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Mari's 1st time truly solo: four fabulous days in Paris (including Strasbourg business trip)

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Mari's 1st time truly solo: four fabulous days in Paris (including Strasbourg business trip)

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Old Oct 27th, 2005, 05:30 AM
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I am enjoying your report immensely, I believe you have done more on this trip than I have done on all of mine combined. Of course, it is easier to keep up the pace going solo.
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Old Oct 28th, 2005, 03:20 AM
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Marvelous reading. Thanks, Mari. Looking forward to more, J.
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Old Oct 28th, 2005, 11:17 AM
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I forgot to say that the prior evening I had boarded the Batobus at the Louvre station and done the roundtrip. It is a bit on the long side since takes about two and a half hours but I was happy to rest my tired feet and enjoy the view. It does allow for a very cheap way to enjoy the river views. The expensive tours go the same route so I do not think that the added expense is justified for only a running commentary.

Last day in Paris! I had a full agenda and it was looking quite cloudy. After my daily dose of café au lait and croissant I headed out. It was rather early and the Rodin museum did not open until 9:30 so I decided to walk there from the hotel. It was not bad but considering all the walking that I did this day, this portion should have been skipped using the Metro. But then again – walking in Paris is so lovely that who cares about saving one’s feet.

Even though the morning was misty it was truly beautiful. The leaves on the trees were a subdued golden yellow contrasting against the remaining green. I think that the sunlight in autumn is absolutely glorious.

I wandered in the general direction of the museum, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells. The stores were opening and lots of people were delivering kids to school and walking to work. There was a lot of street washing going on so I think that the smell of bakeries and detergent will be forever merged in the olfactory memory.

What can I say about the Rodin museum that has not been mentioned before? If you ever have a chance, GO THERE! It has a feeling of being a well-loved place. The house is nice and the gardens are beautiful (you can see the Church of the Dome and the tip of the Eiffel Tower). The sculpture is POWERFUL.

Note of female appreciation: Rodin’s male bodies are soooo sensual and alive that can border on erotic. IMHO, the only sculptures that can compare are Michelangelo’s. Ohhhh his Slave in Louvre, is something else….Can you tell I’m an art fiend?

I think that of all the places I had been in to, the Rodin museum embodies the spirit of Paris the best. One day when I grow up and I can travel without a schedule (or without a tight one), I will spend an entire day here, just absorbing the ambiance.

After the museum I crossed over the see the Dome Church and Napoleon’s Tomb. Been there, done that and on to the next sight. I am not saying that it is not worthwhile but I could have easily skipped this without feeling much pain (only that you never know about these things beforehand). The audio guide is included with admission and I would have been most disappointed if I had had to pay for it.

Next stop was the D’Orsay museum. It was approximately 1:00 PM and I considered stopping for lunch, but I was not particularly hungry and I figured I could eat something in the museum (you would think that I had caught on by now but noooooo…..).

The line at the D’Orsay was long! Not scary long but still a lot longer than any other I had experienced until then with the exception of the St. Chapelle but then I had a museum pass and could go straight to the entrance.

OK, thirty minutes go by and I have not moved more than fifteen feet. I begin to worry. The museum closes by 5:00 PM, it is already 1:00….I spot the RER station right in front of me I start fretting. Should I go and buy a museum pass and go to the special entrance? Should I go buy a sandwich and eat it while waiting in line like everyone else was doing?
A museum pass at this point would be REALLY dumb because if I had bought it in the morning I would not have had to PAY for the Rodin museum and for the Dome church since they were BOTH included in the pass.

Ten more minutes go by and suddenly I bolted for the train station. Surprise! The RER station does not sell the museum pass, I try the tabac without luck. I am still pondering the sandwich issue but I hate to eat uncomfortably. I decide to walk to the metro station and buy the danged museum pass and I still don’t know why but I also bought a one-day Paris visit card for the Metro.

Needless to say that by the time I got into the museum, the couple that had been in front of me in the line had about 10 more people to go – and I still had not eaten anything. I went in and was immediately confronted with the very confusing layout of the D’Orsay. As much as I loved the art that was exhibited, I hated the place! Maybe I was tired and hungry (the restaurant and cafeterias were soooo packed that it was hopeless) but I did not bind with that place.

There were a lot people! Thankfully only the Monet’s in the top floor resembled mob scenes and I could still get good views of other painters if I was patient. The artwork exhibited is AWESOME!!! The Degas and Renoirs were sublime. The little dancer met my expectations. Manet was outstanding. Van Gogh is still in the top 10 favorites. Gaugin wellll….hum – the jury is still out.

I have to publicly admit that I have audible conversations with paintings and sculpture, so if you ever spot a crazy woman talking to herself with a big grin on her face in a museum it is very possible that it is me. This is a true benefit of solo traveling; you do not have to hide harmless compulsions from the dark side.

I must say that the Rodin sculptures seemed a bit lame when seen in the D’Orsay after seeing them that same morning in the cozy little museum.

Maybe it was just my experience but I never figured out the layout of the D’Orsay. You move from the first floor to the top and then the middle. There are some intermediate rooms which are very confusing. I could not detect any logical period sequence and/or grouping by artist, I guess that some ‘donated’ collections are exhibited as individual entities regardless of the artists that are included so that the museum as a whole is not really comprehensive.

Nevertheless, the masterpieces that they possess are so magnificent that anything can be forgiven.

By 4:30 PM I had had enough of wrestling with Japanese women for prime viewing spots and decided to give up so I said goodbye to the museum and went shopping. I had not bought a single souvenir or gift to bring home! I could have squeezed in something else but I had to acknowledge that that was IT. Nothing else would be seen on this trip. I would meet my gifting duties and plop down somewhere to people watch.

After purchasing several items from the grocery store, handmade chocolate and a few Eiffel Tower magnets (I’m sure that you can tell by now that I am not a big shopper). I wandered into the St. Sulplice area and looked for a place to eat something. I think that the temperature had dropped into the mid forties so that when I saw some people having onion soup in a café under really nicely hot heaters, I stepped in. OH WOW! I don’t know if I had low expectations from the touristy place (it is the café right next to Le Petit Zinc) or that I was really hungry but ohhhh that soup was good. I immediately decided to give the place another chance and ordered a Tarte Tatin (I was still hungry). It was even better! Really warm and not too sweet, it was perfect.

After a while I kept wandering around and found a semi-decent Paris sweatshirt for my DD.

Note: I know that I had not been looking really hard before but I noticed that there is a surprising lack of ‘nice’ souvenirs to be found in Paris. Not that I was expecting a Disney World-variety but still I had some troubles finding adequate non-edible and easily transportable gifts. If you need to purchase gifts before being allowed back home, do not wait until the last day to go shopping. There were nice clothes to be found but they are quite expensive and we do not really have use for winter clothes in Puerto Rico.


After my gifting commitments had been met I plunked down in another café in Saint Andre des Arts. I entertained myself watching couples argue and people trying to figure out maps. There is a liberating feeling when you do not have anywhere to go and that no one is expecting you anywhere. I had acknowledged that whatever that was to be accomplished during the ‘vacation’ has been either done or had to be postponed until the next trip. Thus I found myself sitting in this café for a good two hours (and two glasses of wine) without even noticing.

The Onion Soup had finally expanded on my stomach and I was not hungry at all but I was not about to let this minor detail affect my last Paris dinner. I started walking around and suddenly I saw a restaurant (L’Atlas) selling oysters in the street to the customers and passerby pedestrians. I looked under the canopy, checked that they had nice heaters indeed and sat down to continue with my lazy people watching. I ordered a glass of champagne and finally decided on the oyster degustation menu. It was good that I had decided to order this first and then reevaluate if additional food would be required because I was quite full afterwards. The oysters were very good, and a fitting finale for my first solo trip. I had quite a pleasant conversation with an American guy that was sitting next to my table. I lingered for a while but I was so tired that sooner rather than later I was heading to the hotel to pack.

The next morning I boarded a taxi (no metro or shuttle with the monster suitcase, thank you) and fifty euros later I was in CDG. The flight home was quite long but uneventful. Mercifully, there was no airport drama (I always had a nagging suspicion that the missed flight could result in some sort of cancellation and had DH check on this several times).

And that my fellow Fodorites, is the happy end of Mari’s First Time Truly Solo adventure in Paris.
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Old Oct 28th, 2005, 11:30 AM
  #44  
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Final Notes on Going Solo:

I arrived home with a sense of accomplishment that I had never experienced before. I take a lot of personal pride in being able to ‘survive’ and even ‘thrive’ while being on my own.(OK, OKAY! I know it is not the African bush or the Tibetan mountains but still a lot of people do not manage to get themselves into Paris) It almost feels like some kind of graduation. Maybe now I am finally a big girl

I was quite sure beforehand that I would have a good time being solo but I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really liked it. I must also acknowledge that being there with DH would have been, at the very least, just as good (and better in many ways) but it would have been a totally different experience. Paris and I will always be on a quite intimate terms

I love my DH with all my heart; he is the perfect traveling companion (we actually decided to move in together after our first long trip together – 21 days in Italy on our own and no reservations). I would not have enjoyed this as much if I had not been totally assured that everything was being taken care of in the home front and that he is perfectly capable of managing our DD.

I do not speak French at all but this was never a problem (I’m sure it would have helped with the Air France people but I still managed to get to Strasbourg). I knew enough culinary terms and food names to get by on the menus and I have long since outgrown the anxiety of trying the impress any waiter (first they really do not care and second they want my money).

If you can have dinner by yourself at home and be happy with it, you can certainly enjoy solo travel. Start with a short trip and grow from there at your own pace.

I never felt intimidated by Paris or by any Parisian for that matter. Just for the record: I am not especially 'intimidateable' anyway.

I am still looking for and not finding the legendarily rude French.

I was totally comfortable being by myself. I was seated in every restaurant that I attempted to eat in and was given decent tables and good service (even when I am the first to acknowledge that my appearance was not at its best during those times). I guess the way you carry yourself has a lot to do with it anyway (Paris, home or anywhere).

And finally: Yes, YES, you can wear jeans in Paris!
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Old Oct 28th, 2005, 03:07 PM
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Thank you for a very helpful report.

I wonder if someone that took the boat cruises and the batobus could compare both rides. I’d like to know what they think about it.

I felt the same way about the D’Orsay. The building was beautiful, the paintings were incredible but somehow they just do not work well together.

Your writing style made this report a refreshing and pleasant experience. Thanks again.
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Old Oct 30th, 2005, 06:28 AM
  #46  
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Simnone1, I have a feeling that the more expensive boats are not worth it. In the Batobus passed by some of them with (very loud) speakers that had a lot of static and were very hard to understand.
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Old Nov 8th, 2005, 02:47 AM
  #47  
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Cova, if you read this I sent you an email.
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Old Nov 8th, 2005, 04:17 AM
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Hi Mari,
I answered you yesterday evening. Tell me if you haven´t got the answer, but I´ll try also to write you from my work email.

The answer is "perfect", btw, and I´m just around the corner from your hotel ...

Rgds, Cova
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Old Nov 8th, 2005, 06:07 AM
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>There is a liberating feeling when you do not have anywhere to go and that no one is expecting you anywhere <

Amen!!

I would only add that to be in Paris under the described circumstances is as deliciously decadent as it gets
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Old Nov 8th, 2005, 07:33 AM
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Hi Cova, I posted before looking at my inbox. See you soon
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Old Nov 8th, 2005, 08:11 AM
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Wonderful report. Brought back many memories of my first solo trip, also to Paris. Thanks so much.
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Old Nov 9th, 2005, 02:51 AM
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I must say that with all the riot news, these quiet but busy days in Paris have taken a special meaning. I overlapped the riots by a day (certainly before anyone began to get worried)and yes, I know that Central Paris is still OK but anyway it is very sad to read these things about a place you just visited and loved
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Old Nov 9th, 2005, 03:35 AM
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I haven't had time to read all of the details in your trip, marigross - I'll save them for later. It's great.

I just wanted to mention that possibly your ATM problem might have to do with routine "downtime" between your bank and the bank network. Occasionally when I travel abroad, I find that my card won't work in any bank for a short period of time (maybe an hour). I think I read somewhere that there might be a period once a day or once every few days where your home bank is engaged in some kind of routine processing activity (often in the middle of the night, when you're in your own time zone, but this could be in the middle of the day in your new time zone) that prevents it from communicating with the foreign banks in the bank network (like cirrus or plus). So, don't panic. Wait an hour and try again.
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Old Nov 9th, 2005, 05:15 AM
  #54  
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I'm only in the middle of your report but am loving it! My first solo travel was at age 19 to Switzerland, France and England so I'm reliving some of my early "mistakes." (Yeah, I had unbelievably heavy luggage, too!)
 
Old Nov 10th, 2005, 02:47 AM
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Aggiemom, I have to confess that I have had heavy luggage before but then I always had my DH to carry it. I have not been a considerate travel mate and I have sworn never to do that again!!!!!

I will be a carry-on traveller from now on....maybe.
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Old Nov 10th, 2005, 06:44 AM
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Marigross....I dont know how I missed your trip report last month but I'm sure glad I found it today! what a great trip you had! my daughter & I are heading to paris feb 1-15 and we are also museum fiends. We are planning DAYS in the Louvre and many other museums are on our list as well. I am curious about your restaurant experiences. It sounds like you didnt make reservations and just walked in. true? any thoughts on that? our hope is because we will be there in winter hopefully the crowds will be as 'light' as possible in eateries and museums.
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Old Nov 10th, 2005, 08:37 AM
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Lyndash, I had no reservations whatsoever in any of the restaurants that I went. I just walked in, asked for a table and much to my surprise, I was always seated, even when my appearance was not at its best (it is quite hard to look sharp after you have walked at least 10 miles and you know that you will fall asleep if you go back to the hotel to freshen up).

Maybe I just got lucky!

There was zero waiting time at the Louvre as well as in the other places I visited except for D'Orsay (30 min if I had not quitted), Eiffel Tour (15 minutes-very early in the morning) and St Chapelle (looked quite long but I was armed with a Museum Pass).

Two places that were on my top list that I did not have time to go were the Carnavalet and the Marmottan museums.

Your daughter will love Paris, I know mine will when we get there...
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Old Feb 19th, 2009, 02:15 AM
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so, how exactly do I add this to my profile??? This new format takes some getting used to!
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Old Jun 23rd, 2009, 07:16 PM
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Mari, I enjoyed so much reading about your experience in Paris. I travel a lot to Paris and the more I travel sola, the more I enjoy it. Soy venezolana y ojalá un día podamos coincidir en Paris!My email: [email protected]
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