Another Paris Trip Report
Oct 12th, 2015, 07:57 PM
#22
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Thanks for the sofabed report, opaldog.
I do recall that place on rue Mornay where we both stayed. Looks like it is still operating, as the link at www.paris-vacation-rental.com is still active. That was the very first of the niece/nephew graduation trips; this year's trip included numbers 10 and 11 (three more to go.)
Also share enjoyment of Brasserie de l'Isle (great cassoulet)and Trumilou - thanks for refreshing those memories!
I do recall that place on rue Mornay where we both stayed. Looks like it is still operating, as the link at www.paris-vacation-rental.com is still active. That was the very first of the niece/nephew graduation trips; this year's trip included numbers 10 and 11 (three more to go.)
Also share enjoyment of Brasserie de l'Isle (great cassoulet)and Trumilou - thanks for refreshing those memories!
Oct 13th, 2015, 01:24 AM
#24
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I appreciate all of your comments, it definitely encourages one to continue. I enjoyed reading about Caillebotte's "Young Man at the Window". Thanks for that link.
I would like to recreate Monsieur Chat on the backside of my house where only my family could enjoy seeing him. That's a project for next spring. Next visit to Paris I will have to go to your neighborhood kerouac to see where he "lives".
Early October has been the best time of the year for our visits to Paris. For the most part the weather has been good. This year it was fantastic! The first weekend in October is big for horseracing at Longchamps. I would liken it to the Kentucky Derby in the US, even though I've never been. This was our second Arc, the biggest race in French horseracing (that I know about).
http://www.prixarcdetriomphe.com/en/home/
The first time for us was two years ago where I won the Arc with the beautiful filly, Tréve. It was an exciting moment when the filly trotted back after the race past the grandstands and the crowd went wild. It made me cry! This year my husband won the Arc with "Golden Horn". I had to make the sentimental bet for Tréve as she was going for an unprecedented third win. Alas, she came in third, but a beautiful, wonderful horse.
It's a huge party at Longchamp the day of the Arc and I highly recommend it even if you are not a race fan. It's an experience! We took the metro line 1 and got off at Porte Maillot where they had free shuttle buses lined up and waiting to bring you to Longchamp over by Bois de Bologne. There's a huge international crowd at the track. My husband wore his Saratoga race course tee shirt under his jacket and was spotted by some people from Massachusetts. There were a lot of Japanese there as there was a Japanese horse running and many, many British. It's definitely close and Frankie Dettori the winning jockey is from England. We only stayed 3 races, but both of us won a race and came out ahead. We had our celebratory Taittinger champagne and got our shuttle back to the metro, making dinner reservations on my phone for Le Trumilou on the ride back.
So only one day left in Paris and just getting used to being there and wanting to stay longer. In the past I've always had a dog and a job to get back to. This time I still have the job, but not the worry of a dog. That is soon to change, although Paris in October is very hard to resist.
Now off to work.
I would like to recreate Monsieur Chat on the backside of my house where only my family could enjoy seeing him. That's a project for next spring. Next visit to Paris I will have to go to your neighborhood kerouac to see where he "lives".
Early October has been the best time of the year for our visits to Paris. For the most part the weather has been good. This year it was fantastic! The first weekend in October is big for horseracing at Longchamps. I would liken it to the Kentucky Derby in the US, even though I've never been. This was our second Arc, the biggest race in French horseracing (that I know about).
http://www.prixarcdetriomphe.com/en/home/
The first time for us was two years ago where I won the Arc with the beautiful filly, Tréve. It was an exciting moment when the filly trotted back after the race past the grandstands and the crowd went wild. It made me cry! This year my husband won the Arc with "Golden Horn". I had to make the sentimental bet for Tréve as she was going for an unprecedented third win. Alas, she came in third, but a beautiful, wonderful horse.
It's a huge party at Longchamp the day of the Arc and I highly recommend it even if you are not a race fan. It's an experience! We took the metro line 1 and got off at Porte Maillot where they had free shuttle buses lined up and waiting to bring you to Longchamp over by Bois de Bologne. There's a huge international crowd at the track. My husband wore his Saratoga race course tee shirt under his jacket and was spotted by some people from Massachusetts. There were a lot of Japanese there as there was a Japanese horse running and many, many British. It's definitely close and Frankie Dettori the winning jockey is from England. We only stayed 3 races, but both of us won a race and came out ahead. We had our celebratory Taittinger champagne and got our shuttle back to the metro, making dinner reservations on my phone for Le Trumilou on the ride back.
So only one day left in Paris and just getting used to being there and wanting to stay longer. In the past I've always had a dog and a job to get back to. This time I still have the job, but not the worry of a dog. That is soon to change, although Paris in October is very hard to resist.
Now off to work.
Oct 13th, 2015, 01:36 PM
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Enjoying your report! We've been to Paris in early October several times and it is one of my favorite.
Two years ago we went to the Grand Prix du Qatar at Longchamp and really loved the day. We are going this year in early December but next year will be there in early October again.
What kind of puppy are you getting?
Two years ago we went to the Grand Prix du Qatar at Longchamp and really loved the day. We are going this year in early December but next year will be there in early October again.
What kind of puppy are you getting?
Oct 13th, 2015, 02:51 PM
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Thanks Judy. We're getting a Boston Terrier. Our last dog and also our best dog ever was a Boston Terrier. We've come to love the breed.
The Arc really is a great day.I recommend any day at a horse race in France. We've been to a few different tracks around Paris.
The Arc really is a great day.I recommend any day at a horse race in France. We've been to a few different tracks around Paris.
Oct 15th, 2015, 01:50 AM
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Last full day, Monday in Paris it rained and we finally had to get out the umbrellas. Never go to Paris without an umbrella! Our feet got soaked that day and I spent some time at the apartment drying out my shoes with the hairdryer. We still had a very enjoyable day and got all around the city, spending a quiet lunch at Bistrot L'Oulette in the Marais.
This day we also took the metro up to the rue Rivoli souvenir shops to find something for our granddaughters with their names on it; Eva and Elodie, two names that are impossible to find in the USA. That area was packed with busloads of tourists so we just walked along and headed toward the PSG store on Champs Elysees to find something for our son-in-law who is a huge soccer (football) fan. Fortunately the store was located close to the beginning of the Champs Elysee and we didn't have to go too far in the rain. The metro stop was located right outside the store, so after purchasing a tee shirt we hopped on that and back to the apartment to dry off.
We thought we might go to some of the city museums as it was raining and they are all free admittance (donations accepted at some). But I didn't do my homework and they are closed on Monday.
The last night is always sad, you never know when you will return and you hate to go home so soon. I packed up and we ate food from stores that we happened upon on our walks.
Tuesday, we woke to pouring rain. Fortunately it cleared in time for us to walk over to Le Paris for our last petit dejeuner of the trip. We were able to stay in the apartment until 12:30 before the housecleaner arrived and that worked with our flight back to BOS. We spent some time walking around Place des Vosges and went into the Victor Hugo Museum as it was now open.
http://maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr/en
I love to stop in here and especially love the view from the windows over the Place des Vosges.
Back at the apartment it had stopped raining entirely, although the skies were threatening. I got my last chance to admire the views from our apartment over Richard Lenoir and then off to the Bastille stop where we purchased our tickets from the machine for CDG. We took the metro line 5 to Gare du Nord and amazingly the ERIO express train to CDG was waiting on the platform for us. We hopped on and sat back and settled in for the short ride to the airport. We got our last glimpses of Paris before arriving at the last stop, Terminal 2.
We only had to walk to the terminal and took advantage of a kiosk along the way to scan our passports and print our boarding pass. We were only carrying on and didn't have to check bags. We got through security quickly and then waited in the terminal and purchased a few last minute gifts in the duty free shops. We had a wonderful flight back on Air France and I even got to stretch out in my own row and sleep a bit. I hope to be able to fly them again. I have been spoiled!! I almost always purchase depending on cost, but this time the cost was so close to Icelandair that I couldn't resist and it was worth every penny of the extra bit that we spent.
That is really most of the trip. A great visit to Paris, hopefully more in the future. I never want to say that this is my last trip to Paris, but I do try to spend my time there as though it may be.
This day we also took the metro up to the rue Rivoli souvenir shops to find something for our granddaughters with their names on it; Eva and Elodie, two names that are impossible to find in the USA. That area was packed with busloads of tourists so we just walked along and headed toward the PSG store on Champs Elysees to find something for our son-in-law who is a huge soccer (football) fan. Fortunately the store was located close to the beginning of the Champs Elysee and we didn't have to go too far in the rain. The metro stop was located right outside the store, so after purchasing a tee shirt we hopped on that and back to the apartment to dry off.
We thought we might go to some of the city museums as it was raining and they are all free admittance (donations accepted at some). But I didn't do my homework and they are closed on Monday.
The last night is always sad, you never know when you will return and you hate to go home so soon. I packed up and we ate food from stores that we happened upon on our walks.
Tuesday, we woke to pouring rain. Fortunately it cleared in time for us to walk over to Le Paris for our last petit dejeuner of the trip. We were able to stay in the apartment until 12:30 before the housecleaner arrived and that worked with our flight back to BOS. We spent some time walking around Place des Vosges and went into the Victor Hugo Museum as it was now open.
http://maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr/en
I love to stop in here and especially love the view from the windows over the Place des Vosges.
Back at the apartment it had stopped raining entirely, although the skies were threatening. I got my last chance to admire the views from our apartment over Richard Lenoir and then off to the Bastille stop where we purchased our tickets from the machine for CDG. We took the metro line 5 to Gare du Nord and amazingly the ERIO express train to CDG was waiting on the platform for us. We hopped on and sat back and settled in for the short ride to the airport. We got our last glimpses of Paris before arriving at the last stop, Terminal 2.
We only had to walk to the terminal and took advantage of a kiosk along the way to scan our passports and print our boarding pass. We were only carrying on and didn't have to check bags. We got through security quickly and then waited in the terminal and purchased a few last minute gifts in the duty free shops. We had a wonderful flight back on Air France and I even got to stretch out in my own row and sleep a bit. I hope to be able to fly them again. I have been spoiled!! I almost always purchase depending on cost, but this time the cost was so close to Icelandair that I couldn't resist and it was worth every penny of the extra bit that we spent.
That is really most of the trip. A great visit to Paris, hopefully more in the future. I never want to say that this is my last trip to Paris, but I do try to spend my time there as though it may be.
