimaced, and signaled me on thru. Not sure he was happy I was off time 2 days in a row… It was more crowded tonight than I thot it would be. Later I heard many of the staff volunteered extra hours thru the night to be sure as many people could see it as possible. This was the second to last day. When I got to the front of this line that will let me in the entrance the Security man had limited English, but he communicated well. He said, pointing at the time on the ticket, “You know?! You know?!” I did my sheepish oops look and pleaded I thot fewer people would be here later in the day… He let me in with one more, “You know?”
This time thru I knew where I was going and did not get an audio program. I just meandered slowly thru enjoying the sequence and progression of his art as well as the joyous colors. I stood or sat long times in front of favorites. He painted 30 haystacks sometimes several at a time focusing on the light play upon the colors as the light changed thru the day. Many paintings of Popular trees in a row also. He was a very prolific artist. The very huge 20’X10’ panels I saw years ago in Boston of lilies were not there, but many other large works were, tho none that large. Interesting, my sister’s Christmas thank you card has the Magpie on it. I saw the original of it there. Looked just as great! Many artists of that period were painting white snow scenes. His according to the audio was the only one with life in it – a simple Magpie.
It was after 9 when I took 2 Metros back to my hotel. Metro was still full of people! Amazing ! And, arriving every 2-3 minutes. Stayed up late pacing for departure demain.
Monday Got up early to be ready on time for the shuttle van. Had my last Omelet Fromage at a dif café as my regular was not open that early 7:30 ish. At Café du Marche where they have fresh oysters all day long I had my omelet with Café Parisian or Café Crème. Perfect! Interesting, the omelets usually come as the only thing on the plate. At this restaurant they filled half the plate with fresh butter lettuce with a dressing that was neither sweet nor sour. This at 7:30 AM!! It blended perfectly with the lettuce. And, it was perfect for my mouth after the rich cheese and egg. Yum! I miss those omelets… L No egg beaters, low fat cheese, or margarine here.
At the airport my checked suitcase was over. I knew it was but I did not want to carry my coat etc. The clerk looked at me; the baggage handler looked at me and back at the clerk who shrugged his shoulders. I quickly said my heavy coat was inside and off it went. Boy, I am lucky! Even on the plane I was taken care of when the seat I hcose for legroom was smaller and half the leg room was missing because of the emergency door. When I complained the steward showed me a great seat. I was happy all the 9.5 hours home or was it 10.5? Saw 3 movies this time and enjoyed my neighbor.
Bon nuit, mis amigos. Claudette
