I love dogs on trains!

That is very funny TDu.

Dogs are more welcome here, elberko, for sure.

Thanks, jubi. Too bad the folks on the train hadn't seen the movie, eh?

Long, ii:

We arrive at 3 (a little late) and my bladder says take a cab even though hotel is near. Room is modern and sunny. There are 2 soap dispensers that they hope we all will use. Other than a narrow ledge by sink, no space for stuff. No wall hooks either.

I unpack and head on out. Oh, you do know about toilets with two levels of flushing, n'est-ce pas?

I spot the resto de Nikki and AGM and copy the phone number. Then to the nearby Monoprix and take my time looking at stuff. Get 4 disposable razors, shampooing [sic], and a new bottle of peroxide. Forgot the Kindle stylus.

Back to hotel and I asked desk clerk if she, with her beautiful French, would see when I could get 7:00 (19:00) table. Tonight? Another yippee!

Quickly get wash off the train and walk around the corner for the first A meal of the trip. La Cerisaie is tiny. Fewer than 20 tables. Small tables. Waiter speaks English SO much better than I speak French. I wished for StCirq's fluency.

This was my first time eating pigeon (is squab the same?) and it was very good. I was too close to my neighbors to take a photo unobtrusively but the plates were all beautifully presented and just the right portion sizes.

Received a coffert with my bill and it is perfectly cake-like. "May I return tomorrow?" I plead. "Bien sur, Madam. Same time?" "Oui, merci, Monsieur."

Oh, I think it was a confit of pigeon. Still good.

And now, to bed.

Day 10, 3 Mai 2016, 60's and mostly sunny

Short:

Breakfast: SSDD plus a twisted pain chocolate

Lunch: At Bon Marche:
Domaine Jos. Drouhin, Cote de Beaune, Bourgogne 2013 (such a long title for a meh wine);
Free-range ("Poulet Fermier" LOL) chicken, mushrooms/truffles fricasee, candied lemon.

Long:

I give this hotel 1/2 below Majestic in Bordeaux but desk gal is wonderful. The room has three windows which, when closed, completely mask the busy street below. Montparnasse tour to the left, Lafayette opposite, and Gare to the right.

The room key is flat and looks like a mag card.

Yesterday's plan is to sleep and I do! Breakfast room has window-sized photo of the back of the Orsay clock. Cute.

The shower and I make peace. There are two heads; rain and hand-held. The top knob controls the two heads by turning it. This is difficult with slippery hand. The bottom knob controls water temperature. Turning it when you mean to turn the other = ouch.

I spent the a.m. TR-ing and checking train schedule to Bayeux, and busses that go to the St. Lazare gare (again!). There is a super site for Paris busses that can download as a PDF file and I do through a free software (word for kindle?) Andrew recco'd some time ago. One doesn't need wifi for it.

Did I mention that I bought socks at Bon Marcher yesterday? My plan is to take a bus to Gare st. Lazare, return to BM for socks and stroll on back.

The 94 looks like a good one. Desk clerk says buy tickets at Gare machine and I do. In 5 minutes, I am at the machine and get 10 tickets. Outside again, there is a creperie in a tiny Swiss chalet shanty, clothing/shoe vendors setting up, AND the correct bus stop. Another yippee!

We pass all of DH's favorite places, the Raspail market and the stop for BonMarche (Sevres Babylone). What we don't pass is the Gare! I remember from last week that we went around the Madeleine not too far from it. We pass Au Printemps and I'm sure I see it. Perhaps there are some one-way streets.

Nope. We have passed it. So, I ride for a while then alight and cross the street and take the returning bus. Something is wrong. The electronic board now reads "Nouvelle Arret: Sevres Babylone". We are now by the Gare and people are repeatedly hitting the stop button.

Driver lets a bunch of folks off. I see a sign for #28 bus and make a note to recheck. Since I am fine with the new stop, I sit back and watch the world. Upon alighting, I ask driver what happened and he said bad traffic problems.

Back to shop for socks. I now have 6 pairs in diff bright colors. I forgot to mention that I drew black flowers on my white sneakers this a.m. you will see a photo of my au courant look.

Lunch was good and they gave out a perfect gourgere. The Bon Marcher is really a feast for shoppers. Beautifully arranged areas with the manufacturer names for you to see. Guess what? The big Kitchenaid mixer cost €999!

Outside, armed guards are a new and unwelcome sight. And it's 3:30! Back to bus stop and home. I got off a little before looking for a shop with stylus but no luck. Yes luck to the #28 bus stop. It is on my street just a few doors to the right. I went left this a.m.

Took a nap and TR'd in anticipation of another A dinner.

This was my first time eating pigeon (is squab the same?) and it was very good.>>

yes, just another name for the same thing, though I've never had confit of either. served with a black cherry sauce they are nice, or just roasted.

€999 for a kitchen aid is a little pricey - could it make a cup of tea as well?

I need to mark this so I can come back and catch up with tdudette!

Hi annhig and Toucan2! I got caught up last night and lost it all. Going bus around today then see if hotel has public computer. Combo small kindle keyboard and odd, albeit it free, wifi signal.

For using a little keyboard, you are doing quite well. I hope your golden words about yesterday are not permanently lost. But the trip report is not as important as the trip itelf.

Oh that is frustrating tdudette!

I got all caught up, it looks like you are having a great, and busy! time. Shame you didn't get more time with StCirq.

Hi TDu - I'm so enjoying your trip report. DH is waiting for me to have breakfast but I just can't put it down. I feel like I'm there with you. I've been to all the places you visited except unfortunately not St. Cirq's.

This is such a fun read - an "on the fly TR" - really enjoying all the bits and pieces as they come forth.

Thanks all. Here is Tuesday night dinner again:

Waiter shook my hand and asked if i wanted my regular table. Since there are only 12 tables for 2, it wasn't a terribly difficult guess.

I meet Betty and Tom from ND and enjoy them very much. We finally figure that formule dishes differ slightly from the a la carte.

Tom (alias BTW) and I each got the same starter:

Oeuf cocotte et la creme et truff-d'ete.

His had enough more cream for his to be pale yellow, while mine was brownish. If summer truffles are white AND inseason, it gets an A.

It started getting busy so we stopped chatting.

The Plat was:

Pastilla de canard, fois gras and cresson salad. The canard was tartare and encased in an "envelope" of something. Waiter didn't have an English word for cresson but it was a 6-inch green and was atop regular ones. This also gets A.

Tom had cassoulet and Betty had the trout that is the color of salmon. The both gave thumbs up.

Dessert was a little bowl of warmed strawberry halves surrounding a scoop of nougat ice cream. Atop it was a decorative cage of gingerbread. A+

Au revoir, Cerisaie! And thank you Nikki and AGM.

Back to room to lose my dinner report. So, I opened the vin noix I bought with StCirq and Steve, and wrote her a sigh email.

Cresson is an easy one: watercress.

Wednesday, Day 10, 4 Mai 2016, Not a cloud in the sky and high 60s.

Cunning slices of lemon sponge cake were tasty for breakfast, along with an HB egg, OJ, a croissant and cafe au lait. Same waiter really is noisy with dishes. I expected him to have a meltdown, but he was very pleasant when I asked about the weather.

Lunch was an A at Musee d'Orsay. Dourade (a filet) with small pieces of carrots, a parsnup and. 3 kinds of potatoes atop a swipe of mashed potatoes mixed with sesame seeds. And a glass of Languedoc-Rousillon, Chateaux de Serame.

Waiter saw me take a pix so rearranged things for dessert:

Limoncello swirled with what tasted like cream cheese ice cream. The waiter removed the rectangular dish on

which the dish rested with a square one with 2 colorful napkins. Then he stood the long spoon on end and leaned it against the plate. What a hoot. A- because I hoped for more limoncello and less glace.

Hi kerouac. Is there a type of watercress that is that large?

Long: Today was supposed to be Bayeux but I overslept. Went ahead and experimented with the #28 bus and am happy to see that its slightly different route intersects the streets nearer Grand Palais. In studying the bus routes, I see I can pick up #73 which terminates at d'Orsay.

Its end point IS gare st Lazare. Takes about 45 minutes even with traffic seemingly better than yesterday. Oh, Betty and Tom said there was a big demonstration at/near Invalides.

If it was a real pastilla, the "envelope" was made of brik, a North African dough that's even thinner than phyllo (and a bi*ch to work with) but makes a nice "encasement" for meat and/or vegetable fillings. In Tunisia one of the greatest snacks is a brik à l'ouef or brik à thon, little deep-fried pockets of brik with an egg or tuna, or sometimes both, inside. Like an empanada, but feathery light.

We had a glass of SarlaNoix last night, too. No complaints, though sometimes I like the peach one better if it's a hot day.

You should see the living room, TDudette - it looks like Baghdad!

It takes me an hour to find out that the best I can do to get a Goldilocks trip, is go to Bayeux Saturday. Lines were long everywhere. I decided to be a considerate tourist, go to Info and take an A ticket instead of a J (meaning for a ticket today) so that took longer. Another €,70 toilet visit and I had to laugh at Cruze remark about adult man in the ladies when both sexes used this one.

Here is a BIG hint: buy Bayeux tickets in advance. It wasn't a problem for me as I had flexbility on my side.

ALSO, pay attention to where bus stops and where you will pick it up. 94 is on the other side of the huge gare from the 28. DH enjoyed getting turned around--me less since age caught up with my feet and bladder.

Finally get out into the sunny day. I know I am at the end opposite of the one in which I entered so look for 94 and voila!

I take it to Place de la Concorde and stroll toward Grand Palais. Some soldiers along the way. Take shots and enjoy the weather.

Decide I would rather go to d'Orsay for the Rousseau exhibit and a shot of Impressionism. Incredibly, it's only one block to closest bus stop and it is the right one.

If seeing Monet is topmost on your list, proceed directly to the opposite end of the building until you reach the leftmost corner. There you will find the escalators that will take you to the 5th floor. If anyone knows a shorter route, kindly advise.

I don't remember a litle snack place in that area. Also, the rooms seemed larger by alot. DH and often found ourselves fighting with school kids for views.

Wear good shoes, my friends.

I ate first, walked down one side and back to Rousseau exhibit, and found the ballroom for the first time. Quel opulence.

At 3;30, my feet are done. Go back out and 2 blocks back to Blvd. St. Germaine where I spotted a #94 stop. I also stopped at Mucha Cafe for a chilled cafe and tarte citron. They added a meringue covered cookie. I am done and undone.

Sit and watch the monde for another hour. End this day with a yippee as it is the correct bus.