A Win At the Arc and Discovering Lisbon
Oct 19th, 2013, 02:27 AM
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A Win At the Arc and Discovering Lisbon
We are back from our annual trip to Europe. This year we chose 4 nights in Paris and 4 nights in Lisbon, where we had yet to visit. I started planning this last April when I first purchased my airfare, in three separate flights. We flew from BOS to CDG on Icelandair. It's not my first choice of airline, but it gets you there and is efficient. They sell food and have seatback screens on their planes, which are 3 and 3 seating. The connection is painless in Reykjavik.
This time we took a taxi for the first time into Paris as I had broken my arm and it was my excuse not to have to lug the bag on the RER and metro to our apartment. Taxi's in Paris are expensive and the trip from the airport with tip was 50 euro. We stayed in an apartment over by the Bastille. It faced Blvd. Richard Lenoir and the great Thursday and Sunday market. We were there for the Sunday market. They also have a Saturday craft market. The apartment was very bright and clean and convenient to everything. The area behind the apartment was lively and had markets, patisseries, laundry, wine shops, bars, cafés, restaurants, Asian Traiteurs, etc. There was a metro stop across the street and the Bastille stop a few blocks south.
It was Nuit Blanche in Paris the Saturday that we arrived. We shopped around and stocked up the apartment before taking a nap. We have decided that for us that's the way to go now, no more forcing ourselves to stay up until we drop. We got up refreshed after the nap and headed out into the night. The streets were packed with people. We didn't see much of the Nuit Blanche but instead headed over to Duc des Lombards, the jazz club on rue Lombard for the free midnight jam session. There was an American jazz group playing. At least one of the members was French, but although they were professional with their music, it wasn't much of a jam session. We moved on after one beer. From there we headed toward the river and then back over to rue Rivoli. I would liken the scene to Boston's First Night without the cold weather; lots of drunk people and men urinating against buildings all over the place. We continued on up to Rue Ste. Antoine and into the St. Paul church where they had an installation of a spiral coming down from the apse of the church with spooky, eerie music and sounds and dark lighting. I thought pretty appropriate for the setting and odd that the church allowed it to be installed.
Back to the apartment after that as we needed to be able to get up the next morning for the market and the huge spectacular that the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe race at Longchamps promised to be.
More later.
This time we took a taxi for the first time into Paris as I had broken my arm and it was my excuse not to have to lug the bag on the RER and metro to our apartment. Taxi's in Paris are expensive and the trip from the airport with tip was 50 euro. We stayed in an apartment over by the Bastille. It faced Blvd. Richard Lenoir and the great Thursday and Sunday market. We were there for the Sunday market. They also have a Saturday craft market. The apartment was very bright and clean and convenient to everything. The area behind the apartment was lively and had markets, patisseries, laundry, wine shops, bars, cafés, restaurants, Asian Traiteurs, etc. There was a metro stop across the street and the Bastille stop a few blocks south.
It was Nuit Blanche in Paris the Saturday that we arrived. We shopped around and stocked up the apartment before taking a nap. We have decided that for us that's the way to go now, no more forcing ourselves to stay up until we drop. We got up refreshed after the nap and headed out into the night. The streets were packed with people. We didn't see much of the Nuit Blanche but instead headed over to Duc des Lombards, the jazz club on rue Lombard for the free midnight jam session. There was an American jazz group playing. At least one of the members was French, but although they were professional with their music, it wasn't much of a jam session. We moved on after one beer. From there we headed toward the river and then back over to rue Rivoli. I would liken the scene to Boston's First Night without the cold weather; lots of drunk people and men urinating against buildings all over the place. We continued on up to Rue Ste. Antoine and into the St. Paul church where they had an installation of a spiral coming down from the apse of the church with spooky, eerie music and sounds and dark lighting. I thought pretty appropriate for the setting and odd that the church allowed it to be installed.
Back to the apartment after that as we needed to be able to get up the next morning for the market and the huge spectacular that the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe race at Longchamps promised to be.
More later.
Oct 19th, 2013, 03:23 AM
#2
Great start to your report.
All churches built before 1905 belong to the government which can do what it likes with them. (Naturally, this includes putting the buildings at the disposal of the various faiths most of the time, but culture is considered more important than religion here, so a cultural event has priority.)
All churches built before 1905 belong to the government which can do what it likes with them. (Naturally, this includes putting the buildings at the disposal of the various faiths most of the time, but culture is considered more important than religion here, so a cultural event has priority.)
Oct 19th, 2013, 03:32 AM
#3
Ah, you made it to Nuit Blanche. Always wanted to do that. (I have also always wanted to go to First Night in Boston, but it's always so cold I can't get inspired.) Also have wanted to go to the midnight jam session at Duc des Lombards after reading about you doing it, but haven't been in Paris on the right night when I was awake enough or with someone else awake enough to get there.
So getting my vicarious thrills reading your report. Looking forward to the rest.
So getting my vicarious thrills reading your report. Looking forward to the rest.
Oct 19th, 2013, 03:39 AM
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Thanks, kerouac. I consider that a great compliment as I love the pictorials that you post. I have made it a point to visit some of the areas that you have photographed on some of out past visits to Paris.
The explanation about the churches answers my question about why the installation was going on at St. Paul. Not being a religious person myself, I enjoyed the dual use for the church.
The explanation about the churches answers my question about why the installation was going on at St. Paul. Not being a religious person myself, I enjoyed the dual use for the church.
Oct 19th, 2013, 03:41 AM
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Hello Nikki: Nuit Blanche is probably lots of fun for people who go in for that sort of thing. For us it was interesting to see, but the streets were so crowded, where we kind of like to walk around at night and enjoy the serenity of it all. I'm not sorry that we were there at the same time, however.
The standout for this trip for me was Longchamp on Sunday. I'll write more about that later.
The standout for this trip for me was Longchamp on Sunday. I'll write more about that later.
Oct 19th, 2013, 05:20 AM
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When we head to Paris, we rent an apartment, even if for only 3 days. We make our first stop to the local Monoprix, although this trip we also had a small Carrefour near us. We are not gourmet eaters, and have no problem stocking up at these stores things such as wine (got a tasty Chinon), a few bottles of beer, the inexpensive mousse de canard, cheese, Bonne Maman products such as Madeleines, meringues, financiers. You can see we aren't eating so healthy, but in the U.S. we can only get the Bonne Maman jams in our local stores. I also like the little toasts. This trip we got the most delicious butter ever! It had Sel de mer in sweet butter. Wish they had it here. I know we can get all of these items and better quality from small stores in the neighborhood, but it's easy and quick for us to stock up. During the visit, along the way we pick up items locally such as baquettes, pastries, Asian take-out, etc.
Once all the provisions are in the kitchen, we usually end up eating them for lunch, snacks during the day, and breakfast.
We eat at places that we have enjoyed in the past, mostly do not require reservations, and are reasonably priced. This is not a foodie trip, but we most certainly enjoy the food that we do eat.
Our first morning we headed over to Places des Vosges to sit under the arcades at Ma Bourgogne for breakfast which for me consists of Cafe Creme and a tartine beurre and for my husband an espresso and a pain chocolat. We have been doing this since our first trip to Paris together in 1998.
Sunday we went to the market and the races (more on that later)and ended up eating on Blvd Beaumarchais, not far from our apartment. I was in the mood for moules frites and as the Leon de Bruxelles was so handy and required no reservations we decided to eat there. Yes, I know it's probably the equivalent of an Appleby's or TGIF in the U.S. but the moules were very good and the frites were perfectly fine. I had the Leon special moules and my husband had the provencal moules.
Monday night we ate at another old standby that we very much enjoy and also requires no reservations, Brasserie de l'Isle St. Louis. For the first time the weather was mild enough for us to sit outside. When we arrived we were seated next to two woman who had apparently been sitting and drinking wine for quite some time as they were very loud and their conversation reminded me of something you might hear on "The Real Housewives of Orange Country". It kind of took away from the atmosphere. About 2/3 of the way through our meal they left and it quieted down. A large group of American and French students sat down to have dessert and they were fun to have next to us as they were all trying to converse in English and French with one another. I had what I always have, the Omelette mixte with frites and a small mug of Mutzig beer. My husband had his favorite, Choucroute and a large mug of Mutzig. On the opposite corner a man was playing an accordion for money and it really did add to the ambiance. My husband planned to give him some money for serenading us during our dinner when the police pulled up and started yelling at him and gesturing to the other side of the bridge. They kept it up for awhile and it was apparent that they didn't want him in that spot. So before he finished packing up my husband went over and gave him some money for the music and he spoke to us in French, and also gestured at the police, raising his eyes and laughing. At the same time that we were eating dinner a film crew was filming on the Pont Louis Philippe with what appeared to be a car supposedly going off the bridge. They allowed us to cross back over to the Marais after dinner, but continued filming. We never did find out what it was for.
Our last full day we had lunch at what has become a regular lunch spot for us. Café Constant on rue St. Dominique in the 7th requires no reservations. We arrived around 12:15 and it was already almost full. We sat upstairs and had the Formule for the day. The starter was a country pate with pastry, served warm with greens. The entree was a rabbit stew over tagliatelle, and the dessert was 3 small choquettes in a dark chocolate sauce. We also had the red wine of the month, although I forget what it was. The service has always been very good. The owner came upstairs to speak with an elderly French man seated near us and then retreated downstairs. It's always a nice dining experience for us.
Other than that, we had the occasional baquette sandwich on the go, the snacks at the apartment, and the local creperie stand at the Bastille. We definitely gained weight, even with the walking, but little did we know that in Lisbon we would shed the pounds with all of the stairs and hills that we would be climbing.
Once all the provisions are in the kitchen, we usually end up eating them for lunch, snacks during the day, and breakfast.
We eat at places that we have enjoyed in the past, mostly do not require reservations, and are reasonably priced. This is not a foodie trip, but we most certainly enjoy the food that we do eat.
Our first morning we headed over to Places des Vosges to sit under the arcades at Ma Bourgogne for breakfast which for me consists of Cafe Creme and a tartine beurre and for my husband an espresso and a pain chocolat. We have been doing this since our first trip to Paris together in 1998.
Sunday we went to the market and the races (more on that later)and ended up eating on Blvd Beaumarchais, not far from our apartment. I was in the mood for moules frites and as the Leon de Bruxelles was so handy and required no reservations we decided to eat there. Yes, I know it's probably the equivalent of an Appleby's or TGIF in the U.S. but the moules were very good and the frites were perfectly fine. I had the Leon special moules and my husband had the provencal moules.
Monday night we ate at another old standby that we very much enjoy and also requires no reservations, Brasserie de l'Isle St. Louis. For the first time the weather was mild enough for us to sit outside. When we arrived we were seated next to two woman who had apparently been sitting and drinking wine for quite some time as they were very loud and their conversation reminded me of something you might hear on "The Real Housewives of Orange Country". It kind of took away from the atmosphere. About 2/3 of the way through our meal they left and it quieted down. A large group of American and French students sat down to have dessert and they were fun to have next to us as they were all trying to converse in English and French with one another. I had what I always have, the Omelette mixte with frites and a small mug of Mutzig beer. My husband had his favorite, Choucroute and a large mug of Mutzig. On the opposite corner a man was playing an accordion for money and it really did add to the ambiance. My husband planned to give him some money for serenading us during our dinner when the police pulled up and started yelling at him and gesturing to the other side of the bridge. They kept it up for awhile and it was apparent that they didn't want him in that spot. So before he finished packing up my husband went over and gave him some money for the music and he spoke to us in French, and also gestured at the police, raising his eyes and laughing. At the same time that we were eating dinner a film crew was filming on the Pont Louis Philippe with what appeared to be a car supposedly going off the bridge. They allowed us to cross back over to the Marais after dinner, but continued filming. We never did find out what it was for.
Our last full day we had lunch at what has become a regular lunch spot for us. Café Constant on rue St. Dominique in the 7th requires no reservations. We arrived around 12:15 and it was already almost full. We sat upstairs and had the Formule for the day. The starter was a country pate with pastry, served warm with greens. The entree was a rabbit stew over tagliatelle, and the dessert was 3 small choquettes in a dark chocolate sauce. We also had the red wine of the month, although I forget what it was. The service has always been very good. The owner came upstairs to speak with an elderly French man seated near us and then retreated downstairs. It's always a nice dining experience for us.
Other than that, we had the occasional baquette sandwich on the go, the snacks at the apartment, and the local creperie stand at the Bastille. We definitely gained weight, even with the walking, but little did we know that in Lisbon we would shed the pounds with all of the stairs and hills that we would be climbing.
Oct 19th, 2013, 09:05 AM
#8
Half of the people say that they lose weight in Paris with all of the walking in spite of all they eat and the other half say that they gain weight.
I think there should be a scientific study about this -- meals consumed, amount of walking, etc.
I'm certain that it would be very useful for lots of visitors.
I think there should be a scientific study about this -- meals consumed, amount of walking, etc.
I'm certain that it would be very useful for lots of visitors.
Oct 19th, 2013, 11:05 AM
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Well, I always eat like crazy and gain weight, but also walk a lot and it kind of balances out.
Sunday was market day at Richard Lenoir. I love this market. I just like to browse and with the apartment immediately opposite we could just take our time getting there and then upon returning could sip some wine and watch everyone else browsing and shopping at the market.
Early afternoon we got ready to go to Longchamps for the premier race of the thoroughbred industry, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. I had already purchased tickets online as I read that it would be very crowded there. We had been to the track once before and were among the very few there. This day would prove to be very different.
We took the metro out to Porte de Auteuil and from there a free shuttle to the track. It was very efficient and well run. No sooner had one shuttle filled when another pulled up to take it's place. There was no waiting for buses! We arrived at the track for the race before the big race. It was a spectacle! The whole day is sponsored by Qatar, a small monarchy with lots of wealth and a penchant for horse racing. There was an Arabian band composed of all men performing near the entrance and everywhere there were giveaways of pins, and different hats. The Japanese were well represented as they had two horses running and one was a favorite for the Arc. The first race I was close, but didn't win (nor did my husband). The second race I chose my horse while waiting on line to bet. I figured all the money would be on the Japaneses horses so I picked the next best, which was Treve, a French bred horse, a filly. We went out to watch the race and the crowd was really electric. There were 18 horses in the field and Treve was #18. I'm short so I couldn't see above everyone, but could get a glimpse at the big screen. I had no idea where my horse was as they rounded the top of the stretch and came down towards the finish. The crowd began to shout and I could see that it wasn't the Japanese horse, but didn't really know it was my horse that won easily until it went across the line. As corny as this sounds, with the cheering of the crowd and the music playing all around us, I had tears in my eyes. Being at the Arc had been a long time dream for me and here I was with a winning ticket!! It made my trip for sure.
We stayed for one more race, an all Arabian horse race and my husband won that so we both went away winners! I'd have to say it was the most exciting day at a horse race for me; very special.
Sunday was market day at Richard Lenoir. I love this market. I just like to browse and with the apartment immediately opposite we could just take our time getting there and then upon returning could sip some wine and watch everyone else browsing and shopping at the market.
Early afternoon we got ready to go to Longchamps for the premier race of the thoroughbred industry, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. I had already purchased tickets online as I read that it would be very crowded there. We had been to the track once before and were among the very few there. This day would prove to be very different.
We took the metro out to Porte de Auteuil and from there a free shuttle to the track. It was very efficient and well run. No sooner had one shuttle filled when another pulled up to take it's place. There was no waiting for buses! We arrived at the track for the race before the big race. It was a spectacle! The whole day is sponsored by Qatar, a small monarchy with lots of wealth and a penchant for horse racing. There was an Arabian band composed of all men performing near the entrance and everywhere there were giveaways of pins, and different hats. The Japanese were well represented as they had two horses running and one was a favorite for the Arc. The first race I was close, but didn't win (nor did my husband). The second race I chose my horse while waiting on line to bet. I figured all the money would be on the Japaneses horses so I picked the next best, which was Treve, a French bred horse, a filly. We went out to watch the race and the crowd was really electric. There were 18 horses in the field and Treve was #18. I'm short so I couldn't see above everyone, but could get a glimpse at the big screen. I had no idea where my horse was as they rounded the top of the stretch and came down towards the finish. The crowd began to shout and I could see that it wasn't the Japanese horse, but didn't really know it was my horse that won easily until it went across the line. As corny as this sounds, with the cheering of the crowd and the music playing all around us, I had tears in my eyes. Being at the Arc had been a long time dream for me and here I was with a winning ticket!! It made my trip for sure.
We stayed for one more race, an all Arabian horse race and my husband won that so we both went away winners! I'd have to say it was the most exciting day at a horse race for me; very special.
Oct 20th, 2013, 02:10 AM
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Well, Nikki you can tell your husband that I actually win sometimes at Suffolk Downs! But it doesn't quite compare to Longchamps.
Thanks irishface for the congrats.
nukesafe, I'm a $2 win better in the U.S. I splurged in Paris and bet a whole 6 euro and got back 35 euro which included the bet money. So I was ahead for the day even with the entrance fee and my other bets which were only 4 euro each. It's definitely just sport for me.
On Monday of our trip we took a half day side trip to Rouen. I had read an article in the NYTimes about someone who had done the very same thing and it sounded like a good idea. The tickets were only 20 euro each rt. We left Gare St. Lazare on the 9:00 train and arrived an hour later in Rouen. The trip on the train was uneventful. The scenery on the way there was not much to look at. On the return we were on an upper level and we could see much more so it was more interesting.
The weather was pleasant, partly cloudy and mild. We walked around and around looking for the tourist information so that we could get a map. We must have gone up and down rue Jeanne D'arc 10 times following the signs before we realized that the sign, although it looked as if it was heading us straight, south, it was actually meaning to point east toward the Gros Horloge. Feeling pretty silly we finally got our map amd sat at a small outdoor place for coffee. Rouen was full of tour groups and many were American. We walked around a bit more. The cathedral was closed, not sure why so we headed over to the Musee de Beaux Arts de Rouen. It too was mostly closed. We paid 5 euro to see the limited exhibits and kind of breezed through. I wasn't much into museums this trip. I didn't do any research on this trip aside from the NYTimes article, but thought we might be able to get some crepes being up in Normandy and all. We trudged all around the central area of the city and didn't see anything that we really wanted to invest the time and money in. We did however see more half timbered buildings than I will ever see anywhere else in my lifetime and the very modern church of Jeanne D'Arc, although we did not go inside. We headed back to the station to see if we could get return seats on an earlier train, but I had purchased the cheapest ticket with no changes allowed. So back down rue Jeanne D'Arc to pick up a sandwich and we ate it in the park by the museum. It was pleasant enough and certainly didn't break the budget. Eventually we headed back to the station and got our train back to Paris, arriving at 4:00 pm. Lesson learned; if we decide to do another small trip out of Paris, only stay a small amount of time. I think our time would have been better spent in Paris, this trip.
Thanks irishface for the congrats.
nukesafe, I'm a $2 win better in the U.S. I splurged in Paris and bet a whole 6 euro and got back 35 euro which included the bet money. So I was ahead for the day even with the entrance fee and my other bets which were only 4 euro each. It's definitely just sport for me.
On Monday of our trip we took a half day side trip to Rouen. I had read an article in the NYTimes about someone who had done the very same thing and it sounded like a good idea. The tickets were only 20 euro each rt. We left Gare St. Lazare on the 9:00 train and arrived an hour later in Rouen. The trip on the train was uneventful. The scenery on the way there was not much to look at. On the return we were on an upper level and we could see much more so it was more interesting.
The weather was pleasant, partly cloudy and mild. We walked around and around looking for the tourist information so that we could get a map. We must have gone up and down rue Jeanne D'arc 10 times following the signs before we realized that the sign, although it looked as if it was heading us straight, south, it was actually meaning to point east toward the Gros Horloge. Feeling pretty silly we finally got our map amd sat at a small outdoor place for coffee. Rouen was full of tour groups and many were American. We walked around a bit more. The cathedral was closed, not sure why so we headed over to the Musee de Beaux Arts de Rouen. It too was mostly closed. We paid 5 euro to see the limited exhibits and kind of breezed through. I wasn't much into museums this trip. I didn't do any research on this trip aside from the NYTimes article, but thought we might be able to get some crepes being up in Normandy and all. We trudged all around the central area of the city and didn't see anything that we really wanted to invest the time and money in. We did however see more half timbered buildings than I will ever see anywhere else in my lifetime and the very modern church of Jeanne D'Arc, although we did not go inside. We headed back to the station to see if we could get return seats on an earlier train, but I had purchased the cheapest ticket with no changes allowed. So back down rue Jeanne D'Arc to pick up a sandwich and we ate it in the park by the museum. It was pleasant enough and certainly didn't break the budget. Eventually we headed back to the station and got our train back to Paris, arriving at 4:00 pm. Lesson learned; if we decide to do another small trip out of Paris, only stay a small amount of time. I think our time would have been better spent in Paris, this trip.
Oct 20th, 2013, 04:42 AM
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Thanks JulieVikmanis
kerouac: yes it was really going to be one of the sites to visit. The cathedral had scaffolding all over the front and it was blocked off with no access. The outside was impressive, though.
I didn't keep a travel journal this trip as my right hand wasn't working so well, what with the broken arm. My memory of events might not be in order, but I can remember what we did. On Sunday night before our dinner at Leon de Bruxelles we walked down rue Daval across to rue Lappe and left to L'Atelier Charonne where they have a free jam on Sunday evenings at 8:00. We sat at the bar and listened to Noe Reinhardt (no relation to Django) and William Brunard play manouche jazz. We didn't hang around for the rest of the jam session as we were tired after our exhilarating day at the track and I wanted to get my moules. I love to hear music while in Paris, but I try to listen for the cost of a drink, so I look for the jam sessions. We had been to L'Atelier Charonne before and were able to sit at the bar again and listen to Angelo Debarre, although it was not a jam session that night but a dinner concert. If you were able to snag a seat at the bar you didn't have to purchase the dinner, which really didn't look like what we wanted to do.
Tuesday was our last full day in Paris before heading off to Lisbon. The weather continued to be fairly mild and pleasant. We did a lot of walking this day, all over the Marais, over in the 7th, by the Opera area, Montparnasse, left bank near the river, and through Ile St. Louis.
We had saved this day for our lunch at Cafe Constant. In the morning we went to the local laundry and dried our clothing as we were able to wash them at the apartment but didn't want to use the drier there. It would have taken way too long and the clothes would have been fairly wrinkled. While waiting for the clothes to dry we had a coffee at the corner cafe, outside again.
We took the Bastille metro stop over to Ecole Militaire and walked to rue Saint-Dominique. As always we enjoyed our meal (as I wrote about earlier). From there we headed over to Montparnasse by metro and photographed the most famous and probably popular gravesites; Serge Gainsbourg, Jean Seberg, Sartre, and Beauvoir. I have been to Pere Lachaise before and now finally Montparnasse. There was a funeral going on and it was an odd feeling for us as tourists, and the other "grave gawkers" to be mingling among the real mourners.
We hopped back on the metro and over to the Opera to Galeries Lafayette for the free Paris maps. I have taken to covering my light plates and outlet plates with maps of Paris; call me crazy. After picking up our maps we headed up to the rooftop terrace. On such a lovely day it was full of people. We have done this on almost every visit to Paris so we didn't stay long, just time enough to take in the view of the city and then back down the escalators to the street and metro back to the apartment.
We rested up a bit and started the packing for Lisbon. We were certainly going to miss the small marble table in the kitchen with the great people watching. After some rest, wine, and a snack we walked toward the Bastille over to Henry IV and across the Pont de Sully cutting through the tip of Ile St. Louis and once on the left bank crossed left to go to the Institute du Monde Arabe. We had also never been here, although we just went to the rooftop for the view. There was a restaurant on the roof where people were having tea and other refreshments. That day we just went for the view. It was a very modern and interesting building and maybe on another visit we will actually pay the admission and go into the exhibit area. Upon leaving we walked a bit down Blvd. St. Germain and over the bridge across Ile de la Cite over to Ile St. Louis and up to Rivoli and up St. Antoine back to the apartment.
Packing and resting for awhile before we went back out again into the Marais and retraced our steps back to the streets where we had rented other apartments and reminisced about our stays in those "neighborhoods". We ended up at the Pompidou which was fairly closed down at 8:00 pm on a Tuesday night. We thought we might get some souvenirs for our granddaughters. We always make a point of getting them something with their names on them from Paris; Eva and Elodie, two names that are impossible to find in the U.S. We made our way over to rue des rosiers where we had rented an apartment a few trips back and where we always get ourselves a Special at L'as du Falafel. We carried it back to the apartment and sitting at our marble table, drinking our last beer, watched the people and traffic go by as we had our last dinner in Paris.
Tomorrow up early to head to the airport for Lisbon.
kerouac: yes it was really going to be one of the sites to visit. The cathedral had scaffolding all over the front and it was blocked off with no access. The outside was impressive, though.
I didn't keep a travel journal this trip as my right hand wasn't working so well, what with the broken arm. My memory of events might not be in order, but I can remember what we did. On Sunday night before our dinner at Leon de Bruxelles we walked down rue Daval across to rue Lappe and left to L'Atelier Charonne where they have a free jam on Sunday evenings at 8:00. We sat at the bar and listened to Noe Reinhardt (no relation to Django) and William Brunard play manouche jazz. We didn't hang around for the rest of the jam session as we were tired after our exhilarating day at the track and I wanted to get my moules. I love to hear music while in Paris, but I try to listen for the cost of a drink, so I look for the jam sessions. We had been to L'Atelier Charonne before and were able to sit at the bar again and listen to Angelo Debarre, although it was not a jam session that night but a dinner concert. If you were able to snag a seat at the bar you didn't have to purchase the dinner, which really didn't look like what we wanted to do.
Tuesday was our last full day in Paris before heading off to Lisbon. The weather continued to be fairly mild and pleasant. We did a lot of walking this day, all over the Marais, over in the 7th, by the Opera area, Montparnasse, left bank near the river, and through Ile St. Louis.
We had saved this day for our lunch at Cafe Constant. In the morning we went to the local laundry and dried our clothing as we were able to wash them at the apartment but didn't want to use the drier there. It would have taken way too long and the clothes would have been fairly wrinkled. While waiting for the clothes to dry we had a coffee at the corner cafe, outside again.
We took the Bastille metro stop over to Ecole Militaire and walked to rue Saint-Dominique. As always we enjoyed our meal (as I wrote about earlier). From there we headed over to Montparnasse by metro and photographed the most famous and probably popular gravesites; Serge Gainsbourg, Jean Seberg, Sartre, and Beauvoir. I have been to Pere Lachaise before and now finally Montparnasse. There was a funeral going on and it was an odd feeling for us as tourists, and the other "grave gawkers" to be mingling among the real mourners.
We hopped back on the metro and over to the Opera to Galeries Lafayette for the free Paris maps. I have taken to covering my light plates and outlet plates with maps of Paris; call me crazy. After picking up our maps we headed up to the rooftop terrace. On such a lovely day it was full of people. We have done this on almost every visit to Paris so we didn't stay long, just time enough to take in the view of the city and then back down the escalators to the street and metro back to the apartment.
We rested up a bit and started the packing for Lisbon. We were certainly going to miss the small marble table in the kitchen with the great people watching. After some rest, wine, and a snack we walked toward the Bastille over to Henry IV and across the Pont de Sully cutting through the tip of Ile St. Louis and once on the left bank crossed left to go to the Institute du Monde Arabe. We had also never been here, although we just went to the rooftop for the view. There was a restaurant on the roof where people were having tea and other refreshments. That day we just went for the view. It was a very modern and interesting building and maybe on another visit we will actually pay the admission and go into the exhibit area. Upon leaving we walked a bit down Blvd. St. Germain and over the bridge across Ile de la Cite over to Ile St. Louis and up to Rivoli and up St. Antoine back to the apartment.
Packing and resting for awhile before we went back out again into the Marais and retraced our steps back to the streets where we had rented other apartments and reminisced about our stays in those "neighborhoods". We ended up at the Pompidou which was fairly closed down at 8:00 pm on a Tuesday night. We thought we might get some souvenirs for our granddaughters. We always make a point of getting them something with their names on them from Paris; Eva and Elodie, two names that are impossible to find in the U.S. We made our way over to rue des rosiers where we had rented an apartment a few trips back and where we always get ourselves a Special at L'as du Falafel. We carried it back to the apartment and sitting at our marble table, drinking our last beer, watched the people and traffic go by as we had our last dinner in Paris.
Tomorrow up early to head to the airport for Lisbon.
Oct 20th, 2013, 06:41 AM
#17
Looking forward to Lisbon - one of my favorite places!
I have visited the exhibits at Institute du Monde Arabe. As best I remember I found them worth the admission.
Sorry the visit to Rouen didn't work out, but have you been to Chartres? I just loved the cathedral (did both morning and afternoon tours) and liked the town enough to consider staying there on another trip.
I have visited the exhibits at Institute du Monde Arabe. As best I remember I found them worth the admission.
Sorry the visit to Rouen didn't work out, but have you been to Chartres? I just loved the cathedral (did both morning and afternoon tours) and liked the town enough to consider staying there on another trip.
Oct 20th, 2013, 06:49 AM
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thursdays: I have not been to Chartres, that will be for another visit. I'm not sorry that we went to Rouen, but with only 4 nights in Paris we probably should have stayed in the city.
Oct 20th, 2013, 10:33 AM
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My husband read the Zagat guide that was in our apartment and he discovered that we had eaten at 3 of the top 50 restaurants in Paris while we were on this visit. They were Café Constant, Brasserie de l'Isle St. Louis, and L'as du Falafel. Imagine that. I'm not sure what criteria was used by Zagat.
We didn't take a taxi back to the airport, but were back to our usual mode of transport, the metro and RER. It was no problem for me now, my arm was on the mend. We were flying out of CDG to Lisbon on Air France. The fare was what they now call a mini at $75 one way. I didn't realize until a couple of days before we flew that it didn't include luggage so I added that for $15 per person. I usually do carry on but this trip I decided not to and it was really nice not to have to worry about the weight of the bag and schlepping it around with me in the airport. I may do that again in the future.
It was raining as we got to the airport. We didn't have to wait too long before we were boarding. I watched the gray sky and the rivulets of rain run down the airplane window as we taxied out to the runway and off we went toward Lisbon. We had a decent flight and approximately 2 1/2 hours later we were landing at a sunny 80+ degree Lisbon.
We didn't take a taxi back to the airport, but were back to our usual mode of transport, the metro and RER. It was no problem for me now, my arm was on the mend. We were flying out of CDG to Lisbon on Air France. The fare was what they now call a mini at $75 one way. I didn't realize until a couple of days before we flew that it didn't include luggage so I added that for $15 per person. I usually do carry on but this trip I decided not to and it was really nice not to have to worry about the weight of the bag and schlepping it around with me in the airport. I may do that again in the future.
It was raining as we got to the airport. We didn't have to wait too long before we were boarding. I watched the gray sky and the rivulets of rain run down the airplane window as we taxied out to the runway and off we went toward Lisbon. We had a decent flight and approximately 2 1/2 hours later we were landing at a sunny 80+ degree Lisbon.
