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Murder-suicide, family fighting, and insanity: Only an idiot (me) would plan both a kitchen remodel and a trip to Paris at the same time....

Murder-suicide, family fighting, and insanity: Only an idiot (me) would plan both a kitchen remodel and a trip to Paris at the same time....

Old May 14th, 2006, 09:56 AM
  #21  
dcd
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LoveItaly, here's hoping those who need help will get it. Scarlett, I'm terribly sorry to hear of your loss. When it's family, it must really hit home. Byrd, very well put.

Part 3

April 20 finally rolled around. Hadn't done all the pre-planning I'd hoped to. Michael was going to have to bail us out. I did pick up a Streetwise map to Paris thanx to the posters here. Turned out to be a great choice.

The AA flights to Paris CDG from St. Louis via Dallas were on time and very pleasant. Food was even half decent. Or was that because we hadn't cooked in so long we forgot what real food tasted like... And I even managed to sleep for 5 hours. I can never sleep on planes. DW, on the other hand, never has that problem. We arrived well rested at 9:30 am, hit the ATM, hailed a cab, and 40 E later, we arrived at our home for the next 8 nites, the Hotel de Varenne. Room wasn't ready so we dropped off our bags and headed for the Eiffel Tower.

The sun was shining brightly and the temps were in the 60s. The trees that lined those glorius streets were just starting to show their leaves. And the parks were filled with rainbows of tulips, pansies and lord knows what else. Just beautiful. We knew there were big parks in Paris. Stumbling upon one small park after another would be one of the highlights of the trip. We walked past Invalides and her magnificent dome which nearly blinded us with the reflecting sun. The E. Tower was enormous and majestic. Her taupe metal girders reached for the heavens as children scrambled about her feet and lovers cuddled on the nearby grass. We probably should have joined them. It was one of those moments.

Walking back to the hotel, we stumbled upon a street with open markets and the smell of grilled food. Lunch time!! We picked up some grilled chicken and cheese sandwiches to go and headed back to the hotel. Only later would I learn we had found Rue de Cler. That was going to be on The List of things to see. Glad we found it anyway.

Our room was ready upon our return and a terrific room it was. Windows opened out to reveal a lovely courtyard, a good size bedroom and closet, a large bathroom with a shower curtain, a small refrigerator, an in-room safe, and a flat screen TV with 3 English speaking channels.

At 1:30, we went downstairs and met our guide, sir Michael. Didn't know what to expect really. Just knew I'd booked 4 days with him and was hoping like heck all the raves here were true to form. And, of course, they were.

Fun guy. A little on the artsy, kooky side which is perfect for Paris. And he knows his stuff--history, art and just about everthing else. Extremely patient and kind. Probably in his mid 40s. DW and I are the inquisitive sorts so when we travel we like to get a feel for the culture, politics, people and customs of place we're visiting. In Paris that was going to be very difficult not knowing anyone and not knowing a lick of French. Enter Michael. Poor guy probably answered hundreds of questions but he never tired of doing it.

Got to take a break now to celebrate Mother's Day with my MIL. More later.




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Old May 14th, 2006, 10:37 AM
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dcd, so happy you enjoyed Michael who is a friend. He is such a gentle soul and a good artist. I tend to like the artsy off beat types as all my liofe I've been sourrounded by artists, writers, musicians.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Mother's Day and also to you other fodorites.
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Old May 14th, 2006, 11:26 AM
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I just know that because Michael has entered the story, things are going to get better! Looking forward to..."the rest of the story"!!
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Old May 14th, 2006, 07:39 PM
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Part 4

Michael introduced us to the Metro and off we went to Marais where we walked the streets, learned its history, and toured the Musee Carnavalet, Place des Vosges, and the Victor Hugo Museum. Seeing Dr. Guiotine's invention hanging on the wall was a little haunting. And I don't think we'd have seen the incredible painted wood ceiling of the Hugo bookstore on our own. Then on to Notre Dame for what would be the first of many visits. No tour this time though. The cherry trees on the side were in full bloom. Just beautiful. We then walked home through various streets, soaking up some sights and sounds in the Latin Quarter and St. Germain. Around 7:00pm, we bid Michael farewell for the night.

There was still lots of daylight. We didn't realize how long the days were. The sun didn't go down til around 9:00pm.

For dinner, we weren't looking for a lengthy meal. Nothing like falling asleep in your soup the first night in Paris. So we picked up a multi-grain baguette, some mystery cheese, and a bottle of wine from some vendors near the hotel and had an intimate picnic alone in the hotel's courtyard. A perfect end to a perfect first day.

After sleeping for 10 hours, we awoke to more sunshine. After a croissant from the bakery next door, we were ready for Michael at 9:30am. We walked to the Assembly and then to the Concord Plaza. More French history 101. Our first bus ride dropped us off at the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps where we were mesmerized by the Stunning dome, the amazing "food courts", the swirling chocolate fountain, and the tremendous view from the roof. From there, we visited Sainte-Chapelle. Against the sunlite sky, simply breathtaking. Didn't want to leave.

We then wandered into the Latin Quarter and toured the Conciergerie and the Musee National of Moyen-Age. By now it was clear that Michael excels at bringing this city to life.

For lunch we grabbed sandwiches from a street vendor and found a park to enjoy them. But finding a "clean" park bench proved a little more problematic. And I thought Venice had lots of pigeons...

Refreshed, we headed to Montmartre and found a cafe where we took in the the sights and sounds while enjoying drinks. Michael then led us up the back way to Sacre-Coeur. The white facade glowed against the bright blue sky. Tourists jammed the surrounding area where the artists lobbied for business. Inside, the church was spectacular. Outside, the views overlooking Paris were stunning. We then walked down the hill, past one of Picasso's homes and the Moulin Rouge where we said good nite to Michael.

Veterans of the Metro by now, we headed home. Dinner was at the nearby Bistro de la 7th which had a fixed price menu of 19E. For DW, tomato, mozzarella and basil; salmon; and ice cream and pear with wine sauce. For me, pork sausage; veal; and a chocolate concoction. Overall, good value but nothing particularly memorable except DW's dessert.

Walking home, we took a slight detour to the Eiffel Tower which was now a brillant, shimmering gold. We liked it even better then than we had during the day. Les Invalides was also glowing. Paris by night was truly spectacular.

Another wonderful day in Paris.
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Old May 15th, 2006, 02:43 AM
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dcd

Following with much interest.

Your flight originated in St. Louis. Are you from this area?

Please share the contact information for Michael, fees etc.

Thanks.

Sandy



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Old May 15th, 2006, 05:25 AM
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I'm loving your report! Keep it coming!
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Old May 15th, 2006, 05:52 AM
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dcd....what a great writer you are. The title threw me, thought you had murdered your wife and was going to commit suicide...wow...it didn't go the way I thought. I was shocked and amazed, can't even imagine going thru that...Paris sounds lovely in the Spring, I've only gone in September the two times I have been and plan again on this Sept.

This is indeed better than a novel....
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Old May 15th, 2006, 09:01 AM
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topping..

don't want everyone to miss this one
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Old May 15th, 2006, 11:00 AM
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ttt
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Old May 15th, 2006, 06:40 PM
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ttt
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Old May 15th, 2006, 06:59 PM
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I thought that this was a going to be a funny post too. How very tragic.

Topping to read the rest of the story. Wonderful writing.
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Old May 15th, 2006, 08:36 PM
  #32  
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Sandy, I'm originally from Washington, DC and have been in St. Louis since 1979. Michael Osman can be reached via his website: www.geocities.com/parisfinder/ and at [email protected]

Part 5

Paris must have cast a spell over us. Unlike at home, sleeping 9-10 hours was suddenly easy. Something about the leisurely pace of the city. And we were walking a lot. There seemed to be a 1:1 ratio between the hours walked per day and hours slept at night. And maybe the stress of the past 3 weeks had finally caught up with us.

It's now Sunday morning and we've slept in again. Time to get rolling. Today we're off to Versailles sans Michael. First order of business is deciding whether I want my croissant with or without chocolate. Decisions, decisions. I go with chocolate. My DW, who is very health conscious, has not been partaking of this fine Parisian ritual. She opted for the chocolate chip granola bar she brought from home. I admire her strength. But I'm a foodie. I thought Paris would magnify this difference and it did. Nevertheless, we're flexible and it wasn't an issue.

It's about 10am and we're off to the RER train station and line C. We try to buy round trip tickets from the gal behind the window, just like Michael said. But she shakes her head "no" and points to the vending sized ticket machines close by. Uh oh... I take a good, long look the contraption, push a few buttons, push a few more, and decide we may never make it to Versailles. Fortunately, the nice German couple who had just used the machine were still hanging around, probably picking up my "I'm clueless" vibes. Maybe it was my loud sighs. Maybe they could sense I just wanted to give the machine a swift kick. Whatever it was, they asked if we needed some help. After pointing out that we needed exact change, they hit all the right buttons and printed out exactly what we needed. I would never have been able to figure out the appropriate sequence. People like them make travelling fun.

We then took off on a surprisingly long underground hike. We weren't the only ones wondering if we'd finally found the right tracks. We had and we were soon on our way. Before long, the train was standing room only. As it came above ground, the sun began playing hide and seek with some gray looking clouds. Hmmmm, we had decided to leave the foldup raincoats and portable umbrellas back in the room.

In about 35 minutes, we got off the train with everyone else. In another 15 minutes, we were gazing at the very palace which some believe was the ultimate undoing of Louis XVI and his lovely wife, Marie.

We wanted to take the guided Opera House tour where you see the King's and Queens apartments (their separate bedrooms, guest rooms, dining rooms, etc.) and then finally the Opera House. Not knowing how to do this, we stepped into a crowded "Information" office where we were eventually helped by a very nice person. We were in luck, an English speaking tour was available at 2:00pm. That would give us plenty of time to check out the palace first.

We picked up our Opera House tickets (although we had trouble finding the ticket office) and then, armed with a Museum Pass, headed into the palace, bypassing the long line of tourists waiting to buy entry tickets. That was a huge time saver. Now we needed to pick up a couple of audioguide headsets for a self guided tour of the State Apartments. As we walked down this long, nearly empty corridor, we were wondering where all the people were. This was looking great, especially for my wife who hates crowds. At the end of this corrider, the signs pointed us to the right. After making the turn, my wife stopped dead in her tracks. It looked like Wall Street had been transplanted. Layers after layers of people. She told me she'd wait in the lounge area of the peaceful corridor while I rustled us up some headsets...

I dove into the fray, confused about where to go or what to do. Pushing my way forward, I noticed long lines of people to my left, standing in front of a row of windows that looked like they belonged in a race track. Must be the folks without a Museum Pass. A little past those windows, I saw a counter with a sign overhead with a picture of a headphone. And someone behind the counter was giving out headsets after being shown something. No doubt the Museum Pass. And the line wasn't too bad. Bingo! About 15 minutes later, I was at the head of the line, proudly showing my Museum Pass, and using charades, the universal language, to request 2 audio headsets. The male worker responded in French and not all that kindly. I wasn't really picking up what he was saying but he was shaking his head "no", saying something about a ticket, and motioning the person behind me to step forward.

Now what. While pondering my next brillant move, that Ira-like light bulb goes off in my dim head. This is a 2 step process: The people waiting in the now even longer race track window lines are there to get an audio headset ticket which then entitles them to wait in the line from which I'd just been booted. Another 15 or 20 minutes and I now, too, have the appropriate tickets. The Museum Pass is worthless in this instance.

Now it's time to see if DW is still where I left her or whether she'd grown weary of waiting and had ventured into the audio headset jungle to look for me in which case we may never find one another. Nope, she's sitting very serenely, reading a book without a worry in the world. Any trouble, she asks..... Muttering a few unintelligle sounds, male lingo for stress, she realizes I'm a little frazzled. Together, we find the counter line and in another 15 minutes, we finally have our @#*&! headsets.

In hindsight, the best approach here for people travelling in groups of 2 or more would be to have one person start waiting in the race track line to buy all the tickets while someone else is waiting in the counter line. If the person gets to the head of the counter line before the tickets arrive, give the person behind you the matador treatment until the tickets do arrive.

Well, the hassle was worth it. The State Apartments comprise one spectacular room after another and if it weren't for the headsets, we wouldn't have know what we were looking at. The Hall of Mirrors is still being renovated but half of it is now done, open to the public, and magnificent.

At the end of the tour, and we had to hurry a bit, there was just enough time to sit on some steps and eat the lunch we had brought via backpack (very good move), observe the dark clouds gathering on the horizon, and find the Opera House tour meeting place.

We both thought this tour, which lasted about an hour, was money well spent. As in the prior tour, you see one room more beautiful than the next. Plus the guide did an excellent job of furthering our knowledge of French history in the 1700s. And the opera house is incredible.

It was now about 3:00pm and time for the famous gardens. Being Sunday, the many fountains were allowed to dance, dazzle and shine to the accompaniment of soothing classical music spread through loudspeakers seemingly everywhere. The show costs an extra 6E each. We checked the sky, which was now mostly sunny, paid the fee, and away we went. We love gardens. It doesn't get much better for us than to be leisurely strolling these vast and beautiful grounds. After about 30 minutes, we headed for the Petit Trianon which for the uninitiated is about as far from the palace as you can get by foot, maybe 8-10 football fields or so.

It's all so peaceful. Horsedrawn carriages ferry awestruck passengers, lovers nuzzle on the many benches, statues adorn the walkways, and boats glide across the large pool of water. About then the gentle breeze that had been carressing our faces suddenly changes direction and grows stronger; the leaves on the trees now turn up violently to expose their backsides; and the dark clouds that had been flirting with the horizon are now aiming for the palace grounds. Zipping up our lightweight and waterproof jackets, we hope it will just blow over. But a few windswept rain drops suggest otherwise. Hmmmmm.... Well, I'm no Gene Kelly but it wasn't long before I was singing in the deluge. There is something crazy and romantic about getting soaked with your lover when you know there isn't a darn thing you can do about it except laugh and steal a few kisses. We joined the others, most of whom were as unprepared as we were, on a brisk retreat to the palace. In about 20 minutes or so, we found cover there, huddling with all the others.

Waiting out this storm appeared fruitless. After 20 minutes, my DW wife had had enough close contact with one stranger after another and was ready to splish splash our way to the train station. What the hell, we couldn't get any more wet. Off we went for another 15 minute jaunt.

The train station was in full mutiny. Most of the tickets were either too wet to work or had been lost. Tourists were jumping the turnstiles and the guards watched passively. Well, when in Rome.....

The train was waiting and we were lucky to find a couple of seats together. My DW, who frets over the slightest suggestion that she might be having a bad hair day, was in a great mood. We just looked at each other and laughed. Not wanting to break the mood but wanting to know if my beloved 35mm camera was now toast, I pulled its case out of the backpack and slowly opened it. You'd have thought I was opening my LSAT scores. I fumbled for the on/off switch and......there was power. Whew!! We'll never forget our afternoon at Versailles.

It seemed like a long ride back to Paris. Got colder the longer we rode. Water soon covered the floor from the collective dripping. But Paris was dry. We'd just missed their storm. In 10 minutes, we were back in our room. A shower and a change of clothes felt very good. We decided to stay in for the night. We picked up some more picnic fixings and a bottle of wine from our nearby friends and dined in the room. Romance was in the air.
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Old May 16th, 2006, 07:04 AM
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I love, love, love your report! Can't wait for more!
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Old May 16th, 2006, 07:12 AM
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What a great report..

More..please...
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Old May 16th, 2006, 08:00 PM
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dcd-
Please tell me more about the hotel and the neighborhood. I have reservations there in a few weeks. Thanks!
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Old May 17th, 2006, 05:02 AM
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dcd

How nice to know there are one or two other posters on this board from the St. Louis area. I have been here from the UK since 1963. I really do miss the direct flights out of St. Louis and last minute specials.

I am enjoying your report very much.

Sandy

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Old May 17th, 2006, 10:05 AM
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What a terrific report! I want to catch the next plane...to heck with walk-up airfares, I'm going...NOW.

How can one not love that city?!
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Old May 17th, 2006, 10:45 AM
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Great report, dcd, may I use part of it as a writing example for my 9th grade English students?
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Old May 17th, 2006, 12:04 PM
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What swirling chocolate fountain? Was this at Galerie Lafayette? All the times I have been there, how could I have missed a chocolate fountain?
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Old May 17th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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dcd
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To all, thanx for the nice comments.

Sandy, it is indeed nice to know another St. Louisian is contributing to this board. BTW, I forgot to disclose Michael's fees. I was about to tell you they were 70E per day but wasn't sure what his arrangement was for his expenses (Metro tickets, museum fees, etc.) so I just checked his original email to me last August. Now I'm utterly embarrassed. I paid him 70 E per day when his email plainly said 75 E per day plus his expenses to the museums, etc. Being the incredible gentleman that he is, he never said a word about being short changed over our 4 days together. Boy do I feel horrible. Never meant to stiff the guy. Well, tonite I will email him and ask for his address to send him the difference. I'm so glad you asked because it let me catch my error.

Looks like I got to run. I just picked up the following email from DW:

"Hi,

The fixed menu for this evening will be:

Meatballs in a Basil and Tomato sauce (featuring fresh
basil ,oregano, and
garlic) served over pasta
Green tossed salad with your choice of dressing
Warm fresh baked rolls with butter
Cabernet Sauvignon

Chocolate mousse with whipped topping. (Sprinkles
optional)


Only one seating will be offered this evening at
7:00-ish. Come join us in
our newly remolded kitchen and enjoy a delicious,
(well, passable)
authentic (I think the pasta is made in Italy) Italian
meal. Hope to see
you then. If you are unable to attend, there is a
microwave available for
reheating.

LY!"

Now isn't that incredibly sweet and creative!! She's the best. Hope she doesn't mind me sharing that message with my Fodors family. Well, it's 6:24pm now and I've got a 35 minute drive ahead of me so I'll report back later on.
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