Aaaaaaaaaaaaah Paris!
 

Of a rendezvous in Paris, the battle of the stairs and the elusive Dali museum:

Day 1: Saturday August 29th 2009:


My hubby had a conference in Paris, it is his 40th Birthday this month and we just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. So who could pass up the opportunity of a trip to Paris to celebrate?.Hubby flew to NJ to drop off our almost 4 yr old with his parents and then flew from PHL to CDG. He got upgraded to first class and had a fabulous time en route!

Meanwhile I flew from Minneapolis to CDG on Northwest. Tiny, tiny plane. My vegetarian meal was inedible. Thank God for cheese and crackers but who cares…I am on my way to Paris!

We rendezvous at the baggage claim and kiss “Bonjour, welcome to Paris!”. Take a taxi and get to our hotel –Hotel Acacias Etoile in the 17eme. Our room isn’t ready yet so we wash up and then head off to Montmartre with his colleague and wife who were first timers in Paris (We had been 2 yrs ago).

First stop-Arc de Triomphe. We decide to go to the top. We mistakenly enter the long, winding staircase instead of the elevator and walk 284 painful steps to the stop along a narrow, winding staircase. Enjoy the views especially the streets that look like the spokes of a wheel. Take tons of photos. Our friends are excited of their first glimpse of La Tour Eiffel. Get near dizzy going down those steps again! (stair count=586).

We are famished and decide we must eat before we proceed to Montmartre. So we stop at Laduree on the Champs-Elysees and sit in their outdoor tent. I have a delicious omelette, hubby has a chicken club sandwich and the others have a salmon club sandwich.Yummy. We pick up caramel and chocolate macaroons and proceed to Montmartre. We each buy a five day Paris Visite pass.

We get off at the Abesses metro stop and think nothing of it when we see a mad dash towards the elevator. Having no clue that the metro stop at that point is bored through a tunnel in the mountain more than 7 stories below the surface, we proceed up the staris.

The never ending stairs. Fabulous murals on the walls yes but on the first day of our Paris sojourn, sleep deprived and unshowered we are unable to drink in the beautiful murals to the fullest. We feel that as though it is fated…we must climb stairs and more stairs! (stair count= unknwn but too many.)

We ride the funicular to the bottom of Sacre-Coeur. The basilica is beautiful inside, very serene. I light a tealight and we meditate for a while. No photography within the basilica.

Outside it is like a party. They are getting ready for an outdoor concert. We wander the streets up and down the mountainside. I find a fabulous jewelry shop- Jeremie Barthod bijoux and buy a pair of gorgeous earrings.We stop at Pylones too and I buy a cute hairbrush for my daughter, the most eclectic vegetable peeler and a little clock. All so beautifully packed for cadeaux!

We get lost trying to find the Dali museum-this way and that but are never able to find it.

We go back to the Abesses stop, make sure we ride the elevator down and get back to our hotel and finally take showers and pass out. No dinner tonight. Sleep takes precedence. We are so excited to be in Paris!

more to come soon!

More please..
the stair stories are funny :)
reminds me of this..

when looking for our Paris apt. one described the stairs as
"an enchanting 5 flights up"

I like the enthusiasm in your report!

Somehow, I feel glad you found the funicular :) and didn't decide to go to the tower of Notre Dame the first day!

More please...

Nice report--looking forward to Chapter Two!

Of Museums, Kisses and an American conspiracy:

Day 2:August 30th, 2009:

We wake up late but decide not to persevere on missing the morning and instead feeling refreshed, decide; to explore further.

First stop: the local boulangerie/patisserie for a croissant and café crème for me, pain au chocolat for the hubby with the sweet tooth. Delicious, we savor every last crumb.

We take the metro the the Musee D’Orsay. What a beautiful, awe inspiring space- and to think it was a train station-how lovely. It is our first time here and we spend several hours looking at the Impressionists and post-impressionists. We are struck by several paintings- the floor scrapers by Caillebotte, Degas dancers and the models of the dancers, several works of Renoir, Manet, Monet. There are also very cool watercolors and more modern paintings in some of the galleries at the end of the 5th floor. We also reflect on how fortunate we have been to see a lot of Impressionist and post impressionist works at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia where we lived before moving to the Twin Cities. For those Stateside and missing Paris- Philly’s Barnes foundation and Rodin museum have a lot to offer. In fact many of Degas more famous of his dancer series are in Philly.

We also admire many of the sculptures on the bottom floor and on the terraces. Rodin’s terrace holds many interesting work including a large work that was meant to be the door for some museum that felt thru so he kept working away on it and many of his larger sculptures such as ‘the kiss’ were based on smaller models on this door/relief.

Next stop- the Orangerie. We are awed by Monet’s “Nympheas”. I had never imagined them to be such broad, larger than life works. It is very quiet in the water lily rooms as everyone appears awestruck and seemingly transported to Giverny and his real life water lily ponds. I buy a stunning glass pendant mimicking the colors in the water lilies from the gift shop for un cadeau for a dear friend. It costs 14 euro. We kiss in front of Rodin’s “the kiss” located outside the Orangerie and have someone take a picture. Cheesy, but kinda cute too? We then spend some time just relaxing on lawn chairs and watching people and kids in the Tuileries.

I am now hungry. We find a café tucked behind the Orsay- not sure but it may have been ‘le Dauphin’ where we share the most amazing cheese omelet and drink some wine. Delicieux!

Back to the hotel for a short respite and to find a suitable place for dinner. Of course it is Sunday and many places are closed. I remember that “Mon Vieil Ami” is open on Sundays and we make a reservation.

Our little one calls and we skype with her and reach the restaurant late for our reservation but when I explain to the waiter he finds us a spot. Ah- ha onto the American conspiracy. During the entire time of 2.5 hours that we are at the host’s table at Mon Vieil Ami all 14 chairs are occupied by Americans. Some leave, more arrive. Quelle chance! Really, we think of it as the French consirpacy to keep all English speakers on one table but its fun to think if it as the American cosnipracy.

The food- Amazing. Splendid. Unbelievable. As a vegetarian I was in raptures. I had several side dishes as my plat- the mashed chickpeas taste nothing like hummus but instead have subtle curry flavors and garlic. The warm vegetable salad has the most fresh, succulent veggies in a delicious dressing/sauce. And the preserved lemon casserole with potatoes has Moroccan flavors with French that convert into gastronomic wonders. My only disappointment- the rhum baba was just ok. Hubby had the most delicious cod crepe- kind of like a fish cake covered in a thin crepe with a delicious sauce (per his description since I don’t eat fish either). He had a amazing chocolate tart to finish.
We both had entrée+ plat+ dessert for 41 euros. With wine our bill came to 101 euros.

It is late and we head back to the hotel. To dream of Paris!

You write beautifully. Enjoying tagging along with you and experiencing the joys of Paris!

Interrupting my chronological travelogue for some observations:

In Paris:

1. People and the society truly are green. Most carry their own portable, reusable shopping bag as the go from boulangerie to monoprix to charcuterie. The maid in our hotel room would turn off the airconditioning everytime we left. Lights in waiting areas/bathrooms turn on often only once you enter and turn off in 5 minutes or so. They do seem to turn back on if the person is still there. Coming from the culture of blazing lights and token energy saving this was a huge eye-opener. I am not trying to say that people in the US are not conservationist just that the French society as a whole is a lot more committed to being Green.

2. Harem pants are everywhere. From the Champs-Elysees to the Marais. Not sure what I am referring to-here you go:
http://www.shopstyle.com/browse?fts=harem+pants

3. The people for the most part dress just like people anywhere else. The silhouette is just cleaner, the look more tailored, the shoes narrower and lower in height. Altogether more put together.

4. Kindness and good manners are everywhere (for the most part).

Thank you readers for your kind words!

Excellent report with a fresh tone. Should I call it a "je-ne-sais-quoi" ?

LOL, harem pants? I think I have some from the early 90's.

Love your report!

Kerouac- I am such a fan of yours. I began to write with trepidation because I lurk often and seldom write. But I had gleaned such useful tidbits from Fodors and Fodorites and love trip reports so much that decided I was going to take the plunge this time!

More to come!

Another observation- I saw many French speaking tourists from other countries in Paris (presumption since they were tourists but could easily be from other parts of France). I'm thinking Belgium,French Canada, Morocco.Other possibilities?

Even though the French language is declining in Europe, there are still lots of people who speak French. However, I presume that you mean that they were speaking French to each other and not necessarily to French tourist workers.

Well... most of those people speaking French are French from other parts of France. In fact, it has been mentioned that it is the French who saved the tourist season this year in spite of the economic situation. I think in a lot of countries, people went on vacation "at home" rather than going to a foreign country this year.

But in any case, yes, there are lots of tourists from Belgium, Luxembourg and Québec every year... and don't forget Switzerland.

I will be posting day 3 and 4 tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Great report. I was luckier at the Abbesses metro stop in that I followed like a lemming everyone else into the elevator. That was a good thing especially since it turned out that I was in the wrong place and had to turn around and go back down. Also I love Monet but my favorite painting in Musee D'Orsay is the floor scrapers by Caillebotte. I am looking forward to reading days 3 & 4 and reliving your trip for my France fix.

Yes I agree the floor scrapers really capture one's imagination!

Enjoying your report! I thought the elevator at the Arc was only for the disabled?

Very nicely written report. Will look forward to see what tomorrow brings.

Wow, that jewelry looks great! What's their price range?

After a detour to Barthod's website, I read the rest of your wonderful report, which makes me want to go back right now! (51 more days....) Looking forward to the next installment.

Hi MademoiselleFifi- the earrings I bought were 40euros. The range was 30-120 euros for much of the stuff. Although there were more expensive pieces too. Very unusual and well crafted jewelry. I was told by the salesgirl that Jeremia herself lives in the Montmartre neighborhood.

Anna- I'm not sure about the elevator at the Arc being only for the disabled. I was told by the billet clerk that we could take the elevator?

Of a feast fit for kings and les jouets et robes:

Day 3: Monday August 31st, 2009

This morning it is a light breakfast of bananas and yogurt bought from the neighborhood fruit seller as a feast awaits us at noon.

What does one give a frugal yet much beloved husband as a 40th Birthday present? Mais oui, a fabulous lunch at a fabulous restaurant in Paris, without telling him about the sticker shock. I figure for this once in a lifetime Birthday celebration we will go overboard but not to Taillevent or Arpege and not at dinner time…….. extravagance in moderation?

We have a reservation at Le Cinq at the Four Seasons, Paris in the area where Kerouac works. We enter at 12.20 and are seated in the waiting area as the restaurant is not open yet.

In a few minutes the hostess and two other persons escort us to a beautiful table. The cutlery is gleaming; the people courteous, orchids and beautiful plants surround us. For close to three hours all our senses are engaged. Whether holding hands or handling the gleaming silverware, whether nosily gazing at the Frenchmen on a business lunch or admiring the orchids, whether sipping on pink champagne on savoring chocolate mousse, whether listening to courteous, musical voices or the clink of glasses, or enjoying the aromas of succulent vegetables and subtle sauces, we are thoroughly mesmerized.

All I can say is that the experience in its totality- the ambience, the atmosphere, the service, the food, the occasion made the 85 euro/head price tag (sans alcohol) well worth it. A memory to last a lifetime.

Hubby’s dessert was brought out with a candle (for his 40th) and then for our ‘Anniversarie du marriage’ we both got complimentary scoops of vanilla ice-cream with custard sauce, joyeux Anniversarie chocolat tags and candles that we blew at the exact
same moment to the cheers of staff, the manager and other guests. The staff took a picture of us that they presented to us as well as little treat boxes filled with candies and petit fours from the petit four trolley. Our fifth at Le Cinq!

On our way back to the hotel I send hubby off before me so I can duck into Hermes to buy their new men’s cologne for him- he is all out of cologne and a fabulous box in the signature burnt sienna and brown box will be a nice gift.

This afternoon hubby is busy for a few hours with his meeting so his colleague’s wife (who by now has become a great friend) and I head off to...SHOP!!

We head to the Marais which I know well from our stay 2 years ago. First stop- Rue St Paul where we head off to monoprix. We buy les jouets et robes for our bebes, I buy some skin care products, harem pants (ha ha!), soaps. Next stop la pharmacie for more skin care stuff, more soaps and ibuprofen gel (not available Stateside!). Then off to Cotton Doux kitty korner from BHV. It has fantastic shirts for men. But as I realized this time around (somehow I had forgotten to make this observation 2 yrs ago) they have a lot of flamboyant shirts…after all this is the Marais! I find two of the most conservative shirts for hubby. I had bought him a shirt here 2 yrs ago and they way it is cut is so fabulous he is always getting compliments on it from men and women alike! Next stop BHV- more jouets and robes for the bebes! We then drink a café crème sitting at a café across from BHV and watch people go by.

Back to the hotel and after cleaning up, the four of us head to dinner. We find a café near George V across from maison du chocolat. After kir royals, I have a cheese plate for dinner, hubby does poulet with fries, and the others get omelets. Then we share a tarte tatin and crème brulee while sitting outdoors. Delicious and not too spendy.

And then we head back to dream of our 5th at the 5th and other sweet nothings.

Oh, you must have eaten at La Belle Ferronnière. I pass by it every day. It is one of the two traditional cafés for journalists in Paris (the other one is the Brasserie Lipp at Saint Germain). The reason for this is that for about 50 years, the building across the street, where the Cartier boutique is now, was the headquarters of Paris Match.

Yes, yes. It was La Belle Ferronniere. Interesting history about it being a journalist hangout. Thank you!

Hi Ramekin4:

I love, love your report! I'm heading to Paris during Thanksgiving week and will have 2 friends coming with me who have never visited Paris. The information you've provided thus far is very helpful. I love the shopping parts! :)

TR

I apologize for the delay in writing about days 4-6 but will be posting soon. thanks.

Looking very much forward to your post, I am leaving for Paris in a week!
LW

Ramekin, you have an enchanting writing style...I'm looking forward to your next installment. I'm more of a lurker than a poster myself and I am enjoying every word! Glad you had such a delightful trip.

Of more shopping, paying to go the bathroom and a French dinner at les cocottes de Christian Constant:

Day 4: Tuesday September 1, 2009:

Today the boys are busy with their posters and talks most of the day so Mrs Colleague (MC) and I set out to shop this morning. Thus far we have been blessed with fabulous sunshine but today it is kind of gloomy and rains intermittently.

First stop, Naf- Naf on the Champs Elysees. We are so intrigued by the silly sounding name of this French (I think?) boutique line that we decide we must venture in. Affordable prices and MC finds a fabulous blouse for 19 euros and a shrug. At promod I find some short sleeved blouses (having brought all full sleeved tops and sweaters not expecting fabulous weather in Paris!) for 12- 19 euros each. Not bad. MC needs to go to the bathroom so we go to the Virgin megastore thinking their bathrooms will be clean. Well, guess what – she had to pay 1 euro to get in and it was “just ok”.

Next stop-Fragonnard.Now the only Fragonnard I know is in the Carousel du Lovure so we hop on the metro but get off at the Louvre stop on line 1 instead of Palais Royal-Louvre which has a direct connection to the Carousel. So in the pouring rain with her in her raincoat and me umbrella-less (because I didn’t want to reach into my bag for it for some strange reason) we trudge and trudge until bedraggled and appearing like lost waifs we reach the Carousel and Fragonnard. I buy tons of perfumes and soaps for loved ones back home who love them and the fact that they are available only in France (or you could have them shipped for monstrous shipping costs) make them more special. Next stop, Lalique: where I buy a blue crystal butterfly pendant for a very dear friend. I am torn on not being able to afford one for myself too. But better to give. I tell the saleslady that I have noticed many Frenchwomen wearing butterfly necklaces and she informs me that the butterfly is a much beloved motif of French artists signifying beauty and freedom.

Now I’m ready to pee in my pants (Sorry I meant Pirates of Penzance!) and someone directs me to the toilets. Well, turns out it is a toilet shop in the Carousel for all kinds of crazy bathroom regalia and décor (including dollar bill toilet paper) but they also… er have facilities that one can use for 2euros. I am so desperate that I pay to go.

Then its back home to meet the hubsters and relax before we all head off to les cocottes. Not an English syllable within earshot and we grab the last seat in the house. The dinner-magnifique. Everything is served in cocottes- metal casseroles so to speak. Three of us have ceasar salad a la ritz and my hubster enjoys the crab. So fresh, so delish. Next I have les jaunes vegetables- yum who knew simple tomatoes and other veggies could taste so divine. Fish, shrimp and mashed potatoes with pork (unassuming name, worldclass favor I am told) are enjoyed by the others and unanimously we enjoy “ la fabuleuse tarte chocolat du Christian Constant” for dessert- true name I kid you not. Fantastic, local hangout. With wine and a 3 course meal we paid 50 euros per person.

We walk to the Eiffel tower and watch the lights come on at 11 pm. Beautiful. We ladies take pics with the French gendarmes while our men look on indulgently.

Off to the Trocadero stop and back home. To Giverny we go tomorrow.

I am inerested to hear about Giverny this time of year, I was there in the spring and it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen! Hope you enjoyed! LW

Wonderful report - I was in Paris for 2 weeks in May and this took me back , Thanks

Ditto...My wife and I were also in Paris in May, and reading the trip reports always takes me back, too.

SS

marking

ttt

Enjoying your report so much. Have not yet been to Paris, but am determinted to go there. As a long time Monet-o-phile, anxious to see your review of Giverney. An anniversary in Paris..what an exciting thing. (Our 40th in Kauai was good too)