My daughter and I love your pictures.

Your pictures are WONDERFUL! Makes me want to go back. Thanks for sharing.

Absolutely beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing your trip.

I'm waiting for the info on the hotel behind your fabulous 'porch'. On a nice day, I'd be sipping a lot of wine out there.

DH has been looking for another site to post our pictures, and pbase was so easy to manuever and the small pictures show very well, as well as the enlarged ones. He's tried several, but I like the clear way that they are displayed, along with your captions.

Four cute Fodorites at Jim Haynes' and Melissa's dermatologist is the only one that lucks out - and she is across the world ..... hmmmmm what's wrong with this picture???

Hurry, hurry, waiting for the rest.

Thanks,

Nina

Enjoyed your photos too. What was the name of your hotel?

Great pictures! I've only looked at Nice so far, but will go back to see the rest. You stayed at Le Grimaldi, yes? I recognize the view.

Ooh la la, loved the photos.

Love the pix, and I can't wait to hear what hotels you stayed at. We are planning a very similar trip.

Can you recall on what day was the flea market in Antibes?

I loved your beautiful photos! Thanks you for posting them.

pbase looks like a good site.

I have an almost-identical shot from 4 years ago of "The Thinker", surrounded by beautiful roses, with the Eiffel Tower in the bg. Great stuff.

Can't wait to be there again (32 more sleeps until we leave).

can i ask you how you posted your pictures on the net, what a great idea?

Hi SeaUrchin

Thanks for posting the wonderful photos of Paris and Nice! Looks like you had a great time. It's also nice to be able to put a face with the name. So that's Barb of the famous divas thread!

Johanna

Dammit! Your photos are great! Can you hear the seething envy in my voice? Where was that oooh la la sculpture? Do you know I've never been to Rue Mouffetard? And you, like Monica P., used a Canon.

That's it. I'm getting a new camera. And taking another damn "do over" trip! That looks like a FAB FAB time!!

As for the hotel...join the "I can't stay at the Minerve" club!

Beautiful pictures. Looks like you had a wonderful time.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I am so glad you like the photos.

I signed up with pbase.com, I think it used to be free or you can have some photos for no cost but if you want more you pay about 30 dollars a year, which I do.

The market is on Thursday in Antibes and oolala is in Luxembourg Gardens! I do like my little Canon and it held up even though I dropped it in the parking lot of Versailles and the memory card popped out. I thought it was a goner but it was ok.

It really was a great trip, I hadn't been to France since 2000 and it was nice to return and stay in different places this time.

In Paris I stayed at Minerve like Melissa said. Even though I did like my room and had the wonderful view and the little porch, my friend and I had trouble with pests there and I don't mean human ones. She changed rooms three times because she saw bugs and larva and the last two nights I had a mouse in my room. Melissa and I had a good laugh over what I thought was a ghost in my room pulling on my blankets until I realized the next night that it was a scurring mouse. Now it might have come in the french doors to the porch that I did leave open for fresh air so I can't blame the hotel for that I guess. I don't know what the blame rules are in France but the hotel staff were all kind to me and it is a nice place but now I do have my reservations, so to speak! I wish they would give it a good cleaning so people can relax and stay there with confidence. She ended up with parasites and I itch whenever I think of it now, which is a shame. I paid 125 euro a night for a double used as a single.

In Nice I did stay at the Grimaldi (good eyes, mrs go) on the rue Maccarini side which is very nice. I would and will stay there again for sure. It is spotless, nice large room, perfect bed and I had the classic room but I loved my view, it was quiet and elegant. This staff is professional and you can sure tell the difference from the staff at the Minerve. At the Grimaldi they are top notch. www.le-grimaldi.com I paid 125 euro there also for a large double room used as a single.

I took Lufthansa through Frankfurt to Paris and for 47 euro right in rush hour I had a cab take me to rue des ecoles for the Minerve. The driver was nice and took both of my bags right to the front desk, escorted me inside so I gave him 50 euro, the cabbies must make better tips carting around jet lagged women. I had room 506.

That night I met my friend who had flown in earlier from Chicago and we walked down to La Petite Perigourdine at 39 rue des ecoles for dinner. It had rained while I had been resting and it was very pleasant to sit outdoors and relax with some wine. I ordered vegetable soup, salmon with a cream sauce and mashed potatoes, good comfort food. I like the first evening of a trip when you are tired but happy and you can have a nice leisurely dinner and just breathe in the ambiance of your new surroundings. It was a Friday night so the locals were all enjoying their night, the waiters were laughing and joking and it was a good beginning to the trip.

After dinner we walked around the neighborhood, up to the Pantheon and then to our rooms at about 1AM. I slept so well with my french doors wide open and the gentle breeze filling the room.

(more tomorrow)

Absolutely beautiful pictures, SeaUrchin! Oh, to have straight hair on a warm day on the beach! Anyway, the pictures were great - we will be on the French Riviera in July so they made me excited about planning opur trip.

Thanks for sharing and I"m looking forward to the rest of your report.

Thanks! Hope you have a wonderful time in July!

I guess I should have asked Amy and Melissa's permission to put their photos up, Amy? BTW there is
probably too many pics of me but family and friends are looking at them too.

Next day, Saturday, we went to buy some chanel makeup at Benelux, good deals, duty free shop at 174 rue de rivoli and poked around in some of the stores, strolled the jardin des tuilleries and sat by the little pool watching Paris life happen on a Saturday.

Le Castiglione for lunch at 235 rue Saint Honore. I love this place. I used to stay at the hotel Intercontinental around the corner so I know this area better than others and had to visit my old places first. I had salad nicoise and it was just as good as I remembered, with wine of course. Fresh fish and crisp salad. Excellent dressing, darn, I want one right now!!

We strolled around, went back to the gardens and then went to Le Souffle at 36 rue du Mont-Thabor for dinner. I love this restaurant too, always has been my favorite. We were seated in the back room and it seems like the patrons back there had already bonded. We were seated by a young American couple who said welcome to the less desirable room. We laughed and the other tables all chimed in, even a French couple seated on the other side of us. It seems they were in the middle of a "same time next year" affair, the lady having married and moved to Switzerland and the man left with his wife in Paris. Hey, they offered the information!! I liked our less desirable room with people from various walks of life enjoying their night at Le Souffle freely. As each table left they bid adieu to all their "friends". Funny how that happens sometimes, just a blip in our lives but lasting memories were made. Oh, I had the salmon souffle, salad and a chocolate souffle, wine and coffee. I was so full I really didn't need the dessert but I had waited five years so I practically licked the plate. No way would I leave one ort.

When we left Le Souffle at about 11pm it was raining, luckily we had umbrellas so we tripped along in pouring rain towards the Louvre. As we passed an entrance to a side courtyard we heard the most beautiful African music and I led the way to follow the sound. Under the arch and down the dark passageway, the music drawing us along we came upon a group of Africans dancing in the dark. What a scene, it was like a dream. The drummers were drumming in such a rhythm that it was hypnotising. We stayed a bit and then as we turned to leave one of the dancers nodded and I was glad for that since we had come upon a private scene.

Back to the hotel, walking and humming in the rain.

WOW .. you slept with a mouse, how brave you are. I can deal with most 'pests', but when it comes to mice, rats and snakes, I'm outta here. I probaby would have spent the rest of the night on the porch.

It's nice to be able to put faces to people that we 'know' from the board.

Thanks for the pbase info, DH is checking it out as we speak.

I can't believe that those 'same time next yearers just blurted out that info to total strangers ... are you sure that you didn't start the conversation with ... "hello, my name is SeaUrchin, so, how long have you two been cheating on your spouses, when did you marry and move to Switzerland, how often do you meet, and do you know that there is a play/movie about you, do you have a Bialatti stove top espresso maker????'

Nina

Jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous I am so jealous and I have not read your whole report yet!

I walked past Le Souffle and had read about it prior, but never made a reservation because I figured my TCFH would not like it. Next time. Your meal sounds every bit like I expected it would be for me! How was the salmon souffle? What ended up being the favorite non-dessert souffle?

That is too funny about the "same time next year" couple, but I believe the fact that they were open with you! I have a Parisan friend, Jean-Francois, who is the classic womanizing Frenchman. He'd tell me everything. I once had the potential for a relationship with a French guy in America, but he decided to go back to his ex-girlfriend. Jean-Francois, partly in an attempt to make me feel better, exclaimed, "Bah! He is not a man. What self-respecting Frenchman cannot juggle two women at once?!"

Are reservations essential for Le Souffle and Le Castiglione? If so, how far in advance?

Hi SeaUrchin, well I not only enjoyed looking at all of your photos again I so enjoyed your kitchen photos that I had not seen. How I wish I had your talent for photgraphy!! They are truly beautiful SeaUrchin.

And your trip report, love it!! The "next time next year couple", to precious!! People relate to you because you are so warm and kind also a lot of fun!

Like Nina66, I would have freaked out over the mouse LOL. As in "EEEEEK", they would have heard me in the lobby.

Ha, yes I was stuck with the mouse because we had so much to do at that point I couldnt take the time to find a new hotel and we were leaving in two days. So I slept with all the lights on and my sleep mask. Can you imagine. I kept waking up thinking the mouse was ready to jump on me, not restful to say the least. Funny about the couple! Your's too Melissa, he is not a man, too funny.

Reservations are needed at Le Souffle for dinner, made maybe earlier the same day, I loved my salmon souffle and M loved her tomato and basil one.
The American man had all three souffles in his prix fixe and he was ready to explode he said. Good visual!

Le Castigilione is more casual so I think you can just stop in. (cute Italian waiters too).

Sunday - lunch at Deux Magots for the history of the place, food was fine, I had quiche of mozzerella and tomato, M had quiche Lorraine, wine and coffee.
We went to St. Sulpice and strolled the Luxembourg Gardens and went into the bee exhibit which was really fun. My throat was a little scratchy so I
bought some wonderful looking honeycomb lozenges. As we walked along I bit off a big bite, yuuuuck, it was a beeswax candle!!

That night we went to St. Ephrem for a violin virtuouso concert. It was excellent! Back to Petite Perigourdine for late dinner, boring I know but we had the same dishes they were so tasty.

Monday - taxi ride to Sacre Couer for 15 euro. Walked around Montmarte and had a wonderful lunch at Maison Rose on Rue de L'Abreuvopir. I had the prix fixe for 17 euro, green salad, roast chicken, brie, wine, water, coffeee.

We went to Lapin Agile to pay tribute to the Impressionists we both have studied, it is so wonderful to step in the steps of people who have shaped the world in their own ways. Too bad there was a flasher in the hedge. Every time M tried to snap a closeup of the door he would make himself "known". We had to time our photograhs around him! I guess that is how he passes his time as he seemed
like just a normal local when he finally emerged from the hedge.

I bought a lovely handmade bowl at Cadeaux Accessoires d' interieur at 3 rue des Soules, by artist Violette Jerma. www.interios.eu. Very nice store and excellent handiwork in pottery.

That night we decided to go to another concert so walked over to Eglise St. Julien la Pauve, the oldest church in Paris form the 12th century. We listened to a tribute to Maria Callas by Lina Castellanza, the soprano from la Scala in Milan and an excellent pianist. We bought the cheaper tickets that were for seating on the side of the tiny church and just as soon as the lights went down there was a mass exodus to the center. M and I were alone on the side of the church. We sat there until the intermission
when the usher/ticket taker came over and clucked at us and motioned for us to move to the center too. So much for being good tourists and obeying the "rules". We thought it was pretty funny. I really recommend these church concerts, not only do you get a feel for the history and feel a part of it but you have wonderful music too.

Oh, afterwards we had the worst meal of the trip at the Baladin Rive Gauch, nearby, for 58 euro we listened to lovely jazz singers and we both got sick from the food. Avoid this place, imho, it is not worth the risk. This is the place where thinking back I don’t think the wine in the bottle was the wine that was supposed to be in it,
the whole meal was slightly "off" but we both thought it was the seasoning! No way! Not such a good night afterwards if you know what I mean.

The next day, Tuesday, was like a lost day due to stil being sick from the food, good thing we had not booked anything pressing. We did nothing until late afternoon when the only thing I could think I wanted to eat was another salade nicoise at Le Castiglione. We trekked over there, actually a pleasant walk on a lovely day and after lunch and a glass of local white wine, severes, I felt better and so did she. Good enough to shop! We went to CATHERINE perfumes and cosmetics. at 7 rue de Castiglione. I can't recommend
this place highly enough. Patricia, the daughter of the owners, will guide you to your perfect self. She is lively, cute and knows her stuff. M bought some Sisley for about a third of the price in the US and I made out with Chanel and a mix of other cosmetics. Patricia is not pushy and was willing to just write down what she used for the makover so we could buy it at home. We stayed a while and bustled out later with our new faces to show the world, ha.
We did notice all the well dressed women check out your shoes as they pass you. Interesting. No dinner that night, let our tummies rest.

Wednesday, went to Notre Dame and the Louvre,had chicken sandwich and water at the coffee shop for 4.50 euro, pretty good. Angelinas for lunch
I had the goat cheese and spinach quiche and a strawberry torte, very good, nice atmosphere of ladies who lunch (and some men who lunch too)
I bought cheese, bread, fruit and wine for a mini solo picnic on my little porch, nice and warm evening to relax and watch Paris from above.

Thusday (gee I hate to do a day by day like this, boooring for readers) We went to Mariage Frere for tea. I had tea #T112, selimbong from the Himalayas, very good. Then off to Versailles with tour group Paris Vision, 214 rue de Rivoli, www.parisvision.com. Had a lovely afternoon and tour of the grounds and cheateau. Most of the building is under scaffolding but pretty nonetheless. The last time I was there I didnt get to see the inside, I was with a crazy British friend who drove on the walking paths in his car until we finally got kicked out or rather chased out by guards. This time I went on a tour as a normal person.

Excellent dinner at Chez Clement near rue St. Jacques! What a lovely place, lots of ambiance, great creative dishes. I had crab raviolini which was tender and cooked just right, salmon and potatoes and for dessert, Cloud in Pink just because I had no idea what it was, come to find out it is a gigantic mound of soft merangue sitting in a puddle of what is like melted strawberry ice cream. I could have passed on the Cloud! A bottle of good Muscadet and to bed.

Ah SeaUrchin, being sick while on a trip, especially from bad food is NOT fun! I am sorry. But guess it has happened to all of us at one time or another. The only time that I got ill from bad food was in Barstow. Our TBird broke down in Barstow while driving home from Las Vegas and we had to wait for parts etc. The fried chicken at the dump we ate at..well lets say we didn't eat fried chicken for a long time. But since there is nothing to do in Barstow we didn't miss any sights or sites LOL.

Yes, LI, it was a shame but we were both glad we could relax in our rooms and recover.

Friday we walked over to the Galleries Lafayette for our fashion show. I had put our names on a list from a website that was shown here on Fodors travel talk. We got up to the correct floor and I was about ready to open the door when all of a sudden there was a shout from the escalator, no!! My goodness, I almost jumped up in surprise, "it is not time yet, you are too early you have to wait outside!!" ok, ok. don't get overly excited, Mr. Handsome Gallery Man. We waited and when they opened the doors there was the excited although extremely handsome man. We did get excellent seats, right on the runway. It is put on for ideas of what they sell in the store but it is nice and I would go again.

We went to the different departments browsing around after the show, buying jackets, looking at shoes, etc. We got a 10% discount by registering at the desk downstairs at the recommendation of a salesgirl. She had been showing us what to buy that will be copied for next season by American manufacturers, good enough. Cutting edge jackets, cute.

Dinner at Petit Pont at 1 rue du Petit Pont across the bridge from Notre Dame on rive gauche side. I had brochette of chicken with basmati rice and wonderful green beans (I know but I guess I am not too exotic in my dining choices). Very good dishes and live music, jazz musicians playing next to us, and I mean next to us, I could have played the drums with my spoon! But I refrained.

Walked around the area and I bought a lovely crystal bracelet at Akhesa, facing St Julien the Pouvre church. I just love that bracelet, handmade. I loved it so much I got mixed up and told the saleswoman I loved her instead of it. She blushed and we laughed about it. When we left I blew her a kiss and she blew one back at me.

We went back to the Paris Vision office at 8:30pm for our illuminary tour at 9pm and our trip to Moulin Rouge. We grabbed the seats on the top level in the front and had an unobstructed view, try to do that if you can without creating a brawl. The bus dropped us off in front of the theater and our guide showed us where to meet afterwards. We did have to wait in line but not too long and we were seated in the…. very …. top row at a table for six from our group. Actually we could see better from up there and the waiter didn't want to keep climbing up to us so he left us with two champagne bottles and that was that. Since only four of us were drinking, we had a lovely time!!

I really enjoyed the show, it was very tasteful and entertaining. Little topless bouncing dancers and boy dancers and ponies and magicians and mimes and acrobats oh my. But not all at the same time! Various acts and intermission and a can can later we found ourselves outdoors after the show.

The crowd moves out and in fairly well so that was fine. We were still in the cancan mood so we danced around a bit until we had to board our buses for the hotels. We got to our hotel at about 2:30AM and four of us had to awaken the night man to unlock the doors. Fun evening. Sound asleep later I was awakened by someone tugging on my blanket from the side of the bed. I woke up fully but didn't more when I finally turned around to look there was no one there, odd.

Saturday, we went to Rodin Museum in late morning, on the way got terribly lost and walked a long way out of the way until we were ready to drop from hunger so we stopped at the first place we saw for lunch. It was Sip Babylon. What a great name. It is at 46 Blvd Raspail. Oh Raspail, the street that we kept running into as we tried to find our way, I will never forget that street. But back to Babylon, baby. We had the best lunch there, omelets, potatoes, ham, mushrooms, mineral water, wine and absolutely the best coffee I have ever had in my life. With M having a bloody mary the total price was 34:20 euro. Recommend it.

Loved the Rodin Museum and took way too many photos, but highly recommend this setting, so beautiful with a outdoor tearoom and lovely grounds for relaxing.

Back at the hotel I spoke to Barb who had arrived earlier and we met at her hotel and then walked over to, yes, La Petit Perigourdine again, I'm sorry you have to put up with our dullness in Paris, dear Fodorites (if you are still reading, I think I hear collective Fodorite snoring out there). This time the food and service were not good at all. Too bad. Oh well, an off night I guess.

We decided to go over to Caveau De La Huchette for a jazzy evening. We went downstairs to the cave where the music was playing and the people were dancing to the lively Duke Ellington style band. We couldn’t find a place to sit so we stood by the band. The place was as hot as Hades and not only because Barb and the guitar player were making eye contact!! The music was really good and we were hopping around when I asked the Man With The Ponytail bopping next to me to dance. He looked harmless. He wore me out!! What a dancer, looks deceive. He was spinning me around like a top, I was completely spent at the end of that never ending set. Barb and I went upstairs to actually breathe and find M! It was fun, I would recommend Caveau
highly. When we were leaving, Mr. Mild Mannered Looks Deceiving Man With Ponytail said to us, do you want to party? Non, merci.

I hope to finish reading it tomorrow -- but the pictures are great. I need to quit looking at the food shots though, they make me hungry!

enjoyed all your albums! Thanks

Thanks! I learned my lesson of not trying to speak my version of French after that poor saleswoman blushed, but it shows that they are not all uptight and curt.

Sunday morning, the three of us met and walked over to Rue Mouffetard for the outdoor market and festivities for the locals. What fun we had. So many shops in stands on the street and musicians playing. We watched the ballroom dancers and sang along to the music in French, they had passed out song sheets and I kept getting lost in my lyrics, so Barb would stop singing and point to the words. I do know Frere Jacques but they didn't sing that or Le Vie en Rose which are all I have in my repertoire of French songs. We shopped for cheeses and stopped for a little picnic buying a crepe from Katrina which I thought was excellent. The exchange with the crepemaker was,

USA?
Yes.
Bush no good. Iran and Turkey good.
(we didn't know what to say, after all he was handling our food)
I said, is France good?
He thought and then said yes.
I said, well, then viva le France!
He laughed and made us a good crepe.

We bought some wine and sat on a bench for lunch.

At the Droguerie Coustou at 133 rue Mouffetard we bought authentic bread sacks and some other kitchen items for a bargain! The sacks were 3 euro a piece. Great gifts.

Barb and I went over to Ille de France, had muscadet severes wine, olives, my cheese and bread at an outdoor café and watched the world go by. We shopped a bit, buying hats at Le Grain de Sable at 79 rue St Louise en ille. A great store, http://grain.de.sable.free.fr
Recommend it but you can stay too long trying on and buying hats, ask how I know.

Went down the road poking our heads into shops and buying bracelets we didn't notice it was 5pm and we had to change clothes for Jim Haynes dinner!

Delightful report SeaUrchin, I sure wish I could have been there with you!!
The crystal braclet sounds wonderful, good for you! BTW, I wouldn't even know how to say something "wrong" in French, LOL.

(Oh I forgot to mention that Saturday night I was awakened again by something pushing around my paper sacks in the room.)

we hurried to the hotel and changed for the dinner, called a cab and we were off. As we stood in front of the building we were not sure which gate to open to get to Jim's. A strikingly pretty young woman was just arriving and had just found the door so we all went into the party. Jim was sitting on a stool facing the door and we introduced ourselves and he checked off our names on his clipboard. We started mingling around and meeting and greeting. The woman we met at the gate is a pilot for Alaska Airlines, how interesting! The kitchen is open to the living area and a man was busy stirring the pots of food and when he started serving buffet style we all lined up. It was very very congenial, no one had an agenda or an attitude. How many times can you go to a complete stranger's home and meet other complete strangers and be in a foreign country no less and feel completely at home? I won't speak for the others but I did. I know the other Fodorites there had a good time. It was so nice to meet Amy and Melissa. M and I thought the nucleur scientist, Claude, was specially interesting and world traveled, Tom the local furniture designer and others. We had chicken in a stew, rice, carrots, salad and ice cream with lemon sauce. Very tasty. What a fun evening, I would recommend it highly. I think we donated Jim 20 or 25 euro.

Oh I told Melissa about the blanket pulling incident in my room and we decided it was the ghost of a long ago guest who was still looking for his slippers under the bed, lol.

At about 10:30 we took a cab back to the hotel and I slept fitfully with the light on because I had finally figured out, duh, that it was a mouse in my room, I would rather have had a ghost. I slept with my face mask and woke up about every half hour expecting the mouse. I thought with the
light on he would see me and decide to stay away from the bed.

We checked out Monday morning and had a cab take us to CDG. All was fine until the agents told both of us our luggage was overweight and that we would have to pay a fine. A euro a pound over. Oh no, didn't mind the money but did mind the time it would take. My agent said to go to the blue office, for irregularite baggage and vaguely pointed down the building, pay and get my boarding pass from them. I tried to see the office she want pointing to and didn't want to leave my spot with her and wander around looking for it so I kept saying I didn’t see it, which I didn’t. Luckily instead of getting upset with me she smiled, closed up her desk and walked us over to the office. No way would I have seen it, it was not clearly marked and far down the aisle. It didn’t take long to pay and get the boarding passes and we were on our way.

On the plane we sat in separate rows and I found myself sitting in the midst of men who looked vaguely familiar, they were loose and having
a good time. It didn’t seem like they had been on airplanes much and didn't understand why they had to sit in the seats they were assigned if they would rather sit with someone else. The attendent was overwrought over this and tried to get them to stay where they "belonged" but as soon as lift off they came to sit in a group with me in the middle. I knew from their conversations in Spanish that they were musicians and come to find out they were part of the band put together as the Buena Vista Social Club from Cuba. I knew I recognized some of them! These guys had formed a new group and were going to play all around the Cote d' Azur. But sadly after we were scheduled to leave! darn.

COTE D' AZUR

I didn't take daily notes in the Cote d' Azur and no one seems that interested anyway, so I will just lump my recommendations together.

Le Grimaldi, wonderful hotel, on the rue Maccarini side. I had a classic room and it was clean, beautifully decorated, large, great views and I could go on and on. The only tiny downside is the breakfast buffet is 15 euro. I also found out at the buffet that I am a rube. I picked out all the wonderful looking items on the table, picked up a hard boiled egg from a little stand and went back to my table. All was fine until I put my little egg in my little egg holder and with my pinkie finger in the air gently tapped the egg to take off the top shell and scoop out the …… what the?!! The egg was raw and ran over the holder and down to the saucer beneath it. I looked at M, we giggled. Oh, so the eggs in the stand are raw and you are supposed to put them in little dippers into the water behind the stand and cook them as you
like them. Oh. Sorry. The waitress was classy and just silently took the egg goop away.

Other days we ate breakfast at a lovely restaurant, I cant think of the name but I will look around for it, if needed, on rue Messina across from Café Messina which was very good also.

We paid 17 euro for the day to rent a chaise lounge with an umbrella and table by the sea. We had a nice waiter who served us drinks and we could have had lunch from the menu. Our hotel had given us a brouchure for Rhul Plage which we liked so much. Restrooms and
a bar are there also. Very civilized. Also you don't have to sit on the rocky beach. We hammed it up and took the photos to prove it.

In Nice, there is a nice outdoor restaurant, in the photo I am sitting under their yellow umbrellas, called Cayenne K'fe in old town, very nice,
I had a sandwich and frites. Across from the court so you get some legal type clients dining there, lawyers, judges, etc.

Restaurant Luc Salsedo on rue Maccarani next to our hotel has very inventive dishes and very very good.

La Tire Bouchon! We loved this restaurant. The decoration drew us inside, very very clean, wonderful service, excellent dishes. It is at 19 rue de la Prefecture, www.le-tire-bouchon.com I can't rave enough about this place. I also cant rave about it because I am libel to jump on a plane this afternoon to go back there. All courses were first class, as the wine.

Chez Juliette at 1 rue Rossetti, another great place. This one is the red photo on my pbase, look at the cute decorations, like eating
in a turn of the century brothel, meant in a good way, ha. Highly recommmend it.

We toured around to the neighboring towns:

In Eze, I bought myself a lovely bracelet on my birthday, I wanted something from my favorite town on the coast and at the shop, shown in the photo, of Pyrodecor on rue Pincipale I found a handmade beautiful one. The owner was proud to tell me that her husband had designed and made it by hand. She was also proud that she sells only local French items.

In Monaco I bought the very best chocolate, it has to be it is the sole chocolatier for the Grimaldi family. I can see why it is delicious. The shop is Carlinos at 18/20 rue Princesse Marie Lorraine.

The winery in the photos is the St. Jeannet wine village of Domaine des Hautes Collines de la Cote D' Azur 800 chemin des Sausses vignoble.stjeannet@club-internet.fr

We dined mostly in Nice but did have lunch at the lovely village of St. Paul at the café in the photo.

That's all folks.

SeaUrchin,
Don't think for a minute that "no one seems that interested" !!

I've been reading your report with great interest--I justt have a bad habit of "lurking" without replying sometimes. Sorry!

I really enjoyed your pictures, and I've taken lots of notes for future Paris trips- I've been to Paris lots of times but I've never gone to a fashion show at Galeries Lafayette, or a Jim Haynes dinner, or to the Caveau de la Huchette, or to the Moulin Rouge.

All of those things are now on my list of things to do-- Thanks!

I also loved hearing about your experience at the Soufflé, and oh yes, I've put Catherine's on my list, too.

And, more importantly, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law were planning to stay at the Minerve over Christmas, and my SIL would have just died at the mice and other pests!

I emailed them this thread, and now we're all planning to rent an apartment together instead. I think they'll be MUCH happier!

And I can't believe you were sitting on the plane with the Buena Vista Social Club! I would have gone crazy-- I just love them. (Unfortunately, most of my favorites have died.)

Anyway, great report! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell all about it and to post your pictures.

Oh SeaUrchin, you always have such great adventures! No doubt because you are so much fun.

BTW, I love the fantastic photo of your pretty foot with the sunglasses, quite creative.

Imagine you didn't feel creative when you tapped and cut open the raw egg however, lol. Sounds like something I would do

Thanks so much for sharing your trip, truly an enjoyable and fun trip report.

Wonderful photos and great report. Sounds like a terrific trip. Green with envy but not about the mouse.

Thanks for keeping up with the report even though you thought nobody was reading it. Sometimes it can seem that way, but people are really enjoying it without feeling they have anything to add. In any event, I loved your descriptions and it sounds like a wonderful trip.

And, having been awakened on occasion by a cat chasing a mouse through my bedroom (in my own house in the woods!) I am smiling at your reactions to the critters amongst us.

I didn't want to leave it half finished so you got it all ! Glad you stuck with me and thanks for the kind words.

I know what you mean about responding to a report, I, too try and let the writer know I am reading their posts but sometimes I read and then forget to encourage! I think reports are a main part of keeping Fodors interesting.

Cheers! and thanks again.

Great pictures, SeaUrchin! Thanks for posting What a delightful way to spend my Friday morning at work.

SeaUrchin, we will be flying Unted, SFO - FRA and then, like you, Lufthansa to CDG. Did you have to go through security again at FRA? If our flight is on time, we will have about an hour and a half between flights. As it will be the Saturday, before Christmas, around noon, so we expect mucho travelers.

Lufthansa told me that they only allow an 18 pound carryon, one piece only, no purse etc.. United said that they have to honor the carryon policy of the carrier that flies you over the Atlantic, which in this case is judged by the size, not the weight of your carryon and one more smaller piece, purse, camera case etc..

Did you have more than that and if so, any problems with Lufthansa. My wheelie carryon weights 8.5 lbs. empty. I've used it for years with no problems. Also, United said that I didn't have to check in with Lufthansa, and Lufthansa says I do. Of course I will go by what Lufthansa says on that one - makes more sense.

Thanks,

Nina

Thanks, TA.

Well, Nina, I do love Lufthansa and fly on them whenever I can. I find they are the most service oriented of any of the airlines I have flown.

On the way over I had an hour and a half too between flights. I just resist the urge to stroll and look at shops, eat and use the restroom between these flights and go directly to the gate at a nice brisk pace because you do have to go through checks again.

I did go with a relative who had trouble walking on one trip and we had a cart whisk us past everone in line and right to the gate.

I have had my carryon weighed when I left LAX and had to take out some water bottles but since we cant take them now I am ok in that dept. This last trip no one weighed my carryon luggage at all but I just had a purse and a tote bag, I checked in my carryon with shampoopoo, etc. and my other bag.

Have your checkin luggage go through to Paris so you don't have to bother with it.

When in doubt I would go to the Lufthansa counter, in all of my travels with them they have gone out of their way to help me.

I hope that answers your question but there are so many variables now it gets complicated.

Well, I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon and let you know I've been reading your wonderful report and that your photos are beautiful! I was especially impressed with your hotel room views and showed it to a friend I may travel to Paris with next spring.

Then I got to the part of your report where you discuss the critters...crossed that one off my list.

Thanks again, Sea Urchin.

shampoopoo? yikes!

Thanks, Leely. It is a shame about the Minerve. Although I should say I might have invited the mouse in when I left my french doors to the porch wide open all night so I could look at the view from my bed. I don't know what other hotels do about the problem.

Have fun in the Spring!

Thanks SeaUrchin. We always check our luggage straight through if we have a connecting flight, keeping our fingers crossed that that is the 'best' way to have it arrive at our destination when we do.


Normally I wouldn't worry about the time between flights, not under my control, but since this will probably be the busiest day of the year for travel, my error, Friday, not Saturday, I am a bit concerned.

Also if for any reason we miss our connection to CDG, it would be very difficult, if not impossible to rebook to CDG for that same day/night, and gawd knows where or when we will catch up to our luggage. That's the main reason we are not checking everything through, need to have a backup just in case.

Nina

Holy cow! I have been offline for a day and look how much I missed. SeaUrchin, I did the same thing with a raw egg this last trip. How embarrassing!

What a wonderful report.

thanks, still hugh, no just getting interested in photography with my new digital.

Nina, I think that is the best idea, to carry luggage with you just in case on that busy weekend. I hope you make the connection! Hope we get a trip report from you!

Melissa, the egg incident unfortunately was right after an incident with the people at the table next to us. When I went to sit down at an empty table this bully of a gigantic German speaking man walked over and stuck his belly in my face and said "that is our table." hmmmm, oh yeah, no sign of that, and this is before my morning coffee. One reason I like apartments, I don't have to deal with jerks before my coffee! I was going to say something but decided not to and just waited for another table to be cleared, too bad, right next to them. So when I cracked the egg I hoped jerk and his wife didn't see it, and they didn't thank goodness. It was pretty funny though when the egg ran down the side!

Honestly, SeaUrchin, we just can't take you anywhere LOL

Ain't it the truth, LI!

I think some info on my flights home may help someone flying out of Nice and connecting back to the US.

We had the 6:40 AirFrance out of Nice, we had the taxi drop us off just before 5AM because I knew the booths wouldn't open until 5:00AM and I was right. At the desk I asked the clerk if she could book my luggage on my Lufthansa flight out of CDG through FRA to LAX. She looked surprised like no one had ever asked that before and after talking it over with her supervisor she did. I checked the tags on the baggage like I have learned to do and it did say LAX at the end, so I mentally waved goodbye to my bags as they disappeared behind the flap on their little conveyor belt. I got a bit worried later though when I wondered why she looked surprised at the question.

She didn't weigh the luggage and we sat in the empty lounge even before the shops opened. It is amusing to watch all our fellow passengers sitting dazed in the still dark airport.

Flight to CDG was fine but there I had to transfer to Terminal 2, no one seemed to be able to point me in the direction of a shuttle to get there. I literally asked about 4 or 5 agents and they all gave me different answers and I kept going in and out of exits on their directions. I finally found one man who told me the shuttle only leaves from a certain exit way down the hall so I toddled off, thankfully without luggage. It was now about 9:00 and I had an 11:45 flight so I wasn't very worried.

I saw a shuttle w/o any signs lit up on it and asked the driver "terminal 2?" he said oui so I got on, there was one young man sitting there too. The bus pulls away and goes out of the airport and on a little freeway, oh no. I sat there, what else could I do and thankfully the bus came back into the airport and drove by the hotels. He drove a bit further and parked under what looked like a dreary concrete parking structure so I sat there. The young man jumped off and the driver sat there like a stone. The young guy popped his head back in and said you want terminal 2? I said yes and he said this is it. Really? oh thanks. He asked where I was from and I said Los Angeles, he lit up and said he wants to go to Hollywood, told me his name, pointed me in the right direction and waved goodbye.

I stood in a very very long line for Lufthansa to check in and then had a horrible ham and cheese sandwich downstairs. When I got to the "satellite" it was very crowded and after an hour or so I could tell that nothing was happening plane-wise.

I went over to the desk, no one else was in line, and asked about my flight, the clerk said all flights were delayed, especially out of FRA so I would have to wait. I told him I would miss my connection to LAX and he kindly put me on an earlier flight out, he started punching keys on his computer and said you have one bag? I said no two and he looked concerned and said don't worry we will find your other bag and get it on this plane with you. Egads. That flight did board shortly after this but I cant remember the time and the pilot came on and said we were waiting for a last minute passenger's bags to be boarded, which was me, sorry about that. I did feel a few eyes turn to me because that flight was well over two hours late leaving and the passengers had bonded in their wait time.

We arrived Frankfort at 1:41 and the flight to LA was sked to leave at 2:00

I literally had to run to get to my connecting flight. I was running along with four East Indian men who said they were on my flight. One was the leader of our pack and he frantically led us down the corridors. Thank goodness I had on running shoes. All of a sudden we lost track of the signs for our gate. The leader pushed some buttons on an elevator and then we all ran down a stairwell when the elevator didn't come. No, downstairs was wrong.
We ran along like the Keystone Kops. I went to an employee walking along and asked her with the Indians talking nonstop behind me. She told us to go back upstairs so I pushed the buttons on the elevator which had followed us down. The men were now screaming at me that I pushed the wrong button. My nerves at this point were now shot as they say. The elevator doors opened and the men all ran the other way down the hall, I yelled after them but had to let them go and I ran the other way. I bumped into one of the Indians who had used the stairs and he said they were going to Dubai. I said you told me you were going to LA and he shrugged and ran off. What the heck?!

I went through a few passport checks, a body search where I left my jacket on the xray and the clerk had to run after me to give it to me. I was told to take anything liquid out of my purse and put it into a bag, my lipsticks too. I had just paid so much for my chanels that I thought I would risk international security and hide one of them on the bottom of my bag, so I did. I took out one sacrificial lipstick and makeup but they just put it all through security in the little baggie.

When I got to the gate there was only one employee standing there, everyone else was on the plane. I actually ran down the tube and jumped onto the plane. As soon as I entered, the captain said "boarding complete" and the doors were shut. Glares at me as I found out later they waited over a hlf hour for me to explore their airport with the Indian men.

I was sweating like a whatever as I had done all of this while wearing all my heavy clothes that I didn't want to pack!

I sat down and it took me a long time to catch my breath. It was a nice flight to LA and I sat next to an empty seat with a lovely German lady sitting at the window seat.

So the moral of the story is, be prepared for anything when you fly.

Bye for now.

Thank GAWD you were wearing running shoes! I think I better do that the next time I have connecting flights.

I'm glad you at least got on your plane. Last year I had a similar helluva time getting out of Rio--got stranded in Rio for 2 days, then when I got out, got stranded in Sao Paulo because Delta would not let me board the plane. The original airline (Varig) quickly admitted their fault and put me up in a brand new hotel for the night. That whole ordeal made me 2 days late for work....at my new job!!

I'm so glad your flight to LAX was good, at least! That was a very nice report and I'm hoping to meet up with you again in my travels. (I think I'm supposed to be in LA next June.)

Melissa, yes, three flights in one day is too much, imho. If connections are too tight it is a hectic way to end a nice trip. And who can account for bad weather delays!

Yes, hope to see you in June!

I just made a page full of notes. Leaving Wednesday for Pah-reeee!!!!! Our hotel is on Blvd. Raspail...that street you kept running into..LOL Great report and loved, loved, loved the pictures!!

WHEW ... I got an extra hours sleep last night (day light savings time) and I am still exhausted by that marathon run.

Isn't amazing how many workers, airport, train stations, department stores, etc.. know absolutely nothing about anything at their work place. It must be wonderful to go to work every day and be surprised constantly. Last week I asked a young girl at Target where a certain section was .... she looked at me as if I asked her how to get a VAT refund

The important thing is that you and you running shoes made it and lived to tell the tale.

Yes, I promise that there will be a trip report of our Holiday stay - a report of perfect connections, luggage sitting there just waiting to be picked up, cold, but not miserable weather, and wonderful Holiday lights and food.

Nina

Raspail! slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch......

Seriously have a wonderful time in Paris and be sure and report afterwards, I know I love reading trip reports and various takes on things. Try Sip Babylon!

Nina, you too!! I love your statement "go to work every day and be constantly surprised". Pretty much says it all.

Sea Urchin,

I know the run you did -- we did it with the kids. It was really stressful. Some people looked kind of mad at us when we boarded so late but then they saw the kids, and that seemed to calm everyone down. One couple got up and gave two of them their seats so they could be near us (very kind, and not at all asked for).

Look what I just found!
Great pics, SeaUrchin

Thanks, Starrsville, I think it is time to update them or replace some. I think a whole trip from 2005 is missing.