111op

Hi, I've joined the blogsphere and I've provided a trip report in my blog. I guess I've stolen a page from richadab (?), but there've been many reasons why I've started a blog.

The domain name is blogspot.com (where all blogs written with blogger.com software are placed). My moniker there is ny 1 er (no spaces).

I've done this because I don't want my blog to be readily searchable (attribute it to paranoia) for now.

To access the site, simply join my moniker with a . followed by blogspot.com
(i.e. http://ny 1 er.blogspot.com (no spaces)) -- 1 is the # and not the letter.

I look forward to hearing your comments. Please feel free to leave them on the blog (if you do so on the blog, please don't call me 111op -- paranoia again) or leave them here.

There's a blog entry from Jan. 20, 2005 called "Paris -- Jan 2005" with embedded links which you can follow to read the report.

Happy travels, everyone.

ira

Thanks for sharing, 111.

Scarlett

111, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Whole Thing! You wrote very well, on all subjects. I was shivering for you crossing the Seine and walking those streets with no coat!
And how heartwarming that envelope story is!
Thank you and I think you Blogged very well!

111op

Thanks Scarlett. I can hardly believe it myself. Of course, in September, my money and my passport fell out of my pocket at Tokyo Idem Self, and a server caught up with me.

I guess I'll just have to go back to Paris.

Scarlett

Oui! go back soon!
We will be there in March.
I would expect that sort of thing in Tokyo, they seem to be amazingly honest there

111op

Ah -- the restaurant is actually in Paris. It's at Palais de Tokyo. I had already been walking along the Seine for about five minutes, completely oblivious before the server caught up with me.

I'm sure that you'll be enjoying your trip. I recall seeing your posts asking about apartments -- I'd imagine you're spending a lot of time there!

Scarlett

LOL, I see Tokyo and assume it is in Japan

Yes, we are going in March, but only for a week this time. Then we have to scurry home for our sons homecoming, he has been in Japan for the last 5 years, and we have not seen him in one year...waaay too long for this mama!
and of course, we get to meet up with him in Paris for 3 days..I am happy

111op

It sounds excellent! And you should make it to Japan to see him!

Scarlett

We were going to Japan this spring, but Golden Week got in the way so we will discuss going in the fall/winter.
Back to your blog now- is it hard to set up? I love the way you inserted the photos of the paintings.
I love Turner, but I think the exhibition will be gone in March, right?
Oh well, will have to run back to London to visit my fave museum , the Tate~

elaine

interesting information, thanks

Glad the hotel worked out, you found quite a bargain

It's surprising to me that the Louvre higlights tour that you took last Saturday, and the tour that I took last Monday, had some obvious similarities but also differences. We didn't go into the Crown Jewels room, and we spent barely 3-4 minutes with the Italian Renaissance.

But I have to ask, why didn't you bring a coat?

WillTravel

111op, how do you like the long weekend type trip vs. a longer trip? Thanks for the blog - interesting trip.

cigalechanta

I tried to follow your directions, BOO-HOO, still can't get there. Is there an url someone can send me?

Travelnut

http://ny 1 er.blogspot.com

Copy and paste that in the url field
Delete the 2 blank spots
- 1 is between the y and 1
- the other is between the 1 and e

cigalechanta

travelnut, Mwah!!!!

111op I;ll save your adventure for the morning with my café au lait.
Thank you, both.

travelkat

Enjoyed your trip report and blog, 111op. I am going to Paris (for the first time)nin March.

Villa Savoye is on my very long list of "must sees". Your report definately sends it closer to the top!

Now, about that restaurant that B made you promise not to divulge the location of in the blog ... how about sharing with fellow Fodorites??

111op

Hi Scarlett, blogging is very easy (and I'm terrible with computers -- not having one at home, etc.). And, to answer the question of another friend, it's free. Blogger.com is software put out by Google (if I recall). Give it a try and experiment. As for embedding links, that's very easy as well -- if you need help I can explain it to you. I used to send friends e-mails of trip reports, and I'd just type them up as I go along (rather than use Word or whatever). I find this more convenient in the sense I can organize better (put details in a separate entry, etc.). Obviously it'd be better with a genuine webpage but I like the convenience that blogging offers for now.

Elaine, I wonder if we had the same tour guide. You wrote that you had a woman as well. Mine was middle-aged, but I can't figure out how what accent she speaks in -- maybe American. The funny thing is that she would stress her words (sometimes somewhat pretentiously). Samothrace would be Sah moh THRACE (with the sa and the mo slightly dragged out and with a very obvious STRESS on the last syllable).

You said that your tour started half an hour late. Our tour started ten minutes late, and she stressed at the beginning that it would finish at 3:30 (the tour would have started at 2, but started at 2:10). I was thinking to myself, "Just great. (Especially with your funny accent, etc.)"

But she gave us a full 90 minutes. She was excellent. I had been doing a fair amount of reading on art, and I had fun figuring out what she would skip and what she might say.

As for the Crown Jewels, she did mention that the group must be fewer than 20. Perhaps you had more in your group. We had a small group, and I think that we could see more as a result. Maybe I was exaggerating the time spent on the Italian Renaissance (but well, there's the Mona Lisa, the long gallery, the Slaves, her commentary on Caravaggio and Fete Champetre). As I mentioned on my blog I find it surprising that little time is devoted to the French school. But I think that the guided tour was excellent in terms of getting people to see the big three + Slaves.

If you hadn't asked about it here, elaine, I'd never have thought about a Louvre guided tour. So thanks again!

111op

Hi travelkat, I'm afraid that I can't say where the restaurant is (it's near the hotel ). It's a guidebook entry, actually, so I'd have known about it, and when I walked past it, I saw a few guidebook entries on the windows, so I figured that it was worth a try. Anyway, that could be a fun thing for you -- just walk around randomly and pick something interesting to try. It'll probably be good.

As for Villa Savoye, it's not high on people's lists of things to do. For a first visit, I'm not sure if you should go, as it's quite a hassle to get to the vila. After getting off the train, you need to take a bus (#50, I think, according to guidebooks), but we took a cab. We were there on a Sunday, and the bus doesn't run frequently. It's definitely within walking distance, as we walked on the way back (I'd say 15 minutes, as guidebooks seem to think as well). This would take a good 2.5 hours, at least, from Paris, but you could make a quick detour to St.-Germain-en-Laye if that's of interest (but you would need to take a cab again, about 15 euros).

Poissy itself is fairly dreary (B tells me it's a blue-collar town dominated by a Peugeot factory (he could be wrong, I didn't check this)).

I was surprised about the number of visitors at the villa though. There were people from London (I overheard), and also many Asians. A leaflet (I think) said that at least 3/4 of the visitors are international, and it's popular with students of architecture, etc. (understandably).

If you're interested in architecture, I guess the building needs no introduction. But otherwise you might want to prioritize. I enjoyed seeing the building very much though, and it's something off the usual tourist circuit.

111op

Hi Will, I really would prefer a longer trip. I haven't read your trip report on Italy (but I'm sure that you had a great time). From what I could remember from reading your posts on it, I think that it'd be the perfect length for me.

Unfortunately I usually just take a week off a time, and I do enjoy getting away. So places like Paris and London make sense for a short trip, especially since I get up early in New York (so adjusting to the time difference is almost never a problem).

You live in Canada, if I recall. B and I were on the Metro and talking, and a woman overheard us and said that she lives in Seattle. She's been in Paris for a month. When we started chatting, I started realizing how difficult it was for her to travel to Europe (in terms of the time needed). So in that sense I'm very lucky in having direct flights from the East Coast to London and Paris. I just had never realized it until I talked to her.

111op

Thanks cigale -- I hope that it goes well with the coffee. If not, I apologize.

Noticed that richardab left me a comment, so thanks, richard. And thanks for your inspiring blog too!

dln

Thanks 111op for giving us access to your blog! Marcy and I did a lot of the same things last week in Paris and I enjoyed reading your impressions. Your favorite Turner and Whistler paintings were mine, too. I could hardly keep my eyes off them. It boggles my mind that imagination such as theirs could be interepreted so beautifully in paints. (And to think that Whistler was so reviled, too, for his fireworks masterpiece!)

Save a walk down the Promenade Plantee for the warmer months. You want to see the roses in full bloom. Not only are they lovely, but they're very fragrant. You don't want to miss that the next time you go back to Paris.