2 Weeks in Paris

Old Nov 4th, 2014, 07:58 PM
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2 Weeks in Paris

After months of anticipation and planning, my husband Bob and I headed off for the airport for our 2+ weeks in Paris. After losing 45 pounds over the past year, I hoped to have increased stamina this trip, but I'd started having hip pain a couple months ago. Things had improved somewhat with physical therapy and I had a cortisone shot 3 days before (would have had it sooner but had to postpone since I'd been bitten by a dog and my dr's office suggested I should get my tetanus shot updated. I didn't know that you can't have had any vaccines within 10 days of a cortisone shot). I hoped the shot would help, but worried that the hip pain would really slow me down.

Our flight went really well - with all the stories about people putting their seats back lately I was concerned about being more or less trapped in my seat by someone who insisted on putting their seat all the way back, as it would be awkward getting in and out of my seat with my hip problem. But that situation never materialized -- actually the seats seemed more roomy and comfortable than our international flight in 2010 -- and not just because I was a little trimmer.

Unlike previous trips where we each had a wheeled carryon bag, we decided to use one 25" checked bag and one wheeled carry-on bag. In addition, we purchased a small wheeled carryon bag that fit in our 25" bag (took up 1/2 the space), anticipating needed another bag for purchases along the way. We thought we'd probably take a cab into the city due to the bulkier luggage, but in the end decided to save the money and take the RER, which worked out smoothly for us -- particularly with the info I got on the forum recently about the escalator at St. Michel.

We had booked the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles for our first two nights as the apartment we booked wasn't available. It was adequate, but I think if we'd stayed there more than 2 nights we would have hated it. The website photos make the rooms look fairly spacious, but ours was quite small -- really only big enough for a bed and small nightstand. We didn't mind that there was no tv or coffee maker in the room, but the lack of space to sit anywhere but the bed (or the one hard chair) made the room uncomfortable for anyone who spends any time in their room. There seemed to be a lot of regulars, so maybe we just got a particularly small room, but we wouldn't book there again. We found we didn't particularly like the location either, although the hotel itself is set back from the street and has a lovely quiet garden in the midst of the hectic Latin Quarter.

Once we were settled into the hotel we decided to walk along the Seine a while and cross over to Notre Dame. In the Square Jean XXIII behind Notre Dame we sat and watched as several couples were having wedding photos taken. It was kind of a chilly, overcast day and I felt a little sorry for the brides, with their long white gowns dragging in the dirt/gravel paths, trying to make the best of the moment. Later on in our trip we came across a bride and groom on the metro; the bride's hem was just so dirty. As we walked along the river we noticed that the love lock trend seems to be spreading; we saw the locks en masse and also saw individual ones placed in inconspicuous places where they might not be noticed and removed. After our walk we made our way back to the hotel to rest a bit before going out to explore the immediate neighborhood and find somewhere to eat. We chose a little crepe shop where we had a savory crepe and a dessert crepe. By then we'd been awake for more than 24 hours, so it was time to get some sleep. On this first day I found I could walk just so far and then had to find a bench to rest a bit -- things went better than I expected, but not as well as I hoped. I was told that it takes time for the cortisone to take effect, so I just hoped things would slowly feel better.
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Old Nov 4th, 2014, 09:26 PM
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I'm enjoying your report, vanne, and I look forward to following your adventures over the next two weeks! I love taking vicarious trips to Paris!

I hope your hip behaves. Do you have some stretches to keep the muscles limber & relaxed?

Thanks for posting!

s
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Old Nov 4th, 2014, 09:33 PM
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Looking forward to reading more.

I can relate to your medical issue. I had hip pain but when I went to the hip specialist he said my problem wasn't my hip but my back. Referred then to back specialist. After Xray and MRI found to have pinched nerve between 2 vertebrae. Got a cortisone shot, prescription for anti-inflammatory med, pain med which I took for 1 day. Went to physical therapy. Got better but I do my back exercises that my phy. therapist showed me every day.

Hope you felt better and was able to enjoy your trip. I am planning a 2 week Paris trip for mid August 2015 so will enjoy reading about your days.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 03:56 AM
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I love readng Paris trip reports so I was walking along with you to the little park behind ND. It's always interesting to sit there awhile and watch people taking photos. It seems to be a big wedding photo place and with ND in the backdrop you can see why.

I definitely will be folowing along and appreciate all the small details. I hope your hip pain eases a bit. Thankfully Paris has many benches to stop & rest.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 04:47 AM
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I really enjoy reading trip reports especially to Paris.
Hope your hip does not hamper your fun too much.

Looking forward to reading about your adventures
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 07:07 AM
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Waiting for more! My walking is restricted due to knee replacements but I continue to visit my favorite city in the world as often as possible anyway. I plan my daily jaunts carefully, wear the most comfortable shoes I can find - no easy task - and stop at sidewalk cafés for a rest, when needed. Strategically placed benches help, too, for a few minutes respite.

Hope your hip cooperates and your two weeks are tremendously fabulous!
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 07:25 AM
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I too am enjoying your trip report and waiting for more. We leave for 2 weeks at the end of February.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 04:59 PM
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Also enjoying! I, too, love reading Paris trip reports.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 05:24 PM
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Day 2

Our second day we unintentionally slept in a bit. We were ready to step out the door around 10. At the last minute I decided to look through my travel file for some information and came across the paperwork for our advance tickets to the Paul Durand-Ruel Impressionist show at the Musee du Luxembourg and discovered we should have been there that moment! Somehow I thought our reservations were for the following week. This seemed to be the theme of our first week -- me feeling a bit muddled and disorganized. But we quickly got our act together and got ourselves to the museum. Fortunately it didn’t matter that we were about 45 minutes past our entry time.


The Paul Durand-Ruel exhibit was extraordinary. I was not familiar with Durand-Ruel’s role in the promotion of Impressionist painters, both in Europe and the United States. Durand-Ruel was “one of the greatest dealers in the world at the turn of the 20th century and a major figure in the history of Impressionism. From the beginning of the 1870s, Paul Durand-Ruel discovered and supported Impressionist painters with flair and passion, buying and selling thousands of Impressionist paintings, including the masterpieces of the movement, often in difficult circumstances. A painting «missionary» as Renoir liked to call him, he also contributed to the invention of the modern art market and gave an unprecedented international dimension to his gallery, particularly in the United States. At the turn of the 20th century, the dealer had established the largest European and American Impressionist collections, both public and private.” The exhibition was a feast for the eyes, with so many paintings that are familiar to anyone with any knowledge of Impressionist art. This exhibit runs through February 8 2015. In the brochure for the exhibit there is a link to a free online course: www.impressionisme.solerni.org It’s in French, so I’m not sure I’m up to the challenge, but it may be of interest to those who are. One of my favorite Renoir paintings was part of the exhibit: “On the Terrace”, a lovely painting of a young mother with a red hat and her little daughter. There were so many wonderful paintings -- many of which I’ve had the good fortune to see before, but always a treat. We were lucky enough to see the massive Monet exhibit at the Grand Palais in 2010.

Following the exhibit we spent some time in Luxembourg Gardens and then made our way to the Laduree on rue Bonaparte. We had hoped to be seated in the upstairs room, which I remembered as being very cozy and pretty, but were told it was being used for a private event -- I got the impression that is often the case. We ordered a club sandwich, which we shared, and a pot of the “Cheri” tea (we later bought a tin of the Cheri tea to take home). I discovered my new favorite Laduree pastry: Saint Honore with caramelized cream puff pastry, vanilla cream, chantilly cream and roasted flaked almonds -- out of this world. Bob had a lemon tart, which was very good but no temptation for me when I had the Saint Honore. The bill came to 44.60 euros -- pretty steep for a fairly light lunch, but so good. After Laduree, we stopped into the church St. Germain des Pres, which for some unknown reason we had never done before, despite walking past it many times. We then spent some time walking around the Latin Quarter and over to Ile St. Louis, where we stopped into the Oliviers & Co. shop and bought some decorative tea towels and several little jars of tomato powder which we discovered a few years ago. It’s tomato that has been dried and ground into a fine powder and is very tasty sprinkled on bread with a little olive oil, pasta, whatever you like. We then found some takeaway sandwiches to bring back and eat at the hotel later. It was a great day -- I’m so glad I realized our tickets were for that day. We would have still gone at some point, even if we had to buy tickets all over again, but I probably would have beaten myself up over forgetting the correct day. And I was walking better.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 05:40 PM
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Vanne,
Sorry to hear about your hip problem. My husband has problems with his leg and hip which really puts a damper on things. I feel so bad for him, he doesn't complain but I can see the pain on his face. We also stop often so he can rest a bit, that's another reason we take the buses not all the stairs as with the metro.
Sounds like a good start can't wait to hear more.
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Old Nov 5th, 2014, 05:50 PM
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Signing on for the ride.
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Old Nov 6th, 2014, 02:05 AM
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moi aussi!
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Old Nov 6th, 2014, 07:05 AM
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Me, too (3,4?). Nice report - looking forward to more.
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Old Nov 6th, 2014, 07:18 AM
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Enjoying you report, and reliving my 2 week Paris trip in May. I, too, have hip and back problems and was doing pretty well when I left for Paris. I way overdid the walking and stairs in the Metro while there, and have suffered for that ever since getting back! But the trip was worth it. I really congratulate you on losing 45 lbs. I keep thinking that if I would lose some lbs. maybe my back would get better.
Glad you made it to the Impressionist Exhibit. I would love to see that one. While I was there I went to the Impressionist Exhibit which was going on at the Marmottan then. That too was wonderful.

Looking forward to the rest of your report.
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Old Nov 6th, 2014, 10:37 PM
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Day 3


We took a cab to our rue St Dominique apartment and were met by Pierre-Louis, the Paris Vacation Apartments rep. Our apartment was pretty much exactly as pictured in the online photos. The full length windows that faced the busy street were soundproofed -- as soon as the windows were closed we heard very little street noise. We only used the kitchen to make tea and sandwiches, so I didn’t examine the contents too closely, but it seemed well equipped for most needs. The bed was super comfortable. One thing I really liked was the full-sized washer and dryer. In a couple previous apartment rentals we’ve had there was only one of those tiny washer/dryer combos that hold almost nothing and take hours to go through their complete cycles. These machines didn’t take very long and held a full-size load. We were in the apartment for 2 weeks, so it was great to be able to wash clothes and even do a load of big bath towels. We came to really enjoy the rue St Dominique neighborhood with all its great restaurants and bakeries; there were also quite a few clothing stores that would have been tempting if they carried my size (and fit my pocketbook) -- I did enjoy the window shopping. The apartment was also a fairly short walk to the Eiffel Tower and the rue Cler market. You couldn’t see the tower from the apartment but you could see it from the street. The apartment is online at Parisvacationapartments.com It’s the one bedroom Invalides/Eiffel Tower apartment. We especially enjoyed the Moulin de la Vierge patisserie a short distance from our apartment -- we became daily customers. There were also several other bakeries all within a few blocks.

After settling in at the apartment, we explored the neighborhood a bit and then walked to the closest metro station - La Tour-Maubourg - and made our way over to BHV to shop for an alarm clock, the one major thing the apartment was lacking. I was sure I’d packed our travel alarm, but couldn’t find it so assumed I’d forgotten. (Didn’t find it until we were going through security at CDG on the way home and security was checking one of our bags and pulled out the little clock from a side pocket). We did a bit more shopping there -- I was surprised to see spices displayed in uncovered open bins in a department store. From there we went over to the Place des Vosges, which is always a favorite spot for us, then on to Mariage Freres to buy some of our favorite tea (French breakfast and Wedding Imperial). We tried to find a little jewelry shop nearby where I had bought my favorite earrings on our last trip, but couldn’t find it, then checked out the shops along rue des Francs-Bourgeois.

Pierre-Louis had recommended a few restaurants and that night we went to L’Auberge Bressane, 16, Avenue de la Motte-Picquet. For appetizers Bob had the marinated salmon and I tried the eggs cooked in red wine, which I’d seen prepared on a cooking show and was curious about (it was okay, but probably wouldn’t order again), followed by Coq au Vin for Bob and chicken in a yellow wine sauce with morrels for me, both dishes came with delicious French fries. We had some fabulous pastries back at the apartment, so we skipped dessert. The bill came to 94 euros, including a small bottle of wine. We enjoyed the food and liked the atmosphere of the restaurant so would definitely go back again.
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Old Nov 7th, 2014, 07:33 AM
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Love reading your report! I love the moulin de la vierge croissants, I miss them. My husband would go in the mornings while I cooked the eggs and he was so amused with the little machine that you throw all your change in to pay. Both of us had the hardest time seeing what denominations the change was....it was a good way to get rid of all that change. Can't wait to hear more!
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Old Nov 7th, 2014, 08:05 AM
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Emmie - my husband's not a breakfast person (he'd rather sleep a bit longer) so I didn't cook and we mostly sampled Moulin's pastries, but I did buy croissants once and they were so good -- and stayed crisp and flaky the next day. I wanted to take a photo in their shop but our last chance to do that was a Wed. and I was disappointed that they were closed on Wed.
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Old Nov 8th, 2014, 12:19 PM
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Day 4


When we were in Paris in 2010 Bob took a day to attend the Mondial de l’Automobile, the Paris Auto Show held every other year at the Paris Expo at Porte de Versailles. He enjoyed his day so much that we picked our travel dates to coincide with the 2014 show so that he could attend. I tend to look at cars as a means of getting from point A to point B, so I knew I would only put a damper on his enjoyment of the day -- just as I don’t go with him to the state fair because I’m ready to leave after a couple hours and he wants to spend all day. So he set off for his day at the auto show. I wasn’t having a great day with my hip, so decided to take a leisurely approach to the day.


The weather had been a bit warmer than I’d anticipated and I decided to first go to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps to see if I could find a couple lightweight tops. This met with no success; with my weight loss I was able to find some things in my size and found a few things I liked and could afford, but the arms were all so long.

My frustrating day was saved when I decided to search out somewhere to get a bite to eat. I remembered reading about a tea salon in Passage Jouffroy off Boulevard Hausmann so decided to check it out. What a wonderful find; it’s a salon du the that also serves breakfast and lunch. Angelina and Laduree are wonderful, but pricey and hard to get a table at times. Le Valentin is a small, cozy spot -- very comfortable feel and the food is delicious. A slice of quiche, a pot of tea and delicious pastry and my whole mood was transformed. I forget the full name of the pastry I ordered, but it was absolutely amazing -- it was named after the Passage: Jouffroy. I’m a sucker for cararmel flavors and this was outstanding. They have a great selection of teas; I chose a caramel flavored tea that was delicious -- like dessert all by itself. The ground floor seating is small; I discovered when I went to the ladies room that they have seating upstairs as well. This place was a great find; I knew Bob would enjoy it and I definitely wanted to go back.

By this time it was around 3:00 and I decided to head back to the apartment to drop off my few purchases and, since I wasn’t sure when Bob would be back, decided to have a look at nearby rue Cler and pick up something for dinner at the apartment. Maybe there’s more to rue Cler during the early part of the day, but I didn’t really see much to get excited about. I picked up a rotisserie chicken and some potatoes, then stopped at our favorite pastry shop near our apartment (Moulin de la Vierge) for dessert.

Bob arrived back at the apartment after a very long day at the Auto show -- he had a wonderful time touring the 8 huge pavillions of cars. In looking through his photos, it’s hard to tell which he enjoyed more -- the cars or the models. His only disappointmet was that the “freebies” were scaled back. Last time he came home with some very nice tote bags, including a big Peugeot trunk bag that’s great for when we make a Costco run, a computer mouse, and a mouse pad. This year it was just brochures and paper shopping bags.
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Old Nov 8th, 2014, 03:48 PM
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Keep it coming, so enjoying your report. I will have to look up Le Valentin when there next, it sounds like my cup of tea (lol)! I wish my husband would do something alone on vacation because I LOVE to shop, and though he says he doesn't mind, I know hes bored to death watching me go in and out of stores. I know a lot of people knock rue cler but I found plenty of stores to go in, some on the side streets, marie cantin, epicerie fine, some oil store, davoli (umm) and a lot more. We bought mostly all of our food for the apartment there and then hit the Carrefour for water and such. Well can't wait to hear more, feels like im there!!
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Old Nov 8th, 2014, 05:13 PM
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I'm lucky that Bob does like shopping, as long as it's not clothes. Although he gets a little claustrophobic in little shops that are crammed with stuff. We find that each of us going off on our own a bit is a good break from being together 24/7. This time Bob went to the auto show on his own and later to the Musee de la Marine in the Palais de Chaillot -- both great places for a guy to go to on his own while his wife does her thing.
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