opaldog

I tried to post a link to a movie of the street musicians we had seen in Barcelona but it didn't work so just ignore that and if I can figure out a better way to do it I will.

Nikki

"The water was cold, but warmer than Gloucester, MA in the summer."

Damning with faint praise.

opaldog

Nikki: I'm sure you know what I mean. The water was probably about equal to Block Island, RI in the summer.

YankyGal

What a wonderful report, opaldog. I have a mission now for our May trip: not glass, but to find a rock the color of the Mediterranean on the beach in Barcelona. I did that in Nice (the last time I stuck my feet in the Mediterranean, too long ago) and we ended up painting our living room that color (and Home Depot calls the paint "Riviera blue" - apparently for a reason!).

Thanks again. Your report was a nice mix of good, practical info and impressions/feelings. I like that - makes it more personal.

opaldog

Thanks, YankyGal. I appreciate your comments. My mission is to find an airfare I can live with for our next trip, at this time - destination unknown. I do let the airfares choose the trip for me sometimes. It might be Lisbon, never been there.

opaldog

Here is a you tube link for Marcel Campion and Ninine Garcia at Chope des puces http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU1Mb8qKmII and here is a link for "Los Made In Barcelona" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtjwO1aCT_w
From an earlier trip to Paris in 2011 I have a link to a jam session at Duc des Lombards featuring Ahmet Gulbay on piano http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJAhmSmaZGo

opaldog

You probably all know how it is when you return from a successful trip to Europe (or anywhere for that matter). After you rest up, you're ready to plan another. I think the older I get the more I feel compelled to travel now and not wait.

This last trip I enjoyed train travel more than I have before. I recommend it when you have the time for it.

I enjoyed music in both Paris and Barcelona at a very low cost, free. Of course that doesn't count the cost of refreshments, which I would have had anyway.

I tried some new things, but enjoyed the old familiar things as well. There is that excitement you get when you are doing or seeing something for the first time and there is that warm, kind of comforting feeling when you experience familiar places that now seem kind of like, old friends.

I went against my advice of not sleeping the first day and took a nap in the evening so that I could get up and go to my favorite free midnight music spot, Duc des Lombards. We actually got right into the time zone after that. I think I'll plan all my Paris vacations that way.

We did picnics in Barcelona, in the parks and on our balcony that were among the most relaxing and enjoyable food experiences of our trip. Now I have my handy wine carrying bag from Nicolas in Paris, I'll be having more picnics.

So I got a chance to go to some of my favorite spots:
Andre Cleret in Paris
Brasserie I'sle St. Louis
Duc des Lombards
Cafe Constant
Monoprix
Chopes des Puces
the streets of Paris
the metro and trains of Paris and France
the Seine
Parc Guell
Ciudad Condal
Mauri's
the Mediterranean of Barcelona
the streets and vistas of Barcelona
and I got to experience new things and have left so much undone that of course I need to return to explore and experience more.

I'm in the planning stages for a trip to ? for next October. I will let the airfares guide me for the most part. Right now Istanbul for $818 rt on Swiss is looking tempting. I'll keep on looking and then when the right trip and the right moment comes along, I'll click the mouse and start some serious planning.

danon

thanks again for your interesting report.

TDudette

Wonderful! Please travel again soon.

opaldog

Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement to travel. It doesn't take much to get me to travel.

Reading54

Enjoyed your trip reports.
Do you mind to share the website names where you searched for airfare almost 10 months ahead?
Thanks.

opaldog

I usually start out with Kayak.com to get an idea of what the airfares are going for. I also look at itasoftware.com for the same reason. However the fares aren't always correct or available on those sites so if you have the time you should check with the individual airline sites. In the case of the fare we got for BOS to CDG; BCN to BOS ($642) I saw it on Kayak and then went to the Aerlingus site and booked with them. I like to book with the airline directly whenever possible. I've had a couple of negative experiences with consolidators. Perseverance is the key. I check daily and if I'm bored, more than once a day. So far it's paid off.

Reading54

Thanks. Those are the two sites I checked airfare too, only I did not check so far ahead, and did not check as often.

stokebailey

Opaldog, I must thank MaineGG for directing me to this excellent report.

My husband plays in a gypsy jazz band in St. Louis and has been itching to get to some jazz manouche joints in Paris. He thinks Django hung the moon, was excited to hear about the Cite de la Musique exhibit; thank you for that tip. We're planning to go to Chopes des Puce, and also try to hit some of the places where they might let him sit in.

We're also staying in the Marais, so might try to hit some of your recs.

opaldog

stokebailey: Here's a link to another bar/restaurant in Paris that has good Jazz manouche music http://www.ateliercharonne.com/ A couple of years ago we saw Angelo Debarre play. You can do the dinner or just try to grab a spot at the bar. It's in the 11th arrondisement, easy walking from the Marais. Definitely do the midnight jam session at Duc des Lombards; Friday or Saturday or both. It's not manouche, but it's great music. Also, I'm not sure when the Django exhibit closes. When do you plan to be in Paris?

stokebailey

Thank you, opaldog! We will check out Atelier Charonne definitely and Duc des Lombards, too. We'll be looking for something jazzy to do NYEve, since our daughters have something lined up with friends. We like your price range for music, too, but might have to unpeel a bit more for that evening.

The Cité de la Musique link you provided says Django there till the 23rd, and we leave this Saturday. So should be fine. We want to go up that way anyway and to an area excellently documented by Kerouac:

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ad=6245&page=1

opaldog

Wonderful report by Kerouac. We have gone to some of the neighborhoods reported on by Kerouac. Most recently, the area around the French Biblioteque https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...55534169,d.dmQ

Nikki

I am also putting Atelier Charonne on my list; I hadn't seen that one before.

opaldog

This is rapidly turning into my gypsy jazz vacation in Paris. Here is a link to a new film that is now playing in Paris about 4 gypsy jazz musicians (documentary). One of the musicians is Ninine Garcia who I spoke of earlier in my report. www.lesfilsduvent-film.com

Nikki

And Opaldog, you do know that Paris Combo is playing in Boston in May?