It's hot, but it's Europe: travels from Amsterdam to Paris, tiptoeing through the heat wave
Oct 22nd, 2006, 03:12 PM
#41
Original Poster
Day 2/Saturday/July 29
We started the day on Rue Mouffetard (notice a recurring theme here?). We had coffee in a bakery/café , and continued down the street, buying a pain au chocolat and bananas at the street market. We discovered a coffee store/café, and had yet another café. This was a fun, "grazing" breakfast, all for less than the cost of 2 petit dejeuners.
We entered St. Medard, the church near the Place Monge and Rue Mouffetard-a very sweet, peaceful church. Walking back to the hotel, we walked along Rue Rollin, and noticed several signs memorializing Jewish victims of the Nazis. Outside a lycee, the first sign was in recognition of the Jewish students who were removed from that school. I was, again struck by the closeness and impact of the war here. Another sign memorialized a Jewish poet-philosopher who lived on that street.
Finally, we are off to our walk in the 8th arr , with the itinerary including a visit to the Parc Monceau and Musee Jacquemart-Andree. What a great day, too! We loved this park! It's a modest-sized park in an upscale residential neighborhood, with several charming follies and an attractive landscape that makes it a delight to wander through. From there, we walked to the Musee Jacquemart-Andre. We LOVED this museum. It was a private home ofwealthy owners, who collected an amazing collection of art, with works from many of the great masters. It's truly one of the best small museums we've visited. It's often compared to the Frick Museum in NYC, and I think it's a fair comparison.
Done with high culture for a while, we walked to Laduree for the sugar fix and buying the often talked about macaroons. They were good, very sweet, and not too expensive when you buy a sampling of small macaroons. But truthfully, I had macaroons from a market in Dinan that I liked at least as much as these. Still, it was a visit to the famed patisserie. We passed the Opera, though were too saturated to view the interior today, and decided it would have to wait for another time.
We then went on to explore a few of the Passages , popular shopping arcades from the early 19th century. Each have different characteristics, and some are better maintained than others. We found the Passage des Panoramas interesting; it had a feeling of another time, but was getting a little rough around the edges as we moved away from the main entrance on the Blvd Montmartre.
After that, we were exhausted, went back to the hotel for a rest. Dinner was on Ile St. Louis at the Cave Sur L'Isle. I had pate, duck with potate dauphinoise, and sorbets for dessert. Michael had snails, steak, and waffle with ice cream & chocolate sauce for dessert. Dinner was good, though I think we both had high expectations and were a little disappointed in the meal. At €25, it is good value; food is well-prepared, though not memorable. Desserts were excellent, though.
We strolled home after dinner, first walking along the right bank of the Seine and saw at least some of the summer "plage" display, with trampoline-like constructions that people were lying on and thatched-like structures in a Polynesian design that gave a very giddy party-like atmosphere to the Seine bank.
We enjoyed the people-watching in front of Notre Dame Cathedral for a while, and then walked back to the hotel for the night.
We started the day on Rue Mouffetard (notice a recurring theme here?). We had coffee in a bakery/café , and continued down the street, buying a pain au chocolat and bananas at the street market. We discovered a coffee store/café, and had yet another café. This was a fun, "grazing" breakfast, all for less than the cost of 2 petit dejeuners.
We entered St. Medard, the church near the Place Monge and Rue Mouffetard-a very sweet, peaceful church. Walking back to the hotel, we walked along Rue Rollin, and noticed several signs memorializing Jewish victims of the Nazis. Outside a lycee, the first sign was in recognition of the Jewish students who were removed from that school. I was, again struck by the closeness and impact of the war here. Another sign memorialized a Jewish poet-philosopher who lived on that street.
Finally, we are off to our walk in the 8th arr , with the itinerary including a visit to the Parc Monceau and Musee Jacquemart-Andree. What a great day, too! We loved this park! It's a modest-sized park in an upscale residential neighborhood, with several charming follies and an attractive landscape that makes it a delight to wander through. From there, we walked to the Musee Jacquemart-Andre. We LOVED this museum. It was a private home ofwealthy owners, who collected an amazing collection of art, with works from many of the great masters. It's truly one of the best small museums we've visited. It's often compared to the Frick Museum in NYC, and I think it's a fair comparison.
Done with high culture for a while, we walked to Laduree for the sugar fix and buying the often talked about macaroons. They were good, very sweet, and not too expensive when you buy a sampling of small macaroons. But truthfully, I had macaroons from a market in Dinan that I liked at least as much as these. Still, it was a visit to the famed patisserie. We passed the Opera, though were too saturated to view the interior today, and decided it would have to wait for another time.
We then went on to explore a few of the Passages , popular shopping arcades from the early 19th century. Each have different characteristics, and some are better maintained than others. We found the Passage des Panoramas interesting; it had a feeling of another time, but was getting a little rough around the edges as we moved away from the main entrance on the Blvd Montmartre.
After that, we were exhausted, went back to the hotel for a rest. Dinner was on Ile St. Louis at the Cave Sur L'Isle. I had pate, duck with potate dauphinoise, and sorbets for dessert. Michael had snails, steak, and waffle with ice cream & chocolate sauce for dessert. Dinner was good, though I think we both had high expectations and were a little disappointed in the meal. At €25, it is good value; food is well-prepared, though not memorable. Desserts were excellent, though.
We strolled home after dinner, first walking along the right bank of the Seine and saw at least some of the summer "plage" display, with trampoline-like constructions that people were lying on and thatched-like structures in a Polynesian design that gave a very giddy party-like atmosphere to the Seine bank.
We enjoyed the people-watching in front of Notre Dame Cathedral for a while, and then walked back to the hotel for the night.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 03:13 PM
#42
Original Poster
Day 3/Sunday, July 30
We woke up to the most changeable day yet-from overcast to rainy, to deep blue skies, all within the first 15 minutes of waking up! By the time we were on our way out the door, the weather became grey and rainy as the day wore on.
After breakfast at another café, we took off for the Parc des Buttes-Chaumonts in the hilly northeast sector of Paris. The park is a charming, hilly park, with many follies throughout, artificial hills of stones, and the highpoint (literally!) is the vista of the city from the temple at the top of the hill. As we walked down to the manmade lake, the rain began to come down lightly. We left the park by the grandest entrance, right by the lake and looking up toward the temple on the top of the hill.
The area that surrounds the park is quite varied, the village-like Butte Bergeyre high up on the hill with some upscale homes, and a more working class, ethnically-diverse neighborhood down below. We found the area somewhat decayed, eclectic with a few art nouveau buildings, and a good view of Montmartre from the top of the hill.
From the park, we walked toward the Canal St. Martin, walking through many sterile apartment buildings before coming to a working class neighborhood with small shops. We started our walk somewhere near the Place de Stalingrad and wandered back and forth over the bridges that crossed the canal. By this time, the rain was becoming heavier, and there were no boats along the river at all. As we got closer to the neighborhoods that have become hip and gentrified, we saw many restaurants filled with mostly young (20+) people having brunch. But it was too wet to really explore the side streets, and without any canal traffic, we didn't get to watch the locks in action. It looked like a fun area to explore during a sunny day, or even in the evening, when the "hip" come out to play. But it was a bit dreary on a cool, grey and rainy Sunday.
Went back to the hotel, after stopping for a felafel sandwich. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was pouring rain. I was a bit disappointed; I had really looked forward to walking along the neighborhoods along the Canal, but the weather just didn't give us the chance.
After resting a bit, M suggested we go over the the Museum National d'Histore Naturelle, located in the Jardin des Plantes. The old-fashioned museum, with its stuffed creatures in the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, was great fun, a perfect antidote to the day's earlier letdown. We then walked back to the hotel, first stopping by Gelati d'Alberto (45 Rue Mouffetard), for some very good gelato. This is a deservedly popular place, and its fun to watch the scooper turn the gelato into a flower of separate petals of ice cream.
We ate that night at La Vignarole, which was recommended here on Fodors as a good budget restaurant. M was satisfied with his lamb, but my fish was awful-overcooked with gloppy sauce. Though it was low budget at €27, I came away with the feeling that I really did get what I paid for. Not recommended by me, although M. didn't find it as unsatisfying as I did. The desserts were good, much better than I expected from the meal.
We woke up to the most changeable day yet-from overcast to rainy, to deep blue skies, all within the first 15 minutes of waking up! By the time we were on our way out the door, the weather became grey and rainy as the day wore on.
After breakfast at another café, we took off for the Parc des Buttes-Chaumonts in the hilly northeast sector of Paris. The park is a charming, hilly park, with many follies throughout, artificial hills of stones, and the highpoint (literally!) is the vista of the city from the temple at the top of the hill. As we walked down to the manmade lake, the rain began to come down lightly. We left the park by the grandest entrance, right by the lake and looking up toward the temple on the top of the hill.
The area that surrounds the park is quite varied, the village-like Butte Bergeyre high up on the hill with some upscale homes, and a more working class, ethnically-diverse neighborhood down below. We found the area somewhat decayed, eclectic with a few art nouveau buildings, and a good view of Montmartre from the top of the hill.
From the park, we walked toward the Canal St. Martin, walking through many sterile apartment buildings before coming to a working class neighborhood with small shops. We started our walk somewhere near the Place de Stalingrad and wandered back and forth over the bridges that crossed the canal. By this time, the rain was becoming heavier, and there were no boats along the river at all. As we got closer to the neighborhoods that have become hip and gentrified, we saw many restaurants filled with mostly young (20+) people having brunch. But it was too wet to really explore the side streets, and without any canal traffic, we didn't get to watch the locks in action. It looked like a fun area to explore during a sunny day, or even in the evening, when the "hip" come out to play. But it was a bit dreary on a cool, grey and rainy Sunday.
Went back to the hotel, after stopping for a felafel sandwich. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was pouring rain. I was a bit disappointed; I had really looked forward to walking along the neighborhoods along the Canal, but the weather just didn't give us the chance.
After resting a bit, M suggested we go over the the Museum National d'Histore Naturelle, located in the Jardin des Plantes. The old-fashioned museum, with its stuffed creatures in the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, was great fun, a perfect antidote to the day's earlier letdown. We then walked back to the hotel, first stopping by Gelati d'Alberto (45 Rue Mouffetard), for some very good gelato. This is a deservedly popular place, and its fun to watch the scooper turn the gelato into a flower of separate petals of ice cream.
We ate that night at La Vignarole, which was recommended here on Fodors as a good budget restaurant. M was satisfied with his lamb, but my fish was awful-overcooked with gloppy sauce. Though it was low budget at €27, I came away with the feeling that I really did get what I paid for. Not recommended by me, although M. didn't find it as unsatisfying as I did. The desserts were good, much better than I expected from the meal.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 03:13 PM
#43
Original Poster
Day 4/Monday, July 31-the last full day of our trip
Today was low-keyed, wandering through many different neighborhoods, without having a particular destination in mind. Since it was Monday, we didn't have many museum options, anyway, but by the end of the trip, that wasn't a problem.
We just walked from neighborhood to neighborhood, from the labyrinth of streets in the Latin Quarter, walked along the Seine to the Pont-Neuf. I really wanted to go into La Samaritaine, the department store, only to discover that it was closed. Is it closed for a summer holiday or because it's Monday? From there, we followed the Rue de Rivoli, having fun looking at the many cheap commercial shops, reminding me of 34th Street in NYC. It was great fun and not a high end cultural experience. We continued this street until we got to the Marais and the Place des Vosges. What a wonderful park-although we'd been there before, it is a great treat to see it again.
We spent some time in the Marais, this time finding the Jewish shops, noticing the presence of religious Jews. We discovered a synagogue designed by Guimard, an unexpected find, since we hadn't read about it in any of the guidebooks. The last trip (2 years ago), we had gone to the 16th to see his architectural works, but were pleased to find this less well-known building on our own. Then we window-shopped throughout the area, looking at chic shops and discovering a great second-hand bookstore.
After a rest break at the hotel, we walked in search of the Butte-aux-Cailles, another small village-like neighborhood, once the working class home to factory workers and one of the first neighborhoods to fight in the Paris Commune. That was a long time ago-now it is a few streets of small homes, trendy shops and charming little cafes. It was a pleasant little neighborhood, worth a brief visit but not a huge detour. It's not easy to get to, though, and though it's a very charming neighborhood, it's not a place for a long visit.
A long long walk back to the hotel, walking along the Rue de la Sante, passing a huge prison complex with a huge solid wall along one street. A sign posted on the wall stated that there were Nazi victims executed against that wall. These memorial signs bring home the war like nothing else.
Stopped by the Jardin du Luxembourg, probably my favorite of all the parks we've been to. It never disappoints.
Dinner that night was at Restaurant Le Jardin D'Ivy, 75 Rue Mouffetard. Dinner was good; if not topnotch, it was a definite cut above many of the other restaurants along the street and very satisfying - €19 for entrée/plat or plat/dessert.
Today was low-keyed, wandering through many different neighborhoods, without having a particular destination in mind. Since it was Monday, we didn't have many museum options, anyway, but by the end of the trip, that wasn't a problem.
We just walked from neighborhood to neighborhood, from the labyrinth of streets in the Latin Quarter, walked along the Seine to the Pont-Neuf. I really wanted to go into La Samaritaine, the department store, only to discover that it was closed. Is it closed for a summer holiday or because it's Monday? From there, we followed the Rue de Rivoli, having fun looking at the many cheap commercial shops, reminding me of 34th Street in NYC. It was great fun and not a high end cultural experience. We continued this street until we got to the Marais and the Place des Vosges. What a wonderful park-although we'd been there before, it is a great treat to see it again.
We spent some time in the Marais, this time finding the Jewish shops, noticing the presence of religious Jews. We discovered a synagogue designed by Guimard, an unexpected find, since we hadn't read about it in any of the guidebooks. The last trip (2 years ago), we had gone to the 16th to see his architectural works, but were pleased to find this less well-known building on our own. Then we window-shopped throughout the area, looking at chic shops and discovering a great second-hand bookstore.
After a rest break at the hotel, we walked in search of the Butte-aux-Cailles, another small village-like neighborhood, once the working class home to factory workers and one of the first neighborhoods to fight in the Paris Commune. That was a long time ago-now it is a few streets of small homes, trendy shops and charming little cafes. It was a pleasant little neighborhood, worth a brief visit but not a huge detour. It's not easy to get to, though, and though it's a very charming neighborhood, it's not a place for a long visit.
A long long walk back to the hotel, walking along the Rue de la Sante, passing a huge prison complex with a huge solid wall along one street. A sign posted on the wall stated that there were Nazi victims executed against that wall. These memorial signs bring home the war like nothing else.
Stopped by the Jardin du Luxembourg, probably my favorite of all the parks we've been to. It never disappoints.
Dinner that night was at Restaurant Le Jardin D'Ivy, 75 Rue Mouffetard. Dinner was good; if not topnotch, it was a definite cut above many of the other restaurants along the street and very satisfying - €19 for entrée/plat or plat/dessert.
Oct 22nd, 2006, 03:15 PM
#44
Original Poster
August 1/Tuesday/Last day in Paris.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, but before returning home, we still had a few more hours before leaving for the airport. We were able to leave our luggage at the hotel for a few hours. We thanked the hotel proprietor-it was a wonderful hotel. We felt well-cared for, and had good service at modest prices, hospitality and location were A+.
For our last walk, we wandered through St. Germain-de-Pres, the elegant and chic area straddling the 6th and 7th arrondisements, had a last crepe (mmm...nutella) and bought some sandwiches for lunch.
Trip to CDG airport
We chose to take the RER to CDG. The trip was a little stressful, but we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there. We took Line #10 at Cardinal Lemoine, and changed for the RER at St. Michel. This was very easy; it was all of about €8.20 per person for the ticket to the airport. The train was a little scruffy, very outdated, and there were a few slowdowns along the way. I would've been very anxious if we hadn't given ourselves plenty of time to get to the airport. We weren't sure which stop to get off at for the international departures, but someone who worked at the airport told us to get off at CDG-2. We finally arrived, and were still very confused. Fortunately, M was able to find some information, although even where to find Information wasn't readily obvious. We needed to take a shuttle bus to the right terminal. CDG is confusing and frustrating!
At last, we arrive at the American Airline check-in, only to find out that it hasn't opened yet! Fortunately for us, we are Business Class, and when at last, someone does come to the many people who've lined up to check in, we are taken care of first. There is still more confusion, as it turns out that we have to get our tickets at the counter because we (and many others) have e-tickets, and this is still not the norm here. After searching a while, our tickets and boarding passes are found, and we're allowed to go in.
We must've been the first people going through check-in, and that makes people very suspicious. Security pulled us over and searched our luggage more thoroughly than I've ever seen - AND search us, too! I'm almost angry, but stay calm knowing that we're perfectly legit and reminding myself that I'd rather have more security than less. But still, it was unpleasant, and M and I both felt that being too early at CDG was out of the norm. Mind you, we were there for a 6:00pm flight and this was already 3:00pm.
At last, we are through, and we find the lounge for American Airlines/Business-First class. Now THIS is the way to go! I could've spent hours here! Food, drink, desserts, reading material, computer... very comfortable. And the flight home was divine. On our home-bound flight, they gave out personal DVD players with a selection of movies, and I spent most of the flight catching up on movies I missed. Except for the brief interlude getting to CDG and going through security, our return home was easy as can be, and Business class is the way to go!
-----------
And that is our trip. It was fun to "return" to Paris after 2 months back. It is one of our favorite places, and I can't wait till we have a chance to go back again.
Paule
Sadly, all good things come to an end, but before returning home, we still had a few more hours before leaving for the airport. We were able to leave our luggage at the hotel for a few hours. We thanked the hotel proprietor-it was a wonderful hotel. We felt well-cared for, and had good service at modest prices, hospitality and location were A+.
For our last walk, we wandered through St. Germain-de-Pres, the elegant and chic area straddling the 6th and 7th arrondisements, had a last crepe (mmm...nutella) and bought some sandwiches for lunch.
Trip to CDG airport
We chose to take the RER to CDG. The trip was a little stressful, but we gave ourselves plenty of time to get there. We took Line #10 at Cardinal Lemoine, and changed for the RER at St. Michel. This was very easy; it was all of about €8.20 per person for the ticket to the airport. The train was a little scruffy, very outdated, and there were a few slowdowns along the way. I would've been very anxious if we hadn't given ourselves plenty of time to get to the airport. We weren't sure which stop to get off at for the international departures, but someone who worked at the airport told us to get off at CDG-2. We finally arrived, and were still very confused. Fortunately, M was able to find some information, although even where to find Information wasn't readily obvious. We needed to take a shuttle bus to the right terminal. CDG is confusing and frustrating!
At last, we arrive at the American Airline check-in, only to find out that it hasn't opened yet! Fortunately for us, we are Business Class, and when at last, someone does come to the many people who've lined up to check in, we are taken care of first. There is still more confusion, as it turns out that we have to get our tickets at the counter because we (and many others) have e-tickets, and this is still not the norm here. After searching a while, our tickets and boarding passes are found, and we're allowed to go in.
We must've been the first people going through check-in, and that makes people very suspicious. Security pulled us over and searched our luggage more thoroughly than I've ever seen - AND search us, too! I'm almost angry, but stay calm knowing that we're perfectly legit and reminding myself that I'd rather have more security than less. But still, it was unpleasant, and M and I both felt that being too early at CDG was out of the norm. Mind you, we were there for a 6:00pm flight and this was already 3:00pm.
At last, we are through, and we find the lounge for American Airlines/Business-First class. Now THIS is the way to go! I could've spent hours here! Food, drink, desserts, reading material, computer... very comfortable. And the flight home was divine. On our home-bound flight, they gave out personal DVD players with a selection of movies, and I spent most of the flight catching up on movies I missed. Except for the brief interlude getting to CDG and going through security, our return home was easy as can be, and Business class is the way to go!
-----------
And that is our trip. It was fun to "return" to Paris after 2 months back. It is one of our favorite places, and I can't wait till we have a chance to go back again.
Paule
Oct 23rd, 2006, 05:02 PM
#46
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Paule, thanks for taking the time to write the report...very nicely written, I might add. We are taking our youngest to France this summer...his first time. He is graduating high school and this is our celebration. We are going to try the Monge based on your recommendation.
Oct 23rd, 2006, 05:12 PM
#47
Original Poster
Wren,
Your son's high school graduation sounds like a perfect reason (excuse?) for another trip to France!
I think you'll be pleased with Hotel Monge. It's "plain vanilla", but well-maintained and well-situated, with good a/c and a very welcoming proprietor and staff. There's free computer access, too, in a tiny cubicle (closet) near the front desk.
And thanks for the nice comments about my writing!
Paule
Your son's high school graduation sounds like a perfect reason (excuse?) for another trip to France!
I think you'll be pleased with Hotel Monge. It's "plain vanilla", but well-maintained and well-situated, with good a/c and a very welcoming proprietor and staff. There's free computer access, too, in a tiny cubicle (closet) near the front desk.
And thanks for the nice comments about my writing!
Paule
Oct 24th, 2006, 12:18 PM
#48
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We stayed at the Muguet in 2003, so it sounds like once again you and I have common travel plans! Someday perhaps
a GTG!
In addtion to Paris, we have rented a house in the Dordogne for a week this summer.
a GTG!
In addtion to Paris, we have rented a house in the Dordogne for a week this summer.
Oct 24th, 2006, 04:12 PM
#50
Original Poster
Oh, Wren, I do wish we coud do a GTG! A week in Dordogne will be wonderful for your family-- I think it was my favorite region.
I would dearly love to go back there. It's got everything you could want and more in one region, from the natural beauty, caves and castles, and always good food. There's so much to see and do. Now I remember-- we both were there 2 years ago, essentially doing the same itinerary (Paris-Barcelona) except in different directions.
Nikki-- Thanks for the info about the Samaritaine. I was wondering about the reason for closing. Even if it is France, I figured that the department store would be open, and I was so surprised to find it closed. I guess I saved some money that day, at least!
Paule
I would dearly love to go back there. It's got everything you could want and more in one region, from the natural beauty, caves and castles, and always good food. There's so much to see and do. Now I remember-- we both were there 2 years ago, essentially doing the same itinerary (Paris-Barcelona) except in different directions.
Nikki-- Thanks for the info about the Samaritaine. I was wondering about the reason for closing. Even if it is France, I figured that the department store would be open, and I was so surprised to find it closed. I guess I saved some money that day, at least!
Paule
Nov 22nd, 2006, 05:17 PM
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I really enjoyed your report - so glad I came across it! You have a great writing style, and I loved your personal observations. I especially was interested in the Normandy/Brittany parts, as I'm planning trip to Normandy in the Spring. Was going to do Brittany too, but decided to do that on a separate trip. I'm going solo, so will be my OWN driver/navigator. I had to laugh at your "husband-wife" spats on the road - I'll only have myself to get mad at!
Everybody seems to get lost in Rouen - I'm afraid of a car in Rouen (so have decided to avoid that)- will do that by train. Is Caen just as bad to drive in?
I was interested in your observations re the Memorial Museum - I can't decide whether to do that or not. But maybe it will be helpful when visiting the Landing Beaches. Thanks again for taking the time to do this great report!
Everybody seems to get lost in Rouen - I'm afraid of a car in Rouen (so have decided to avoid that)- will do that by train. Is Caen just as bad to drive in?
I was interested in your observations re the Memorial Museum - I can't decide whether to do that or not. But maybe it will be helpful when visiting the Landing Beaches. Thanks again for taking the time to do this great report!
Nov 23rd, 2006, 10:39 AM
#52
Original Poster
Sue,
I think that the museum at Caen is worth it, since it will put you in the mind of the history and contest of WWII. I found the movie about the actual invasion to be invaluable (so did my husband); seeing actual footage of the invasion and aftermath really allowed me to "see" the past when we did go to the beaches. My husband found the museum more tedious because he's much more of a history buff than I am and didn't find the museum especially stimulating.
I do recommend a tour, though; I don't think I would've gotten a tenth of the impact of our visit without having done so. And we both usually prefer to stay away from tours and tourguides.
About Caen- no, it's nowhere near as hard to travel around as Rouen. If you do go to the museum and you find the correct exit off the autoroute, you should be very nearby. I believe the museum is at the northern end of the city. We ended missing the correct exit and driving through the city, but it wasn't difficult to find the Peace Museum.
Enjoy your trip! Thanks for your nice comments about my report, too.
Paule
I think that the museum at Caen is worth it, since it will put you in the mind of the history and contest of WWII. I found the movie about the actual invasion to be invaluable (so did my husband); seeing actual footage of the invasion and aftermath really allowed me to "see" the past when we did go to the beaches. My husband found the museum more tedious because he's much more of a history buff than I am and didn't find the museum especially stimulating.
I do recommend a tour, though; I don't think I would've gotten a tenth of the impact of our visit without having done so. And we both usually prefer to stay away from tours and tourguides.
About Caen- no, it's nowhere near as hard to travel around as Rouen. If you do go to the museum and you find the correct exit off the autoroute, you should be very nearby. I believe the museum is at the northern end of the city. We ended missing the correct exit and driving through the city, but it wasn't difficult to find the Peace Museum.
Enjoy your trip! Thanks for your nice comments about my report, too.
Paule
Nov 23rd, 2006, 12:14 PM
#53
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wsorry to hear about your father's illness.
I am happy that you decided to continue the trip report - I didn't see it first time around. Your descriptions of Amsterdam and Bruges are marvelous. Have Copied and Pasted it for my own trip this coming Spring.
Do you by any chance have a name for that local pub (47? Ganzestraat) that also had a basic B&B?
Great tip on getting the museum tickets in advance! Thanks, will do that.
I am happy that you decided to continue the trip report - I didn't see it first time around. Your descriptions of Amsterdam and Bruges are marvelous. Have Copied and Pasted it for my own trip this coming Spring.
Do you by any chance have a name for that local pub (47? Ganzestraat) that also had a basic B&B?
Great tip on getting the museum tickets in advance! Thanks, will do that.
Nov 23rd, 2006, 12:33 PM
#54
Original Poster
Una,
I just did a search, and it looks like the restaurant is a place called Nicky's B&B:
37 Ganzestraat
http://www.ganzespel.be/
It looks like it's a decent place, though if you were able to swing the 80 or so euros per night, I would HIGHLY recommend Verhuulst B&B. The place was so much classier, and the hosts are very welcoming.
I'm glad you liked the trip report. It took me so long to finally get around to completing the Paris portion, but as we all know, life sometimes inferfere with our trip plans and followup!
Paule
I just did a search, and it looks like the restaurant is a place called Nicky's B&B:
37 Ganzestraat
http://www.ganzespel.be/
It looks like it's a decent place, though if you were able to swing the 80 or so euros per night, I would HIGHLY recommend Verhuulst B&B. The place was so much classier, and the hosts are very welcoming.
I'm glad you liked the trip report. It took me so long to finally get around to completing the Paris portion, but as we all know, life sometimes inferfere with our trip plans and followup!
Paule
Dec 7th, 2006, 03:52 PM
#55
Original Poster
Hmm...decided to add the photo links here as well.
Paris:
http://tinyurl.com/y9sw7b
Amsterdam:
http://tinyurl.com/ygxyu8
Brugge
http://tinyurl.com/wy6ls
Normandy: Rouen/Jumieges
http://tinyurl.com/y8wfyv
Normandy: Honfleur
http://tinyurl.com/u2uag
Normandy: Bayeux & environs:
http://tinyurl.com/y9xr6d
Normandy Beaches tour:
http://tinyurl.com/y3cqrj
Le Mont St Michel:
http://tinyurl.com/y27hys
Brittany: Cancale/Pointe du Grouin
http://tinyurl.com/w8yb4
Brittany:
Dinan & a little more
http://tinyurl.com/y3a2zm
Hope you like them.
Paule
Paris:
http://tinyurl.com/y9sw7b
Amsterdam:
http://tinyurl.com/ygxyu8
Brugge
http://tinyurl.com/wy6ls
Normandy: Rouen/Jumieges
http://tinyurl.com/y8wfyv
Normandy: Honfleur
http://tinyurl.com/u2uag
Normandy: Bayeux & environs:
http://tinyurl.com/y9xr6d
Normandy Beaches tour:
http://tinyurl.com/y3cqrj
Le Mont St Michel:
http://tinyurl.com/y27hys
Brittany: Cancale/Pointe du Grouin
http://tinyurl.com/w8yb4
Brittany:
Dinan & a little more
http://tinyurl.com/y3a2zm
Hope you like them.
Paule
Dec 8th, 2006, 09:22 AM
#56
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Hi Paule,
A real treat to read, espeially your report on Honfleur, one of my favorite places in the entire world! I was more than "a little sad" to leave 20 years ago, went back repeatedly and now we're there permanantly, though not fulltime. Antoine and Lilliane Giaglis, the proprietors of the Court Ste. Catherine are great people!
One thing: I tried to call up your photos, and the links did not work. Any ideas?
A real treat to read, espeially your report on Honfleur, one of my favorite places in the entire world! I was more than "a little sad" to leave 20 years ago, went back repeatedly and now we're there permanantly, though not fulltime. Antoine and Lilliane Giaglis, the proprietors of the Court Ste. Catherine are great people!
One thing: I tried to call up your photos, and the links did not work. Any ideas?
Dec 8th, 2006, 01:51 PM
#57
Original Poster
No, thanks for letting me know. I placed them in TinyUrl, and they worked for me, but it was the first time I've ever used it. I'll try again. I was wondering why I haven't gotten any responses on my post with the picture links.
Paule
Paule
Dec 8th, 2006, 03:11 PM
#59
Original Poster
By the way, Dave, thanks for your comments-- your writing about Honfleur and the Giaglis B&B was what influenced my decision to go there. I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report, too.
Margo, thanks for your comments, too. I'm doing my best to figure out how to post the ofoto link correctly. The thing is, it works on my computer, so I can't figure out what's wrong. But I'll try again....
Paule
Margo, thanks for your comments, too. I'm doing my best to figure out how to post the ofoto link correctly. The thing is, it works on my computer, so I can't figure out what's wrong. But I'll try again....
Paule
Dec 8th, 2006, 03:25 PM
#60
Original Poster
