Answers to recent questions:<BR>Janice--Parc St. Severin prices range from $106 to 125 to 168 and 250. Our large room was $168. The 250 is for large rooms with balcony on the top floor. The 106 and 125 are probably the size of standard left bank hotel rooms--quite small. We tend to include a couple bottles of relatively good wine with our meals for 4 persons, so meal prices mount accordinly. Paid about $125 a couple at P'tit Troquet, for instance. About the same at Chez Maitre Paul and La Biche au Bois. Probably closer to $200 a couple at Le Violon and Chez Vong. You can cut the cost significantly by having less wine and drinking the house wine. Several of the places we went had three course menus for 25 to 30 euros per person. <BR><BR>Don--Paris weather in mid-April can be good or not so good, possibly windy and rainy but fairly nice temps in 50's and 60's. You need to trade that against the somewhat lower plane fares you might be able to get then than you can get in June or better yet, late Sept/early Oct. when weather would probably have better chance of being nicer. <BR><BR>Carol--We left for Rouen sometime after 9 and returned around 5 or so. That included the hour ride to Rouen and another hour ride back, a near two hour lunch and all the sightseeing I outlined. You can certainly do Rouen in a day and get back in time to have dinner in Paris. It worked out fine for us.

Hi Julie,<BR>Thank you for your excellent trip report. My husband and I are travelling to Paris at the end of March and I am gathering all the info I can. We are staying at the Hotel Familia in the Latin Quarter, hope its not too small!!!!!! This is out 1st trip to Paris and are very excited about it.<BR>Thanks again, I'll be re-reading it lots.<BR>Yvonne

Thank you again Julie. Incredibly helpful and thorough. rebecca

To those of you using my trip report in your planning for your own visits to Paris, please, if you've never done it before or only chanced upon them, consider putting markets into your itineraries. They open around 9 or so before stores and some tourist sites do so you can use morning time wisely. They can get you into areas you've not experienced before and they are beautiful and very interesting. Patricia Wells has extensive information about them in her book, The food Lover's Guide to Paris. The Access Guide to Paris (my vote for the most useful single guidebook, beyond the Zagat) has a quick overview. But the best and most complete info is in Paris in a Basket a hardcover picture book for about $20 and very worth it. It tells arrondisement by arrondisement which types of markets are open on which days with complete info on location and nearest metro stops. The feel of each market is a bit different from the others and you get a wonderful picture of real life in the city. By reading the markers on the meats and fruits you can also get a quick lesson in the French words for avrious things that you'll see later on the French menus you're presented. And where else can you see pig tails, snouts, and ears all assembled for purchase. It's great fun.

ttt

Hi Julie,<BR><BR>Sorry to bother you, but just to clarify you trip to Rouen, you stated, you returned around 5 or so. Do you mean you left Rouen at 5pm or got to Paris at 5pm?<BR><BR>Also, you stated that at the Baron Rouge wine bar that you can bring a large plastic jug and have it filled. Is that expensive? How much per liter? Also would like directions to that place. <BR><BR>Thank you.<BR>

to the top!

it seems chez maitre paul is the hands-on favorite--where is it?

Carol, We returned to Paris from Rouen by about 5 p.m. having left from Paris around 9 a.m. so it's doable in an 8 hour span including time out for lunch. Baron Rouge is near the Aligre market in the 12th arrondisement. The market is open Tues. to Sunday I believe. To get to Le Baron Rouge, take the metro to the Ledru Rollin stop. Go south on Ave. Ledru Rollin for for a few steps until you get to the first adjoining street. It should be Rue theophile roussel. Take a left on it and go three blocks, passing the Square Trousseau (park and restaurant of same name, restaurant is terrific, good food and great old Paris ambiance with carved ceilings) and you'll spot the Baron Rouge on your left just before getting to the market hall. Don't know how much they charge for plastic jugs of wine. Couldn't carry one--they're big. But they must be pretty reasonable, the locals buy here.<BR><BR>Toldham, Chez Maitre Paul is at <BR>12 rue Monsiuer le Prince in the 6th near the Odeon metro station. <BR><BR>

Julie,<BR>Great report! My mom and I will also be staying in room #50 at Parc St. Severin at the end of May. Can you describe it a little more...view, amenities, etc? Thanks!

Room 50 at the Parc St. Severin: You exit the elevator onto a tiny hallway with a leather love seat (modern and cool), enter room 50 into its own hallway. this is where the closet is. Small hanging area but large, deep shelves. Enter the bedroom proper. First sight is the three windows that line the wall looking onto the street below. nice blue/white chintz drapes. Bed has matching spread but they mostly keep that off in favor of a nice plain white one that is likely washed after each visitor leaves. To the right is the mini-bar that is only visible if the door is shut. Also on the right is a writing desk and mirror. In the middle of the room is a table with two chairs. Plenty of room to have a couple of guests in for drinks before dinner. On the left is a daybed with lots of pillows, modern in tan. Never checked to see if it opened into a bed but it may. Handy to lay your coat down between trips around the city. Bathroom is all in large white tile. Double sink, narrow tub with shower and clear glass water shield. Hooks for towels, nighties, etc. Heated towel rack. Toilet and bidet. Lots of room (except to spread toiletries out, that's why I carry mine in a hang up thing.) We were very pleased with the room. Bright, airy--the windows could be opened. View to the rooftop of the St. Severin church and onto the street leading up to the Blvd St. Germain. Hope you like it is much as we did.

topping for the honeymoon

A correction:<BR><BR>We toured the interior of the Pompidou Centre and saw the permanent collection when I was 9 or 10. We even stopped at the cafe on the rooftop for a beer. I'm surprised you don't remember.<BR><BR>Great trip report. And I'm glad to see it more appreciated than your last....<BR><BR>Love you mom,<BR><BR>Al<BR>

To those of you wondering whether children really benefit from and remember European travel you provide them, I offer the above response. Apparently my son recalls his experiences at age 9 better than I recall mine from age 40 something. The case is made, though I question the woman wondering about taking her 2 year old to high tea at the Ritz.

Holly....

amazing old report! What is the Joinville Market like?