Paris and England Trip Report

I recently returned from a very busy three-week trip to Paris, Canterbury, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and London. Before I share some of the highlights, I'd like to thank the Fodor's forum-goers for the advice I received and previous posts that gave my ideas for my own trip.

Accommodations:
1. In Paris, I stayed in Vacation In Paris Rental #19 in the Latin Quarter. 3rd floor, U.S., walk-up studio. Located two floors over a café open until 2 A.M., but the noise from the café patrons wasn’t enough to disturb sleep. Convenient to métro, Monoprix, Pantheon, Cluny museum, and rue Mouffetard. Apartment had the basics needed, but couldn’t be termed luxurious.
2. In Canterbury, I stayed at the White House B&B. Fabulous breakfast and room #2 was gorgeously decorated and the ensuite bathroom was huge and spotlessly clean.
3. In Stratford-Upon-Avon, I stayed at Emsley Guest House, which is under new management/ownership. Decent breakfast and comfortable room.
4. In London, I stayed in Flat #1 at Furnival House in Highgate Village. Furnival House is one of the student accommodations for the University of Westminster. Typical dorm room with its own separate bathroom and kitchen. I’ve stayed in student housing in Oxford and Edinburgh, and Furnival House definitely ranked last. It was clean but not very comfortable or appealing. For someone younger or on a budget, it’s a good value.

Meals:
1. I’m not any kind of gourmand, but I do have a major sweet tooth. I basically just shopped at Monoprix and Marks and Spencer (and the local food stands boulangerie) for prepared foods that I could either eat cold or warm up in the microwave in the apartment kitchen. I did try the kinds of food you don’t usually see in an American grocery store, like pâté and foie gras. I did the occasional café stop and ate dinner out several times. I did manage to find a place on rue Cler and bought roast chicken and potatoes, and it was very good. I tried a lot of pastries at a Galeries Lafayette café, and the David Mercier chocolate macarons from there were very good (yes, I know it’s not Ladereé’s, but it was nice even so). I also had afternoon at the National Dining Room at the National Gallery (absolutely the worst service and meal I’ve had on a trip).

Transportation:
1. I used the Paris métro a lot, along with the RER, since I had a tendency to cover widespread areas of the city on the same day. Very easy to navigate, even easier than the London Tube.
2. I took the Eurostar (standard-class) to Ashford International. Seats were smaller than those on an airplane.
3. Used a Britrail London Plus Pass to visit Leeds Castle, Knole House, Warwick Castle, and Hampton Court Palace, along with getting from Canterbury to Stratford to London.
4. Had a seven day travel card put on an Oyster card and used the London tube and busses a lot.

Top 10 Moments/Experiences (not in any particular order):
1. Seeing the Cobbe portrait of William Shakespeare at the Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon. Handsome fellow.
2. Performance of As You Like It at the Globe Theater, London. Wonderful.
3. Performance of The Mousetrap, London. Perfect evening for a country-house murder fan.
4. The Interior of Basilica du Sacré-Couer, Montmartre. Breathtaking, even on a rainy day.
5. Temple Church effigies of knights Templar, London.
6. Guided tours of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Canterbury Cathedral, Wallace Collection (London), and the British Museum’s Egyptian room and Parthenon Sculptures.
7. Leeds Castle, Bearsted. Dreamily beautify and excellent falconry demonstrations.
8. Jacquemart-Andre Museum, Paris. Discovered several unknown to me painting by my favorite Venetian painter, Carlo Crivelli.
9. The Crivelli room at the National Gallery, London, and the Pre-Raphaelites at the Tate Britain.
10. Musée d’Orsay, Paris. I am not really a fan of Impressionist art, but I did discover that I can appreciate some of it. I really loved that you could take photographs there and I took a lot of them.