My First Trip to Provence and Paris...Loved!!!
May 30th, 2013, 06:51 PM
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First, for Susan and Schnauzer, the name of the restaurant we had lunch in, on Isle St. Louis, was Le Sarrasine, turns out it was a creperie, tho' I think only two of the four of us had crepes there. It wasn't a "don't miss" but it was quite lovely. Tucked in next to a larger corner café, easy to miss since it's under the same awning but is separate. And,it was a door or two away from the Berthillon window. Btw, we had zero people in line at that window, so either we were at the wrong place and they were selling Berthillon ice cream but it wasn't the main window everyone talks about, or we were just incredibly lucky, which seemed to happen a lot this trip! I think it was the right window, as it looked just like people's pics I've now seen. Of course, the weather was not really ice cream weather, so I suppose that helped 
And now, for our last day in Paris...
High on our list was to get back to Musee D'Orsay to see the rest of the museum, as on Tues. had gone late and only done the 5th floor. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the 5th floor visit! We then took the metro to see the Opera Garnier that had been closed by the time we got there. We took a direct line to one stop over, and when we got off the metro, it was sunny!! We'd not had much sun all week, so this was very exciting. And of course, demanded a stop for lunch sitting outdoor at a café. I didn't get the names of all the cafes, we often didn't have lunch at all, but when we did, I typically got some kind of salad with goat cheese and various other possibilities, and it was always good. And of course, had bread with it.
We did get inside the Opera Garnier this time, heard a little bit of a rehearsal, and saw the splendor of the hall with all the chandeliers and mirrors. We regretted not having bought some of the cheaper tix and gone one evening, but that's what next time's for (if only there weren't so many other places I also want to go, tho, making me wonder how many years it will be til next time. oh well, guess it's all good...)
From there we took the metro to Place Monge and walked over at the bottom of the street, to Rue Mouffetard and the market there (the market at Place Monge was long since over by that time, but we could still smell the fishmongers!). Enjoyed walking up Rue Mouffetard, seeing the mix of local fruit, fish, cheese places mixed with the more touristy shops. I finally did buy a couple scarves, and now wish I'd bought more.
Then, the Pantheon...we'd walked within a block of it several times, but hadn't yet gone in, so we finally did. This was a place I was glad I went to, tho' I didn't feel a need to spend a lot of time there. Started with the crypts as they were to close that area soon, and then came back up and gawked at the amazing columns.
DH actually still had some energy after that to check out the Chagall exhibit at the musee by the Luxembourg Gardens, but not me, I was ready to check out the bed at the hotel. So after getting ridiculously turned around and lost and spending at least 45 minutes to get to our locations when it should have been about 10 (I love dh, this one was clearly my fault and he never mentioned that, even when I was the one who started complaining about how tired I was - just said, "this is what we're good at, getting lost in pretty places.
And for our last night's activity, we'd gotten tix for an evening cruise along the Seine, we took the 9:30 so we could see the Eiffel Tower light up just as we got there. It was a great way to end the trip (actually didn't plan it that way, wanted to do it earlier in the week but the weather never cooperated). However, dh didn't enjoy as much because he didn't dress warmly enough, so make sure you bundle up if need be! After the cruise, we stopped back at the same creperie we'd been to our first night, and something just felt very right about that.
And so ended our trip. Re-entry has been more difficult than usual. The ONLY thing I can think of that I didn't like on this trip, was the smokers at the outdoor cafes. Everything else for me was positive: the people, the bread, the bikes, the cafes, so many foods made with an egg on top, the bread, the art, the charm, of course the beautiful buildings everywhere we turned, the bread, the doorknobs, the fashion, the easy metro, have I mentioned the bread? Several people have asked me what my favorite memory of the Paris part of the trip was, and tho' clearly there were a few stand-out moments for me, my answer really is the overall ambience more than any one place.
And so with this now done, I'll turn to reading trip reports of some of the places on the list of possibilities for a next trip, probably a couple years away...Andalucía, Peru, Greece, southern Italy, other places I haven't thought about yet...my immune system definitely can not fight off this travel bug, thank goodness. Look forward to seeing you all in the France forum and elsewhere, and again, thank you all so much for your kind comments! (and of course, am happy to answer any other q's that I can, for people on their way)
And now, for our last day in Paris...
High on our list was to get back to Musee D'Orsay to see the rest of the museum, as on Tues. had gone late and only done the 5th floor. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the 5th floor visit! We then took the metro to see the Opera Garnier that had been closed by the time we got there. We took a direct line to one stop over, and when we got off the metro, it was sunny!! We'd not had much sun all week, so this was very exciting. And of course, demanded a stop for lunch sitting outdoor at a café. I didn't get the names of all the cafes, we often didn't have lunch at all, but when we did, I typically got some kind of salad with goat cheese and various other possibilities, and it was always good. And of course, had bread with it.
We did get inside the Opera Garnier this time, heard a little bit of a rehearsal, and saw the splendor of the hall with all the chandeliers and mirrors. We regretted not having bought some of the cheaper tix and gone one evening, but that's what next time's for (if only there weren't so many other places I also want to go, tho, making me wonder how many years it will be til next time. oh well, guess it's all good...)
From there we took the metro to Place Monge and walked over at the bottom of the street, to Rue Mouffetard and the market there (the market at Place Monge was long since over by that time, but we could still smell the fishmongers!). Enjoyed walking up Rue Mouffetard, seeing the mix of local fruit, fish, cheese places mixed with the more touristy shops. I finally did buy a couple scarves, and now wish I'd bought more.
Then, the Pantheon...we'd walked within a block of it several times, but hadn't yet gone in, so we finally did. This was a place I was glad I went to, tho' I didn't feel a need to spend a lot of time there. Started with the crypts as they were to close that area soon, and then came back up and gawked at the amazing columns.
DH actually still had some energy after that to check out the Chagall exhibit at the musee by the Luxembourg Gardens, but not me, I was ready to check out the bed at the hotel. So after getting ridiculously turned around and lost and spending at least 45 minutes to get to our locations when it should have been about 10 (I love dh, this one was clearly my fault and he never mentioned that, even when I was the one who started complaining about how tired I was - just said, "this is what we're good at, getting lost in pretty places
.And for our last night's activity, we'd gotten tix for an evening cruise along the Seine, we took the 9:30 so we could see the Eiffel Tower light up just as we got there. It was a great way to end the trip (actually didn't plan it that way, wanted to do it earlier in the week but the weather never cooperated). However, dh didn't enjoy as much because he didn't dress warmly enough, so make sure you bundle up if need be! After the cruise, we stopped back at the same creperie we'd been to our first night, and something just felt very right about that.
And so ended our trip. Re-entry has been more difficult than usual. The ONLY thing I can think of that I didn't like on this trip, was the smokers at the outdoor cafes. Everything else for me was positive: the people, the bread, the bikes, the cafes, so many foods made with an egg on top, the bread, the art, the charm, of course the beautiful buildings everywhere we turned, the bread, the doorknobs, the fashion, the easy metro, have I mentioned the bread? Several people have asked me what my favorite memory of the Paris part of the trip was, and tho' clearly there were a few stand-out moments for me, my answer really is the overall ambience more than any one place.
And so with this now done, I'll turn to reading trip reports of some of the places on the list of possibilities for a next trip, probably a couple years away...Andalucía, Peru, Greece, southern Italy, other places I haven't thought about yet...my immune system definitely can not fight off this travel bug, thank goodness. Look forward to seeing you all in the France forum and elsewhere, and again, thank you all so much for your kind comments! (and of course, am happy to answer any other q's that I can, for people on their way)
May 30th, 2013, 07:30 PM
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Thanks for the restaurant tip, go_laura. I actually love crepes, so sounds great to me (with a little ice cream afterwards a couple doors down). I've made note of the other restaurant you recommended on my thread (down by Luxembourg). Those soufflés look devine!
I've really enjoyed your report!
I've really enjoyed your report!
Jun 4th, 2013, 06:15 PM
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Laura, enjoyed your report. I am curious about the Musee D'Orsay. I live in Bucks County and was thrilled with the new Barnes Museum in Philadelphia. Have you been there? If so, how does it compare to the Musee D,Orsay?
Jun 5th, 2013, 04:55 PM
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Hi dondo,
Yes, I've been to the Barnes...since Impressionism is one of my favorite kinds of art, I loved both places, but they're different, and I'm not sure I can compare.
As I'm sure you know, at the Barnes everything is hung according to the collector's wishes. The rooms are small and a very large number of incredible paintings are very close together. It's unique and special and certainly for me a different way of viewing art.
Musee D'Orsay on the other hand is a converted train station, the space is big and light, and paintings and sculptures are spaced and lit more as one would expect.
I suppose if I had to pick, Musee D'Orsay would be my preference. However, you will hear no complaints from me that with the Barnes now just a half hr. train ride away from home, I can go often!
Yes, I've been to the Barnes...since Impressionism is one of my favorite kinds of art, I loved both places, but they're different, and I'm not sure I can compare.
As I'm sure you know, at the Barnes everything is hung according to the collector's wishes. The rooms are small and a very large number of incredible paintings are very close together. It's unique and special and certainly for me a different way of viewing art.
Musee D'Orsay on the other hand is a converted train station, the space is big and light, and paintings and sculptures are spaced and lit more as one would expect.
I suppose if I had to pick, Musee D'Orsay would be my preference. However, you will hear no complaints from me that with the Barnes now just a half hr. train ride away from home, I can go often!
Jun 5th, 2013, 05:45 PM
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Laura, am in our vacation apartment in Montmartre. It is the fifth day of our two week vacation in Paris. We had the pistachio at Berthilon today and I believe it is the best ice cream ever (with the Chantilly whip on top). I am going to try to find the Le Cuisine de Phillipe. Today was the first day we did not just have a very filling crepe at lunchtime and then just bread and cheese and pastries in our apartment for dinner. I am not a red meat eater but I enjoyed our dinner at Chez Tionette in Montmartre especially the veggies. Still need to cross off hot chocolate, soufflé and the Eiffel Tower at nite off the list. Have enjoyed your posts and hope to find a couple places you mentioned. Thank you.
Jun 6th, 2013, 05:35 PM
#55
I'm always surprised to hear that they were rude at the Café de Flore. I've been twice and treated very well. The second visit, my friend and I were seated outside. At our round table under glass was a cartoon of the Flore by a favorite of mine, Sempe. I asked the head waiter if I could have one and
He gave me two. My friend retuned from the ladies room and said she wanted one and asked, he gave her one too.
He gave me two. My friend retuned from the ladies room and said she wanted one and asked, he gave her one too.
Jun 6th, 2013, 07:00 PM
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This has been a delightful report! A great pleasure to read, and reaffirms the thought that attitude is everything! You surely have the right attitude, which made the trip a pleasure for you, and a treat to read about. Many thanks.
Jun 6th, 2013, 07:09 PM
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Cigalechanta, my intention was not at all to say that the waiter at Cafe de Flore was rude, but rather that the rudeness was on the part of the people who couldn't even be bothered to say "Bonjour" or attempt a couple words of French as they placed their order.
In turn, the waiter who was not rude but just a little snarly (think certain big city delis in U.S.), became even more so, rather than less so, to them, while at the same time he became friendly to us.
We so often reap what we sow. Now, if only the bunnies would stay away from my swiss chard, I could really stand by that statement ;-) (but they've left the other veggies alone so far, so not complaining!)
In turn, the waiter who was not rude but just a little snarly (think certain big city delis in U.S.), became even more so, rather than less so, to them, while at the same time he became friendly to us.
We so often reap what we sow. Now, if only the bunnies would stay away from my swiss chard, I could really stand by that statement ;-) (but they've left the other veggies alone so far, so not complaining!)
