A promising start. I'm looking forward to more.

This is the time of year to appreciate those long long days, and Paris is far north of Boston.

I can't wait to read more!

Hi Kelsey – thanks, I am working on Day 2

Coquelicot, the length of the day really surprised me. So at what time does darkness fall in Paris in late December? Must be early.

Looking forward to the remainder of your trip report especially as we leave on Saturday. I think it is very brave of you to admit to your children that you need additional technology.

AGM_Cape_Cod

"I think it is very brave of you to admit to your children that you need additional technology."

Agreed, one of my daughters has gone back to school for a year and I will be doing a great deal of babysitting so communications about arrangements is essential. And young folks only text. I’ll just have to join the crowd. My fear is that I will become addicted to the IPHONE as so many others I see.

In any case, have a great time in Paris and hopefully you will have better weather.

<<So at what time does darkness fall in Paris in late December?>>

The sun still sets later here in winter than it does in Boston (I'm from Boston) but the sunrise is later here. Around the solstice sunrise is at about about 8:40AM and sunset at about 4:55PM. Very nice report, btw.

Loving this so far!

You had good karma regarding your former student

I have stayed at the Britannique so can vouch for it as well...great hotel and great location.

Last summer our DD was on a study abroad term in France and I was able to go see her at the end. I speak very little French so it was really nice to have her help me out. BTW, we both use our IPhones all the time and yes, texting is so convenient! The kids text with their grandparents too, so it can be a great way to stay close.

When you mentioned Americans flocking to Paris, it made me thing of my grandmother. In the 1920's when she was a late teen, she moved to Paris for 2 years to learn how to cook.

I look forward to hearing more about your trip

I am so looking forward to this! Your last year's London TR was fabulous....

FrenchMystiqueTours, thank you for the explanation about sunrise/sunset in Paris vs. Boston. We learn something new every day…interesting.

Mms, I know that I will get “into” texting too. I am sure that your grandmother told you great stories about Paris. You would love McCullough’s book.

Weekender, I am happy that you remembered the trip report I wrote last summer about my four days in London and my brief trip to Cornwall and Devon. This junket was similar – five days in Paris with an add-on tour to Normandy and Brittany “doing” the sights of northeastern France.

Great report so far! As a teacher I can only hope a former student would think as highly of me as yours did you! Can't wait to hear more.

Here is last year's London TR:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/tr-solo-in-london-museums-and-a-private-tour-of-parliament.cfm

not only do i tend to agree with my offspring that i need to update my technology, but I'm waiting for her to come back from her travels so that she can help me chose it and then set it up.

no way I'm getting a new phone without her being around to help me!

lateday - nice start to your report.

Nice beginning to your trip.

Actually we were in Paris over Christmas a few years ago. I think the day at that time of year is almost an hour shorter in Paris. Though it may be lighter a bit later than in Boston, the sunrise is close to 9:00 a.m. But the late light in June in Paris is amazing.

waiting to read more more.

Thanks weekender for giving us the link.

Pretentious? Nah. Persistent? Oh yes. I understand what you're saying, but I always use as much French as feasible, even if they start speaking to me in English. I think they get that I'm just trying to practice my French, just like they're practicing English.

I applaud you for all the brushing up you did. I always say I'm going to do that, and I do, but not nearly that much.

Great start! Looking forward to more.

latedaytraveler--I am headed to the library later for that book. Can't wait to read it, thanks!!!

Annhig--My DH and kids gave me my IPhone and are the ones who have shown me how to use it. I would be lost without them

I am off to read the London TR, but am anxiously waiting to read more about this trip too!

Willowjane, thank you for your interest. I taught for decades in an urban vocational school. My cousin whom I am out and about with often says, “Helen, I swear these kids come out of the woodwork.” I meet them everywhere!

Weekender, how nice of you to re-post my trip of last year. Let’s put it this way, I have many more trips behind me than ahead!

Annhig, I hear you – good luck with your new phone. I know that you are very familiar with Paris.

YankeeGal, they say that speaking the language comes last - who knows?

CW, and Cigalechanta (enjoy your posts) appreciate your interest.

Thanks to all – I was very frustrated today because I could not sign in. Has that ever happened to you? Finally straightened it out and ready to post Part II.

TUESDAY, JUNE 5: Slept rather late then proceeded on foot to the Musee Rodin in glorious weather. Realization – not every street in Paris is on the map! I finally found the rue Varenne where the American writer EDITH WHARTON lived her luxurious ex-pat lifestyle in the early 1900s. I would recommend Hermoine Lee’s bio of Wharton for those interested in her life and circle which included HENRY JAMES and BERNARD BERENSON.

Obviously, this street is a high rent district with palatial residences hidden behind massive oaken doorways. Across from where Wharton lived is the residence of the current French President of the Council, similar in the States to our Secretary of State. Chatted briefly with the gendarmes outside who were quite friendly and relaxed. Then on to the Rodin at the “79, rue de Varenne.”

I waited in line about 10-12 minutes to purchase my MUSEUM PASS for €54. If using a credit card, the price would have been €62 (not including bank fees). No question, the Rodin is one of the most beautiful and accessible museums in Paris. The collection is gracefully arranged in the Hotel Biron (the sculptor’s elegant home/workshop to which he bequeathed his oeuvre) and its lovely gardens which also contain many of his works including THE THINKER. Oh, the roses and flowers in abundance!

Rodin’s work must have a ring of familiarity even to those who are not art enthusiasts. “The Kiss” and “Cathedral Hands” have become part of our cultural iconography.The sculptor was friendly with many of his contemporary artists whose works he bought freely including those of Renior and Monet. Peeking out from one frame was the kindly face of Van Gogh’s “Le Pere Tanguy.” Although I was tempted to stroll through the extensive back garden that I saw from the second story window, it was time to move on.

My next destination would be the MUSEE MAROTTAN-MONET across the Seine. I had forgotten the paper on which I had typed the names and addresses of those museums I wanted to visit in case I needed directions. When I asked a young attendant at the Rodin, he whipped out his phone and wrote down the address, 2 rue Louis Boilly in the 16th. I NEED AN IPHONE!

From the Rodin I strolled past the majestic LES INVALIDES and made my way circuitously to the Tour Eiffel through up-scale neighborhoods. Wading through thousands waiting to “ascend,” I caught a cab to the MAROTTAN-MONET (€10). Fortunately I had written down the address for the driver.

First the bad news: you have to wait outside to purchase a ticket (€10) because entrance to the museum is staggered. This was not a problem on such a perfect afternoon. Museum Pass not honored there.

Now the good news: the MAROTTAN-MONET is a fabulous smaller museum for those following the muse of Monet & Company. It “features a collection of over three hundred Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by Claude Monet (with the largest collection of his works in the world), Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, Paul Gauguin, Paul Signac and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.”

Built as a “hunting lodge” on the edge of the Bois de Boulogue, it was owned by the Duke of Valmy, a serious art collector who bequeathed his works to the Academie des Beaux Arts. The original collection was First Empire, but then the family acquired more late 19th century paintings so their focus changed. In 1966 Monet’s second son Michael left the MAROTTAN his collection of his father’s works, “thus creating the world’s largest collection of Monet paintings.”

The lower level of the museum was “inspired by the hall designed for Monet's Water Lilies murals in the Musée de l'Orangerie, the large, open room allows visitors to see a progression of Monet's work, as well as to view his canvases both up close and from afar.” Many of the Monet’s works contain vibrant red/orangish colors unlike his usual blue/greens. Several paintings of his own children blend in well with the works of Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot which are featured in abundance.

The property has a lovely garden which is not accessible to museum goers but borders several toney 16th residences. Leaving the MAROTTAN, I ventured through a small park to the Le Muette Metro. Had some help buying a ticket (oh, where are those real ticket sellers of yesteryear?) and took the REF (I think) line back to St-Michel station which was a 7-8 minuet stroll to the Dauphine Hotel. The sun was shining on the Seine as the book sellers of the Left Bank were beginning to pack it in for the day.

After dinner I wandered back to the river to take an hour ride on Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf (€13), one of several cruising options on the Seine. In my view, it is best to take this outing after dark but I wasn’t about to wait that long in the long summer evening. Centuries of history drifted by as we navigated under a myriad of bridges.

No doubt, the Pont Alexandre III bridge “with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs, and winged horses” built between 1896 and 1900 is considered the most magnificent. Tour directors refer to the bridge as a “gift of the Russian government to the people of Paris as a sign of friendship.” If so, the Czar wasn’t minding the store dispensing such munificence as the seeds of the Russian Revolution were being sown back home. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS fans will recognize Pont Alexandre III from the final scene in the film.

Speaking of the Seine bridges, I was reminded of the book (later made into a film) IS PARIS BURING? by Larry Collins and Dominique LaPierre. Written in the 60s, it contains hundreds of eyewitness accounts of the end of the Occupation of Paris. Hitler, demented until the end, continued to order his generals to destroy Paris, its monuments and bridges. Luckily German General Dietrich von Choltitz had the courage to defy Hitler’s orders.

In August, 1944, Von Choltitz, dressed in civilian clothes mingled with the multitude watching German troops march down the Champs Elyses in their daily display of arrogance and power. At that point, sensing the resistance of the crowds, he knew it was over and arranged surrender through the Swedish ambassador. Many consider von Choltitz “the savior of Paris.”

But enough historical reflection. Dampness and light rain settled over the city as I made my way back. A harbinger of weather conditions to come…

I am waiting for your third post now! What a beautiful description! Thank you.

Kelsey22 - thanks so much.

Also meant "RER" not "REF" above when referring to the Metro.

I am thoroughly enjoying your report, and I've just downloaded the Wharton autobiography to my nook. I'm looking forward to more. Thanks so much for sharing!

Sorry, I'm too e-reader-centric. I meant ordered the book. It's not available on the nook.

Jmct714, I am sure that you will enjoy the Edith Wharton bio. What a life! She came from upper crust New York/Newport society. In those days women did not attend college, but she read widely and had every advantage. Unfortunately she married the wrong man – wealthy and privileged but emotionally unstable. He became increasingly resentful of her literary career. Her eventual divorce shocked many in her circle.


In addition to her success as a novelist, she wrote widely about home decoration, gardening, and travel. She would bring her chauffeur and touring car with her to Europe and go on “motor flights” with friends like Henry James throughout Europe. She was loyal to France and served on many charitable committees during WWI. Quite a gal! She adored Paris.

Working on next section and so happy I can connect to Fodors today...

LDT, I loved Wharton's take on NY society in House of Mirth and Age of Innocence, but honestly didn't know much at all of her personal life until I visted The Mount a few years ago. Can't wait to get that bio, and I'll now also add a vistit to 58 Rue de Varenne to my 'to do' list for my upcoming Paris trip. Thanks again for such a delightful(and educational!) report.

What a great report written by a lady who has a way with words... Thank you.

Jmct714, I have enjoyed those novels of Wharton’s also. But my favorite remains ETHAN FROME, a tragic tale set amid rural poverty in western Massachusetts around the turn of the century.

It is a tribute to Wharton’s powers of observation that she could re-create that atmosphere while she lived in luxury up the road in the Berkshires at THE MOUNT. She wrote it originally in French to “practice her skills.”

You may have better luck on the rue Varenne than I because I was not quite sure I was at #58. I quote here from another source (unfortunately I did not have my notes the day I went there.)

“Most of Wharton’s years in Paris were spent in the most prestigious floor of a late-19th-century stone building just down the street at No. 53. A plaque on the outside of the building describes her as ‘the first writer of the United States to settle in France out of love of the country and its literature’.”

I couldn’t find this plaque. These residences remain “behind closed doors.”

And Treesa, thank you for your kind words…

thank you, ltd, for your lovely description of the musee marmottan. we went there after the chaos and crowds of the monet exhibition in the Grands Palais, where even though we had Sesame passes, we had to wait to get in, and it was wonderful just to be able to wander around and look at the paintings without the heathen hoards getting in the way.

here's the link for those reading this thread who are headed that way :

http://www.marmottan.com/

nice neighbourhood restaurants and cafes in the area too.

Years ago I saw Julie Harris in Etham Fromme.
I was overwhelmed!

annhig - Sesame passes - what are they? I have never heard of them - only the Museum Pass which I intended on buying.

et voila!

http://www.rmn.fr/english/purchase/a-ticket/for-a-subscription/the-sesame-pass

we only bought ours because we wanted to see the Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais very much [ partly because we love Monet, partly because about 30 years ago we saw the Manet exhibition at the Grand Palais too] and all the ordinary tickets had gone. it was expensive, but no more so than a meal for the two of us would have been, and we got at least as much enjoyment out of it.

I kept kidding myself that we'd go back before it ran out but of course we didn't.

I don't think that there are any mega exhibitions on at the moment that would make its purchase worthwhile.

Thanks Annig - I will stick to the Museum Pass.

“nice neighbourhood restaurants and cafes in the area too”

Annhig, glad to bring back memories of the Marottan- Monet for you. It is quite a place.

Although I was staying in the heart of the 6th, I can see why repeat visitors to Paris choose more sedate and varied venues like the 16th.

Cigalechanta, must have been a great performance with Julie Harris. I used to tell my students that if they think they have it tough in life, just remember poor old Ethan.

A subtext of ETHAN FROME and of several other of Wharton’s novels in being trapped in an unhappy marriage, a situation she knew well.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6: When planning my trip to Paris, I had prioritized visiting the MUSEE NISSIM de CAMONDO (takes Museum Pass) near Park Monceau in the 8th. On Tuesday evening the concierge at the Hotel Dauphine assured me that I would have “no problem” going there via Metro from the Louvre Rivoli stop, to the Charles de Gaulle Etoile, then to “Line 2” (I think), hence to the Park Monceau.

The experience remains a humiliating blur of questions unanswered (because of my language inadequacy), stairs up and down, and final success arriving at my destination. Park Monceau is a charming green urban oasis developed by a nobleman, with Anglophile sensibilities, later guillotined.

Many “hotels” (private villas) sprung up later around the park including that of Moise de Camondo, a Paris banker of Turkish origin and collector of French furniture and art objects. Built in 1911 and modeled after the Petit Trianon of Versailles, the structure still seems new. His collection features fabulous silver, Sevres china, paintings, Houdon sculpture, oriental rugs, and assorted bibelots.

Modern plumbing and electrical systems were installed. The working kitchen with a huge stove and gleaming copper pots adjoins the servants’ dining room that is right out of Downton Abby.

Camondo intended to leave his mansion and collections to his son Nissim. Unfortunately Nissim, a pilot, was killed in WWI so Moise left his property to the “Arts Décoratifs” in memory of his son. Moise died in 1935 as a wave of anti-Semitism was sweeping Europe. His daughter Beatrice, her husband, and two children died in the Holocaust in 1942. The upstairs rooms contain family photos and a genealogy of Comandos.


I guess it was the poignant family history that attracted me to the Musee Comando. As with many Jews of that period, they assumed that their wealth, influence, or connections could spare them being victims of Nazi vengeance. When they realized that they should have fled, it was too late.

Two examples: Irene Nemirovsky, famous young French novelist whose unfinished classic describing the flight from Paris of June 1940, SUITE FRANCAIS, was published 60 years after her death. And the recent best-selling nonfiction THE HARE WITH AMBER EYES, A Family’s Century of Art and Loss by Edmund de Waal which tells a similar story of the deWaal/Ephrussi family in Vienna who also had connections to the Monceau Park enclave.

The Monceau Park area is quite upscale. Many of the old “hotels” have been taken over by various agencies/businesses including Morgan Stanley. A cadre of young well-dressed business men and women chatted on the streets and in the Park, smoking and looking slim. I had intended to visit the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, another nearby small museum, but decided to return to my home turf near the center of town.

Arrived with some difficulty on the Metro back at Pont Neuf. Now was my time to scour the Ile de la Cite starting with Notre Dame, at the very heart of Paris from which all distances in the city are measured. How to describe Notre Dame? If you have been there, you know. If not, you have a pretty good idea of how it looks. Build and refined over a period of centuries, the edifice suffered disrepair after the French Revolution of 1789 when many church properties were defaced.

The publication of Victor Hugo’s THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME in 1831 was a huge success which revived interest in the mediaeval cathedral. Renovation under King Louis-Philippe began in 1844 under the master restorer Eugene Viollet-le-Duc and continues today. Thousands of visitors pour through its doors every day.

My favorite scene in Henry James’s THE AMBASSADORS is set in the cathedral when Strether, a middle aged American who goes to Paris to retrieve his employer’s wayward son, encounters the latter’s lover who is praying in the darkened recesses of the church. The enchanted Strether and the elegant lady stroll about the church and out amidst the flying buttresses. Then they enjoy an intimate lunch on the banks of the Seine and Strether (now in love with Paris) realizes that he had never really “lived” before.

We could also recall Charles de Gaulle’s triumphal entry into the cathedral on August 25, 1944 when Paris was liberated. But let’s move on to the CRYPTE ARCHEOLOGIQUE DE NOTRE DAME MUSEUM nearby described as “an atmospheric time capsule which explores the lives and artifacts of the tribes and civilizations that dwelt in Paris long ago.” Among other things – well done but not my favorite subject. In a word, I was making the best of my Museum Pass.


The lines at Saint Chapelle were enormous as usual so I passed by. My next stop was the nearby CONCIERGERIE (Museum Pass), former royal palace and part of the Palais de Justice still in use for judicial purposes today. This imposing structure with its conical turrets always caught my eye during other trips to Paris. The interior “Hall of the Guards” is cavernous and regarded as one of the finest examples of secular gothic architecture in existence. The hall was “heated” in winter by four enormous fireplaces which you could literally step into. Its cavernous space reminded me of the PALAIS DES PAPES in Avignon.

The CONCIERGERIE served as a prison during the Reign of Terror in the 1790s, its most famous internees being Robespierre and Queen Marie –Antoinette of “let them eat cake” fame. In 1815 the dungeon of Marie-Antoinette was reconstituted and her original cell was transformed into a chapel. Today visitors can glimpse a mock-up of Marie-Antoinette’s simple cell through a dungeon door. Her last sketch by the artist David is none too flattering – it was a long way from her days at Versailles.

Time for refreshment. I bought an ice cream nearby for €3,50. When the man behind the counter handed it to me, I almost laughed. Truly the scoop on top of the sugar cone was no bigger than a golf ball! I guess that’s why the French are so svelte, n’est-ce pas?

Later that evening I sauntered from the Hotel Dauphine in the opposite direction to the Boulevard Saint Germain. Pursuing the literary ghosts of Paris past, I stopped at the DEUX MAGOTS CAFE, iconic gathering spot of Hemingway, Sartre, Picasso, and Camus among others in their heyday. I sat outside, great for people watching. Soon I was chatting with the fellow at the next table, a lawyer from New York, there for the French Open, who visits the city frequently. It was a great tourist experience, but then I am a tourist and don’t pretend to be otherwise.

Why the name “Deux Magots”? The name originally belonged to a fabric shop on the nearby Rue De Buci which took its name from a popular play of the 1800s entitled Les Deux Magots de la Chine (Two Figurines from China). When the business changed to a café, the name remained. Before leaving, I peeped inside the restaurant to see the two figures which still preside over the establishment. They are quite imposing.

Strolling back to the Dauphine, swarms of Parisians were enjoying the café life in the 6th on such a lovely summer night. Things would change the next day…

Oh now I am waiting in anticipation....

Kelsey22, I know that you will find the Hotel Dauphine convenient. How many night will you be there? Have you decided which museums/sites you want to see?

Thanks for the fun report. Another interesting take on Paris.

I am deciding whether I am more entertained by the thought of the vocational students coming out of the woodwork or annhig's heathen hoards at the Grand Palais.

Paris is on the western edge of a time zone, while in Boston we are on the eastern edge of a time zone. It is my contention that Paris is actually in the wrong time zone, that France finds it more convenient to be on the same time as its neighbors in continental Europe. By rights, Paris and London should be in the same time zone.

t

Nikki, thank you for your kind words. I followed and enjoyed your March Trip Report from Paris. You really know your way around there.

Also loved your pics, especially that chandelier in the Au Pied de Chochon and the display of fruit which looked very like the Caillebotte’s still life in the Orsay.

Appreciate your explanation of the time zone differences. Really enjoyed those long summer nights.

So when are you going back?

LDT, thank you, enjoying your trip report very much. More, please !!

Very interesting and looking forward to more.

In just 18 months, the Dauphine has really gone up in price, even allowing for the fact we had off season (March) rates.

Pat _in_Chicago, thank you for your encouraging words. Working on Thursday when the weather changed. I realize now that there were so many more things that I wanted to do.

Cathinjoetown – always like your posts. I guess I am just old-fashioned. I had my travel agent arrange the accommodations and flights. As I mentioned above, a neighbor (another retired teacher) had gone there last year and recommended it highly so I went for it. Recall I am going solo. Were you satisfied with the Dauphine?

But looking around Paris I can understand why folks who visit often like to change their venues and often choose apartments.

Yes, we had a very nice room at the Dauphine and the staff was very helpful. I got to know the room very well as I threw my back out and was flat on the bed for two days. Remember the quote attributed to Oscar Wilde, roughly, " Either the wallpaper or I have to go" ?That's what I felt like!

I was in Paris in May, this time stayed at Le Clement, just the other side of Blvd St. Germain, bit better value for money, 150€ for a large double. Excellent breakfast but it was not included, so that was another 22€ for two. I would give Le Clement the edge due to room size.

I loved "The Greater Journey," it does help you look at Paris from a different perspective. Fascinating book, I was so glad I read it in hardback, the illustrations were wonderful.

LDT and Cathinjoetown--I just picked up that book yesterday so can't wait to read it!

LDT--Keep writing please

Remember the quote attributed to Oscar Wilde, roughly, " Either the wallpaper or I have
to go" ?That's what I felt like! LOL

Cathinjoetown, That must have been tough. But glad you found a more reasonable venue.

MMS, glad you also enjoyed THE GREATER JOURNEY. McCullough (who lives on Martha’s Vinyard) has logged a great deal of time in Boston at the Massachusetts Historical Society where he researched his JOHN ADAMS.

Although I have been a member for decades, I seldom get in town these days. A few years back I received a notice sponsored by MHS about a tour, led by McCullough, to revisit those places in London, Paris, and the Netherlands where Adams and his progeny had tarried.

They stayed at fabulous hotels. Needless to say it was beyond my means but it was nice to be asked anyway…

THURSDAY, JUNE 7: The morning was cool and damp as I trekked along the Left Bank Quais to the MUSEE D’ORSAY, about a mile. Arriving about 9:20, I saw three lines: one for groups, one for those purchasing tickets, and one for those with Museum Passes (moi). The rain started before we entered.

This beautiful Beaux-Arts building was a railway station build to accommodate visitors to the 1900 Exposition Universelle. Later considered obsolete, the structure was made into a museum (opened in 1986) for French art dating from 1848-1915 with an “extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces (the largest in the world) by such painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh.”

The shell of old Gare d’Orsay provides a commodious space for its treasures. Where to start? The heavenly “Birth of Venus” by Alexandre Cabanel; Caillebotte’s “Vue de toits” (effect of snow); St. Gaudens sculpture “Amor Caritas” (described in McCullough book about Americans in Paris); Millet’s “The Gleaners”; and many by Van Gogh including “Starry Night Over the Rhone,” “Bedroom in Arles,” and “The Church at Auvers.” And so many more.

For those interested in the development of Impressionism, I would suggest THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King. It was a painful transition. I was also interested in Caillebotte’s oeuvre at the Orsay because he painted my favorite work at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston – “Fruits sur un etalage” – a colorful arrangement of fruits in a market stall. Recently the MFA sold some of its family jewels (including some Renoir sketches) to purchase Caillebotte’s “Man Drying Himself” from the Portrait Gallery in London where I saw it last summer.

Fortunately the Orsay has ample seating outside its exhibition rooms to rest one’s weary bones. Before leaving I ate lunch in the museum’s CAFÉ DU LION, a cafeteria style quick stop for sandwiches, salads, and the like. The café was crowded so a friendly French woman of my vintage sat at my table. Her English was about as good as my French, but we exchanged pleasantries and bid each other a cordial “au revoir.”

Two other options for dining are available at the Orsay: the trendy CAFÉ CAMPANA bistro with a Brazilian flair, and the elegant dining room of the former HOTEL D’ORSAY with its “original 1900s charm” featuring classic French cuisine.

Outside – cool and rainy. Umbrella unfurled, I proceeded across the Seine to the MUSEE DE L’ORANGERIE (Museum Pass). The distance was longer than I expected. Across the bridge, I ran into a lovely couple from Alabama. Together we trudged along the rain soaked pathways of LES TUILERIES gardens to the museum – the waiting line was not long.

This impressive 1852 Greek revival style building had served many purposes before being converted to a museum in 1921. Within a few years, Monet’s eight huge water lily paintings (les NYMPHEAS), celebrating peace after the horrors of WWI, were installed. In the early 2000s, the Organgerie was closed for extensive renovation and the water lilies were effectively displayed in two oval shaped rooms “incorporating natural light, plain walls, and sparse interior decoration.” MIDNIGHT IN PARIS fans will recognize this space as the backdrop for one of the funnier parts of the film.


Truthfully, I was more impressed with the Walter-Guillaume Collection on the lower level of the Orangerie with Impressionist and post-Impressionist works including those of Renoir, Picasso, Modigliani, Cezanne, Matisse, and Rousseau among others. I was particularly taken with their paintings of Andre Derain and Maurice Utrillo.

Paul Guillaume, from humble origins, became interested in African sculpture which caught the attention of the poet Apollinaire. One thing led to another, he was introduced to Picasso and Laurencin, and soon became an important collector. Guillaume was particularly close to Modigliani who did several portraits of him. Another arresting portrait of Guillaume by Kees van Dongen in the collection shows an urbane dandy in a handsome blue suit. Nearby is a picture of his striking wife Domenica “Madame Guillaume with a large hat” by Modigliani dressed in the height of 1920s flapper elegance.



Paul Guillaume died young under mysterious circumstances. Many thought that Domenica was responsible for his death. Shortly thereafter, she married the architect Jean Walter and insisted that the bequest be named for both of her husbands – “some speculate that the murder charge was dropped in exchange for her donating the collection to the state.” In any case, I thought it a great collection which really compliments Monet’s Nympheas.


When I came upstairs from the Walter-Guillaume exhibit, the lobby was jammed with folks waiting for the heavy rains to cease. Many more people were entering the museum now to circumvent the weather. After a half hour, I ventured forth and hailed a cab back to Pont Neuf. Back at the Dauphine, I crashed a while, freshened up, then returned to the lobby to read the Herald Tribune and email home on their antiquated computer. Again, I NEED AN IPHONE!


The skies were clearing as I wandered down to the Boulevard Saint Germain to have a bite in one of the local cafes. I was looking forward to joining the HEMINGWAY PARIS WALK the next morning which did not disappoint…

Love Caillebotte. Thanks for the interesting summaries, particularly of the Walter-Guillaume collection.

Thanks, LDT. No idea when I'll get back to Paris. Just getting vicarious thrills from trip reports for the time being.

LDT, I just ordered The Judgement of Paris on my iPad. Thanks for the suggestionof the book and a new museum to me- the marmottan. I resisted new technology as well, I was even irritated that my husband got me the iPad for my birthday. . Now I don't know how I survived without it. I am sitting at the eye doctor, reading your report, ordering books off amazon, etc....

Cathinjoetown, ditto on Caillebotte. I believe that I also saw one of his misty street scenes at the Marottan- Monet a few days earlier.

When the MFA in Boston purchased “May Drying Himself” this spring, they sold Monet’s landscape “The Fort at Antibes” (for $9.3 million) along with works by Gaugin and Renoir. The exact price for the new Caillebotte was not disclosed but was estimated to be in the $20 million range. Wow!

Nikki, thanks for following along…

Willowjane, good for you. I will be joining the bandwagon soon. My grandchildren (12 & &) received an IPAD for Christmas. It’s on the island in their kitchen and is in constant use.

Just curious – how much does Amazon charge for a book like JUDGEMENT OF PARIS written a few years back?

Wonderful descriptions of the museums, and such interesting information. Merci!

We finally went to The Marmottan on our last visit to Paris and I have to say it was one of our favorites. I enjoyed returning with you. There are Monets in many places, but this collection was simply stunning.

We are returning to Paris in Sept. so I have made notes from your report.

In the Nissin de Camondo, is a budda donated by a lesbian/poet/lover of Colette., I forget her name, I think Renee? You can see the Parc Monceau in the film GIGI.
Liking this report very much. Thank you

I really appreciate the interest of veteran Fodorites like yourselves.

TPAYT, Monet must have produced hundreds of paintings – luckily they are widely scattered about Paris and abroad. But the Marottan-Monet is so doable in a few hours time without the press of large crowds, at least when I visited in early June.

Cigalechanta, not sure about the Buddha at the Comando – there were so many treasures. It is a charming venue.

I must watch GIGI again for views of Park Monceau – now that’s really going back. Merci.

Just found this and am enjoying it tremdously. As always, I learn new things in Fodorville and loved discovering "Fruits sur un etalage".

More, please!

TDudette,

TDuette, thank you for your kind words.

Obviously Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) is finally coming into his own among the Impressionists. Before he died, he offered many of his Pissarros, Monets, Renoirs, Sisleys, and Cezannes to the French government who balked at his bequest.

His family kept the larger part of his works which were made available for sale in the 1950s and continue to gain recognition.

LDT - the book was 9.39 I believe. I am always amazed by how much I learn every day on this site. Thanks to all!

I have a beautiful book.Caillebotte's Garden at Yerbes.
Most people know his painting if not his name for
RAINY DAY IN PARIS, reproduced on umbrellas and all sorts of gifts.

Willowjane, thanks for the price to download McCullough’s THE GREATER JOURNEY. On to the IPAD…

Cigalechanta, just checked and CAILLEBOTTE AND HIS GARDEN AT YERRES is available in our library and I will check it out.

For those interested in seeing a good selection of Caillebotte's works including those above mentioned, you can see about 30 of his paintings under his Wikipedia entry. I can just imagine how those misty, rainy scenes would transcribe well on totes, umbrellas, and the like.

When I mentioned above the price of €54 for a MUSEUM PASS, that was for four days.

Is there a lesser amount of time for the Museum Pass ? Two or three days, for example, and how much might that cost ?

The are two, four and six day passes. Google Paris Museum Pass to find the site and the prices.

I checked on Wikipedia and looked through the works - stunning! I can see myself in several....I wish.

Bedar, I am glad that Denisea was able to answer your question.

I noticed that the attendants at each museum swiped the pass – I am not sure if you can use the pass at the same place twice in the day.
For me it was worth it.

As I mentioned, the line at the Orsay for pass holders was shorter than the one for those buying tickets. There is no preference that I could see for waiting to enter Saint Chappelle.

Willowjane, true, the works of Caillebotte really grow on you…

Interesting question re: re-entry into a museum on the same day. Can't recall that coming up but it seems like you should be able to. Hmmm...

No shorter line at Ste Chapelle for pass holders because you must go through a security line first, unfortunately.

I hope to get to Marmottan eventually! I know I would enjoy it.

t

Thank you for your interest, Bardo1. Are you going to Paris soon?

I am working on the rest of the trip....

FRIDAY, JUNE 8: Under threatening skies I walked to the Odeon Metro on Boulevard Saint Germain. My destination was the Cardinal Lemoine station (only 3 stops away) from which the HEMINGWAY PARIS WALKS tour would start. Going from Point A to Point B was much easier than making messy changes. And, oh, the stairs! I don’t have a mobility problem (so far), but can understand how those Metro flights may be irksome to many.


About 30- 35 folks appeared at the appointed time, 10:30 AM. As our guide Chris collected our € 12, he took everyone’s family name and asked how we had heard about Paris Walks. Of course, I said “Fodors.” Correct change is appreciated – no credit cards.


We then proceeded across the street to a quieter space where Chris pointed out part of an old Roman wall and explained how this MOUFFETARD section of Paris in the 5th is one of the oldest parts of the city. Chris was really into Hemingway and opened with Papa’s famous quote:

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."


Although the MOUFFETARD area is now gentrified and pricey, it was a working man’s neighborhood when Hemingway lived there is the 1920s. The streets were not connected then to the city’s sewer system so green horse-drawn wagons came each morning to clean out the drains – a smelly process that the writer vividly describes in THE MOVEABLE FEAST.

Hemingway was young and in love, so he minimized the inconveniences of the Mouffetard neighborhood and concentrated on its charms away from Montparnasse and other up-scale sections where a more “phony” crowd of American ex-pats lived. According to Chris, some 30,000 Americans resided in Paris around this time, enjoying the good life because the dollar was strong and the booze was cheap - unlike at home during Prohibition.


Chris told us that the popularity of the film MIDNIGHT IN PARIS accounts for the large number of people on these Hemingway Paris Walks tours of late. (A similar tour in French had left Cardinal Lemoine just before ours with another guide.) Walking up an incline, we found ourselves in front of the steps of the Church of St Etienne du Mont on the rue de la Montagne Sainte-Genevieve.

In the film Gil, the protagonist, was sitting (rather tipsy) on these stairs when the vintage Peugeot drove up and whisked him away into the nightlife and hijinks of literary Paris in the 1920s. (All locations for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS are widely available online.)

When Hemingway returned to Paris in the 1950s, the bartender at the Ritz reminded him that there were several of his crates stored in the basement. These contained his notebooks about life in the 20s with his wife Hadley and such luminaries as Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Madox Ford, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein. Hemingway took these materials and worked on them off and on until his death in 1961. With his fourth wife Mary at the helm, these notes were re-worked and appeared in 1964 as A MOVEABLE FEAST, an immediate success.


(Speaking of the Ritz, Hemingway in full battle dress – you gotta love this guy- accompanied Allied Forces into Paris in August, 1944 to “liberate” the Ritz and check on the security of his friend Sylvia Beach at SHAKESPEARE & CO.)


Chris continued to lead us through winding streets and hills of the Mouffetard, which he called “truly quintessential Paris.” Many streets are pedestrian only, particularly those around the colorful open air markets. Our guide had the key code to a private residential courtyard where James Joyce wrote much of ULYSSES (with Joyce, I stopped at PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST).

Chris said that although Joyce was cantankerous, he and Hem got along famously. Joyce, puny with failing vision, would often start a fight in a café and then ask the robust Hemingway to finish off his opponent. Chris said that Paris Walks had access to the property because the owner realized its historical/literary significance.

From there we proceeded to a 6 Rue du Pot de Fer where George Orwell (one of my very favorite writers) lived when gathering materials for DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON. By now we had been walking for about 2 ½ hours. Chris led us through the marketplace and bid us adieu near the Censier-Daubenton Metro – oh, how to return to the Cardinal Lemoine stop?

Meanwhile, I had been chatting with a lovely gal on the tour from Australia. Hungry and needing a rest stop, we decided to have lunch in a nearby café. Her hotel was in the Marais so she got out her Metro map and plotted her way back. I told her that I planned to go the Place de Vosges and would like to tag along. She was less sure of herself than I on the Metro, but we proceeded through three (four?) stations, including the huge Gare d’Austerlitz. Waving a hasty farewell, I jumped out at Chemin-Vert stop near to my destination.

The PLACE DES VOSGES, a “must do” for me, is the oldest planned square in Paris, located in the Marais district straddling the line between the 3rd and 4th arrondissenments. A true “square,” its elegant “housefronts were all built to the same design… of red brick with strips of stone quoins over vaulted arcades that stand on square pillars. The steeply-pitched blue slate roofs are pierced with discreet small-paned dormers above the pedimented dormers that stand upon the cornices.” Originally commissioned by Henry IV in 1605, buildings remain imposing. While no royalty ever lived there, it made a suitable residence for the French aristocracy.


Showers began just as I arrived but no problem – I was comfortably sheltered by those vaulted arcades that define the enclave. The sun came out shortly as I made my way to MAISON DE VICTOR HUGO MUSEUM (€5 – no Museum Pass) at #6 Place des Vosges where the author had lived from 1832 to 1848. Confession, sad to say, I have not read Hugo (yet), but appreciate that he is a huge in French literature. His LES MISERABLES and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME remain standbys on high school reading lists and in popular culture including musicals or cartoon versions. Hugo (1802-1885) was also a poet, playwright, essayist, visual artist, and statesman.


Many renovations to the building occurred after Hugo’s departure for Guernsey where he remained in political exile until 1870. Fortunately his friend and executor Paul Meurice’s suggestion in 1901 that the city of Paris make a museum out of #6 Place des Vosges was positively received as the centennial of the writer’s birth approached. The lower floors are filled with his letters, documents, photos, first editions and the like and liberally sprinkled with Hugo’s quotations. Much of the imagery in his writing had to do with darkness. Example:


“The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness.”


To set the mood, these display rooms seemed appropriately dark. But I was pleased that I could read much that was in French after brushing up on the language for the past year. The upper stories (4th and 5th and oh, the stairs!) were appointed with elegant furnishings reflecting the period when Hugo had lived there. The sun-filled view of the lawn and gardens below (square, of course) was magnificent from that top level.

A short walk took me to the quays on the Right Bank where I caught a bus back to the Isle de la Cite. One good thing about Paris busses is that you can hop on and buy a ticket (€ 1.20) from the driver. Once again I passed by the CONCIERGERIE and saw the lengthy line for SAINTE CHAPELLE.


At this point I said, “Why not?” So I joined the queue. Suddenly another shower. Umbrellas up. People took turns leaving the line to stand under the nearby trees for shelter. I was beginning to fear that the line would be cut off at any point because the last entrance is 30 minutes before closing at 6. Finally in the door and through security – no sharp objects.

According to one description SAINTE CHAPELLE was “built during the second half of 13th Century by Louis IX, the future Saint Louis, to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. Adorned with a unique collection of fifteen glass panels and a large rose window forming a veritable wall of light, Sainte-Chapelle is a gem of French gothic architecture.”

Seeing is believing – a veritable jewel- “among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. Although damaged during the French revolution and heavily restored in the 19th century, it retains one of the most extensive in-situ collections of 13th century stained glass anywhere in the world.” The sun was now streaming through the glass windows showing them to full advantage.

The upper chapel had been reserved for the King and his entourage while the humbler lower church was available to the great unwashed. Beautiful at it is, Sainte Chapelle, founded and sustained by royal and ecclesiastical privilege, foreshadowed for me events to come in French history.

Leaving, I crossed Pont St-Michele to the Left Bank. The weather was perfect after the rain. The clouds behind Notre Dame were right out of Constable as I savored the moment before heading back to the Dauphine.

The concierge gave me a hearty “bon soir.” I stretched out a while (it had been a long day) before venturing out for an onion soup and vin rouge at a bistro on the nearby Rue du Bac. Tomorrow I would leave the Left Bank and move on to other climes…

Super report - bookmarking for when I have more time to read...
Schnauzer

Please keep it coming!

Schnauzer and TDudette, thank you for your kind words and encouragement. On to the countryside...

For those who know Paris well, I meant "Rue de Buci" not "Rue de Bac" near the Dauphine. Mea culpa...

latedaytraveler,

No Paris visits in the near future but that never last too long (been 4x now).

I'm just (REALLY) enjoying your perspective and insights...

Bardo1, thanks so much. Lucky you to have been to Paris so many times. We all have different perspectives and it's fun sharing,
n'est ce pas?

LDT - thanks for more great trip reporting. Your mention of Victor Hugo's house reminded me of when we visited it about 30 years ago when it was free! [fancy that!] i had such a strong feeling of his still being there, but having just stepped out for a while. did you get the same feeling?

also thanks for the info re Hemingway. I'll be looking out for a Moveable Feast from now on.

Hi Annhig,

“i had such a strong feeling of his still being there, but having just stepped out for a while. did you get the same feeling?”

Yes, I did. I thought that the Victor Hugo site was very authentic, especially the upper floors which were beautifully furnished. I just looked up the Victor Hugo Museum (Hauteville House) in Guernsey where he lived for 14 years. Looks lovely. Would like to hear from anyone who has been there.

I listened to the CD (doing that more and more) of A MOVEABLE FEAST – it was very well done. Of course, it’s in first person and the experiences are so personal. His take on Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein are really funny.

I would strongly recommend the Hemingway PARIS WALKS tour to others…

Really a fun report. Last winter I read The Paris Wife (about Hadly) for a book club...and immediately downloaded and read A Moveable Feast...which I'd read years ago, but it was so much more fun with the background of the story from her eyes. Plus, we've now been to Paris often enough that I can picture clearly many of the places they mention!

Looking forward to your next posts!

uhoh_busted, thank you for your interest. In THE MOVEABLE FEAST Hemingway rather admits that Hadley was the love of his life which did not please his other wives.

I did pick up the PARIS WIFE in the library but didn't have enough time - will recheck it...

I had to bring back the novel A Moveable Feast for all of my language arts teacher friends on my last trip - with the stamp from Shakespeare and Co. (Yes, I know it wasn't the "real" one.) I really am planning our trip next year based upon your report - I am so impressed with your writing and what you are doing in Paris! You are hitting all of the things and many more than we wished we had seen the first time.

Hi Willowjane,

Thank you for your continued interest. My trip started by doing a great deal of planning about seeing those things that were important to me. Of course, you never can do it all.

Last year I did a similar trip to London, four days on my own followed by a tour of Cornwall and Devon. You can check it out by clicking on my name. I even got to have a private tour of Parliament because of a former student.

For me the main thing is location. Last year I stayed near Trafalgar Square so I was able to walk to numerous places even though London is enormous. In Paris, to my surprise, these attractions seemed much more spread out so I had to take public transportation. As I mentioned, for me the Metro was not easy.


What a good idea to bring your friends A MOVEABLE FEAST from Shakespeare and Co! When I went in there, I was a bit overwhelmed and did not really see many new books.

Where did you stay the last time and what area are you planning to stay on your next trip?

I am sure that you saw MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

Thanks again…

http://www.vacationinparis.com/apts/id_235.htm is where we stayed. We had a great time there! I am planning on staying at The Grend Ecoles next summer. We are only going to be in Paris for 4 days and then off to Provence. I also brought back book bags from Shakespeare and Co for gifts because the were light and easy to pack! I have not seen the movie but I will before we go! Have a great day!

Paris plus Provence sounds great! Enjoy...

SATURDAY, JUNE 9: After a leisurely breakfast at the Dauphine, I wandered out into the sunshine of Sainte Germaine for the last time. My destination was MUSEE DELACROIX (€5 or Museum Pass) on the nearby Rue Furstenberg. Of course, I took the circuitous route but finally found it in a charming old neighborhood. The museum sign was barely visible.

The great French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) lived the last five years of his life in this commodious apartment/studio to be nearer to his work decorating the chapel at nearby Saint-Suplice. An accomplished lithographer in his youth, he illustrated texts of Goethe, Sir Walter Scott, and Shakespeare. Delacroix became simpatico with revolutionary movements of his time, particularly with the Greek struggle for independence.


Delacroix’s most famous painting remains LIBERTY LEADING THE PEOPLE, “an unforgettable image of Parisians, having taken up arms, marching forward under the banner of the tricolour representing liberty, equality, and fraternity.” Acclaimed when first viewed, the work was bought by the French government but not shown publically until the Revolution of 1848. Today it remains a favorite in the Louvre.


Many younger artists admired his work culminating with Fantin Latour’s HOMAGE TO DELACROIX, painted after the latter’s death. The work, now at the Orsay and with an excellent reproduction at this museum, shows a group of admirers including Beaudelaire, Whister, and Manet gathered reverentially before a portrait of Delacroix.


From the house, to the lovely garden below, to his large well-appointed studio, the visitor captures a snapshot of what life was for Delacroix in the mid 19th century Paris. Leaving the museum, I took a shorter route back to the Dauphine through the curving Rue de Buci.


After settling up at the Dauphine and bidding my adieus at noon, I took a cab to the CONCORDE MONTPARNASSE, a huge, charmless business hotel in the 14th in the shadow of the Montparnasse Tower. Built in the early 70s, this 59 story monolith became so distasteful to Parisians that skyscrapers were soon banned from the city center.


By midday the weather had changed to cold and drear, a pattern that would persist off and on for the entire week of my GLOBUS TOUR of NORMANDY, BRITTANY, and CHATEAUX COUNTRY. I am aware that the majority of Fodorites would be disinclined to take such a tour but it works for me. I would have preferred to do this northeast circuit of France with Insight or Tauck, but economic considerations (after my five day stay on the Left Bank) determined otherwise.


The tour started at six that evening with a dinner at a nearby “lively” restaurant. Food was ok but I am not fussy. Philippe, our tour director, introduced himself and described what lie ahead. The meal was uneventful except that one gal from the Midwest (first trip to Europe) took off her “fanny pack” and left it on the floor during dinner. (Of course, you can see what is coming.) After dinner she stood up to chat with a new acquaintance. As she approached the door, she realized that she had forgotten it – but too late. Obviously, some member of the staff had taken it because our group was alone in that part of the restaurant. A cautionary tale – while she had left her passport in the hotel safe, she lost her credit cards, cell phone, and camera. She and her husband, really nice people, spend much of the trip emailing/calling home trying to straighten things out.


SUNDAY, JUNE 10: The next day we were off early to see the town, Philippe narrating as we went. First stop Notre Dame. Cold and damp, it was not so appealing as earlier in the week, but I did catch part of a lovely mass. Moving on, the tour included a visit to the second level of the EIFFEL TOWER. Although I had been in Paris a few times before, it would never have occurred to me to wait in line for this experience. Millions do it every year. The tower, the subject of controversy at first, was erected for the 1889 World’s Fair commemorating the centennial of the French Revolution.

The structure, as high as an 81 story building, was completed in two years with no deaths or injuries to workers according to Philippe. Obviously, Eiffel was a genius and soon the French loved it! I must admit that the views were spectacular. Those who wished could go to the higher levels, but I passed because of the cold and damp.

When we regrouped, many had chosen an optional tour to Versailles for the afternoon. I declined, however, having been there before. Back at the hotel, I decided to bunk in and watch the myriad of English channels on TV including a provocative Russian channel in English – they weren’t too favorable to the US.


Sunday night another “optional” tour was offered to MONMARTRE, the highest point in Paris in the 18th capped by the white domed BASILICA DE SACRE COEUR. The district has long been an artists’ enclave favored in the past by Dali, Modigliani, Picasso, van Gogh, and others. You can still have your portrait done by street artists visible in abundance. Again, the weather was not conducive to enjoying the panoramic views of Paris from the summit so I wandered into Sacre Coeur and attended another mass in the beautifully lit church. The congregation was multi-culturally diverse and devout.


Monmartre is quite high so we ascended and came down in a little white trolley. The second part of the outing was a cruise on the Seine starting at the Eiffel Tower. By then it was getting dark (because of cloud cover) so I assured my new friends that they were lucky because by the time we got to Notre Dame they should get some great pictures of the cathedral lit up. But it was not to be. Just as we were passing the Musee D’Orsay, the boat turned around and headed back. A car had fallen (been pushed?) into the Seine and all traffic was turned back. One consolation – just as we disembarked at 10 PM, the 5 minute light show on the tower blinked brilliantly over the Seine. It was impressive.

Off to the countryside the next day…

MONDAY, JUNE 10

NORMANDY, BRITTANY, and CHATEAUX COUNTRY – some stops along the way.

ROUEN: As we set out through the fields of Normandy, Philippe reminded us that the area has more cows than people, hence its rich creamy desserts and cheeses. Apple orchards in abundance produce that favorite French brandy CALVADOS. It fields, however, have frequently been blood-soaked from Viking invasions, the Hundreds Years War (1845-1850), the Wars of Religion, not to forget the Allied Invasion of 1944. After the latter event, much construction was done in haste although many charming old structures remain.


Rouen is most often associated with the ignominious death of JOAN OF ARC who was burned to death in 1431 in the public square having been declared a witch. A modern church built in 1979 commemorating that event now stands on the place of her execution. Moving away from the center, we strolled up streets lined with timber framed houses (similar to those of Shakespearean time).

Not to be missed along the way is LE GROS HORLOGE (the great clock), an elaborate archway spanning a narrow street with a large clock on each side which indicates, in addition to the correct time, the phases of the moon and the divinity associated with each day of the week. This contrivance, paid for by wealthy wool merchants of the area, was a wonder to all when built in the early 1500s.


Finally arriving at the ROUEN CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME, I was surprised that its façade seemed in need of such repair. But then this structure has withstood fire, lightning strikes, collapses, and damage through the centuries including extensive bombing at the time of the Allied Invasion of 1944. Perhaps I expected that the cathedral would look like one of those thirty paintings by CLAUDE MONET which the artist completed in the early 1890s. This work was not done from religious devotion, but was an attempt by the artist to study the effects of light and weather on the edifice over a two year period. Unfortunately, being Monday, the cathedral was closed.


In THE GREATER JOURNEY: AMERICANS IN PARIS 1830-1900, David McCullough describes the joy and wonder of early travelers, after storm-tossed sea voyages, when they finally landed and arrived in Rouen on their way to Paris. Never had they seen such imposing beauty as that of the Rouen Cathedral – they knew they were really in Europe at last.


CAEN’S MUSEUM FOR PEACE (The Caen Memorial: History to Understand the World)

A stop to the Caen Museum for Peace is a “must” for those visiting the landing beaches who wish to put D DAY into historical context. Opened in 1988 on the 44th anniversary of the event, the museum is considered the finest WWII memorial in France. A 1941 Hawker Typhoon used by the RAF hangs above the lobby.

Then we began “with a downward spiral stroll, tracing (almost psychoanalyzing) the path Europe followed from the end of World War I to the rise of fascism to World War II.” This pathway contains artifacts, memorabilia, documents, and audio clips from that sad history. All exhibits are in French with smaller translations in English and German below. (Glad I had reviewed my French here.) Something about the place reminded me of the Churchill War Rooms in London – both very well done.


Two films are also part of the Caen Memorial experience: “Jour D” about the invasion and “Esperance” (Hope) described as a “thrilling sweep through the pains and triumphs of the 20th century.” The museum continues to expand. In 2002 a new wing opened featuring the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and other events including artifacts from 9/11.


Leaving the museum, we saw its lovely grounds and the sun playing on the Atlantic beyond. We did a circuit of Caen’s center where Romanesque Saint Etienne Abbey remains. Our hotel was on the harbor filled with colorful yachts. I strolled down its stone wharf before dinner – a beautiful summer evening. Tomorrow, the beaches…

Perhaps I expected that the cathedral would look like one of those thirty paintings by CLAUDE MONET which the artist completed in the early 1890s. This work was not done from religious devotion, but was an attempt by the artist to study the effects of light and weather on the edifice over a two year period. >>


ldt - they had a number of them [six?] in the Monet exhibition in the grand palais last year. it was very interesting seeing the differences. they also had loads of his pictures of hayricks where he did the same thing.

still enjoying your TR very much.

Just found this. Bookmarking for a nice long read.

Hi Annhig,

I am sure that Monet’s paintings of Rouen Cathedral were lovely at the Grand Palais. No doubt, Monet was a prolific artist. For one thing with his large family and estate at Giverny, he needed the money!

I presume that since you are just across the Channel that you have been to Normandy.

Thank you for your interest.

Taconic traveler, nice to have you along…

ldt - we haven't seen much of normandy, as it happens. Brittany yes [because from cornwall you have to drive through it to get anywhere else], one night in Rouen, nights in Caen and Dieppe en route to elsewhere, and the odd drive, but not much else.

we don't have a great interest in the Normandy beaches [i think that that is a US thing for obvious reasons] and MSM has always put me off due to the crowds. [plus we have our own here!] clearly we're missing a lot and I must odd it to my list!

“we don't have a great interest in the Normandy beaches [i think that that is a US thing for obvious reasons] and MSM has always put me off due to the crowds.”


Annhig, agreed it is a “US thing” regarded as our “finest hour” to which some may add that we haven’t had that many since  (should be a smiley face). The Canadians, Aussies, and Kiwis among us were also very interested in the landing beaches where so many of their men were lost.

MSM was not that busy in early June. For one thing the site has made parking for busses and private vehicles more challenging. More to follow.


I did see St. Michael’s Mount off the coast of Cornwall – lovely.

Really enjoying your report!

ldt - thanks for the tip about the MSM.

I should like to see it but wouldn't make a special trip.

When we were in Rouen a few years back, one of the highlights was a light show on the facade of the cathedral which made it resemble Monet's renditions, as well many other effects. It was a nightly event.

Very much enjoying your report.

Hi Annhig and Willowjane, thanks for following along.

Fra_Diavolo, wow, a light show on the Rouen Cathedral – must have been spectacular. I was really sorry that we could not see the interior because it was Monday.

Let’s hear it again for the Brits who, for the most part, only close on Christmas.

I visited MSM but must say I liked it better on the approach instead of being inside. There's a story about that clock
in Rouen but I keep trying to rememer , something about the hands.

gros horloge

It is one-handed, with just the hour hand, because there really was no need to burden oneself with minutes in the Middle-Ages, when it took five days to get from Rouen to Paris. A half-black, half-silver ball shows the moon phases, often ignored today but so important in the agricultural France of the time. At the bottom of the dial, you can make out divine representations of Antiquity, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Apollo, God of the Sun. It’s a week-to-a-page diary, very useful to pinpoint the days of the week back when a vast majority of the population didn’t know how to read. The Big Clock divides Rouen’s most famous street in two. It is a pleasure to stroll down this quaint street with so much old-world charm.

“I visited MSM but must say I liked it better on the approach instead of being inside.”

Hi Cigalechanta, I hear you. I am getting to that part – the approach is magnificent.

Thank you for describing the GROS HORLOGE in detail. Really beautiful and so technologically advanced for those years. In fact the weather that day was not great, so I was more or less hurrying along and didn’t notice every aspect of the clock.

Wow, am I glad I found this trip report!! I love Paris and you just brought it to life!! I want to read David McCullough's book now and Edith Wharton's biography. I guess I will be busy!! Looking forward to more. I am a WWII buff also and really enjoyed the history of the Normandy area when I was there 5 years ago.

latedaytraveller, I just read your wonderful trip report in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences! I'm definitely going to read Moveable Feast which I brought along on our recent trip to France but didn't get a chance to open. We watched the first half of Midnight in Paris last night before giving in to jet lag. I have also read The Paris Wife and Suite Francais with my book club and Sarah's Key is our next selection.

We didnt realize that Edith Wharton once had a residence on Rue Varenne when we walked it's length after visiting the Rodin Museum. We saw Midsummer Night's Dream performed outdoors at The Mount in the Berkshires way back in the 80s after which I read her biography and several of her books, including Ethan Frome, my favourite We did see many gendarmes stationed along the street and an official car leaving one residence was given their full attention.

The Victor Hugo museum is still free but you can buy a ticket to see a special exhibit which is what you must have done. It's confusing but I had just read about the option and that it's seldom worthwhile so we knew not to pay.

Linda, thank you for your kind words. I loved McCullough’s book which is also beautifully illustrated. In fact, I just noticed the cover yesterday – a Renoir painting of the Pont Neuf looking toward the Left Bank and the street where my hotel was located, rue Dauphine.

Also the spine of the book has a picture by Caillebotte’s, “Young Man at the Window.” Never noticed these things before.

Since you are a WWII buff, you might consider reading FRANCE: THE DARK YEARS 1940-1944 by Julian Jackson. A rather weighty tome, it tells the sad story from the fall of France in 1940, through the ensuing occupation, to the Liberation in August 1944. You can also watch old film clips of these events on youtube.


Moonlyn, than you for following along. I must read PARIS WIFE which others have also suggested. I thought that SUITE FRANCAIS was brilliant – to think that Irene Nemirorsky could never finish her original design for the work since she died in the Holocaust in 1942.

This trip report is giving me a very long summer reading list!

TTT

Thank you for the book recommendation, latedaytraveler. I also loved Suite Francaise. What a brilliant writer. I felt like I was leaving Paris with her!!

Jmct714 and TDudette, thanks for hanging in. I never thought this report would be so long...

“I also loved Suite Francaise. What a brilliant writer. I felt like I was leaving Paris with her!!”


Linda, so true. The first part STORM IN JUNE describes the flight of Parisians (from every social strata) from the city in June, 1940 as the Germans advanced. Part II DOLCE is set in an occupied village near Paris describing the tenuous relationship between the Nazis and townspeople.


Nemirorsky had projected three more parts to this masterpiece # 3 the resistance, #4 the battles, and # 5 the peace. Although the writer died in the camps in 1942, her young daughters somehow had possession of this manuscript which did not surface until the late 90s. Published in 2004, it was critical and popular success.
Actually, I “read” SUITE FRANCAISE in the audio version which was great.

“It fields, however, have frequently been blood-soaked from Viking invasions, the Hundreds Years War (1845-1850)” about Normandy.

Errata above – of course, I meant 1345- 1450 ish – LOL

Another book of interest you make like is
Rescuing the Children a Holocaust Memoir
by Vivette Samuel and translated into English.
Ms Samuel was an outstanding person in Oeuvre de Secours Aux Enfants(OSE or society for assistance to children) which saved Thousands of Jewish in France from deportation to be exterminated.Samuels, at 22 was the resident social worker
at Riversaltes. I learned about this book when I was visiting a vineyard at the spur of the moment because I saw on the map the the house wine we drink came from nearby Riversaltes.
We stayed for wine tasting and later dinner where the conversation let me to the book.
Elie Wiesel writes the forward-He and Prof.Charles B. Paul, the historium were amoung the children saved by OSE.

I love reading your report because we are going to Paris for the first time, leaving July 28. THANK YOU so much for the address of the scene in Midnight In Paris where Gil is whisked away to the 1920's. I wrote down the information in my notebook (& about the Alexander III bridge) because I LOVE MIdnight in Paris, & have seen it 3 times. I am also reading Moveable Feast, which I love, too. The chapters about Fitzgerald were riveting, IMO, because I didn't realize what a whiny, spoiled, self-centered man he was! "Get me a thermometer!!"

Will it be easy to find Church of St. Etienne? We are staying at Hotel Bonaparte in the 6th.

Cigalechanta,

Thank you for recommending RESCUING THE CHILDREN. I am very interested, as I suggested above, with how the Holocaust played out in the occupied countries.

In what part of France was this OSE located? I appreciate your continued interest in this lengthy tome.


“Will it be easy to find Church of St. Etienne?” (stairs scene in MIDNIGHT IN PARIS)

Kwoo, no problem. The site is very near the Pantheon in the 5th. Check out the article about the church in Wikipedia. Did you find those sites that list all of the locations in MIDNIGHT IN PARIS?

Agreed, Fitzgerald comes off badly in A MOVEABLE FEAST. Loved the scene where they could not get the convertible top up on a long road trip in the rain. Hem was thrilled to return to Hadley in Paris after that one.

Riversalte is a commune in the South of France
in thePyrenees-Orientales.
We are learning so much from this thread, thank you
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0411/is_4_51/ai_106730962/

Cigalechanta: Thank you for the book recommendation, also. I really appreciate it.

Thanks for the link, Mimi! I'm reviewing Sarah's Key for my book club in September and this ties in with my research.

Thanks to all - ready to post THE BEACHES and MONT ST MICHEL shortly. This is longer than expected...

TUESDAY, JUNE 12

CAEN-NORMANDY BEACHES & MONT ST. MICHEL

The majority of folks on this Globus tour were from the US and Canada for whom the highpoint would be “the beaches.” Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate – cold, raw, and windy. Our guide Philippe admitted that Normandy weather was often “humid.” But to us, “humid” means hot and sticky (similar to Washington, DC in the summer) - not the wet chill we were experiencing in Normandy. Philippe also explained that, although many Parisians have summer homes along the coast, few swim in these cold waters.


Reminders of D-DAY are everywhere in the area. Apparently each village has some kind of small museum or memorial – an old tank or jeep, a small fighter plane, or a large piece of artillery now preserved amidst flower beds in town centers or in roundabouts along the road.


The “landing beaches” extend some 60 miles along the Norman coast, but our circuit basically included – JUNO BEACH liberated by the Canadians, GOLD BEACH secured by the Brits, and OMAHA BEACH stormed by the Americans. (I hope I have these beaches designated correctly because they all look alike.)

At one point we stopped at ARROMANCHES where the Brits, thanks to the foresight of Winston Churchill, had built an “artificial harbor” of concrete to receive the goods and supplies necessary to carry on the fight.


Pieces of these huge piers, called MULBERRIES, eerily remain off shore. According to one account: “The harbor at Arromanches was Mulberry B, while Mulberry A was near Omaha Beach where the American forces landed. Unfortunately, just a few days after the harbors were built, a major gale struck. The harbor at Mulberry A was completely destroyed, and Mulberry B was severely damaged. After the storm, all of the Allies had to use the harbor at Arromanches.”


On to OMAHA BEACH and the NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY and MEMORIAL at COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER containing the remains of 9,387 Americans most of whom were killed on D-DAY or shortly thereafter. Magnificently manicured and maintained, this resting place, administered by the US government is a “perpetual concession” granted by the French government. The gardens and tree-lined lanes invite visitors to walk out among the headstones reading the names of the fallen. Below the waves continue to crash on Omaha Beach. RIP to those who slumber there…


At lunch time we stopped at SAINTE MERE EGLISE, the first town liberated by Allied Forces on June 6, 1944. The “church tower itself was scene of famous story of one US paratrooper - private JOHN STEELE. His parachute was caught in the steeple of the church, leaving him hanging from its roof-top to witness the carnage. The wounded paratrooper hung there limply for 2 hours, pretending to be dead, before the Germans took him prisoner. John Steele later escaped from the Germans and rejoined his division. A life-size figurine of paratrooper hangs from the church spire, commemorating this story.”


Evidently the hero John Steele made many visits back during his lifetime. His picture was everywhere in the town. D-DAY souvenirs and all its memorabilia provide a veritable cottage industry in the many shops around the church square. I joined with others for lunch in a small café – creamy vegetable soup and warm French bread.

Again, the weather was miserable so I retreated to the aforesaid church EGLISE NOTRE DAME DE LA PAIX. This Romanesque-Gothic church was built in the 11th century with additions and refinements over the centuries to follow.


The church interior was inviting, with soothing Gregorian Chant music in the background. Looking up I saw “a stained glass window depicting US paratroopers and airplanes around the Our Lady… donated by veterans of 505th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.” I lit a candle (as I had done at every other church of this journey) and enjoyed the peaceful tranquility of a place that had once known such turmoil.


MONT ST. MICHEL


I have wanted visit to this rocky promontory on the Atlantic for decades, ever since reading HENRY ADAMS’S (1838- 1918)MONT SAINT MICHEL and CHARTRES, “a pastiche of history, travel, and poetry, that celebrated the unity of medieval society, especially as represented in the great cathedrals of France.” (Not beach reading.) Adams was a crusty sort, a historian concerned with the decline of civilization. Having had a grandfather and great-grandfather as Presidents of the United States is rather a hard act to follow, I guess.

Adams traveled in that circle of high diplomacy, art, and literature with the likes of John Hay, Bernard Berenson, Henry James, and Edith Wharton. Bunking down in their comfortable Paris digs for months at a time, they often amused themselves on chauffeured jaunts into the French countryside to study medieval churches and monasteries.

While still damp and drear, the rains had ceased by mid-afternoon as we reached our destination. Over 3 million souls visit Mont St. Michel each year. According to Philippe, they are not looking for more tourists in this fragile environment. As of April, 2012, cars and busses are no longer permitted to park on the mile long causeway leading to the site. A new car/bus park is some 3km (isn’t that 1.8 miles?) from the shuttle which covers only part of the soon-to-be-removed causeway. That’s a long walk and the reason, according to Philippe, why many tours are dropping MSM from their itineraries. Other arrangements can be made for the handicapped.


We stayed at the Mercure Saint Mont St. Michele, one of a cluster of hotels at the end of the causeway which allows guests to park their cars/busses on their property – thus saving them the hike from the new parking area which looked soooo far away. After checking in, we still had to walk quite a distance to this new train like contraption which covered most, but not all, of the causeway. In case you’re wondering, said causeway will be a thing of the past when a new bridge is opened around 2014. I would welcome hearing from those readers who have visited MSM lately and experienced these changes.


The approach to Mont St. Michele is breathtaking – a stone pyramid of buildings with layers of ecclesiastic architecture from 709- the 19th century rising to the heavens which forms “a tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe.” Primarily a Benedictine Abbey, the site was a fortress during the Hundred Years’ War and a prison after the French Revolution when most church properties were debased. Rejuvenated in the 19th century under the able hand of the master restorer EUGENE VIOLLET-LE-DUC (he of Notre Dame and Carcassonne fame), UNESCO declared MSM a world heritage site in 1979.


Philippe shepherded us across the causeway to the entrance of MSM where he left us with our guide, Maria. The ascent wasn’t easy – some three hundred stone stairs. But with each new level, the view of the bay and surrounding area became more arresting. On this tour, we were given “whispers,” audio devices so we could hear the guide clearly on outdoor excursions. Maria was breathing heavily into her mike as we continued to climb. It had been her 3rd trip of the day – and with some age and girth, it could not have been easy.


At last we reached the majestic pinnacle, the highly vaulted gothic church. Now Maria was waxing poetical about the floors below in excruciating detail. I noticed that some had turned their “whispers” off. Suddenly I had an urge to depart and, smiling, told Maria that I was a bit wuzzy from the height, gave her my tip, and slid away. I left through the cloisters – but these did not lead directly out from this stony labyrinth. Soon I was back with my group at the book store. I reassured Maria that I was feeling better.


I wasn’t giving Henry Adams much thought as I descended those 300 steps, trudged to the shuttle, crossed the causeway, and returned to the hotel. Looking back along the roadway, the view was spectacular as the sun made its first appearance of the day.


After dinner some in our group returned to MSM and enjoyed the abbey by moonlight. It’s open until 11 o’clock. But I packed it in early even though the sun was still streaming in the window across the salt meadows that surround Mont St. Michele.

Kwoo,
It would be hard to miss the church of St Etienne as it is behind and to the left the Pantheon as you look from the front. It's straight ahead and to the left in this streetview link: http://goo.gl/maps/YG4X

latedaytraveler,

Sorry for the interruption but Kwoo did ask. Looking forward to more of your fascinating report!

Thanks, LDT, this is a fabulous report. I am among those who have added new reading material to my "list".

Hi Paris/Amsterdam,

Thanks for the help. I am also watching MIDNIGHT IN PARIS for the third time – checking out various locations.

Hello Kansas,

Thanks for your kind words. Of late I have been listening to many of these classics like A MOVEABLE FEAST on CDs. I get them all from the local library. I got hooked on these when I was teaching English – listening to TOM SAWYER and ANIMAL FARM made the texts more enjoyable for my students.

These CDs are very well done these days. I downloaded a few mongrel readings from the web which really didn’t cut it.

Almost done…

Clarification on visiting MONT SAINT MICHELE

The medieval town that surrounds the bottom of the Abbey contains the “Grande Rue” or main street with souvenir shops and eateries. Houses date from the 15th -16th centuries. This is the area which is free and open to visitors until around 11 o’clock in the evening.

Tickets (€9) are needed to enter the Abbey itself above. Summer hours are 9 AM to 6 PM. One hour and self- guided tours are available.

Loved your report! Your interests seem exactly the same as mine - including literature. I can't get enough of Paris, the museums, architecture - and French literature (or English books about France!). Love Edith Wharton, needless to say. One book I came across some years ago was "A Little Tour of France" by Henry James, written in the 1890's, I think. He describes a train tour he took with some friends. Fascinating, with his observations. I also really enjoyed one by Edith Wharton describing an auto tour that she took in France - I can't remember the name of that one.

Another more recent book I enjoyed was Ina Caro's "The Road from the Past - Traveling through History in France", describing a road trip she and her husband took starting in Provence, and driving through Languedoc, the Dordogne, Loire Valley, etc. up to Ile de France. It was fun to read, and makes you really want to do the same thing. Since reading that, I've taken 2-week driving trips to Loire Valley, Burgundy, Normandy, Alsace, Brittany, Provence - all solo - and loved every minute! I think I've gotten too old for the solo driving thing at this point, (I started these adventures rather late in life) - but I'll never get too old for trips to France!

I am still reading...I am jotting down some of the book suggestions. I have read Edith Wharton and love her. I am reading some Hemingway (again) in preparation for my Hemingway tour with Paris Walks.

I don't want to distract from your wonderful trip report, but I see so many good reading suggestions. What books have you read in preparation for your travels to France? I am also looking for a well-written fiction or non fiction about Marie Antoinette. Perhaps you have some suggestions.

Hi Sue,

Thank you for your lovely entry. Indeed, we are kindred spirits. I read most of Henry James’s A LITTLE TOUR OF FRANCE on line – charming. Above I mentioned James’s THE AMBASSADORS when describing Notre Dame. Love that book. Hadn’t read it for decades but got the audio version from the library last summer. Of course, the culmination of the novel involves a little side trip to the country by Strether at the end – similar to what James describes in his “Little Tour.”

No doubt, James is a reach but wow!

Love Edith Wharton too. I also read EDITH WHARTON AND HENRY JAMES, A Story of Friendship by Millicent Bell. Their relationship was not without its strains. Sometimes Wharton overpowered poor Henry with her visits and demands that he join her in her travels. Also, he did not have the means to keep up with her extravagant life style at times.

Good for you to tour so much of France solo and driving! I recently read PARIS TO THE PAST: Traveling Through French History by Train by Ina Caro, a follow-up to her first book that you read. She describes so many destinations for day trips from Paris with good suggestions for lunch. She and her husband Robert Caro (now on NY Times best -selling non-fiction with his last book about Lyndon Johnson) are real Francophiles, n’est ce-pas?

Sue where would you go next in France and do you speak the language with ease?

Again, thank you for your interest.

MSM sounds iffy for those with breathing issues? Continued nice TR, thanks!

Thanks, ParisAmsterdam, for your tip about ST. Etienne church. Can't wait to go to Paris!!! Will be there in less than 4 weeks!

Hi Kelsey,

Thanks for your continued interest – almost done. I do not read much fiction but there are many threads on Fodors with suggestions for historical novels set in Paris and environs.

I would suggest DANCING TO THE PRECIPICE: THE LIFE OF LUCIE DE LA TOUR, EYEWITNESS TO AN ERA by Caroline Morehead (a very accessible writer). Her mother was a lady-in-waiting to MARIE ANTOINETTE. Lucie witnessed the “before and after” of the Bourbon fall, the Reign of Terror, the Napoleonic era, the return of the Bourbons etc. At one point she even came to American. A survivor through thick and thin, most of this account comes from her own diary/notes.

Of course, there is always David McCullough’s THE GREATER JOURNEY: AMERICANS IN PARIS 1830-1900. In fact, I could make more sense out of French history from this narrative, particularly the Revolution of 1848, the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and the disaster of the Commune which followed than from any history book.

Have fun planning your trip..

TDudette, you’re right it would be “iffy” to climb the 300 staris to Mont Saint Michele abbey for those with breathing issues.

However, you don’t have to climb up to the church (for which you need a ticket). You could stroll around the lower town at leisure. However, in high season it’s extremely crowded – remember the 3 million plus a year who visit.

Realistically speaking, MSM would be a challenge to those with mobility problems. Just getting across the causeway for one thing. Also, not all the stairs had proper railings either. But it is a great place to visit…

Thank you so much - will be searching them out!

Dear latedaytraveler,

What a pleasure to share your trip through France.

A Francophile myself, I am always interested in ideas for reading and this thread is full of them.

I just found out I'll spend my 25th anniversary in Paris and I am already thrilled and in anticipation.

One summer a few years back my history buff high school aged daughter and I visited Normandy and the beaches, the Peace Museum and MSM. What a wonderful and informative trip. Did you stop to see the tapestry? I confess I have not read every word here.

Thank you for a wonderful trip report - I will be re-reading and making notes for my summer reading list!!

gruezi

Kwoo, how long will you be in Paris? If you are interested in the HEMINGWAY PARIS WALKS, it is held on Friday at 10:30.

If you are unable to make that, you can check out many other scenes from MIDNIGHT IN PARIS on your own.

Have a great time…

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

THE LOIRE VALLEY to BLOIS

The next morning I hurried down the road to the causeway to get a last look at MONT SAINT MICHELE, shrouded in morning mist, yet majestic. Now we were leaving Normandy and entering Brittany. This was a traveling day – roughly 250 miles to reach Chateaux Country and our 2 night stopover at Blois.

Why so many chateaux? The Hundred Years War 1337-1453 (dates vary) was basically a bloody, protracted struggle between France and England and their surrogates stemming from their contradictory claims of sovereignty and inheritance dating back to the Battle of Hastings. We will not attempt to untangle the byzantine complexities of those noble families competing for power including the Capets, Anjous, Burgundians, and Valois. Result – the Kings of France retreated from the coast to the fertile Loire Valley during this time where they built their splendid chateaux.


The first structures were basically fortifications. But as the threat of invasion diminished over time, they became more elegant, akin to the “stately homes” of Britain. Of course, “when the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux here, the nobility, not wanting or even daring to be far from the seat of power, followed suit.” Voila- chateaux everywhere! Philippe said that many are now privately owned by old industrial families who can afford to maintain them.


Our first stop was CHATEAUBRIANT, small town dominated by an imposing fortress styled chateau now used as a professional building. Wednesday was their market day so we perused the many stalls with all manner of fresh produce, cheeses, meat, and fish. We even saw a few goats and sheep for sale. In one of the booths I bought one of those new crinkly scarves – “mille fleur” violets on light grey – very pretty. The French love scarves and wear them so well, including the men.


Lunch stop – ANGERS, a lovely town which I dubbed “mini Paris” because of its Haussman like architecture and street layout- albeit with 3-4 story buildings instead of 6-8 stories a la Paris. Naturally, there was also an enormous chateau, currently under renovation. The center has numerous up-scale shops and eateries. Philippe said that many townspeople commute to Paris daily on the TVG, about a 1 ½ hour ride. The weather that day was fine for strolling. Soon I found myself at the impressive Angers Cathedral, build in the 12th and 13th centuries, a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. I lit a candle and enjoyed the quiet solitude for a bit.


Back to reality and time to exchange some dollars for euros, I visited the ANGERS TOURISM OFFICE. Another couple from our group was ahead of me – they were really confused sorting out their dollars and euros. The young lady at the deck was most accommodating and, with her limited English, told them that she was sorry but her office could not accept $50s or $100s. Another member of the group was kind enough to give me five twenties for a hundred for my transaction.


I know that this is a hot button issue. Bottom line – you always lose when exchanging money, n’est-ce pas? What shocked me and the others was the French tax on these exchanges. But then, out into the sunshine, and on our way to Blois.


That Wednesday night we had an “optional” dinner at LE RELAIS DE LA TOUR, “Gite de Charme en Val de Loire” at La Chaussee St. Victor not far from Blois. Philippe told us that the owners, Annie and Andre Fortier, had bought the structure decades ago when it was a dilapidated farmhouse with an ancient stone tower on the property. Through hard work and dedication they had transformed the place into a charming restaurant and gite. Annie collects rustic antiques which are displayed throughout the restaurant and gardens. Andre has an assortment of vintage cars which were fun to check out after dinner.


The restaurant is no longer open every day for dinner, Philippe explained, but the Fortiers do cater to larger groups such as ours. The previous day we were give a menu from which to choose a “starter” (5), “main course” (3), and dessert (5). Everything is farm fresh and made order, including the ice cream.


I started with “terrine aux foies de volailles et confiture d”oignon,” in a word, “chicken liver pate with pistachios and onion jam” – rich but excellent. For a main course I chose (I will spare you the French) “duckling with three fruits in cream sauce with green pepper.” I found this a bit heavy (cream sauce does not like me) but the fruits, all home preserved including plums, were good. Finished off with “chocolate profiteroles” – something like a hot fudge sundae. What’s not to love?


And let’s not forget the red wine and a final stroll around this charming property before bidding each other “bon soir.”
The next day – on to the chateaux…

Sigh...

Where were you and the others changing USD for Euros? There is no tax on a transaction at an ATM which is almost always the lowest cost as well.

Hi TDudette, thank for hanging in. Surprised at how long this took.


Hi Paris/Amsterdam, we were in the TOURIST BUREAU in the city of Angers on our way to Blois.


I only changed $100 to be sure I had euros for tips etc. as we neared the end of the trip. Maybe it was a city tax, not sure.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14

LOIRE VALLEY EXCURSION TO CASTLE COUNTRY

The day was bright and beautiful as Philippe bid us adieu at the hotel (he had the expression of a teacher whose class was going on a field trip - with someone else) and put us in the hands of our capable guide for the day, Martine. I was already on the bus and, before I even saw Martine, I knew by the sound of her voice that she would be an exceptional guide and she was – knowledgeable, humorous, with such pride in the rich history of the Loire Valley.


First stop CHATEAU DU CLOS LUCE PARC LEONARDO DA VINCI (1452-1519), a charming summer residence of the kings of France where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life. King Francois I had become enamored of da Vinci’s work while on a trip to Italy. The painter, failing in health and fortune, accepted the King’s offer to reside in the Clos Luce, working at his leisure with a princely allowance of 700 gold pieces a year. The King only asked for the pleasure of the master’s company every day.


Da Vinci’s stay was productive, working on engineering and architectural projects, organizing celebrations for the Court, and planning to connect the Loire Valley with the Lyon region by means of canals. The chateau contains a display of 20 giant working mobile models, drawings and paintings, along with 40 translucent canvases. Leonardo’s virtuosity was astounding.


The property is extensive with lush gardens, a “moveable bridge,” a pigeon house, a delightful café, and (of course) a gift shop where I bought a few mechanical trinkets for my grandchildren. A lasting legacy of the painter’s sojourn with the French king – da Vinci had brought his beloved MONA LISA with him which remains forever in France.


Next THE CHATEAU DE CHENONCEAU – even if you have never been there, you may have a picture in your mind of this beautiful chateau, with a covered expanse of five arches bridging the main house over the River Cher. A visit to Chenonceau makes it obvious why it is second only to the Palace of Versailles in yearly attendance.


Known as the LADIES’ CHATEAU, the property has a romantic aura, having been built by in 1547 by King Henri II for his lover Diane de Poitiers (some 19 years his senior). Upon Henri’s death, his widow Catherine de Medici ousted Diane and continued enlarging the bridge and extending the formal gardens.


In the 18th century, an aristocrat Louise Dupin (1706-1799) gave renewed splendor to the chateau during the Age of Enlightenment entertaining Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau in her salon. Her relationship was such with the community that she and her family were spared execution during the French Revolution of 1789. But the property soon fell into disuse.


In 1888 Henri Menier, who made his fortune in chocolate, bought the Chenonceau and returned it to its former glory. During World War I his daughter Simone Menier (1881-1972) ran a military hospital which served some 2,000 wounded French soldiers in the elegant gallery above the bridge. Later Simone was active in the Resistance of World War II and led many to safety across the bridge to the River Cher which was the line of demarcation between occupied and unoccupied France.


Chenonceau is world famous for its 16th century farm with its flower and vegetable gardens which can be viewed from the upper balconies of the chateau. While visitors may peruse these wide-ranging fields and outbuildings at leisure, I chose to look from afar. The most arresting feature for most tourists is the superb flower arrangements which grace every room and passageway in the chateau – huge and varied, all flora comes from these adjacent plots and greenhouses. Martine said that the Christmas decorations there are magical.


The impressive gallery above the bridge is often used for contemporary art exhibits, but his summer the display honored the works of the philosopher JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712-1778) on the third centennial of his birth. Rousseau had lived at the Chenonceau for many years serving as secretary to Madame Dupin and tutor to her children. All legends were in French, about half of which I was able to translate. Rousseau was quite a guy – and this being in part a literary pilgrimage, I felt I should pay him homage.


Finally – CHAMBORD, in my view a monument to excess. Built as a hunting lodge by King Francis I in 1519, it contains “77 staircases, 282 fireplaces, and 426 rooms.” Turreted with various forms of French and Italian Renaissance architecture, the chateau is enclosed by a game preserve about the same size as “inner Paris” surrounded by a 20 mile stone fence containing six gates. Francis I spent only 72 days of his life here.

Of interest is the center staircase comprised of “two concentric spiral flights … that wind independently around a hollow central column but will never meet.” The ingeniousness of this staircase suggests that Leonardo da Vinci, living in nearby Clos Luce, may have designed it.

The grounds of Chambord are flat and uninteresting with no gardens, unlike the lush surroundings of Chenonceau. Before leaving, I sat in the shade, enjoyed an ice cream, and wondered how such an eyesore could have been built.


Our excursion that day covered about 140 miles, although it seemed less. Back on the bus, our guide Martine chirped, “We have only 297 chateaux to go.” Philippe was waiting for us as we drew up to the hotel. He had spent the day arranging departure connections.

One more day to go at Chartres…

sounds like a nice day, lateday.

we've been to the Loire numerous times but not yet made it to Chambord - not sure I'll bother now!

Hub and I also enjoyed Chenonceau and were intrigued by the notion of folks gaining their freedom by going out the other side!

The excesses of royalty were truly revolting--pun intended. Looking forward to Chartres.

late day, thanks for all the information about Chenounceau, Chambord and Clos Luce.

We visited Chenonceau on our recent trip to France and I posted a photo of my husband and I in front of it on Facebook. Probably all visitors have one of those; I took several for other couples as we strolled around the grounds. It was the chateau I remembered best from an earlier visit to the Loire with my daughter so, knowing that my husband would only be willing to visit just one more chateau - after several in the Dordogne - Chenounceau was the one we chose. So glad it wasn't Chambord!

My daughter and I visited several other chateaux that we enjoyed but I can't remember which ones they were, unfortunately. We stayed in Amboise so of course visited Chateau Amboise and Leonardo's home. I remember being very impressed by all of his inventions but didn't think of his home as a chateau. The Ontario Science Centre had a Leonardo exhibit this past year, displayed with much use of computers and hands on activities, lots of fun.

Hi Annhig,

“we've been to the Loire numerous times but not yet made it to Chambord - not sure I'll bother now!”

That was just my impression of Chambord – way over the top!
What are your favorite chateaux in the Loire? I have noticed that VILLANDRY and VALENCAY are popular also and look quite breathtaking.

hi lateday,

as I'm a garden fan i love Villandry, [the ultimate "potager" and they have now added an english garden], and Chenonceau too.

Chaumont is the home of the yearly garden show, the theme of which changes annually.when we went there was an exhibition of the most fabulous silk flowers I've ever seen, plus scent!

Though not a chateau as such, Fontavraud Abbey is lovely and fascinating, and again has a very interesting garden. [spotting the theme here?] and we also liked Saumur and Angers.

many of the chateaux have son et lumiere shows - one of the best we've seen is at Blois:

http://www.chateaudeblois.fr/?-Son-Lumiere-


hope that gives you a few more ideas!

Hi Annhig,

Thanks for the link. That light show at Blois looked fabulous. Although we stayed in Blois, we only saw the older part from a distance.

Saving for future reference - but don't know when. So much to see in the Loire.

I am not a gardener like yourself - but who doesn't love flowers?

“The excesses of royalty were truly revolting--pun intended.” LOL

Hi TDudette, agreed, so much of the magnificent French architecture, both royal and ecclesiastical, points to the inevitability of revolution.

At least the Brits gradually diminished the power of the throne and increased political participation which saved them from a similar fate.

Moolyn, thanks for your memory of Chenoceau. How did the Dordogne compare to the Loire region for architecture? I have not been to the area but hear that the Dordogne is more scenic, n’est–ce pas?

Granted, da Vinci was a genius and so youthful and forward thinking with his inventions and projects. Great for kids to study…

Well, I just bookmarked a tour of the Loire Valley - Loire Valley Castles Day Trip: Chambord, Cheverny and Chenonceau. After reading your post I wonder if I could do a better tour. I thought a day out of Paris might be nice. I thought about Mont St Michel too...

Hi Kelsey,

Thanks for following. Chambord is impressive, but not my taste. Chenonceau was fabulous as I described. It's a good contrast and they are not that far from each other.

Personally, I would not suggest Mont Sainte Michele as a day trip from Paris –check the distance – toooo long!

But again, how many days are you in Paris?

Hi, Thanks for your response (once again - I so appreciate all the information!) I will be in Paris 12 days and a half (half days count if you wake up very early). So far I have one day of Versailles and one half day or so of Giverny. I adore castles of any kind so I thought this might be a good taste of the Loire for future longer trips (wishful thinking). I can imagine that they are over the top!I also thought that a group tour would be nice as a change of pace.

Hi Kelsey, with 12 days you certainly can accomodate a few trips outside Paris.

You will love Giverny - enjoy.

I hope you are planning a Seine cruise also?

latedaytraveler - Absoluntely a Seine cruise! I am planning an evening tour so I can see Paris at night from a bus as well as the boat.

I am working on an Edith Piaf day now - why not?

Hi Kelsey, sounds good - I couldn't wait up that long myself


Have you seen LA VIE EN ROSE, a film about Edith Piaf (2007)?
Stars Marion Cotillard who plays Adriana in MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

CHARTRES and RETURN TO PARIS

The air was chill and damp as we drove through the rich, flat wheat fields on our way to Chartres. Philippe said that the area’s bountiful harvests provided the means for building the CATHEDRALE NOTRE-DAME DE CHARTRES. Having been constructed between 1193 and 1250, a remarkably short time, contributes to the structure’s consistency of design.


According to one account “not only is Chartres Cathedral one of the greatest achievements in the history of architecture, it is almost perfectly preserved in its original design and details… [its]…extensive cycle of portal sculpture remains fully intact and its glowing stained-glassed windows are original… thus the only cathedral that conveys an almost perfect image of how it looked when it was built.”


The cathedral boasts 176 magnificent stained-glasses windows, one of which, the WEST ROSE, depicts the Last Judgment. All the statuary and iconography in the cathedral tells a story because most of its worshipers were illiterate.


By tradition, pilgrimage destinations in the Middle Ages contained a sacred relic. At Chartres it was the “Sancta Camisia,” the tunic worn by the Blessed Virgin at the time of Christ’s birth. Supposedly it was brought back from the Holy Land by Charlemagne. Philippe said that this garment is displayed once of month for veneration. Although modern scientists have examined the forensics of this tunic, the results of their investigations remain unpublished.


Of interest is the ancient stone floor labyrinth near the rear of the church which the faithful trace in prayer and contemplation. With a circumference of 131 feet, it is about the same size as the West Rose window above so “if the west wall fell inwards, the rose would land directly on the Labyrinth.” Following the path through the labyrinth would take the worshiper a circuit of 964 feet.


The above is just one example of the technological/mathematical acumen of those who designed and built the edifice. Fortunately, the people of Chartres demanded that their beloved cathedral be spared at the time of the French Revolution when extremists were destroying so much church property throughout France. Also in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, all of the stained-glass windows were removed, stored, and re-leaded before being reinstalled for modern day pilgrims like ourselves.


In front of the main altar was a huge screen behind which workmen were cleaning and restoring the walls and statuary. What we could see looked amazingly clean and bright. It may take years to complete this task but it is well worth the effort. Chartres is also a popular day trip destination from Paris, only 1 ½ hours by train from Montparnasse Station.


Back on the road, now here is the hairy part. We arrived in Paris under dreary skies about noon. Our rooms at the Concorde Montparnasse would not be ready until 3 o’clock. We disembarked near the gold Joan of Arc statue on the Rue Rivoli. Some, including “moi” had signed on to a tour of the nearby Louvre while others scattered about on their own.


On my visit a few years back, we had entered through I.M. Pei’s Pyramid in the Louvre Courtyard. This time we went through the newer Carrousel Entrance, basically a gigantic upscale shopping mall with no less than 14 restaurants. Philippe told us to get lunch, then to meet him in the huge space under the “La Pryamide Inversee,” an inverted pyramid, mimicking Pei’s entrance.


Most would agree that the LOUVRE is enormous, containing “more than 380,000 objects and displays, 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments with more than 60,600 square metres (652,000 sq ft) dedicated to the permanent collection.” Basically, the collection contains works done before the Revolution of 1848. Later paintings and sculptures, including those of the Impressionists, were removed to the Musee d’Orsay in 1986 (thank you, God).


What I failed to notice until it was too late were the THREE entrances to the museum within this larger Carrousel Mall – the RICHELIEU, the SULLY, and the DENON. Of course, the place was thronged. Philippe steered his flock to the Denon Entrance (I think) to view the traditional Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus de Milo trajectory which I had seen before. I told him I would go to another part, the Richelieu entrance, and meet the group back at 3 o’clock.


As I approached the Richelieu entrance, I realized that I had no ticket. Explaining that I was with a Globus tour group didn’t cut it. I returned to the waiting area and purchased a ticket from a kiosk (so what’s another € 10 at this point?) Approaching the ticket taker, he said that what I gave him was not a ticket, but the receipt. Very frustrated at this point, he called over another attendant who checked my receipt against the number on my credit card and bid me enter. Understandable, I guess since anyone could pick up a receipt from the floor without actually paying.


I drifted through almost empty rooms with enormous classical paintings and passed through elegant spaces strewn with marble statues in various states of repose. The views from the windows of the Pyramid Entrance below, and the architectural features afforded of the Louvre’s façade were breathtaking, I must admit.


Leaving the Richelieu, I tried to enter the Denon entrance to catch up with my group and view the royal jewels which I had seen before. Of course, the same problem – no ticket. While trying to sort this out again, I spied Philippe helping an older fellow from our tour who had fallen and needed a wheelchair. At this point I decided to stay with my new friends. We returned to our meeting place in the enormous lobby under the inverted pyramid where folks were playfully taking photos of each other “holding up” the pyramid with one finger in Atlas-like poses.


Among those on our tour was a couple from Iowa, Clara and Tom, on their first trip out of the US. I had noticed how devoted they were, a “second honeymoon” they explained. Although they had been married for 32 years, they seemed much younger. As we waited, Clara said that Tom was getting tired, and when he tried to sit on the floor against the wall in this area, he was told to stand up. Tom was a rugged fellow, hefty, always in jeans and his sneakers. Clara said that Tom had atrophy in his feet as a result of chemotherapy for colon cancer. She said that his doctor had told them that if they were going to Paris, this would be a “good time.”


Suddenly, my snafu with the Louvre ticket seemed small. To accommodate our tour mate who had fallen, Philippe arranged for our bus to pick us up in the vast garage under the Louvre. We returned to the point on the Rue de Rivoli where the others were waiting under showery skies. I felt bad that these folks, many of whom had never been to Paris before, only saw this great city in stormy weather.


That evening some opted for the pricey Moulin Rouge dinner/show – about €165 each. Been there, done that, and I would not have gone even if offered a free ticket. Once was enough.


I considered dropping in at the Closerie des Lilacs, on the Boulevard du Montparnasse, a favorite brasserie of Hemingway’s. I started in that direction but turned back as the skies opened up again. I retreated to a café across from the hotel, sitting outside well under the awning. I was glad that I was wearing my trusty black/grey paisley shawl against the chill.


Suddenly, Clara and Tom strolled by with their latest purchase – more pastry. They were excited because they were leaving for London the next day to visit their oldest daughter who was doing graduate work there. They joined me and we chatted about the trip and travel in general. They were not sure that they would be returning to Europe.


As they were leaving, Tom said, “Helen, you know, you always dress so nice.”


I thanked him and replied, “Thank you, Tom, that’s because I have so many shawls and scarves. They cover a multitude of sins.” They went off down the street, chuckling and holding hands.



SATURDAY, JUNE 16 – the departure, still overcast and bleak. At CDG, I used up some remaining euros buying sundries including fresh brie. Whatever was I thinking? It didn’t travel well across the Atlantic.


The Air France flight to Boston was totally full. My seatmate offered me his “window view,” but I gracefully declined and kept the aisle seat.


Home – the heat, the kids, the grandkids, the dog and so many memories of Paris and beyond.


A few reflections to follow, if you are still with me…

latedaytraveler,

What a wonderful, heartwarming story about Clara and Tom! I have tears in my eyes. Thank you for sharing those thoughts. I look forward to your reflections...

I saw LA VIE EN ROSE a couple of years ago. I came across this article about Edith Piaf. I am posting the link...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/jun/01/edith-piaf-museum-paris

Thanks.

Hi Kelsey, glad you liked the story of Clara & Tom. Almost didn’t put it in because it might be thought a bit smaltzy.

Now the Edith Piaf Museum is really small. Very interesting. When I went to the Hugo and Delacroix museums, the signs were not very visible – really had to look.

Sound like good planning…

lateday, yes, the Dordogne is more scenic. As well as having 1,001 chateaux and great places to eat, it also has prehistoric cave art and wonderful markets.

I've enjoyed your report very much! It brings back lovey memories of that trip with my daughter. We also went to Giverny, Chartes, Mont St. Michel and Brugge after Paris.

no, not smaltzy - very touching. its that sort of human interaction that makes trips special [and trip reports!]

I'm sure that they will remember you with affection too!

Again, a lovely report and I'm interested in your reflections. I'm glad that the Iowa couple got to take this trip. Hub and I started when we were in our 30s and I'm so thankful as he lost his battle with cancer when he was 62. Had we waited until retirement, there would have been no trips together at all.

Anyhow, I do wish they'd just put Mona, Venus and Winged in one room. Then folks could enjoy the rest of their Louvre visit. LOL.

Thanks, Moolyn, aiming for Bruges someday myself...

LDT - I've really enjoyed your report. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. You must have been a memorable English teacher!

Hi TDudette, glad this report brought back so many good memories of your travels with your husband.

As I said at the end of my London TP last year, a friend used to say about travel, “Helen, all you need is the time, the health, and the money.” We only have all three for a short time.


Hi Annhig, I am sure that you folks have also had such brief, but touching encounters. I often am reminded of conversations/interactions/jokes that I had with strangers or fellow tour mates on these odysseys. They are recalled with fondness.


Maine GG, Thank you for your kind words. I did love teaching English.

Often people would ask, “How could you do it so long?”

My reply: “Because I never got tired of Shakespeare, Poe, London, Arthur Miller, Hawthorne – yada, yada. I still substitute in the middle and high school in the town where I live. I often ask the kids, “What are you reading?" – then I go into another tangent. LOL

Latedaytraveler - If this is your idea of "another tangent", I am delighted I have had the opportunity to partake. I have enjoyed your posts so much. From one English teacher to another, sincere thanks for your posts and help in planning my upcoming trip. I will remember my Fodorite friends as part of this particular journey.

Hi Kelsey, such kind words - merci. Are you still teaching English?

Thanks for allowing us to tag along and enjoy the trip too.

Hi ParisAmsterdam, putting a few reflections together. Never meant this to be so long! Thanks...

Yes, I still teach. I am teaching ESL right now. Twenty two years of it! I would love to teach literature again.

REFLECTIONS…

Some practicalities:

INSURANCE: Cost about $470 (ouch!) for two weeks at my age. Two years ago I tripped (on a clear sidewalk in the morning), broke my wrist, and had to fly from Edinburgh, to Heathrow, to Boston. It wasn’t pretty. After a hassle of paperwork weeks later, I was compensated for the six days of the tour that I missed.


What really concerns me though is the possibility of a more serious accident/health issue that would require being med-flighted home. Of course, insurance is a choice, but having this protection made me feel better.


IDENTIFICATION: My adult children have some unspoken concerns about “Nan” on these solo junkets to Europe. So this year I went to FREETRANSLATIONS.COM and composed a clear statement “en francais” identifying myself, stating the that I was solo for five days in Paris with name and phone number of Hotel Dauphine, also the hotels/phone numbers and dates for the next seven nights on the Globus Tour.


Added contact name/number at home and stapled a copy of my passport to this missive. I carried a copy in my purse and one in my luggage. Fortunately, these documents weren’t needed.


GOING SOLO – it’s an acquired taste but it didn’t start out that way. For various reasons my traveling companions of yore are no longer available for such jaunts. Plus they prefer breakfast in bed, a leisurely late lunch with wine, serious shopping, and “cabbing” it everywhere. All good things in themselves, but not for me on this trip. “Entre nous,” none of my friends can/could/would walk as far as I did in Paris.


GLOBUS TOUR of NORMANDY, BRITTANY, and CHATEAUX COUNTRY: For me this tour was the best way to see those places that I wanted at a reasonable price. Not interested in driving in Europe and would not consider the train, with bus connections, as an option on my own. Plus, I enjoyed the company.

LITERATURE

Following the muse of EDITH WHARTON on the rue Varenne on my way to the Musee Rodin was exciting. In most of her novels the heroine lives or passes through Paris which Wharton knew so well. Sorry that I did not stroll down the Boulevard Malesherbes in the 17th so often referred to in HENRY JAMES’s THE AMBASSADORS. Chad, the wayward American son, lives in an elegant Haussman-styled apartment with a balcony overlooking the street – quite symbolic in the novel. Right out of Caillebotte’s painting “Man at the Window” which graces the spine of McCullough’s book THE GREATER JOURNEY: AMERICANS IN PARIS 1830-1900.


HEMINGWAY’S PARIS WALKS, scheduled each Friday morning at 10:30 from Cardinal Lemoine Metro, was excellent. This Mouffetard section in the 5th is charming. In addition, we paid homage to JAMES JOYCE and GEORGE ORWELL along the way. Also enjoyed visiting the DEUX MAGOT CAFÉ on Boulevard Saint Germain, frequented by Hem, and later by SATRE, CAMUS, and PICASSO.


The MUSEE VICTOR HUGO in the PLACE DES VOSGES memorializes one of France’s greatest writers, in addition to giving us a peek into the elegant lifestyle of that period. Note: I must start reading Hugo – in English, of course. On our way out of Paris going to Normandy, I noticed the birthplace of MARCEL PROUST in toney Auteuil in the 16th – now there is another writer I really should catch up on, probably on CD.

ART

PARIS MUSEUM PASS – definitely worth it for me. Using the pass, in four days I “did” the Musee Rodin, the Musee Nissim de Camondo, the Conciergerie, Archeology Crypt beneath Notre Dame Cathedral, the Musee d’Orsay, and the Orangerie, and Saint Chapelle.


I paid to visit the Musee Marottan- Monet and Musee Delacroix. The latter is covered by the Museum Pass but I went there on my fifth day in Paris after the pass had expired. And let us not forget that abortive visit to the Louvre at the end of my tour.


Too many museums? No doubt for some, but I had spent a great deal of time on line choosing those that I wanted to see and just kept on going. Basically, in Paris I set out around 9 in the morning and returned about 5-6, freshened up, then strolled to a local café, returning through the Saint Germain neighborhoods before sunset on those long June evenings.


Reactions? I must say that I was blown away by the Impressionist paintings at the Marottan-Monet and the Walter-Guillaume collection on the lower level of the Orangerie. For those going to Paris for the first time and wanting to get their toes wet among the myriad of museums, I would suggest starting with the Rodin (such lovely gardens too) and the Musee d’Orsay.


HISTORY


It’s everywhere! On the first day of our tour, our guide Philippe explained, “There are two important dates to remember in the history of Paris – 1789, the FRENCH REVOLUTION, and 1900, the EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE, the world’s fair which attracted some 50 million visitors.


Visiting the LOUVRE itself (formerly the seat of French kings) and VERSAILLES outside of Paris, along with a swing through CHATEAU COUNTRY, bears witness to the opulence and grandiosity of the French aristocracy whose preeminence was so rudely interrupted by the events of July 14, 1789. A REIGN OF TERROR followed with the guillotine in full use in the Place de Concorde lopping off the heads of royalty and clergy with abandon. Then Napoleon appeared leading the French to glory before defeat at Waterloo – this quintessential “man on horseback” is still glorified by the French (see his gigantic tomb at LES INVALIDES).


But the French had mixed feelings about royalty and restored the Bourbon kings after Napoleon’s departure. The 19th century did not go smoothly what with the social/political revolutions (subject of Hugo’s LES MISERABLES), the SEIGE OF PARIS by the Prussians (when Parisians even were driven to eat the animals in the zoo), followed by the bloody COMMUNE.


Yet things brightened with the completion of BARON HAUSSMAN’S extensive urban redesign of Paris, the Eiffel Tower completed in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, and the buildup to 1900 EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE. If I may refer again to McCullough’s THE GREATER JOURNEY, this book gave me a deeper understanding of the history of the city during this period than others that I have read.


The historian Henry Adams was both fascinated and disturbed by the technology (electricity, automobiles, turbines, and the like) displayed at the 1900 exposition. He referred to these innovations as “the dynamo” which would totally change life in the 20th century (he got that right). He compared that force to the medieval cult of the Virgin in whose honor the great cathedrals had been built, including among others Mont Saint Michel and Chartres. Henry then retreated to his studies, learning medieval French to amuse himself in old age. I just love Henry Adams.


Enduring monuments to the 1900 BELLE EPOQUE continue to grace Paris: the GARE D’ORSAY Art Nouveau railway station built to accommodate the crowds, now the MUSEE D'ORSAY; the PONT ALEXANDRE III, considered the most elaborate and ornamental bridge over the Seine; and the GRAND PALAIS, the “largest existing glass structure in the world,” built as the centerpiece of the fair grounds.


On to the 20th century: the needless slaughter of WWI in the trenches; the humiliating defeat and consequent occupation by the Nazis during WWII; and the liberation and final reckoning about the prickly subject of collaboration.

Seeing the beaches of Normandy, the war museums, and the immense cemeteries of friend and foe bears silent tribute to the dead. One regret – we did not visit Pointe du Hoc the rocky cliff mounted by Army Rangers, trained by British forces, during the D-Day invasion. Subject of a best seller THE BOYS OF POINTE DU HOC: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army Rangers by Douglas Brinkley. The Old Gipper gave a moving speech there on the 40th anniversary of the event in 1884, surrounded by proud veterans of the event, most no longer with us.


Wow! I never thought this report would be so lengthy. Everyone “does” Paris in his or her own way and I have so enjoyed the Paris posts on this board for many years. My circumstances and demographic suggest that my return to Paris is uncertain. I wish to thank all of you who have been kind enough to follow my journey.


As Bogey said, “We’ll always have Paris.”


Amen….

Thank you, Latedaytraveler. You provided wonderful information and very practical advice. It was a joy to follow along with you on your travels.

Wonderful report, latedaytraveler. Lots of tips for future trips and some reading and preparation beforehand.

You're an inspiration to those who find excuses to put off their desires - and to the rest of us.

Merci beaucoup.

Kansas and Eigasuki,

Thanks you so much for your kind words. Paris is a jewel with so many facets – each of us explores and refracts it in our own unique way.

Another errata – the Gipper gave his speech at Pointe du Hoc in 1984 - not 1884 LOL

Wonderful trip report. I've been to many of the places you described. Thanks for bringing back happy memories. Now I need to plan another trip to Paris, but first I want to read the books you mentioned.

Saraho, thanks for your kind words. Are you planning another trip to Paris soon?

Dear Late Day Traveler, I'm loving your report; I will be in Paris this next June (along with the Dordogne region). I'm also an English teacher, and have taught Ethan Frome. Love Edith Wharton, so I will attempt to visit her home there. Thanks also for the information on Marottan- Monet. I also want to do the Hemingway walk.

In addition, I plan to find some of the Chopin places, and will visit George Sand's home in Nohant.

Thanks so much for sharing your rich experience. I usually travel solo, and will this time, as well.

Susan001, thank you for your kind words – nice to hear from a fellow traveler, particularly on who is into Edith Wharton. I did not see the sign on her abode on rue Varenne, but when I googled the name of the street, I found a copy of the plaque – very interesting.

My problem was that I forgot my notes with her exact address the day I went to the Musee Rodin which is at the end of the street.
Just wondering, where are these “Chopin places”? And where is Nohant – read about it lately.

Haven’t been to the Dordogne but I hear it is beautiful. Do you speak French?

All the best…

Just found this thread and really enjoyed your trip report. We too thought the Paris Museum Pass was well worth it and we also enjoyed Musee d'Orsay and Rodin, especially the gardens at Rodin for relaxing.

Fabulous! Thank you so much for putting in the time for this incredible trip report. I am traveling solo for the first time Paris in September and it is quite encouraging to hear how it went from another solo female. It is much appreciated.

I forgot to mention, when I went to Paris in '05, I bought my museum pass ahead of time online and it was waiting for me at my hotel when I arrived. I wish I could remember the name of the company I bought it from -- well worth it!

I agree with the others that this is a fabulous trip report.

Hi, LDT, I just saw your reply. No, I do not speak French beyond some basic polite expressions. I'm reading a biography entitled Chopin in Paris (I'm also learning one of his Nocturnes). I found a couple of sites that were helpful regarding Chopin & Sand places, including these:

http://www.travelsignposts.com/France/sightseeing/paris-sightseeing-chopin-paris
http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2010/09/16/nohant_chopin_sand.html

Thanks for the information regarding Wharton. I'll make sure I have an address.

Nohant is located south of Tours (but north of the Dordogne) in the region of Berry.

Europeanovice, thank you for your kind words. The MUSEUM PASS is really great – it sort of propels you along. Example, on my last day in Paris I would not have bothered getting into that very long line in front of Saint Chapelle if I had to buy a ticket – guess it’s just psychological, eh?


Mogsanova, good luck on your first solo trip to Paris. As I said in my report “it’s an acquired taste.” My focus on this trip was to see those museums/places that interest me. I checked them out thoroughly on line beforehand as I am sure you are doing. Where are you staying in Paris? The city is much more spread out than I had imagined.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip in September.

I am still enjoying this post - I just saw the Chopin references. I leave soon - I had better stop reading...my list is getting too long.

latedaytraveler - which tour company did you use for the Loire?

Hi Kelsey, I also found Chopin references very interesting. No matter how much you plan, you can't do it all.

Tour- GLOBUS "NORMANDY, BRITTANY, and CHATEAUX COUNTRY" first 2 night and last one in Paris. Four nights on the road.

Personally, I prefer INSIGHT TOURS but they are more costly.

Again, a wonderful TR and I enjoyed your final comments. I do agree about taking tours when they get the tickets bought, do the driving, and provide great info.

Hub and I took from Paris a Cityrama tour of Loire. We visited Chenenceau, Chambord and Cheverny. The latter was occupied so it was even more interesting to see evidence of modern life. There are over 100 hunting dogs.

Glad you are still able to get around well by "footmobile"--it makes a big difference!

TDudette, thank you for following along on this safari. Didn't think it would be so long

Agree about the tours - really makes it easier.

Happy travels to you ....

Hi Susan001,

Thanks for the websites that feature Chopin in Paris – very interesting. Regretfully, I am not well versed in classical music but I do like Chopin. Good for you to be playing his music.

Following his trail will really enrich you trip. We will all be waiting for a report.

Happy travels…

We loved Saint Chappelle and we went into the Conciergerie next door because we had the museum pass with us and said why not. It was interesting too.

We didn't like the Orangerie museum as much either. Next time we have to check out the MUSEE MAROTTAN-MONET.

Glad you had a wonderful time.

Thanks for a most unusual, informative and and entertaining report! It was fun to read, and will be earmarked for future trips! (And future reading!)

I will join in and thank you for your most interesting report.

Taking the time to report all the small details made your journey so enjoyable for all of us who love Paris.

Europeannovice, I also enjoyed your recent report to UK– tres bien.


I must say that the water lilies at the Conciergerie were a bit underwhelming. But I did enjoy the WALTER- GUILLAUME impressionist exhibit downstairs. I wish that I could have seen more of the nearby Tuileries Garden but the weather was too nasty.

So much to see in Paris….



Taconictraveler, thanks so much for the kind words. We all focus on something different and there is room for all angles when discussing Paris, n’est-ce pas?

Happy travels…

TPAYT, thank for following along. I have always enjoyed your posts in the past.

Continued happy travels….

I don't spend a lot of time on these forums but I wanted to say what an absolute pleasure it was to read yours.

Thanks for taking the time to write.

I am also a lover of the lower level of the L'Orangerie museum. While the water lilies are definitely impressive, the artworks below had a much greater impact on me.

I hope you get to visit Europe again soon.

I am off to read about your London adventures.

“Thanks for taking the time to write.”

Hi Mez, it’s my pleasure, can’t stop. In fact this report is now some 13,500 words (according to the count at the bottom of the page.) This does not include replies.

Unlike the great majority of travelers, I don’t take any pictures – but I do enjoy seeing those taken by others.

I am thinking of adding some pics from Google Images of those places/paintings/historical sites mentioned and making a scrap book of sorts for my grandchildren – whether they want it or not at this point.

Some day they may pick it up and say, “Hey, remember when Nan was 72 and went to Paris by herself? Here’s her old trip report.”

In any case, thanks for following along….

For those who may be interested in the MOUFFETARD (5th) area of Paris, you might enjoy this clip.

http://youtu.be/ctL6PTSpn90

This is the part of the city we covered in the HEMINGWAY PARIS WALKS which I describe above in my TR for Friday, June 8. The neighborhood has many pedestrian only streets with produce/cheese/meat/flower shops.

Of particular interest to MIDNIGHT IN PARIS fans – that is the vicinity where Gil starts his joyride into the literary 1920s…

Thank you so much for posting this video link. I viewed full screen - like a virtual visit to Paris. Can't wait for the Hemminway Walks! Do they have a website? Where exactly do the walks begin and at what time?

latedaytraveler, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your fascinating report, it is one of the best I have read so far! Bookmarking for re-reading

Rtwin80days, thank you for your kind words. Report is much longer than I intended so I appreciate your patience.


Aren't you folks heading for Paris soon? Have a great time....

latedaytraveler, I am very gregarious for reading good stuff and yours is top notch
Yes I am heading to Paris in Aug, right after my Spain trip. You inspire me to write a detailed trip report

Rtwin80days, go for it! Would love to hear about your trip to Spain also - what part?

Hi LDT,
I just reread portions of your wonderful report, but can't find specific information regarding your Hemingway walking tour. What company sponsors this? Thanks. Also, for my Chopin tour, I will plan to visit your Delacroix sites - they were very good friends.

Susan

Not LDT, but here you go
http://www.paris-walks.com/

I am going to Paris myself in a month

Thank you, hpeabody. I found this site earlier today, but wasn't sure this was the same company. Have fun in Paris next month!

Hi Susan001,

Glad that Hpeabody could give you the right info on PARIS WALKS. The good part is that you just have to show up at the appointed Metro.

So if the weather is bad, you are not committed to a specific time. As you can see, I really enjoyed the experience and wish that I had done other walks. Of course, there are always LONDON WALKS too

Have a great time in Paris…

Thanks, LDT. I'm a little nervous about using the Metro. I've only used cabs in Paris, but need to get some courage regarding the Metro. I may stay in your hotel - it looks very nice and conveniently located.

Hi susan,

why not just do a short metro trip to start off with, one that doesn't include any changes ["correspondences"] underground?

work out the line you need, and the direction you want [ie what is the station at the end of the line that it's heading for - write it down if necessary] then go for it! after a few trips like that, you'll soon get the hang of it.

Thanks, annhig. I will try it.

BTW, susan, there was a recent thread about the changes that they have made to the RER C carriages on the Versailles line, which have been decorated in the style of the palace.

you don't have to go all the say to Versailles to enjoy this - you could get on at Notre Dame St. Michel and get off at the Champ de Mars Tour eiffel, for example, all for the price of one metro ticket.

susan, if you haven't already, you can practise your trip planning by playing around with
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

and this looks like a very user-friendly guide:

http://goparis.about.com/od/transportation/ss/Metro_and_Buses.htm

Hi Susan,

I would endorse the HOTEL DAUPHINE, but as my neighbor said who recommended it, “Remember, Helen, the rooms are small and the corridors narrow.” I did not need to use the tiny elevator because I was on the second (what the French call the first) floor.

The bathroom was spacious and modern. Not sure if they have air conditioning which I certainly didn’t need in early June when the weather was cold/damp. To me, the location was what mattered most and it did not disappoint.

I was somewhat flummoxed by my experience on the Paris Metro, particularly at the Charles de Gaulle Etoile (sp.?) stop.

Annhig, that’s good advice. I think that I was focusing more on the number of the Metro line, rather than the name of the end stop. Also did not realize that the doors on some cars to not open automatically. Passengers have to push them. And let’s not forget the stairs.

Patrick London, thanks for the web sites.

Also did not realize that the doors on some cars to not open automatically. Passengers have to push them. And let’s not forget the stairs.>>

I watch what other people do. if you are not actually trying to go anywhere much but just practising, it doesn't actually matter if you miss the stop. just get off at the next one and turn round and come back. the advantage of the RER is that there's a nice long time between stops so you have time to get yourself together for getting off.

Thanks, Annhig.

Not sure if I will return to Paris in this life, but if I do make it to London again, I promise I will try the Tube!

ldt - on the tube, you don't need to open the door yourself - they all open automatically.

ttt