LVSue's France Report
 

I know that you all have been eagerly waiting to see if I was able to accomplish all (half?) of what I set out in my itinerary, and the answer is, of course, NO! However, all the advance planning really helped! Thanks to all of you for your input, invaluable as usual! So here goes.

Mad dash to the airport only to remember en route that I had forgotten my underwear (how can you do that? I'm just talented, I guess--had it laid out in a separate place), so my dear petsitter made the run back to the house and brought it to me. What a doll! Sure glad I wasn't taking a taxi!

Flights were the same arduous workout they always are. LV to Dallas to CDG. I did manage to get bulkhead on the second leg, and the Hindu meals seem healthier. But, to my shock, free booze on American is a thing of the past. I know it's better not to, but I'm always in a mood to celebrate, just the fact that I'm finally on the plane (with underwear), if nothing else.

Arrived right on time--plenty of time to hit the ATM and head for Terminal 1 to meet my traveling companion, a women whose six kids I used to babysit 40-some-odd years ago. She had never been to France, and I was ready to show it to her!

We picked up our TGV tickets and were soon on our way to Avignon with picnic lunch we picked up in the airport train station. We checked in at the Ibis Gare, but were not too thrilled with it, so on the way back from dinner at Maitre Kanter (an OK place), we spotted an arch with a haunting square/garden beyond it at the end of a tiny street and we went to check it out. It was the Cloister St. Louis with hotel built around it. To make a long story short, we switched to the hotel for a great room with balcony (not much of a view, but roomy with sofa sitting area too!) for 135 euro/night. We loved it. It's a Clarion, so www.choicehotels.com should locate it for you.

Tuesday morning we moved and then had a wonderful lunch at Le Chandelier (29 rue de la Sarailleise) on a shady terrace. Prix fixe for lunch was 12.50. Thanks, Mariarosa.

That afternoon we explored Avignon, took the little train to the Rocher du Dom, and generally had a splendid day--the weather was gorgeous, so it was just perfect for seeing the Place de l'Horloge and the bridge. It was here I discovered that Bette's schedule and mine were totally opposite. She goes to bed at 8:30 and me at midnight. She doesn't like a heavy meal at night, and I wake up in the middle of the night starving, so I set out for Maitre Kanter by myself around 9:00 for a flammekuchen (sort of an Alsacian pizza) to stave off midnight pangs. Before I left, we flirted (or at least I did) with the cute room attendant who came to turn down the bed, so we got 2 chocolates each instead of one. When we only got one the next night, I felt betrayed, but he must have been off, because Thursday we got two again.

Wednesday, we went to Nimes in the rain, which was intermittent all day. We toured the coliseum, went to the Maison Carree, and to the Temple of Diana in the gardens. Lunch was something quick (Brioche Dore?). I had thought of taking a bus back to Avignon via the Pont du Gard, but fatigue and rain changed our mind when we headed back that afternoon, and we booked a tour for the next day at Lieutaud for 12 euro ea. (with the Avignon pass available for free at the tourist office). With the pass you pay full entry to the first museum and reduced after that, including Lieutaud tours, which is now located in the Grand Hotel Avignon near the train station.

For dinner we went to l'Epicerie, tucked in behind the church (10 pl St. Pierre). Rain prevented outdoor dining, but we loved the appetizer tasting platter (big enough for one for a main course), which we shared. My rabbit was too lemony, but Bette liked her main course (lamb?). Total of 65 euro w/wine.

Thursday, Mayday, dawned glorious and off we went for a beautiful morning at the Pont du Gard. It made me so glad we had skipped it the day before. Upon return, we walked up the rue de la Republique to a café for lunch. While we were eating, Bette said, "Sue, turn and look. That's just how I picture the typical French man." Sure enough, an old man in a beret and overcoat with long scarf wrapped around his neck. He came into our café and the waiter took his order (plat du jour, of course). He was obviously a regular, as the waiter asked him if he wanted water as usual and he said, "Well, today I'll have a glass of wine." (This in French and, yes, I was eavesdropping.) I thought the special occasion was the holiday, but the next thing we knew, the waiter had come with a candle in an ashtray and two of them were singing "Bonne Anniversaire" (Happy Birthday) to the old guy.

We asked the waiter if we could buy his lunch for his birthday, but the waiter said that he had his habits, and maybe it would be better if we just bought him a glass of champagne, so we did. The waiter brought it, indicated it was from us, and the guy nodded in acknowledgment. Then he leaned over and said, "Where're you all from?" Just our luck that our "typical" Frenchman was from the US, and planning to move from Avignon back to St. George, Utah!

Late that afternoon, my friends from l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue picked us up. We had a drink on the river, then they dropped us off so we could wander and shop. We walked back to their house, had dinner and afterwards they took us to Villeneuve-lez-Avignon for a view of Avignon at night. What a great day!

Friday, off to Arles for the day. Amazing how different it is from Nimes. I love Cadogan's description: "Modern Arles, sitting amidst its ruins, is still somehow charming, in spite of a general scruffiness that seems more intentional than natural." We had a salad for lunch and saw as many of the sights as we could: the coliseum, the theatre, St. Trophime and the cloisters.

That evening thanks to advice from Dave and Freq/Flyer we went to Le Vernet for a lovely "good-bye to the south" dinner. The garden is indeed lovely, and our meal was delightful. I feel really bad that I didn't write down what we had, but we enjoyed it a lot. It came to 117 euros including wine, but there was a very reasonable 26 euro menu, so it could have been a lot less. We found that in the South, the set menus were indeed a good deal, but in Paris not so much. (I just add up the separate prices--see the Eiffel Tower.) Le Vernet is on rue Joseph Vernet, not too far from Le Petit Bedon at 70 rue JV. Le Petit Bedon gets great reviews here, but we wanted to eat outside.

Sue, What a great account of your trip! I love the story of the birthday man! We will be in France in a few short weeks, so I have a vested interest in your report. Thanks for taking the time to report...I am eager to hear about the rest!

Sue - I'm so glad you had a good trip!! I'm planning to head back to Provence in late June, and your itin is very very similar to what I'm planning, so it was really nice to hear the details!!

Also, very glad to hear that you enjoyed Le Vernet, and that it's seemingly as good as I recalled!! I think another dinner on the "terrace" would be just what the doctor ordered!!

Thanks for the trip report! Best wishes, Dave

Dave, where are you staying in Provence? We chose St. Remy, and are hoping it is central enough. It is kind of a hard decision! We are hesitant to stay in Avignon b/c we have a car and that sounds like it could be a pain in Avignon, and will want to see the countryside. Any advice?

wren - You should have no problems with St. Remy since you have the car...OTOH: I am staying in Avignon (with car) simply because I wanted access to a more "urban" setting without having to drive there.....

If I choose to go into the countryside, I'm not anticipating any problems, but if I choose to stay in Avignon, or perhaps grab a train to Aix or some such thing......then it'll be more convenient for me....

The number of villages/towns/sights within a very close proximity of one another is the real reason why I should think that St Remy would be fine...

Best wishes for a great trip!! Dave

Thanks for your report which reminded me of my first trip to Paris, too many years ago. At that time I thought all Frenchmen were berets. I saw not a one.Years later in Basque country, I noticed the men commonly wore them.
Now I know why the caps are referred to as Basque berets.
The rain is heavy today in Boston, I heard it was 85 in Paris.

Hi LVSue!

Thanks for posting your trip report for us - sounded ever so lovely!

People keep telling me I need to see the rest of France, and I want to, especially based on reports like yours that show what a peaceful, lovely place it is.

Typical to leave the underwear at home!! ;) It's always something just before you go.

And your traveling companion, I assume then that she was also an early riser? Maybe you were a slightly later riser?

I just love your description of the Cloister St. Louis with its "arch with a haunting square/garden beyond it at the end of a tiny street". Wonderful!!

Wren, based on everything I have read, I would have preferred to base myself in St. Remy, but both of us were too chicken to drive a car. Avignon proved to be a good base for public transportation. When my husband was alive, we had found a nice apartment to rent in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (it was my former landlady we met up with), so we used to base ourselves there, but St. Remy really looks like a good option.

Dave, I have been to Avignon a couple of times before and have never particularly liked it. What a shock to discover that we found it beautiful. It really helped to get off the beaten track (rue de la Republique) for restaurants, thanks to yours, Mariarosa's and others' suggestions. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to going back.

Bookchick, actually we rose about the same time--she just got a lot more sleep than I did. :-)

Yes, as we looked down the "tiny little street" Bette said, "That's calling me." So after seeing the rooms, we decided that it was indeed fated that we stay there.

You and Bette sound like me and my h.
He's in Bed and I'm ready to party, so ended up by myself at a local cafe, watching the passing parade. You can't find a better place than Avignon as far as getting around. As a none driver, I spent 17 wonderful days alone in Villeneuve-lés-Avignon but most days in Avignon or out of town by way of bus, train, and boat.

Saturday, we were up and off early for the TGV. Catching the bus was a piece of cake because the bus stop is right around the corner from Le Cloitre St. Louis. Since we were in first class (head of the train), were first in line for a taxi and off to our apartment on rue Delambre, not too far from La Coupole.

This was a rent-from-owner deal (vrbo.com) and the owners turned out to be Scottish, so absolutely no problem with pre-trip communications. Large living/dining area, windows across the whole end and a view of a teeny piece of the Eiffel Tower at the very edge. Two comfortable sofas and reasonably comfortable chairs at the round glass table. Hall closet, toilet in little room, separate kitchen (no microwave or coffeemaker other than French press), reasonable sized bathroom with shower/tub and bidet, large bedroom with twin beds (a little squishy) and large closet, iron, hairdryer (which I discovered the last day), and phone. ($750/week--so far he is charging euros=dollars, so it was really a deal) We loved it! Since the website pictures had shown it with the curtains drawn, I had a nightmare in the south that we drew the curtains and there was just a little porthole in the wall. (I don't obsess or anything). We were very pleased. There was a small deposit to cover phone charges, but he hasn't cashed it yet--I told him I would mail him euros if the charges weren't great so he wouldn't have the bank charges for cashing a check in dollars. Haven't heard yet.

The codes for front door, elevator access and elevator were a bit confusing, so a couple of times we sat in the elevator, pushed what we thought was the code and it didn't move, but by the end of the week, we were pretty much experts. We immediately took off for Inno to stock up on food, and of course bought way too much. What is it about French supermarkets? I also spotted a game store where I could buy a new version of Trivial Pursuit for my French group at home. We are about through the 1998 game. We also got a carnet for Sunday and a Carte Orange for the rest of the week.

We were pooped, so we had a Scotch, ate some of our goodies, and collapsed.

Sunday dawned glorious, which just suited my plans. We went to the Museum of the Middle Ages at Cluny (Metro Cluny) and it was a perfect morning activity, especially because it was free (1st Sunday of the month). Then we hotfooted it to Place Medard, where Monge meets Mouffetard in hopes that the accordionist would be there. And indeed he was--we timed it perfectly. The accordionist and his group were out and singing with the crowd, who had the words he had passed out. People were dancing. It was just like being in a village. There was a nattily dressed older gentleman in a tweed golf hat dancing with the ladies and he asked Bette to dance. After two dances, she said: "I'm sorry, but I don't speak French." He said, "That's OK. I'm from Boston." Twice in two weeks? Amazing.

We wandered along Mouffetard, bought some chicken and fries and bread for lunch, which we ate on the stairs in a teeny parklet. Then, all fueled up, we headed for Sacre Coeur. Wandered the streets a little and took the funicular up. After photo ops, headed to Place du Tertre. I was kinda shocked. Used to be all the artists were in the square, but now it seems that various cafes have moved out there. Frankly, I think I like that better. We had a beer at a café on the square and thanks to the beggarly birds, struck up a conversation with a charming young couple. Took each other's pictures (and the birds') and it turned out he had spent July & August in Iowa one year (agricultural classes), where one of Bette's daughters lives. Small world. He was not impressed with Iowa.

By this time we were dragging, so we headed back and got cleaned up for dinner at La Coupole. It was fun, but rather subdued, and it seems that they have reduced many of their towering seafood platters to a single layer, decidedly less spectacular. Bette, ever the cook, had been watching the center waiter stand, where someone had been preparing a salad, she was sure, but she never saw the salad appear. They were putting something red and vegetables in a bowl. We finally determined that it was steak tartare! Our oysters and steaks were good and the moelleux au chocolat totally yummy! And the meal with wine came to 125 euros.

I'm still working at this, so bear with me.

Welcome back Sue....I am happy that you enjoyed La provence..It is my favourite place in France..I will be there also July 7, my cousin lives at Les Angles, just outsite Avignon...I have spent many happy summer there when i was a teen....

Kismetchimera, We will be in Provence on the 8 July. Since you have experience there, could I run our plans by you?

Plan A: Drive from Lyon thru Grenoble thru Alps & Ardeche Gorges. Stop in small village on way or go all way down to Cassis. Stay there and explore. Then move to St. Remy for 2 nights, and explore area. (Arles, Avignon, wine country)

Plan B: Drive A7 directly from Lyon to St. Remy.and use as base for 3 nights.

Ideas?

Very enjoyable read- thanks for sharing!
Kavey

Hi, Sue! Loving your report! I have just copied and printed it to take with me, as I will be following in your footsteps during part of our trip.

Wish us luck on the strike front: hope we can get from Paris to Avignon on June 7!

Thanks so much for your past help as well as this report. Will let you and other Fodorites know how we fare.

Your "psychic doppelganger,"
Betty

Betty, good to hear from you! I can't wait to hear how your group trip goes. Hopefully most of the strike stuff will be over by then. Bon voyage!

Monday was rainy, but that was our day for the Louvre, so we didn't really care. The great thing about an apartment is being able to have coffee and breakfast before you get dressed (I don't percolate too well in the morning.) And since Bette is one of those up-and-at-'em type people, she did most of the fixing, and cleaning up as well. We took a bus that let us off on the Seine side of the Louvre and walked into the pyramid courtyard from the back. Took some pix of the obelisk and Arc de Triomphe through the arch of the little Caroussel and stood in line for tickets, about 10 minutes. We had decided that the museum pass just wasn't worth it for us since we get pooped out about mid afternoon. I love the automatic ticket machines--couldn't figure out why anyone bothered to stand in line at the ticket windows.

Well, I had printed up something called the Louvre in 3 Hours that someone had raved about here, but it was just like reading Greek to me. I got lost at the first turn, so we fended for ourselves and did pretty well. We particularly enjoyed the Greek and Roman section, especially a lovely statue called the Three Graces and a huge one of a goddess whose unpronounceable name begins with M.

After about 3 hours, we decided on lunch and headed for Café Ruc, again recommended by someone here who stays in that area (on St. Honoré about a block off Palais Royal). It was pricey, but excellent. Just what the doctor ordered. I had duck with a wonderful sauce, and Bette had a huge cheeseburger. Total with a glass of Brouilly each was € 52.

Then we walked through the gardens of the Palais Royal and took the metro 3 stops to Hotel de Ville and the BHV. Oh yes, I had also forgotten the adaptor for my camera recharger, so the whole time we were in the South, I would take one picture of each site and immediately turn off the camera. (Looked at FNAC in Avignon, but no luck.) Unfortunately, none of the US-France adaptors were flat, so I had to buy a more expensive multi-country one, but I was glad to have it. We stopped at Monoprix to pick up some things we had forgotten (TP--we had 15 kinds of cheese, but no TP!) and bused home.

The Carte Orange is so handy for both short and long trips, and we relied on the bus as much as possible for additional free sightseeing. There again the CO is great, for every time you change buses you need a new ticket. We had a little problem getting back to Montparnasse. I think I got on the wrong bus, but immediately spotted it and hopped off at St. Germain and caught the Metro. Then again the bus could have been making a jog, but it didn't seem right to me.

That night we just had a simple meal at home. It gave Bette time to catch up on her recorded journal. One of her daughters gave her the recorder since she is not a journal writer. Actually, neither am I except when I am traveling solo. The recorder is great--periodically she stops and records her impressions in a matter of minutes. She even recorded some commentary from the young couple in Montmartre (and earlier me singing "Sur le Pont d'Avignon). I'm not sure all of our evening ramblings, fueled by Scotch or wine, made a lot of sense, but it was fun to do them.

<<just the fact that I'm finally on the plane (with underwear), if nothing else.>>

Sue: But for a little punctuation you'd've been sitting on the plane in just your skivvies!

You sound like a lot of fun to travel with. I, too, went into BHV Hotel de Ville looking for an adapter part but got sidetracked and never made it downstairs. Ditto, too on the too-much-cheese!

Wren, follow plan A,take your time, enjoy the scenic route, which is breathtaking, stop at the small villages on your way and just relax.When you go to Avignon, dont forget to visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame , up the hill next to the gardens, inside there is a statue of Jesus made of wood I believe,it has a crown made of thorns, his expression is umbeliavable, so poignant,so full of pain...it really made you shiver just looking at it.Have Fun,
kismet

Thanks Kismet.

Tuesday we had planned to go to the Orsay, but since it is supposed to be crowded on Tuesday and it was raining again (and we weren't using museum passes), we opted for Jacquemart-Andre. Took the bus to Trocadero, where I knew we would have good photo ops for the Eiffel Tower, plus monuments to some of the fallen in WWI/II. Then bus to Andre-J, which we both enjoyed immensely.

There is something about that house, the history, the way the owners arranged it (and the fact that it was donated to the city of Paris with the stipulation that the arrangement not be changed), the up-scale area, that makes it so interesting.

After, we headed to Chartiers for lunch because I consider it so "folklorique." A not-so-pleasant experience. For some reason, despite the fact that it was late and the place was not too crowded, we were seated next to a French couple. (I attribute that to a nasty French waiter who wanted to pack his section. The neighboring waiters were so much nicer.) I didn't notice, but evidently the guy next to me was smoking like a chimney, the smoke blowing directly in Bette's face. Finally, she could take it no more and we left, heading to the Brioche Dore nearby for coffee, tarts and bathroom.

Since it was rainy, we decided to explore some of the covered passages before heading back home and that was fun. Then we got semi-lost looking for a bus, so ended up taking the Metro. As we exited the Metro, we were surprised to see a big demonstration going on. The street was closed and vehicles and marching people with balloons were protesting, but I never could figure out exactly what (37.5% of something--retirement?). Odd to see Raspail and its intersection with Montparnasse closed down to traffic.

That evening we had reservations at Chez Maitre Paul on Monsieur-le-Prince. Another handy bus took us there and we were seated downstairs in a room with nothing but Americans. By that time we had decided that a big meal at night was not for us, so we asked if we could share the main course. Of course, the waiter said yes, but he wasn't nuts about it. The real winner was Bette because she had the "entrée" du jour: a salade aux langoustines, cooked just perfectly and the langoustines were still warm; I swear that dish was big enough for a main course. Yum, yum! I had morilles a la crème and we shared the chicken in cheese cream sauce. The morilles were good and the chicken was OK, but I'm not too sure what all the raving's about. It was, however, a huge portion and we were sure glad we split it. We had struck up a conversation with a lovely young woman, who had been traveling in Europe for a couple of months, and her mother, who was visiting with her for a couple of weeks. Thoroughly enjoying the meal and the company, we indulged in a dessert: I had nut ice cream with calvados--hadn't had anything that good since gelato affogato in Rimini 20 years ago--nothing like my two favorite things: booze and ice cream. And then?. The guy at the table on the other side lit up a CIGAR! He managed to clear out the room pretty quickly. We just got up and paid our check at the door, as well as a Brit/American couple. That's why I prefer eating outside: they can't bother (at least suffocate) you and you can't bother them.

So that the evening wouldn't end on that note, we walked over to Pont Neuf and took a bateau mouche. Unfortunately, I had left the € 1 off coupon in the room, since we hadn't been planning this. But we enjoyed the ride all the same. Took the Metro at Cite back home.

Wednesday dawned sunny and bright, so we had the bright idea of going to Versailles since some of the great pleasures of the place are the gardens and Marie Antoinette's hamlet where she played at being a peasant. And who knew if we would have another sunny day (as it turned out, we didn't). That's what I love about overplanning--you can kind of juggle potential plans for the day in your head, like shuffling a deck of cards, and discover what's right for that day.

We took a bus to the Orsay RER C stop. I vaguely remembered someone saying you could buy a combined RER/Versailles ticket, so we did that--for € 20.80. I wasn't thinking properly or I don't think I would have bought it because it seems to me that the last time we did RT to Versailles it cost about $3; that would make the Versailles ticket inordinately expensive! However, that's water over the dam (or some such). We immediately headed for the Hamlet and the Trianons, which we loved, via the little train (about € 5). We spent a lot of time in the gardens there and ate at La Flotille near the bottom of the canals (€ 29 for the plat du jour, a quite tepid lasagne, and 2 glasses of wine.

We walked back up and explored the gardens a little. It was mid-afternoon by then and we thought we should see the chateau, so we went through the gates where I had to show a man our ticket. He got all excited that we were going to miss everything (thinking all the while, I'm sure, 'zeez stupid americans') and hustled us over to the queen's apartments (no crowds), which we saw with the audiotour, and then went to the king's apartments (as we had been ordered to do by the little man), so we did manage to see most of it. I guess the "passeport" ticket that came with the RER ticket allowed entrance to everything. I've been unable to locate any reference to it on either the chateauversailles.fr or ratp.fr site. I must say, it was an excellent visit and I enjoyed it more than any other time I had gone except for the one Sunday afternoon we went for the fountain display (which would have also been covered by the passeport if it had been going on).

We made our way back home, stopping by the boulangerie/patisserie for some tarts and had a quiet evening at "home." (I think I stayed up late watching a silly French detective movie, but I needed a French TV fix.)

Another wonderful trip report. You ladies, this month have all been giving us such fun reading that we need these rainy dismal days.

Sue, I really enjoyed your report; next best thing to being there is hearing someone else's account of a place I love. My plans fell through for France this May, but hope springs eternal for next year.

Betty, I'll be eager to hear of your trip,too; I believe you're renting a place in Provence for a group of friends, if I'm not mistaken?

Mimi, nice to hear from you again.

Grandmere, all my sympathies for your plans falling through--I know how disappointing that can be. But all the more time to plan for next year!

I'm almost done! Should be posting later this afternoon.

Ah, Grandmere, no Mont Blanc for you this year either???? :(

LVSue, I'm looking forward to the next installment. :>)

I LOVE THIS THREAD!!Not only because of Sue but alot of you nice women I see here at times that have posted.
Cheers to us, Ladies, may we win a lottery and not worry about our next trips.

And if one of us wins we can swoop all the rest of us to Angelina for chocolat chaud & Mont Blanc (and possibly rose champagne)!!

It's good to see you here, too, Cigalechanta, my fellow beatnik friend. :)

Hi LVSue: Great trip report. Under the small world department, my wife and I were at Chez Marte Paul the night the cigar smoker cleared the room. We were sitting up front so we didn't get the full brunt of the vile smell but we commented on the cigar smoke chasing people out. We were disappointed also with the chicken cheese dish after reading all the hype on Fodor's.

Yes, this is a very enjoyable thread--feels like chatting with a group of friends. Too bad we can't do it over a table at Angelina with a few Mont Blancs in front of us! And from the references to beatniks et al, I'm guessing a lot of us are les femmes d'un certain age!

Sue, wonderful report! Thanks so much for taking the time. I want to do the same type of Provence trip, so will keep your report on Avignon. I recently got back from a 2-week trip to Paris and the Loire Valley (mostly spent time in the Loire) and will do a report as soon as I can catch up with everything. I love to read these trip reports. I'm sure mine won't be as good as yours (the report, not the trip!).

Sue4, I think I posted a reply to this on another thread, but I'm looking forward to your report on the Loire. If I ever manage to get Bette to do this again, I think the Loire would be a great first week.

Jacksonjr, what a small world!

Thursday was an outstanding day though the weather was somewhat overcast. Went to the Orsay museum and saw it from top to bottom (literally--I always start at the top before the crowds get there). We got there a little before the 10:00 opening and didn't wait in line long at all. I saw so many of my old favorites and some new ones, too. (I had to find CyberTraveler's Cezanne's Dahlias.) And since I usually take home a souvenir cat, why not a picture of a cat ? (I also got a great one of a boy and his black and white cat at the Pont du Gard): so I took one of a painting of a girl with cat. Now I need your help because I didn't write down the artist or the name of the painting, though it seems to me it was Girl with Cat. It's not Berthe Morisot's, nor is it Renoir's Boy with Cat, which makes me think it's Renoir because I searched for the boy with cat and didn't find it. The girl is very Renoirish; the boy is totally nude from the back! Anyway, it's a dark-headed girl in a white dress trimmed in gold has a very contented cat in her lap (he is smiling). Renoir did others, which I have found on the net, but can't locate this one. Can you?

We broke up our visit with a lunch at Café des Hauteurs. It was so pleasant I really can't see why people would want to eat in the fancy dining room there. We each had the soupe aux legumes (a puree) and shared the assiette anglaise. It had been so long since I had seen that favorite of my youth on the menu that I just had to order it. And it was great, as was the soup. Total for 2: € 21. (but I don't think we had wine)

We left mid-afternoon after exploring every nook and cranny and I walked Bette along rue de l'Universite to show her my husband's favorite plaque: right after Universite changes into rue Jacob on the north side of the street is a wonderful plaque indicating the Hotel of York: where John Jay, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin signed the definitive treaty of peace with David Hartley, representative of Great Britain, giving independence to the USA. All right there on that plaque. Just gives you shivers. Early one morning my husband had walked down there to take a picture of it, and a Frenchman stopped to ask him what it was. When Gene told him, he said, "I have lived here all my life, but I have never seen that. In Paris there is always something."

We continued on to Buci and to the Procope restaurant and its plaque, claiming to be the oldest in Paris (nay, the world) boasting such customers as LaFontaine, Voltaire, Ben Franklin, etc. Bette loved taking pictures of these plaques for her husband who is a history buff. Then the metro home to get ready for our dinner at the Eiffel Tower. No, not Jules Verne, but Altitude 95. It's the thought that counts.

We were running a tich late for our reservations at 7:00, but the line wasn't long and soon we were being wafted to the first--no, wait, second level. Well, since we had only paid for the first, we had to take some quick pix, and then back down to the first. Very nice, good table and view, although not next to the windows (we were late, doncha know).

This is where I found the ultimate example for prix fixe menus in Paris. The prix fixe was € 50. But if I ordered the most expensive entrée and most expensive plat (which I did), it came to 42 and the desserts were 8. So? I asked for a French menu (they gave us both English ones). The waiter assured me they were the same; I assured him that some of the translations were kinda weird, so I needed to see the French. Bette made the mistake of ordering langoustines after her wonderful Maitre Paul experience (translated as something weird like Dublin shellfish, I might add--if we hadn't gotten the French menu, she might never have ordered them). They were awful and we returned them for pink shrimp. I, however, ordered the smoked salmon with green beans--sounds weird, but it was like a green bean burrito only salmon enveloped the tiny, crunchy green beans. I loved it! My steak was good, her lamb was good and altogether, we had quite a nice dinner and skipped the dessert, as I recall, so our meal came to € 113 with a nice bottle of Brouilly.

Well, my adventuresome friend was ready to tackle the top. So, with my fear of heights, I courageously agreed to wait for her in the bar, holding her tote bag (quite tasteful velveteen-type thing). Off she went. An hour later, down she came, looking like a frozen drowned rat! In her tote bag was her windbreaker, so when the deluge came at the top, she was wearing her lightweight dressy restaurant top and slacks, but no umbrella, no windbreaker, etc. Ah, life is an adventure! What fun! (Easy for me to say, sitting in the bar with a primo view and a coffee and cognac.)

We decided against walking to the Bir Hakeim metro stop, just a little too far and dark for me, so took the RER to St. Michel and the metro straight to Vavin and "home." Another excellent day made possible by hours of planning and then throwing caution to the winds.

Sue, fun report! Don't know why, but I found your feelings of "betrayal" over not getting two chocolates the most funny.

Glad to hear you had a great time!

Just to let you know, LVSue, I really enjoyed your trip reports. I was surprised that you didn't go to the Pope's Palace in Avignon, but you did say you'd been there before.

I rented an apt. the last time I was in Paris and found it to be much more convenient and private than a hotel--and you really do not need your sheets changed every day.

I once flew to Germany and discovered I forgot to pack underpants AFTER I got there. First stop was a department store. I don't speak German and had to wander around a bit until I found some as I couldn't ask--LOL.

Lauren, we mainly saw "outside" things in the south because I knew we would see lots of museums in Paris. (and I had seen the Palais des Papes before)

I have a real dread of forgetting something as necessary as unmentionables because in France I would never find my size. :-( Now in Salzburg I found an Ulla Popken store and just loved it! And I do try to remember to carry the name of a French plus-size store with me, just in case, but I think this time I forgot that, too!

I do plan to finish this off when I get back from no. Calif. I am so enjoying this cool weather that I just want to roll in the grass.

Grandmere,
Count me also in the club of the" Forever Young" that is my Motto...
The first time I visited Paris I was a young teenager...I remenber that the beatniks were actually called the existentialists in Paris. I used to think that their main anthem the "Feuilles Mortes" was actually a French song...I believed that, until I met my hubby and with his texan sense of humour,and a great laugh, told me that it wasnt a French song but a famous American...Music is truly International and so is Love....:):)

Kismetchimera, your hubby may have a great Texan sense of humor (I am a horned frog myself and taught French in Burleson), but Les Feuilles Mortes is indeed a French song. For some of its history, check out this URL:

http://www.spaceagepop.com/eurosong.htm

I've gone to amazon.fr and found several versions (Yves Montand, Patachou, Juliette Greco), but the brief listenable blurbs are the "intro" to the actual song.

(Or maybe you were serious about the sense of humor, and I am taking this too seriously!)