just back from paris and lyon
Jul 31st, 2011 | 09:15 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 668
Likes: 0
just back from paris and lyon
I just had a great trip to paris and lyon.
we arrived in paris on a sunday on the RER train to St. MIchel in early afternoon. We went to our hotel, the claude bernard on rue des ecoles in the 5th, and took a nap. i have stayed at the claude bernard a few times-the rooms have been different sizes--ours this times was somewhat small--we did have a small patio from which we could look out onto the street--and the bathroom/tub was fine. Staff very helpful--a 3 star hotel. we paid 140 euros per night, including brk.
when we woke up, we went to notre dame. we arrived when a mass was beginning. it was powerful, particularly for my GF, who is a lapsed catholic. she took communion.
there frequently are lines outisde most attractions in paris, including notre dame.
when i was living in paris, there was free weekly organ concert at notre dame in the evening on sunday. it's now at 4:30. so we missed it.
after notre dame, we explored Ile Ste. louis. We discovered a nice small restaurant, the cafe med, on 77, rue ste. louis en l'ile. 13 euros for an app and entre. (we went back again for lunch another time, 10 euros for an app and entre.)
on monday we went to l'orangerie. the line was not too long--maybe took us 20 minutes to get in. this is a nice not overwhelming museum. the monet murals are of course the highlight, but there are other works of interest. most people seemed visibly moved by the murals.
we then splurged and went to hotel crillon at place de la concord for coffee. very nice indeed.
the next morning we took a TGV to Lyon. very pleasant--altho i didn't realize that the trains have 2 levels and our seat was on top--so we had to lug our luggage up the steps.
Lyon is a delightful and compact city. We stayed in the Presqu'ile bellecourt area, which was very convenient. many things quite walkable from there. rue de la republiqe is a nice pedestrian shopping street that is the main drag of the Presqu'ile. we walked to the Roman theatre in the old town and wandered around the old town. the art museum is very close as well. we also took the metro to the resistance museum, which has a very interesting exhibit about the occupation period in Lyon, which was early 1942 until late 1944..
our restaurant find in lyon was le petit flore, a very small bistro in the 2d arrondissement. one waiter and the cook. in the window, they have an article in the NYT about lyon restaurants which mentions them.
back to paris on a saturday. this time we stay at dauphine st. germain, on rue dauphine in the 6th. it's another 3 star. a very small room. but a nice queen bed. a terrfiic neighborhood. they have a 120 euro rate, w no breakfast.
we go to the rodin museum, which now has a room devoted to some works by his assistant/lover camille claudel. some works by other artists of the period--generally portraits of rodin, are exhibited. also not too hard to get in--maybe waited 15 minutes. there is a discounted ticket which allows a visit to rodin and orsay but you must do it on the same day. the orangerie has a joint ticket with orsay which lets you go to orsay within 3 or 4 days--i think that would be the strategy--go the orangerie, get joint ticket, then avoid the lines at orsay.
the rodin museum is surprisingly dirty and in poor condition. not at all surprisng that it apparently will be closed for 2 years soon to renovate.
we sample a favorite of my GF, a place called "fish" in the 6th. good--somewhat more expensive than our norm.
on sunday it is the last day of tour de france. my GF convinces me it will be exciting to see the cyclists go by. we stand and wait 2 hours on the left bank quai for the group. they finally arrive at about 4:30 and zip by. we realize later that they then did a number of trips around the arc de triomphe., place de la concorde, and rue de rivoli. anyway, we race to orsay and see a bit of the museum before it closes at 5:30.
I walk to the "Polidor" restaurant in the 6th near the odeon metro stop. it seems interesting--they have photos of woody allen doing a movie--and then i notice that they don't take credit cards. so we go to a place called "Au 35"-35 rue jacob in the 6th. very nice--very popular. entrees for 2-25 euros, 12 delicious snails for 14.
we find another good luncheon spot in our neighborhood--Vin et Terroirs, 66 rue st Andre des artes. very good-11 euros for app and entre.
then off to Ste. Chappelle. another line. takes longer, because they now do metal detecting here before you go in.
i do by the st michel RER station and notice that it is closed for a month. i panic and go back to our hotel and they nicely explain how we can catch the RER B line at les halles. all is well.
my GF goes thru beaurocratic hell at the airport trying to get a tax refund for clothes purchaces. really the only nasty experience of the trip.
all in all-the people-watching in paris remains a great and inexpensive pasttime. my GF gave me a running commentary on the fashions. and i was surprised that it wsn't more expensive to eat--we seemed to find good places for lunch for 10-12 euros and decent places for dinner for not much more, not counting wine. also--altho people dont smoke inside anymore, there is still a lot of smoking outside. in restaurant/cafes too.
A bientot!
we arrived in paris on a sunday on the RER train to St. MIchel in early afternoon. We went to our hotel, the claude bernard on rue des ecoles in the 5th, and took a nap. i have stayed at the claude bernard a few times-the rooms have been different sizes--ours this times was somewhat small--we did have a small patio from which we could look out onto the street--and the bathroom/tub was fine. Staff very helpful--a 3 star hotel. we paid 140 euros per night, including brk.
when we woke up, we went to notre dame. we arrived when a mass was beginning. it was powerful, particularly for my GF, who is a lapsed catholic. she took communion.
there frequently are lines outisde most attractions in paris, including notre dame.
when i was living in paris, there was free weekly organ concert at notre dame in the evening on sunday. it's now at 4:30. so we missed it.
after notre dame, we explored Ile Ste. louis. We discovered a nice small restaurant, the cafe med, on 77, rue ste. louis en l'ile. 13 euros for an app and entre. (we went back again for lunch another time, 10 euros for an app and entre.)
on monday we went to l'orangerie. the line was not too long--maybe took us 20 minutes to get in. this is a nice not overwhelming museum. the monet murals are of course the highlight, but there are other works of interest. most people seemed visibly moved by the murals.
we then splurged and went to hotel crillon at place de la concord for coffee. very nice indeed.
the next morning we took a TGV to Lyon. very pleasant--altho i didn't realize that the trains have 2 levels and our seat was on top--so we had to lug our luggage up the steps.
Lyon is a delightful and compact city. We stayed in the Presqu'ile bellecourt area, which was very convenient. many things quite walkable from there. rue de la republiqe is a nice pedestrian shopping street that is the main drag of the Presqu'ile. we walked to the Roman theatre in the old town and wandered around the old town. the art museum is very close as well. we also took the metro to the resistance museum, which has a very interesting exhibit about the occupation period in Lyon, which was early 1942 until late 1944..
our restaurant find in lyon was le petit flore, a very small bistro in the 2d arrondissement. one waiter and the cook. in the window, they have an article in the NYT about lyon restaurants which mentions them.
back to paris on a saturday. this time we stay at dauphine st. germain, on rue dauphine in the 6th. it's another 3 star. a very small room. but a nice queen bed. a terrfiic neighborhood. they have a 120 euro rate, w no breakfast.
we go to the rodin museum, which now has a room devoted to some works by his assistant/lover camille claudel. some works by other artists of the period--generally portraits of rodin, are exhibited. also not too hard to get in--maybe waited 15 minutes. there is a discounted ticket which allows a visit to rodin and orsay but you must do it on the same day. the orangerie has a joint ticket with orsay which lets you go to orsay within 3 or 4 days--i think that would be the strategy--go the orangerie, get joint ticket, then avoid the lines at orsay.
the rodin museum is surprisingly dirty and in poor condition. not at all surprisng that it apparently will be closed for 2 years soon to renovate.
we sample a favorite of my GF, a place called "fish" in the 6th. good--somewhat more expensive than our norm.
on sunday it is the last day of tour de france. my GF convinces me it will be exciting to see the cyclists go by. we stand and wait 2 hours on the left bank quai for the group. they finally arrive at about 4:30 and zip by. we realize later that they then did a number of trips around the arc de triomphe., place de la concorde, and rue de rivoli. anyway, we race to orsay and see a bit of the museum before it closes at 5:30.
I walk to the "Polidor" restaurant in the 6th near the odeon metro stop. it seems interesting--they have photos of woody allen doing a movie--and then i notice that they don't take credit cards. so we go to a place called "Au 35"-35 rue jacob in the 6th. very nice--very popular. entrees for 2-25 euros, 12 delicious snails for 14.
we find another good luncheon spot in our neighborhood--Vin et Terroirs, 66 rue st Andre des artes. very good-11 euros for app and entre.
then off to Ste. Chappelle. another line. takes longer, because they now do metal detecting here before you go in.
i do by the st michel RER station and notice that it is closed for a month. i panic and go back to our hotel and they nicely explain how we can catch the RER B line at les halles. all is well.
my GF goes thru beaurocratic hell at the airport trying to get a tax refund for clothes purchaces. really the only nasty experience of the trip.
all in all-the people-watching in paris remains a great and inexpensive pasttime. my GF gave me a running commentary on the fashions. and i was surprised that it wsn't more expensive to eat--we seemed to find good places for lunch for 10-12 euros and decent places for dinner for not much more, not counting wine. also--altho people dont smoke inside anymore, there is still a lot of smoking outside. in restaurant/cafes too.
A bientot!
