Lisbon_Eagle

I'm glad you liked Lisbon.

opaldog

bumper, Thank you for the compliment. You will enjoy Café Constant. There is a mix of clientele with probably only about 1/4 being American when we have been there for lunch. The weather in early October was very nice. Of course Paris is variable and I've been there in October before when it rained a lot. At the arc we didn't sit, but walked around and hung down by the rail for the races. The dress code varied widely. It was fun just people watching. I dressed in my regular black and gray with a jean jacket and I didn't feel under dressed at all. It was a tremendous experience and to win the Arc was my best win every. Enjoy your trip, I'm jealous.
Lisbon_Eagle, we loved Lisbon. I definitely plan to return. We had the most spectacular view from our apartment window. I don't think we will ever be able to beat it. We loved the food, the wine, the people, the Alfama where we stayed, etc. So, yes, we'll go back.

tower

Opaldog;

Certainly enjoyed your report and there were some connections therein. The Brasserie on L'Ile de St. Louis is a favorite of ours as we've stayed on the Ile a few times. Your mention of Bonne Maman...yes I was surprised at the product line of theirs in Paris..but we always keep three jars handy in the fridge...and two in reserve in the pantry...wild blueberry, apricot and fig.

And of course the L'as falafel to beat all on Rosier. Finkelstayn's little yellow pastry shop ain't bad either.

Hopefully you'll soon get an opportuntiy to see a good chunk of Portugal. We loved driving there and found Lisbon to be a most underrated city. Happily, found a Portuguese Bakery in our San Fernando Valley that has great pasteis de L.A.(nata), too.

Happy travels, fellow Bostonians (Quincy). PawSox, indeed!!
stu

opaldog

Thanks tower, Bonne Maman for us at home is orange marmalade and apricot. Our next trip is to Istanbul and Athens but after that I hope to go back to Portugal and do Lisbon again and thinking of the car idea. I'm a very bad back seat driver so we tend to "steer" away from car trips but I'd love to drive along the coast of Portugal.

tower

opaldog:

I found Portugal one of the easiest European countries to maneuver...good signage and roads. We covered a large chunk of real estate, and with an M.A.P. never got lost for a minute.

TDudette

Bookmarking. opaldog, your 2012 Paris/Barcelona trip just popped back up. I had missed this one so am looking forward to a leisurely read.

opaldog

Each trip to Paris we try to do something new. The Arc was an experience that I don't think I can replicate and won't try to. We are booked for Paris in March, not sure where we are staying or what we are doing yet.