We are situated at a great hotel at the Frankfurt airport so won't have any challenges with ground transportation today. Our Lufthansa flight is scheduled to depart at 1:10 pm and they usually run on time. It is good to be checking in for an international flight about two hours in advance.
We repack our bags and take out our small blue carry-on bag to lighten the weight of our suitcases and put in purchases from the REWE grocery store - German foodstuffs that we will enjoy over the next weeks! Need to pack our four bottles of wine each in their wine skins/bubble wrap. We know we will be under weight on the return trip so that relieves some stress.
Beautiful sunny day in Frankfurt although we won't be outside today. Lana has a number of tax receipts which means "de tax" in Europe, so an opportunity to get back most of the tax paid if it meets the necessary conditions. Paperwork to be completed and then get stamped. The lineup at Lufthansa to simply check in the baggage is gigantic. Remember, these are travellers who already have checked in online. Typical Deutsch efficiency as the line moves pretty quickly. Only my luggage gets loaded onto the belt as Lana's suitcase contains most of the purchases and our smaller blue carryon bag. We will have this sent on at the de-tax counter.
Over to another queue to get our receipts/documents stamped and then other lines to either get cash or credit or provide more envelopes for later credit. It is worth the effort as you can be reimbursed a lot of Euro if you have done shopping in any country in Europe.
Buy some newspapers, bottled water and a couple of sandwiches/pastry for the long plane ride. The gate already has lineups of people waiting to shuffle through. This turns into chaos as they open more lines and everyone attempts to gain advantage. The agent checks your passport and your boarding card and then you scan your boarding card at a machine coming up. Always good to get on the plane sooner rather than later as overhead bins can be a real premium depending on where you are sitting.
Flight pretty much uneventful. We are in the air for about 9 1/2 hours and land almost exactly at 2 pm Sunday, September 16th in beautiful and sunny Vancouver. Immigration is complete chaos and there must have been numerous planes land at the same time so lineups are incredibly long. Canadian residents are given priority so that is good. We lucked out as Customs told us we did not have to pay duty on our four extra bottles of wine. He stated it "was your lucky day today." Yup!
$31 taxi ride to our home and then unpacking, laundry and other mundane chores. It will be a difficult transition to the new time zone given we are nine time zones different. That equals jet lag.
As usual, our European vacation sped by and it seems like only yesterday we left for Frankfurt. Lots of adventures, sightseeing, new locations, historic buildings, art and can't forget excellent food and wine. Great to meet our German friends in Berlin and then enjoy Paris with another couple. Lots of photos and our blog will make a good reminder for the details.
Hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as I did writing it. While it is time consuming and can be frustrating when the technology isn't working it was worth it!
Randy & Lana
Monday, September 17, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Day 15 - Buses, Trains, Planes & Automobiles
Our last full day in Europe and our travel day from Paris to Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland. Early rising so I could complete my blog for Day 14 and get everything re-packed for the plane flight later today. We have four (4) bottles of wine each to pack in our suitcases with our bubble wrap/wine skins. Not too much else in terms of purchases though. :-)
We are in no particular hurry, but hope to connect with our friends once they have checked in to their new place later this morning. Checking out goes reasonably well until I ask the concierge to have our bags held until later pickup. She indicates to wait and she will get someone to help. Nothing occurs so finally we grab a bellhop and he takes 30 seconds to organize it. Another frustration with the Marriott Rive Gauche hotel - don't stay there. Lana speaks to the manager who is very apologetic about the number of times during our stay that the service has been truly disappointing.
We are into the subway on what is a warm and sunny day in Paris. We make it to the Opéra subway station and as we arrive discover our friends have relocated and it is a short walk away on Haussmann Boulevard. Beautiful tree-lined and wide avenue with very little foot traffic and vehicle traffic. Almost a serene oasis in the middle of busy Paris.
We will need to be back to our hotel before 4 pm. Our Air France flight from Terminal 2 departs at 6:25 pm. It is about a 45 minute trip by RER B train and then around a 15 minute walk to the departure gate we think. We have about 3 1/2 hours of time in Paris with our friends before we need to get back on the subway.
Both couples are keen on having a good lunch. On the way to the chosen restaurant we find Eric Kayser which according to a Food Network show (America's Test Kitchen) has the best croissants in Paris. Lana's friend Albert Chow was on a mission to find the best croissant in New York when we lived there last year and he wasn't successful. We decided to take this picture and forward to him as a big tease. Yup, the croissants are very delicious; fluffy, crispy and buttery.
We make it to Angelina's restaurant located across from the Tuileries. The restaurant is 110 years old and is famous for its hot chocolate drink. Of course, each couple indulged in this very decadent shot of hot chocolate goodness. You pour it from the small pitcher into the cup and then scoop out some whipped cream. It is like taking a sugar hit from a needle. The chocolate is delicious and super thick. My brain and body was jumping for hours after drinking a cup. I guess the combo of chocolate and caffeine peaked my blood. Why keep awake with uppers when you can drink one of these?
Long lineup, as this place is fairly well known and popular. We were seated on the second floor. Our server had the Paris attitude we have described in a few other servers. If you take your time with your order, get ready for attitude. It seems to be socially acceptable by some servers to cop an attitude almost as soon as you are seated. Oh well, many other servers seem to be immune. We all enjoy our meals. My meal below is a croque madame - egg on top. It was very yummy.
Lana was on a mission to find another Chanel store that carried a dress she was keen on seeing and possibly purchasing. No luck though, but we had a good walk on very busy Paris streets adjacent to many high end label clothing and jewelry stores. Unfortunately, time is against us so we are back in the subway by 3:15 pm. Said our goodbyes to our friends who have a couple more days of fun in Paris.
Pick up our luggage and backpacks at the hotel and into the subway by 3:45 pm and then a quick connection to the RER B train that will take us to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Terminal 2 airport (just like it brought us in) or so we thought. We noticed that where the fork in the rail is prior to the airport that CDG did not show. Oh well, we will just get off at the last station prior to where the rails branch off and then catch the next RER to the airport. The train is packed with people, but fortunately we find seats for a long trip.
At the station where you get off to then wait for RER B3 train to CDG there are train officials. Apparently, the train is NOT running today to the airport! What the heck! We are advised we had two options. First option get off the train and then grab a bus to the airport. Then told option two was to get back on the same train tracks and take the next train to the final destination and then bus from there. We decided on option two. Time is our enemy right now as the train is taking so much time and we had to lug our suitcases back on to the platform. Getting worried as we are still on the train and it is close to 5 pm! We stop at the final station and then are herded towards waiting substitution buses that will take us to the airport. The bus is packed off course with other travellers who are confused like us and similarly worried/stressed about not making it to our plane on time. Close to 5:30 by the time we are dropped at the airport and then we need to find the tram to take us to Terminal 2. We run in Terminal 2 to gate 9 to be checked in. Fortunately, we are not late for the plane and the Air France gate agent with checks in our baggage. Both bags are within weight limits fortunately. Security was relatively quick although had to take off my belt to make it through the security buzz. We are at the gate by 5:55 pm for a 6:25 flight. Phew.... we can take a deep breath finally as we will make our flight.
Air France flight to Frankfurt is about 70 minutes and is uneventful. Take a shuttle bus from the tarmac to Terminal 2. Hmmm, that is the second bus of the day. With the unplanned bus in Austria that makes three buses as transportation on this trip so we should change the title of our blog to "Buses, Planes, Trains and Automobiles!"
Wait quite a while for our luggage at the carousel, but we are in no rush. On the way to our airport hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, we bought a couple of sandwiches. The German bread is so yummy with a hard crust and soft middle. I decided my last opportunity for a German lager was now so we stopped to eat our sandwiches and drink a cold German beer. In addition, found a bakery and ate a plum filled danish. Aaahhhh!
In our hotel room with free wifi!!!!! It has been a long day, but we are no longer stressed. We have no rush tomorrow morning as our Lufthansa flight does not depart until 1:10 pm.
We are in no particular hurry, but hope to connect with our friends once they have checked in to their new place later this morning. Checking out goes reasonably well until I ask the concierge to have our bags held until later pickup. She indicates to wait and she will get someone to help. Nothing occurs so finally we grab a bellhop and he takes 30 seconds to organize it. Another frustration with the Marriott Rive Gauche hotel - don't stay there. Lana speaks to the manager who is very apologetic about the number of times during our stay that the service has been truly disappointing.
We are into the subway on what is a warm and sunny day in Paris. We make it to the Opéra subway station and as we arrive discover our friends have relocated and it is a short walk away on Haussmann Boulevard. Beautiful tree-lined and wide avenue with very little foot traffic and vehicle traffic. Almost a serene oasis in the middle of busy Paris.
We will need to be back to our hotel before 4 pm. Our Air France flight from Terminal 2 departs at 6:25 pm. It is about a 45 minute trip by RER B train and then around a 15 minute walk to the departure gate we think. We have about 3 1/2 hours of time in Paris with our friends before we need to get back on the subway.
Both couples are keen on having a good lunch. On the way to the chosen restaurant we find Eric Kayser which according to a Food Network show (America's Test Kitchen) has the best croissants in Paris. Lana's friend Albert Chow was on a mission to find the best croissant in New York when we lived there last year and he wasn't successful. We decided to take this picture and forward to him as a big tease. Yup, the croissants are very delicious; fluffy, crispy and buttery.
We make it to Angelina's restaurant located across from the Tuileries. The restaurant is 110 years old and is famous for its hot chocolate drink. Of course, each couple indulged in this very decadent shot of hot chocolate goodness. You pour it from the small pitcher into the cup and then scoop out some whipped cream. It is like taking a sugar hit from a needle. The chocolate is delicious and super thick. My brain and body was jumping for hours after drinking a cup. I guess the combo of chocolate and caffeine peaked my blood. Why keep awake with uppers when you can drink one of these?
Lana was on a mission to find another Chanel store that carried a dress she was keen on seeing and possibly purchasing. No luck though, but we had a good walk on very busy Paris streets adjacent to many high end label clothing and jewelry stores. Unfortunately, time is against us so we are back in the subway by 3:15 pm. Said our goodbyes to our friends who have a couple more days of fun in Paris.
Pick up our luggage and backpacks at the hotel and into the subway by 3:45 pm and then a quick connection to the RER B train that will take us to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Terminal 2 airport (just like it brought us in) or so we thought. We noticed that where the fork in the rail is prior to the airport that CDG did not show. Oh well, we will just get off at the last station prior to where the rails branch off and then catch the next RER to the airport. The train is packed with people, but fortunately we find seats for a long trip.
At the station where you get off to then wait for RER B3 train to CDG there are train officials. Apparently, the train is NOT running today to the airport! What the heck! We are advised we had two options. First option get off the train and then grab a bus to the airport. Then told option two was to get back on the same train tracks and take the next train to the final destination and then bus from there. We decided on option two. Time is our enemy right now as the train is taking so much time and we had to lug our suitcases back on to the platform. Getting worried as we are still on the train and it is close to 5 pm! We stop at the final station and then are herded towards waiting substitution buses that will take us to the airport. The bus is packed off course with other travellers who are confused like us and similarly worried/stressed about not making it to our plane on time. Close to 5:30 by the time we are dropped at the airport and then we need to find the tram to take us to Terminal 2. We run in Terminal 2 to gate 9 to be checked in. Fortunately, we are not late for the plane and the Air France gate agent with checks in our baggage. Both bags are within weight limits fortunately. Security was relatively quick although had to take off my belt to make it through the security buzz. We are at the gate by 5:55 pm for a 6:25 flight. Phew.... we can take a deep breath finally as we will make our flight.
Air France flight to Frankfurt is about 70 minutes and is uneventful. Take a shuttle bus from the tarmac to Terminal 2. Hmmm, that is the second bus of the day. With the unplanned bus in Austria that makes three buses as transportation on this trip so we should change the title of our blog to "Buses, Planes, Trains and Automobiles!"
Wait quite a while for our luggage at the carousel, but we are in no rush. On the way to our airport hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, we bought a couple of sandwiches. The German bread is so yummy with a hard crust and soft middle. I decided my last opportunity for a German lager was now so we stopped to eat our sandwiches and drink a cold German beer. In addition, found a bakery and ate a plum filled danish. Aaahhhh!
In our hotel room with free wifi!!!!! It has been a long day, but we are no longer stressed. We have no rush tomorrow morning as our Lufthansa flight does not depart until 1:10 pm.
Day 14 Paris Shopping & Musée d'Orsay
Lana's chance to do some serious Paris shopping is today. It is a cloudy and sometimes sunny day in Paris with temperatures in the high teens. A great day to be navigating the streets - not too hot and no rain. Into the subway and we arrive in the Opéra and Madeleine neighbourhoods on the Right Bank.
We are to encounter the best and the worst of Paris shopping/attitude today.
Lana in front of Laduree (famous for macarons) and other guilty pleasures. The store is 150 years old.
In addition to the above two shops we stopped at Chanel and Lavinia and then on to Galerie Lafayette.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lana's comments: Should it matter what you dress like when you go shopping??!??!!! I ask because there is no doubt in my mind that the retails clerks in both Milan and Paris have some "attitude". The service in Milan can only be described as SNOT+TEE. And the service in Paris can only be described as SNOT+TEE+ER!! Seriously. With a handful of exceptions (Paul Smith store, Brunello Cucinelli, Le Bon Marche) my shopping experience has been this: I walk into a store, a clerk greets me, looks me up and down and then sticks their nose in the air. In the Chanel store, I had a clerk stare at me disapprovingly while I was checking out a dress. When I turned and stared at her back--she acted surprised. At Laduree, the cashier completely ignored me even though I was next in line and rang thru the French woman behind me. Seriously. At this point, I decided that I wouldn't shop anymore in Paris--I've rather spend my money in Canada, the US or Germany where service is courteous, helpful, they don't care if you don't speak the language or how you are dressed.
To be fair, I don't dress up when I go shopping. I think I"m an efficient shopper--pick out what I want to try on, find the change room, in, out. That's it. I dress comfortably so I can change quickly, do a lot of walking and carry my purchases. I try to be a low-fuss as possible. I guess I'm a "stealth" shopper. In under the radar and out with my purchases with as little fanfare as possible. My friend Heidi who is a fashionista says that when you go shopping, you should "look the part". I'm thinking about her words now while in Paris. A part of me agrees with her and a part of me finds it a bit of a challenge. I don't believe anyone should be treated any differently based on how they are dressed--but maybe this is naive of me. The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind. But maybe this doesn't apply in retail stores in Italy or Paris :)
________________________________________________________________________________
While Lana is shopping at the gigantic department store(s) Galerie Lafayette, I get back into the subway to return our purchases to the hotel room. The very heavy items are four bottles of wine we bought at Lavinia. Two Bordeaux, one Sancerre and a Muscadet (both whites from the Loire Valley region). Plus, the jars of mustard are not light and then there are the fragiles from Laudree. We agree to meet up under the signs at Galerie Lafayette at 1:45 pm. Inability to timing the trains, so I am about 10 minutes late. Good news that Lana has finished her Paris shopping and we are both ready for lunch.
We stop at Brasserie Le Royal near Galerie Lafayette and sit inside but right beside the front window with both seats facing the street (of course it is Paris!). Lana has French onion soup (Soupe a L'Oignon) and I have a Croustillant Chèvre (hot goat cheese, honey, apple, salad items). Both were yummy and my glass of white Burgundy wine was a good compliment although 6 Euro was a bit steep. The tips and taxes are already included in each listed price in Paris restaurants and cafes.
Lana had her opportunity to enter a Paris Starbucks and then back into the subway system to meet up with our friends in front of the Musée d'Orsay. Incredibly beautiful museum, but more beautiful on the inside. Apparently, it was an old train station. No pictures allowed inside the museum, but hey other people were doing it. How can you stop people like me who have smartphones with cameras? Check in all bags though. Entry fee 9 Euros per person.
Many sculptures on the 0 floor. There is a second floor and then a fifth floor you reach by elevators or by a stairwell. Given the height of the ceiling you can see that this museum is wide open and catches a lot of sunlight/natural light. Many people in the museum, but lots of opportunities to hang around art work that you enjoy and want to listen to the audio guide. We actually exited around 5:45 pm and then a walk across the Seine River, through the Tuileries park and pretty close to the Champs d'Elysees. We found a cafe La Coupe D'Or to sit at a table on the sidewalk with seats of course facing the sidewalk and have a drink, people watch and chat. A good way to cherish another great day in Paris. Once we got the check, yikes! I guess you pay for the privilege of being close to a major tourist area.
Back in the subway and into the Marais district to find a restaurant that has great reviews although we could not make reservations. We did find it, but with no reservations they could not fit us in. They did provide a restaurant to try that was a few blocks away. Ambassade d"Auvergne at 22 Rue du Grenier near the Georges Pompidou Centre and close to the Arts et Metiers and Rambuteau Metro stations. They had a table on the second floor for us. This is our last dinner in Paris and it was another fantastic experience with excellent service and tasty French food. Extras to our meal were the amuse bouche (cheese dish and ground pork in a puffed pastry), duck rillette (kind of a pate) to go with the delicious bread and then a brioche orange sugar bread prior to our desserts.
It is now around 10:30 pm when we left the restaurant. Now Paris is not on a grid system which means streets and lanes go in many directions. We tried to find our way to the Hotel de Ville Metro station, but went in the wrong direction. Oh well, it really was a beautiful night for a walk. We did find the correct direction and returned to the Metro station. Lana and I made it back to our room around 12 midnight.
No updating the blog. Time to turn out the lights and go to bed. Difficult to do though when the belly is still full with the delightful meal. We are going to miss Paris in so many ways ( but Lana won't miss shopping :-) ). As well, it has been more enjoyable being with our friends who were here before us and will be here for a couple of more days.
For me, Paris is such a charming city and so 'civilized' despite the incidents of rudeness and haughtiness. It is so romantic and decadent. The architecture is stunning and many opportunities for the best of culture and food/wine.
We are to encounter the best and the worst of Paris shopping/attitude today.
Lana in front of Laduree (famous for macarons) and other guilty pleasures. The store is 150 years old.
Famous Maille store for many flavours of French mustard, inclusive of Chablis, Walnut, Grilled Onion, Basil, Blueberry, Chili Pepper etc.
In addition to the above two shops we stopped at Chanel and Lavinia and then on to Galerie Lafayette.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Lana's comments: Should it matter what you dress like when you go shopping??!??!!! I ask because there is no doubt in my mind that the retails clerks in both Milan and Paris have some "attitude". The service in Milan can only be described as SNOT+TEE. And the service in Paris can only be described as SNOT+TEE+ER!! Seriously. With a handful of exceptions (Paul Smith store, Brunello Cucinelli, Le Bon Marche) my shopping experience has been this: I walk into a store, a clerk greets me, looks me up and down and then sticks their nose in the air. In the Chanel store, I had a clerk stare at me disapprovingly while I was checking out a dress. When I turned and stared at her back--she acted surprised. At Laduree, the cashier completely ignored me even though I was next in line and rang thru the French woman behind me. Seriously. At this point, I decided that I wouldn't shop anymore in Paris--I've rather spend my money in Canada, the US or Germany where service is courteous, helpful, they don't care if you don't speak the language or how you are dressed.
To be fair, I don't dress up when I go shopping. I think I"m an efficient shopper--pick out what I want to try on, find the change room, in, out. That's it. I dress comfortably so I can change quickly, do a lot of walking and carry my purchases. I try to be a low-fuss as possible. I guess I'm a "stealth" shopper. In under the radar and out with my purchases with as little fanfare as possible. My friend Heidi who is a fashionista says that when you go shopping, you should "look the part". I'm thinking about her words now while in Paris. A part of me agrees with her and a part of me finds it a bit of a challenge. I don't believe anyone should be treated any differently based on how they are dressed--but maybe this is naive of me. The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" comes to mind. But maybe this doesn't apply in retail stores in Italy or Paris :)
________________________________________________________________________________
While Lana is shopping at the gigantic department store(s) Galerie Lafayette, I get back into the subway to return our purchases to the hotel room. The very heavy items are four bottles of wine we bought at Lavinia. Two Bordeaux, one Sancerre and a Muscadet (both whites from the Loire Valley region). Plus, the jars of mustard are not light and then there are the fragiles from Laudree. We agree to meet up under the signs at Galerie Lafayette at 1:45 pm. Inability to timing the trains, so I am about 10 minutes late. Good news that Lana has finished her Paris shopping and we are both ready for lunch.
We stop at Brasserie Le Royal near Galerie Lafayette and sit inside but right beside the front window with both seats facing the street (of course it is Paris!). Lana has French onion soup (Soupe a L'Oignon) and I have a Croustillant Chèvre (hot goat cheese, honey, apple, salad items). Both were yummy and my glass of white Burgundy wine was a good compliment although 6 Euro was a bit steep. The tips and taxes are already included in each listed price in Paris restaurants and cafes.
Lana had her opportunity to enter a Paris Starbucks and then back into the subway system to meet up with our friends in front of the Musée d'Orsay. Incredibly beautiful museum, but more beautiful on the inside. Apparently, it was an old train station. No pictures allowed inside the museum, but hey other people were doing it. How can you stop people like me who have smartphones with cameras? Check in all bags though. Entry fee 9 Euros per person.
View from the fifth floor looking back towards the entrance.
On level two looking towards the entrance and the glass ceiling.
Huge clock seen from the inside - the clock is seen easily from the outside and looks like the clock from the animated movie "Hugo".
A sculpture from level two. Always get an audio guide (English of course) in a museum (5 Euro each) as they are informative and interesting. Really explains many of the pieces.
What an incredible restaurant on the fifth floor. Check this out! The restaurant is a piece of art on its own. The picture does not do it justice.
Impressionist painters exhibit on the fifth floor that we caught just before closing time at 5:30 pm. Why so early a closing time? This is a classic Renoir.
This is a Monet painting. French impressionism. Very well known period.
Many sculptures on the 0 floor. There is a second floor and then a fifth floor you reach by elevators or by a stairwell. Given the height of the ceiling you can see that this museum is wide open and catches a lot of sunlight/natural light. Many people in the museum, but lots of opportunities to hang around art work that you enjoy and want to listen to the audio guide. We actually exited around 5:45 pm and then a walk across the Seine River, through the Tuileries park and pretty close to the Champs d'Elysees. We found a cafe La Coupe D'Or to sit at a table on the sidewalk with seats of course facing the sidewalk and have a drink, people watch and chat. A good way to cherish another great day in Paris. Once we got the check, yikes! I guess you pay for the privilege of being close to a major tourist area.
Back in the subway and into the Marais district to find a restaurant that has great reviews although we could not make reservations. We did find it, but with no reservations they could not fit us in. They did provide a restaurant to try that was a few blocks away. Ambassade d"Auvergne at 22 Rue du Grenier near the Georges Pompidou Centre and close to the Arts et Metiers and Rambuteau Metro stations. They had a table on the second floor for us. This is our last dinner in Paris and it was another fantastic experience with excellent service and tasty French food. Extras to our meal were the amuse bouche (cheese dish and ground pork in a puffed pastry), duck rillette (kind of a pate) to go with the delicious bread and then a brioche orange sugar bread prior to our desserts.
Server stirring the pot by lifting the cheesy potatoes. Before receiving your main plate, the maitre'd comes by to stir the pot and demonstrate how thick it is? The potatoes look like mashed potatoes (not as fluffy though) but are cheesy and thicker texture. Recommended for eating as they were delicious!
Three of us had Duck Magret with cheesy potatoes. The duck in Paris is superb. That was my second meal of duck and on both occasions I was blown away.
Desserts were equal to the entrees. Lana had this dish of Figs with caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream.
In the rear is three small bowls of cream and this huge bowl is chocolate mousse. I could barely eat 1/2 the huge bowl, but I was so full with the meal. The chocolate mousse was delicious and shared with everyone. Too bad I couldn't take it home! ;-)
It is now around 10:30 pm when we left the restaurant. Now Paris is not on a grid system which means streets and lanes go in many directions. We tried to find our way to the Hotel de Ville Metro station, but went in the wrong direction. Oh well, it really was a beautiful night for a walk. We did find the correct direction and returned to the Metro station. Lana and I made it back to our room around 12 midnight.
No updating the blog. Time to turn out the lights and go to bed. Difficult to do though when the belly is still full with the delightful meal. We are going to miss Paris in so many ways ( but Lana won't miss shopping :-) ). As well, it has been more enjoyable being with our friends who were here before us and will be here for a couple of more days.
For me, Paris is such a charming city and so 'civilized' despite the incidents of rudeness and haughtiness. It is so romantic and decadent. The architecture is stunning and many opportunities for the best of culture and food/wine.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Day 13 Paris & Paris Opera
Another on and off day in Paris with the weather. It is definitely Fall weather here with temperatures below 20 degrees. Cloud then sun then cloud then sun.....With the wind it isn't too warm, but at least it is not super hot nor is it raining, so good weather for enjoying Paris.
Not many food pics today and the text will describe the reasons. I know some of you might be disappointed?
Lana wanted to start some of her shopping today. Check this ceiling from one of the subway stations. Some of the subway stations are very arty. Also, the trains run quite often. Good for us impatient types!
We met our friends at the Epicerie which is across the street from Le Bon Marche. This is a food emporium where you can buy so many unusual food products, wine and other goods PLUS purchase lunch to go. We bought a baguette, pate, cheese, salad, water and some goodies (choquettes = delicious and decadent). We went to a park near the Epicerie, found a park bench under the trees and like other Parisiennes enjoyed the decent weather and had a good chat and lunch. Slight breeze and definitely need to wear pants today. More shopping in store, walking the streets of Paris and visiting various stores that we found interesting. All very much fun and interesting.
We got into the subway around 4:30 pm to get back to the hotel room, get changed, find dinner and then make it to the Paris Opera House for our opera tonight. We decided to stop at Place d'Italie as my cellphone pay-as-you-go card was now completely empty. No more internet, email or text. We did get assistance again at the Bouygues store and then advised to head to a Tabak store and buy another 20 Euro card. I had to wait for the fellow to be available again (20 minutes) as the instructions for updating the cellphone are in French. Finally, got it completed but now running late. Our original plan was to have a nice Paris Bistro dinner.... We stopped at Petit Jules on the corner across from the mall for a Paris style fast food meal. Lana had a cheese hot dog and I had a croque monsieur and pain de chocolate. Vacuumed it down and then quickly walked to our hotel (15 minutes). Back into the #6 Subway and then connected with the #7 subway to take us to the Opera subway stop.
The Paris Opera (Palais Garnier) was built in the 1860s and is 1,979 seat capacity. It is very much a symbol of Paris. Described as the most famous opera house in the world. We bought tickets many weeks ago online and lucked out that they had a production when we were in Paris. This is a real highlight of our European holiday for me anyway. I got into loving opera a number of years ago so this is a real pinnacle of opera. We arrived at the Opera subway stop and almost immediately into the Palais Garnier. We finally located where we would provide our computer copy and receive our tickets. Hmmmm, no record of our tickets! Finally, the fellow said to see another man and he then went to the first fellow. The guy said no worry as we will get our tickets as our voucher had seat numbers. We waited for more than 10 minutes as I became more worried. The opera begins at 7:30 and it is now 7:20 pm and no fellow and no tickets. Finally, he showed up and said to follow him. Still no tickets. He takes us past the queues and then to the orchestra section. Somehow two real tickets show up and an older couple is escorted from what are our seats. We learn that somehow the company that sold us the tickets sold more tickets, but that couple had a voucher with no seat numbers. We think the guy gave away our seats to that couple and then realized his error. Oh well, we were seated before the production began and I had a chance to take some pictures.
Wow, the Paris Opera House almost cannot be described in words. Elegant, opulent, ornate, beautiful, classy, historical, artistic and incredible workmanship in everything. The stage is opened at the end and it is enormous - very wide and very deep. Never seen anything like that in terms of scale. Oh yeah, the opera is a Richard Strauss (German) "Capriccio" with no intermission. We learn over the 2 1/2 hours that these old seats begin to numb the butt.
We both very much enjoyed this opera production. The soprano was the star of the show. Her dress during the last act was unbelievably beautiful, colourful and flowing behind her. The sound dynamics were excellent, the opera orchestra very competent and each of the singers were top notch. The set design was simple yet functional. The ending was very emotional. Something that I hadn't thought of in advance was the subtext to be read was in French and the opera was sung in German. Oh well, I figured out some of the French words and it was pretty clear what the opera was about. Of course, unrequited love, jealousy, whimsy - all the usual occurrences of life. The tickets were very expensive, but this was perhaps a once in a lifetime occurrence and we savoured the experience. For certain, many of the older attendees were very dressed up in suits or beautiful dresses. Standing ovation and a few curtain calls.
Back into the subway and connection at Place d'Italie. A warmish night and plenty of people around the hotel. Needed to do some problem-solving to get my cellphone hotspot to work, thus allowing me to do the blog and update the Picasa photo album. Tomorrow, is our last full day in Paris. :-(
Not many food pics today and the text will describe the reasons. I know some of you might be disappointed?
Lana wanted to start some of her shopping today. Check this ceiling from one of the subway stations. Some of the subway stations are very arty. Also, the trains run quite often. Good for us impatient types!
Lana and I took the subway to "Le Bon Marche" the oldest department store in Paris and it is huge! Lana says "great shopping" and "weird to see American designers in the store." She did buy a Paul Smith shirt and a Ralph Lauren belt so she is a happy girl!
Window display at Hermes. Very funky and arty and colourful and weird. Some of the window displays are unbelievable in Paris!
OK, normally us tourists take pics of unusual sites. In this case, this is just a normal apartment on a corner in Paris. It represents hundreds of apartments in terms of architecture and height. See how it conforms to the street.
We met our friends at the Epicerie which is across the street from Le Bon Marche. This is a food emporium where you can buy so many unusual food products, wine and other goods PLUS purchase lunch to go. We bought a baguette, pate, cheese, salad, water and some goodies (choquettes = delicious and decadent). We went to a park near the Epicerie, found a park bench under the trees and like other Parisiennes enjoyed the decent weather and had a good chat and lunch. Slight breeze and definitely need to wear pants today. More shopping in store, walking the streets of Paris and visiting various stores that we found interesting. All very much fun and interesting.
Boulangerie "Poilane" - one of the most famous bakeries in Paris and Urban Fare flies in their bread twice a week to sell at expensive prices. Please see this unique bread keeper; glass, wood and a cloth cover. Price 249 Euro!
Bread with grapes created on the top. One of an interesting array of artistic bread displays. I think you eat them? :-)
We got into the subway around 4:30 pm to get back to the hotel room, get changed, find dinner and then make it to the Paris Opera House for our opera tonight. We decided to stop at Place d'Italie as my cellphone pay-as-you-go card was now completely empty. No more internet, email or text. We did get assistance again at the Bouygues store and then advised to head to a Tabak store and buy another 20 Euro card. I had to wait for the fellow to be available again (20 minutes) as the instructions for updating the cellphone are in French. Finally, got it completed but now running late. Our original plan was to have a nice Paris Bistro dinner.... We stopped at Petit Jules on the corner across from the mall for a Paris style fast food meal. Lana had a cheese hot dog and I had a croque monsieur and pain de chocolate. Vacuumed it down and then quickly walked to our hotel (15 minutes). Back into the #6 Subway and then connected with the #7 subway to take us to the Opera subway stop.
The Paris Opera (Palais Garnier) was built in the 1860s and is 1,979 seat capacity. It is very much a symbol of Paris. Described as the most famous opera house in the world. We bought tickets many weeks ago online and lucked out that they had a production when we were in Paris. This is a real highlight of our European holiday for me anyway. I got into loving opera a number of years ago so this is a real pinnacle of opera. We arrived at the Opera subway stop and almost immediately into the Palais Garnier. We finally located where we would provide our computer copy and receive our tickets. Hmmmm, no record of our tickets! Finally, the fellow said to see another man and he then went to the first fellow. The guy said no worry as we will get our tickets as our voucher had seat numbers. We waited for more than 10 minutes as I became more worried. The opera begins at 7:30 and it is now 7:20 pm and no fellow and no tickets. Finally, he showed up and said to follow him. Still no tickets. He takes us past the queues and then to the orchestra section. Somehow two real tickets show up and an older couple is escorted from what are our seats. We learn that somehow the company that sold us the tickets sold more tickets, but that couple had a voucher with no seat numbers. We think the guy gave away our seats to that couple and then realized his error. Oh well, we were seated before the production began and I had a chance to take some pictures.
Wow, the Paris Opera House almost cannot be described in words. Elegant, opulent, ornate, beautiful, classy, historical, artistic and incredible workmanship in everything. The stage is opened at the end and it is enormous - very wide and very deep. Never seen anything like that in terms of scale. Oh yeah, the opera is a Richard Strauss (German) "Capriccio" with no intermission. We learn over the 2 1/2 hours that these old seats begin to numb the butt.
Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House)
Ceiling over the seating section inside of the Opera House.
We are seated in the orchestra section middle and about 12 rows back so great seats! See the beautiful tiers and of course being an Opera House it is shaped like a circle.
Ceiling in the lobby. Wow, this place is incredible. Not sure what it cost to build this opera house, but it must have cost an incredible amount of money during its building.
The details of various fixtures around the inside of the Opera House.
Encore! Encore! Most of the cast taking their standing room applause.
More details....
We both very much enjoyed this opera production. The soprano was the star of the show. Her dress during the last act was unbelievably beautiful, colourful and flowing behind her. The sound dynamics were excellent, the opera orchestra very competent and each of the singers were top notch. The set design was simple yet functional. The ending was very emotional. Something that I hadn't thought of in advance was the subtext to be read was in French and the opera was sung in German. Oh well, I figured out some of the French words and it was pretty clear what the opera was about. Of course, unrequited love, jealousy, whimsy - all the usual occurrences of life. The tickets were very expensive, but this was perhaps a once in a lifetime occurrence and we savoured the experience. For certain, many of the older attendees were very dressed up in suits or beautiful dresses. Standing ovation and a few curtain calls.
Back into the subway and connection at Place d'Italie. A warmish night and plenty of people around the hotel. Needed to do some problem-solving to get my cellphone hotspot to work, thus allowing me to do the blog and update the Picasa photo album. Tomorrow, is our last full day in Paris. :-(
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Day 12 Paris
No rush to arise this morning. Cloudy when we awoke. I completed my blog for Day 11 and we kept in touch with Debrah. Agreed to meet up with them at 12:30 pm at the Arc de Triomphe which is at the one end of the Champs d'Elysees. Lana and I left our hotel around 11 am so lots of time to explore before meeting up.
Took the #4 subway to the Arc de Triomphe station so we could walk there and see one of the most famous destinations in Paris before walking towards the Champs d'Elysees and then north to the Arc de Triomphe. The day starts from sun to cloud and back again. Take off the sunglasses and put on the sunglasses. This is an example of a Parisien public washroom which is free, but takes some time as once you exit it cleans itself and that takes some time. So each of these public washrooms will have lineups. Running water in a sink and liquid soap with a dryer.
Good walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Lana finally got her morning croissant and it was at Hediard on George V avenue - noted as a gourmet food emporium. Many people at the Arc de Triomphe lining up for the lift to the top of the Arc where there is a viewing deck. There is an underground walkway that takes you to and from this famous landmark. Plus, it is guarded by soldiers. Actually, most of the major Paris landmarks are guarded by weapons.
Quite the accomplishment to get to this height and then walk down. Helps to burn off our calories and wine intake! ;-)
Curious about the Paris Metro subways? They are fairly clean within Paris city, very little graffiti and the tunnels are wide so well standing or sitting you can see the trains coming into the station. Many seats and the doors slam shut. Lots of colourful advertising on the station walls. Very bright feel though.
Another walk to the subway station with the goal to attend a criminal museum. A few subway train transfers, but regrettably we found that it was closed on Wednesdays. Oh well, lets head to a local cafe to have a drink and people watch. Hey, that is a typical Parisien experience. One place we stopped first was a fromagerie (cheese shop); Les Fromageries at 2 Rue de Lourmel. Incredible number and variety of cheeses, plus some tasters.
OK, time to rest our weary legs at Le Village Ronsard at 47 Ter Bd. St. Germain. For drinks we had a Kir, Muscat (aperitif), Sancerre Blanc and an Americano. Yup, the decadent life of a Parisien! Loved just sitting there sipping our drinks, talking and of course people watching. All of the seats face toward the foot traffic. This is an example of a Parisien cafe where people watching is a normal experience:
Time to get moving and for a subway ride closer to where we would like to eat tonight; Le Marais district. Plus, more walking and getting distracted with the many sights and stores along the way. Always need to be aware of the vehicle traffic as they may not stop. We found a table in the cellar (basement) of Robert et Louise Restaurant de Feu located at 64 Rue Vieille du Temple. Good reviews on Chowhound and we discovered later that Anthony Bourdain had eaten there and provided rave reviews so the place is very busy with locals and American tourists. One server was very friendly and informative. The other server for some reason didn't seem to care and was pretty rude. It was a fantastic meal in all ways. Plus, I had a mixture of rose wine and grapefruit concentrate juice that was delicious! If you are in Paris, head here for dinner but you might make reservations first.
After a very fulfilling dinner a walk through the historic and funky/busy Marais neighbourhood. Full of energy here with hip restaurants, narrow streets and a thriving Jewish area. Plus, in a couple of streets a number of places catering to the gay crowd. In Sarl Pele "Pitzman" at 8 Rue Pavee you can purchase many Jewish food items. We bought a huge bagel to eat tomorrow and will compare it to bagels from New York and Montreal that we have enjoyed. Check out the picture below of a "Kosher Pizza." First time we have seen this! Worth a try next time in the neighbourhood.
Took the #4 subway to the Arc de Triomphe station so we could walk there and see one of the most famous destinations in Paris before walking towards the Champs d'Elysees and then north to the Arc de Triomphe. The day starts from sun to cloud and back again. Take off the sunglasses and put on the sunglasses. This is an example of a Parisien public washroom which is free, but takes some time as once you exit it cleans itself and that takes some time. So each of these public washrooms will have lineups. Running water in a sink and liquid soap with a dryer.
Eiffel Tower from up close. You can see only the very bottom of this edifice and lots of people lining up to take the lifts to the observation deck very high up near the top.
Eiffel Tower from a distance. As you can see there are trees to the one side. It is a massive structure and dominates the skyline.
Good walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Lana finally got her morning croissant and it was at Hediard on George V avenue - noted as a gourmet food emporium. Many people at the Arc de Triomphe lining up for the lift to the top of the Arc where there is a viewing deck. There is an underground walkway that takes you to and from this famous landmark. Plus, it is guarded by soldiers. Actually, most of the major Paris landmarks are guarded by weapons.
Beautiful structure surrounded by a roundabout and tons of fellow tourists in the area. Right at the one end of the Champs d'Elysees.
Joined by Debrah and friend and given the time we all wanted to find a French bistro for lunch. We walked on the other side of the Arc and did find a restaurant on the main street; L'Aiglon at 55 Avenue de la Grande Armee. We ate inside although had to wait a while and then after Lana asked a simple question re the menu, the waitress decided to give us an attitude. Didn't see her for quite a while after that nor did we receive the usual bottle of tap water. The lunch was enjoyed by all of us although we weren't keen on the rose wine we drank. This is Lana's salad comprised of Lyonnaise sausage, boiled potatoes, onions etc. I think we spent at least two hours at lunch waiting for the waitress, eating and talking.
My charcuterie plate with complimentary bread (all restaurants provide a basket of bread). Three different types of cheeses, pickles, cold cuts. Yummy!
Next, we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower to get on an observation deck for the magnificent views of the city. Check out this window display at Louis Vuitton:
When we arrived to the Eiffel Tower, huge lineups to take the lifts to the top two observation decks. We made the decision to walk up to the second highest observation deck. This costs 5 Euro per adult. About 550 steps to the second highest observation deck, but incredible views. Lots of tourists stopping at various levels due to exhaustion from the walk up the stairs. Don't look straight down if you have a fear of heights! Slight breeze until we did get to the second highest level when the wind picked up. Many tourists here taking pictures; some took the lift and some by walking. Check out the pictures below taken from four different angles. As you can see many areas are from hundreds of years and some areas are more modern.
The famous Seine River that runs through Paris creating the Left bank and Right bank.
Curious about the Paris Metro subways? They are fairly clean within Paris city, very little graffiti and the tunnels are wide so well standing or sitting you can see the trains coming into the station. Many seats and the doors slam shut. Lots of colourful advertising on the station walls. Very bright feel though.
Another walk to the subway station with the goal to attend a criminal museum. A few subway train transfers, but regrettably we found that it was closed on Wednesdays. Oh well, lets head to a local cafe to have a drink and people watch. Hey, that is a typical Parisien experience. One place we stopped first was a fromagerie (cheese shop); Les Fromageries at 2 Rue de Lourmel. Incredible number and variety of cheeses, plus some tasters.
OK, time to rest our weary legs at Le Village Ronsard at 47 Ter Bd. St. Germain. For drinks we had a Kir, Muscat (aperitif), Sancerre Blanc and an Americano. Yup, the decadent life of a Parisien! Loved just sitting there sipping our drinks, talking and of course people watching. All of the seats face toward the foot traffic. This is an example of a Parisien cafe where people watching is a normal experience:
Time to get moving and for a subway ride closer to where we would like to eat tonight; Le Marais district. Plus, more walking and getting distracted with the many sights and stores along the way. Always need to be aware of the vehicle traffic as they may not stop. We found a table in the cellar (basement) of Robert et Louise Restaurant de Feu located at 64 Rue Vieille du Temple. Good reviews on Chowhound and we discovered later that Anthony Bourdain had eaten there and provided rave reviews so the place is very busy with locals and American tourists. One server was very friendly and informative. The other server for some reason didn't seem to care and was pretty rude. It was a fantastic meal in all ways. Plus, I had a mixture of rose wine and grapefruit concentrate juice that was delicious! If you are in Paris, head here for dinner but you might make reservations first.
My duck confit with potatoes fried in duck fat. Hmmm, that duck fat creates one delicious fried potato. A small amount of lettuce to appease our conscience. Nice bottle of Merlot/Syrah blend to compliment our dinners.
Meat being grilled on top of a metal plate with burning wood underneath. Very unique. It was at the rear of the main floor. The meat was delicious so must be doing something right.
After a very fulfilling dinner a walk through the historic and funky/busy Marais neighbourhood. Full of energy here with hip restaurants, narrow streets and a thriving Jewish area. Plus, in a couple of streets a number of places catering to the gay crowd. In Sarl Pele "Pitzman" at 8 Rue Pavee you can purchase many Jewish food items. We bought a huge bagel to eat tomorrow and will compare it to bagels from New York and Montreal that we have enjoyed. Check out the picture below of a "Kosher Pizza." First time we have seen this! Worth a try next time in the neighbourhood.
We finished the night by eating gelato! Yup, we need to reward ourselves for the walking and climbing today. Back into the subway and one transfer and a walk back to the hotel. We arrive around 10 pm so pretty early. Difficulties with my iPhone hotspot, but Lana problem-solved and it is working for my Macbook and her cellphone. Now close to midnight, so time to get some sleep and/or rest. Paris really is civilization.
Day 11 Milan -> Paris
Another sunny hot day as we awoke in Milano. The alarm did not go off at 0800, but fortunately Lana checked at 8:20 am, so I jumped out of bed and into the shower. Our taxi is picking us up at 0915. It will cost 95 Euros to take us up to an "hour" to Malpensa airport. Being on vacation - why get up early? We have a nice breakfast upstairs and while Lana is paying the usury new Italian tourist tax of 4 Euro per night per person (16 Euro total) I am outside waiting for the taxi. A taxi pulls up and a younger Italian woman staying at the hotel jumps in and the taxi guys places her bags in the trunk. I think she is taking our taxi that we arranged the day before? I ask the driver if he is going to the airport and it was a 9:15 pickup? He tells the woman to get out and takes out her luggage. Then a hotel guy comes out with a guy in a suit and says our taxi is a limo parked in a lane. Yikes! No time to apologize. Our taxi is a Mercedes Benz SUV. Nice and the drive is about 35 minutes so we arrive in plenty of time for our 11:45 am departure on Easy Jet.
At check in an Italian Canadian from Toronto was asking us about his bottle of eye lens cleaner that they told him he couldn't bring in carry-on while his luggage was already loading. He hadn't travelled in a long time as it is a liquid and way over the limit. I guess we sometimes take for granted that everyone knows about the restrictions on fluids with carry ons.
Check in at this European discount airline was uneventful, although the boarding pass had no gate assigned yet. The plane was almost full and mostly single men. Weird lineups and even in the jet way were were lining up although we eventually walked on the tarmac to our plane. No assigned seating so you grab whatever seats are available when boarding. Fortunately, nobody sat beside us. No free drinks or eats are offered. We landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle around 1 pm.
We decided to take the train into our hotel located on the left bank for about 18 Euro. The RER train is a very long walk from the luggage pickup in Terminal 2. Good signs to follow though and then into the RER to eventually connect at Denfort-Rocheleau and then onto #6 subway to a station close to the hotel. It is raining in Paris and not very warm. Quite a shock to us given the incredibly warm and sunny weather we have been experiencing. When we got out of the #6 subway train is was raining pretty heavily with puddles of water in the street as we dragged our luggage. We tried my GPS, but went in the wrong direction, but corrected and found our hotel. Luggage was soaked and we were soaked.
First in line at the Elite Counter check in dripping wet. Regrettably, the desk clerk took someone from the regular lineup thus ignoring us. Hmmm, strike one. Checked in to room 1230. Great views north and east although cloudy and rainy. Strike two - we discover no free wifi! Every place we have been on this trip and prior trips has free wifi. My iPhone Vodafone pay-as-you-go is down below 1 Euro left. The concierge tells us about a mall 15 minute walk along Rue St. Jacques. Off we go, with Lana using a hotel umbrella. First stop is at a boulangerie for a croissant for Lana and a pain de chocolate for me. Continued walking in the rain and found the mall. Into a Bouygues telecommunications/cellphone store for help. Akli helped us and spoke very good english. We purchased a SIM card (10 Euro) given there are no Vodafone dealers or cards in Paris. Oh well, my third SIM card for my cellphone. Then were advised to head to a tobacco store to purchase 20 Euro phone credit which he would update for us as the instructions were in French. He did this for us and answered all our questions.
With Lana's expertise we set up my iPhone as a hotspot for my Macbook and for Lana's cellphone. We were advised by the hotel desk clerk that we could stop at the bar for a "free drink". Strike three coming up as it took forever to have our two cocktails made and then found out only one of the two drinks were free. Whats up with that? This hotel is very nice and has a good reputation. We found out later that it is not unusual in Paris for hotels to charge for wifi.
Our friends are staying in Paris in the Le Marais district and have arranged to take the subway to our hotel for 6 pm. It was great to meet friendly faces and catch up on their adventures in Paris over the last week. The sun is trying to peak out as we head to the subway station a little at 7ish. Get on the #4 train to find a neighbourhood with more restaurant choices. We walk by Notre Dame, over the Seine River and then into the Marais neighbourhood. Lots of good walking and chatting in the streets and lanes of Paris. Wow, so much fun being back in Paris after a 10 year absence. Immediately, though you see the architecture, the streets, the people and know you are definitely in Paris as it is unique compared to the other European cities.
Our friends enjoyed their food and our red wine was equally yummy and pretty cheap at around 30 Euro. Although, we were tempted by the dessert choices, Lana remembered a gelato place that was close by. Amoroni gelato shop - same as in Milan. Lana and Debrah both had a petit cup while we walked to their apartment rental. Their apartment is a third floor walkup in a great building.
So much fun being in Paris with friends and exploring together. Back in the subway with one transfer and then a short walk back to the hotel. We are back just after midnight to our room. Lights out after a memorable first day in Paris. This city holds a special allure for many people. For certain, we noticed that couples seem to want to show their affections more - the romantic city of Paris.... We are looking forward to tomorrow in Paris and hope the weather changes to the better. Can't wait to get back out onto the streets of Paris.
At check in an Italian Canadian from Toronto was asking us about his bottle of eye lens cleaner that they told him he couldn't bring in carry-on while his luggage was already loading. He hadn't travelled in a long time as it is a liquid and way over the limit. I guess we sometimes take for granted that everyone knows about the restrictions on fluids with carry ons.
Check in at this European discount airline was uneventful, although the boarding pass had no gate assigned yet. The plane was almost full and mostly single men. Weird lineups and even in the jet way were were lining up although we eventually walked on the tarmac to our plane. No assigned seating so you grab whatever seats are available when boarding. Fortunately, nobody sat beside us. No free drinks or eats are offered. We landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle around 1 pm.
We decided to take the train into our hotel located on the left bank for about 18 Euro. The RER train is a very long walk from the luggage pickup in Terminal 2. Good signs to follow though and then into the RER to eventually connect at Denfort-Rocheleau and then onto #6 subway to a station close to the hotel. It is raining in Paris and not very warm. Quite a shock to us given the incredibly warm and sunny weather we have been experiencing. When we got out of the #6 subway train is was raining pretty heavily with puddles of water in the street as we dragged our luggage. We tried my GPS, but went in the wrong direction, but corrected and found our hotel. Luggage was soaked and we were soaked.
First in line at the Elite Counter check in dripping wet. Regrettably, the desk clerk took someone from the regular lineup thus ignoring us. Hmmm, strike one. Checked in to room 1230. Great views north and east although cloudy and rainy. Strike two - we discover no free wifi! Every place we have been on this trip and prior trips has free wifi. My iPhone Vodafone pay-as-you-go is down below 1 Euro left. The concierge tells us about a mall 15 minute walk along Rue St. Jacques. Off we go, with Lana using a hotel umbrella. First stop is at a boulangerie for a croissant for Lana and a pain de chocolate for me. Continued walking in the rain and found the mall. Into a Bouygues telecommunications/cellphone store for help. Akli helped us and spoke very good english. We purchased a SIM card (10 Euro) given there are no Vodafone dealers or cards in Paris. Oh well, my third SIM card for my cellphone. Then were advised to head to a tobacco store to purchase 20 Euro phone credit which he would update for us as the instructions were in French. He did this for us and answered all our questions.
With Lana's expertise we set up my iPhone as a hotspot for my Macbook and for Lana's cellphone. We were advised by the hotel desk clerk that we could stop at the bar for a "free drink". Strike three coming up as it took forever to have our two cocktails made and then found out only one of the two drinks were free. Whats up with that? This hotel is very nice and has a good reputation. We found out later that it is not unusual in Paris for hotels to charge for wifi.
Our friends are staying in Paris in the Le Marais district and have arranged to take the subway to our hotel for 6 pm. It was great to meet friendly faces and catch up on their adventures in Paris over the last week. The sun is trying to peak out as we head to the subway station a little at 7ish. Get on the #4 train to find a neighbourhood with more restaurant choices. We walk by Notre Dame, over the Seine River and then into the Marais neighbourhood. Lots of good walking and chatting in the streets and lanes of Paris. Wow, so much fun being back in Paris after a 10 year absence. Immediately, though you see the architecture, the streets, the people and know you are definitely in Paris as it is unique compared to the other European cities.
Handmade marshmallows in the window.
Notre Dame in the twilight.
Near the Bastille area with the fading sun reflecting off the apartments that overlook the Seine River.
We find a great restaurant only a few blocks from Debrah and her friend's place. La Chaise au Plafond at 10 rue du Tresor in the Marais neighbourhood. We find a table inside right beside the open window. No smoking inside the restaurants, but you can smoke at the outside tables. Fortunately, the fellow beside us complained about the smoke wafting inside and we closed the windows. The menu was in French of course, but our waiter explained the majority of the menu in English. Lots of wine choices as well. Everything was delicious! A typical French bistro in a very old Parisien neighbourhood with narrow streets.
My salad of tomatoes, fruit, lettuce, beets etc.
Lana's meal of steak au poivre (peppercorn sauce) and fried potatoes. A very classic French dish.
Randy's authentic French dish of a sausage antouillie? (snout, heart and kidney) with a fantastic mustard and fried potatoes/salad. The waiter was surprised at my order as he said English people usually don't like it. I loved it! Very unique flavour!
Our friends enjoyed their food and our red wine was equally yummy and pretty cheap at around 30 Euro. Although, we were tempted by the dessert choices, Lana remembered a gelato place that was close by. Amoroni gelato shop - same as in Milan. Lana and Debrah both had a petit cup while we walked to their apartment rental. Their apartment is a third floor walkup in a great building.
So much fun being in Paris with friends and exploring together. Back in the subway with one transfer and then a short walk back to the hotel. We are back just after midnight to our room. Lights out after a memorable first day in Paris. This city holds a special allure for many people. For certain, we noticed that couples seem to want to show their affections more - the romantic city of Paris.... We are looking forward to tomorrow in Paris and hope the weather changes to the better. Can't wait to get back out onto the streets of Paris.
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