Nina66's Paris Trip Report - 12/23/06 - l/5/07
 

Sorry for the delay, but the travel gods decided to wait until I got home to zap me immediately with a virus. The bad part is that I have been feeling horrible for over a week - the good part is that I have a great excuse for not unpacking and doing laundry right off the bat.

DH got was sick during our last three days in Paris, but he managed to do 'day' things, but unfortunately food and night things were not on his agenda. In fact, I was sure that I was soon be the 'Widow Nina', when he announced 'no more wine, coffee, or chocolate'. This along with very little food intake, actually lasted almost four days. After being home for a little over a week, he is fine now and I am doing what should have been done a week ago.

We rented an apartment near the Bastille which was clean, warm, and comfortable. Unfortunately I cannot share the info because it is only rented by word of mouth and my cousin's wife is a friend of the Parisan owner, so that is how we got it. She will only rent it to people that 'she knows' or on the personal recommendation of previous renters. I only mention the apartment as I know that there will be questions about where we stayed.

I had been emailing and talking on the phone to Andrea also from San Francisco, after she posted that she was looking for people to eat with in Paris, as she was traveling alone. She was staying only a very close to us, and she sounded like a warm, interesting person, so we arranged to meet up in Paris. She arrived there about four days before we did and left a week or so earlier. She thoughtfully emailed me weather reports from Paris.

Her apartment, the same one that Happytotravel stayed in a few months ago, was only l/2 block from ours' and she turned out to be a delightful addition to our trip.

We always travel alone, preferring that to having to adjust to the schedule and whims of of others. However, we're so glad that we did meet up with her and spent time together, and plan to see each other in SF, when she recovers from her Paris virus/cold.

Our flight arrived about at CDG at 1:20PM from our connecting flight in Frankfurt. Since we had cleared Immigration in Frankfurt, it was a breeze to go through CDG having only to claim our luggage and find the Yellow Shuttle.

We used Yellow based on the recent recommendations of several posters. I prefer taking a shuttle to our apartment because I like to see other areas where people are dropped off, often seeing hotels that I have only read about. I am also a cheap skate and hate to hear the ticking meter. We've had several bad experiences with Paris Airport Shuttle over the years, on our return trips back to CDG, so I don't make return reservations from home, but call while we are there. A lot of times we will just call a cab to the airport rather than the shuttle, we don't decide until the last few days.

The Yellow Shuttle arrived about 10 minutes after we claimed our luggage and there were only two other passengers, a couple, and we were dropped of first. The one way trip for two was 34 euros, cash, as I never give my credit card number when I reserve on line and in fact Yellow didn't ask for it.

In my emails and conversations with Andrea, we discussed dinner reservations for our first night. She made them with the understanding that we may be too tired to go out our first night and they may have to be cancelled.

We cleaned up and took a nap for several hours and we ready to hit the ground running. Andrea's apartment did not have a telephone and she was using her cell phone with her SF number and area code. Since we knew that we wouldn't buy a phone card the first day and that we couldn't make long distance calls from our apartment, she was the one who had to call us - a nice wake up call.

When left to our own devices, we often sleep from maybe 5:00PM to 9:00PM or 10:00PM, but on our last three trips, we've have had dinner plans with other people, which actally works well for us. It makes us get up at a decent hour and then go to bed, with the help of an Ambien, around midnight, so that we don't have jet lag and can function very well the next day.

We ate at Le Petite Pamplet, 15 r. St. Gilles, 0l.42.71.22.21, which was only a few minutes from our apartment. Metro: Chemin Vert.

It was warm, welcoming, and we had some of the best service of our trip. I had for a starter, a fricisse of poulty and snails was good, but not as good as I had hoped. My entree, pheasant was unremarkable, actually very boring.

DH has a starter of potatoes with a shirred egg and like it. His entree, fish (sorry but I didn't write it down), was excellent and he really enjoyed it.

With two dishes of apple compote with apple sherbet and wine, our share was 116 euros. Based on may meal, I probably wouldn't eat there again, but we may go back if we are staying nearby, as DH's enjoyed his entree so much, and the service was so gracious and friendly.

The next day, Christmas Eve Day, with Andrea, we went to La Baron Rouge by the d'Aligre Market, for some fabulous oysters and wine. It was fun and the food and atmosphere was a nice way to spend a Sunday lunch. It is normally a wine bar, serving only cheese and sausages, but on Sundays around noon, an oyster vendor sets up on the sidewalk in front.

There are three sizes/kinds of oysters - 10, 12, and 13 each per dozen. We three little piggies, Andrea included, shared three dozen between us. Wine by the glass was 3 euros.

We then walked through the market and picked up a few veggies, a few cute hats, some knives for DH and an oyster shucker for our planned New Year's feast.

Of course we also stopped at several bakeries/patisseries in the area, lest we starve to death after eating only a dozen oysters and bread - each.

We continued walking for over an hour and ended up at a large Monorix. A favorite for odds and ends and cheap souvenirs - not to mention their great inexpensive candy section.

That night we went to Jim Hayes' soiree, meeting up with Marcy and her family, and Needa and her DH Jeremy. We had a great time and I must confess that Marcy and I spent much of the time yacking and comparing travel notes and finds. We only spoke with Needa for a few minutes, but she was fun too.

DH met a Parisan who has been coming to these Sunday Soirees for years. I spoke with him briefly, but long enough for him to tell me about one of the highlights of our trip, a photo exhibition at the musee d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme, more on that later.

To be continued...

Nina

Hi Nina!
I've been eagerly waiting for your trip report- glad you're feeling better now.
It seems that especially in the winter the planes turn into absolute incubators for viruses. We came home with some nasty bugs, too. :(

Now I feel guilty that we spent all the time at Jim Haynes talking to each other and not mingling more, but I did really enjoy having a chance to talk to you.

I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

Hi, Nina, I've been waiting for you to post. I'm happy you are feeling better (and your husband.)

On Christmas Day we slept in and were just plain lazy. We purchased two Carte Orange passes good from Monday to Sunday midnight for 16 euros each. The automated ticket machines wouldn't accept our chipless credit card, so the agent had to enter in our card number by hand. We decided to get the weekly Carte Orange rather than a carnet, as with the cold weather, predicted snow and rain, we figured that we wouldn' walk as much as we nomally do.

Wrong... even for these two thin skinned Californians, the weather was tolerable with the proper clothing, warm gloves, scarves and hats. We rarely felt uncomfortable day or night, and since we had no snow and very little rain, which only lasted for a very briefly perids, at the end of our trip we were able to do a lot of walking until DH got sick.

We did get or monies worth from the Carte Oranges, probably breaking even and we like the convenience of using it.

We didn't walk as much as on previous trips, but we really did walk quite a bit, both pleasing and surprising ourselves.

Back to Christmas Day - after a nice breakfast at home and moving at a snail's pace, we wandered around for a while, which is one of our favorite activties. Then that evening we went to Andrea's wonderful apartment, in some respects, especially size-wise, it was better than ours'. Her's doesn't have a telephone and a washer but no dryer which would both be an inconenience for us, as we so far have not taken our cell phones. As we usually stay four to five weeks, and purchase phone cards for long distance calls and local calls while out and about - not that many, mainly a few dinner reservations for that night, a phone is important to us and of course for long stays, even a shorter one like this two week stay, a dryer is really handy. Other than that, her apartment was really spacious and comfortable and in a great location, and we may consider it for future trips.

Back to our Christmas Eve Feast thanks to Andrea. Andrea shops like I do, thinking that 20 people may suddenly drop by for dinner and we have to be prepared. Also there are so many tempting things in every shop in Paris.

We gourged on pates, cheeses, various breads and rolls, sausages, excellent wine, sweets, etc.... Yes, there was more than enough even if these mysterious strangers had dropped by unexpectedly.

After dinner we took the Metro to see the window displays at Printemps and Galerie Lafayette and other nearby smaller stores.
It was cold and probably 11:00PM and it was amazing the number of people out there, incuding many many infants and toddlers.

There is no way to explain the detail and and originality of the numerous animated displays.
This was definetly camcorder material ... which we didn't have. They were spectacular and very whimsical. Moving pots,pats, tea pots, tiny creatures of all kind, mainly animals, all kinds of colors and themes. This is our first holiday trip to Paris, as we usually go in the Spring or in the Fall. I had always wanted to see the Christmas lights and displays, which were even better than I had expected.

We walked around the area and then up the Champs. It had been about three hours since we had eaten and we were fading fast :-)), so up to one of our old standbys - Pino's Pizza. Sounds tacky, but DH has pizza withdrawls when we travel (at home too) and we have been going to Pino's for over 20 years. My favorite is the smoked salmon with creme fraiche. DH and Andrea had a kitchen sink type of thing, plus wine. Their salads are good too and we shared my favorite, tuna, egg, etc. Stay away from their Italian food - straight tomato sauce over pasta, veal etc.. Stick with pizza, salads and desserts and it will be a fun evening. It's funny, you'd think that they would attract an American clientle, but in all of our visits, the majority of the other diners appear to be French, young and older, mostly stylishly dressed. It is a huge three story restaurant, with a few other branches in other parts of Paris. It is open very late, at least until 2:00AM and this branch of the chain, is very convenient for dinner before or after a movie in area. Not gourmet, not even cheap, but a good meal.

We walked around for a while and since the Metro was closed (which we knew in advance) we took a taxi home.

A nice full Christmas Day was enjoyed by all.

The next day DH and again shopped and wandered around. We met up with Andrea for diner at one of the recommended restaurants on my list - Le Caveau de l'Isle on St. Louis.
After reading nothing but good reports here and in various food books, plus a rave review from my neighbor, we elminated some others and chose this one.

Upon arrival, we seated in the downstairs cave, with two other separate couples, both French based on their conversations. One couple was laughing and talkng constantly at the top of their lungs - I mean non-stop. The other couple hardly spoke, they were so busy making out during their meal. We have no idea if they got around to eating. At least they were very very quiet :-))

It took over 20 minutes for our waiter to reappear to take our orders. Then we waited almost a half an hour for our starters. Andrea and I had the salmon tartare, which was basically just chopped raw salmon with absolutely additions, onions etc.. and no flavor. We both doctored it up with salt, pepper and lemon juice. It was edible by then, but not very good. DH had onion soup which he said was mediocre. Not a promising start for an anticpated meal!

Our main courses were also delivered after an unreasonable wait, with the empty starter plates still sitting in front of us. The cave was empty and the upstairs as not full when we arrived for our 8:00PM reservation.

Andrea and I had two lamb chops with rosemary, sitting in their own juice, served with potatoes dauphansois (sp). The chops were very good and cooked rare just as we had ordered. The potatoes were thick and 'clumpy', good, but not that good.

DH had a rump steak, which he said was good but not great.

By that time we were alone in the cave. About 10 minutes after we had finished our main course, the waiter reappeared asking about coffee and dessert. Prior to his appearance we had all decided to forgo coffee and dessert there and to go elsewhere. DH asked for the check. After over 20 minutes for it, DH went upstairs and politely asked for the check. I seriously think that between the courses and after waiting for te check, the confused young waiter had totally forgotten about us. Based on he service, or lack of, and the disappointing starters, I doubt that we would eat there again. Our share was about 85 euros with wine.

Off we went on another walk, it was cold..... a couple on great nighttime shots of Notre Dame and then a walk on the left bank. Again, the need for more food, sweets to exact, overtook us. It was about 11:45PM and we decided that if we didn't go to a tourist area, which we really didn't want to do, we probably wouldn't be able to get anything this late. A nice lady walking and cleaning up after her little Yorkie, directed us to the Cafe Panise about a block away - also only a few blocks from Notre. Nice young waiter and good desserts. We enjoyed pear tartes and tarte tartine, along wth a hot chocolate, tea and coffee for 33 euros. A nice way to end the evening.

This was Andrea's last night as she was leaving early the next morning for home. We returned to her apartment as we had to walk right by it to get home, and spent a our last hour or so together in Paris. She planned to pack and stay up all night as she had a 6:00AM shuttle reservation. Brave, brave lady.

She generously gave us all of her leftovers - although leftovers is a poor poor choice of words. She loaded us up with pates, cheeses, etc... and a nice bottle of champagne which we drank on New Year's Eve, toasting her generosity and overshopping skills.

We had made on line reservations, based on rave recommendations on the board, for the Cirque Hiver. We picked them up the next day at FNAC which as only a few blocks from us, along it a Bessie Smith two CD set and a Muddy Waters two CD set. I love to buy music in Paris, both French, and American jazz, and blues.

We also bought our reservations for L'Orangerie, the new Branly and the Disney Exhibit at the Grand Palais. A must see building that we were fortunate enough to see in September of '05 before it opened. At that time, it was open free on a Sunday and the building itself was empty except for two giantic very old hanging world globes, some mirrors and filled with some very powerful pulsating digital sounds.

Time for a food break ... just like in Paris.

Nina

Thanks Cigalechanta. You are part of this report as well. We took your recommendation to go to the wonderful dog store -

Un Chien Dan le Marais
35, bis rue du Roi de Sicile
01.42.74.30.00, metro: St Paul

Our little Shih Tzu Zebulon, Zebby for short is now the proud owner of a black patent leather, genuine faux diamond name collar. Which is soooo NOT him.

Unfortunately, the letter B, accordingto the wonderful English speaking store owner, is the most popular letter in French dog names. So Zebby's collar, says ZEB, with an extra bone and a paw print piece.

He was hit of the dog park, and the regulars who know him well, were laughing with him, not at him. He was the star of the day and loving every minute of it.

While we were in the small, very narrow shop, two men came in with a pretty big French Bulldog. She (?) was wearing a very thick, pink rhinestone collar (sans name) and was absolutely adorable. I actually fogot to take a picture.

By the way, our pictures, which are being handled by DH, will be posted on Kodak or Shutterfly when he has the chance to do it. I shoot quite a few of them, but he is the technie in the family and takes it from there.

Marcy, I meant that as a compliment. I so enjoyed talking to you, and meeting your cute hubby and family members, that I really didn't even think about mingling. Your SIL's story about meeting/seeing Jim years before was very funny -considering the circumstances.

You are delightful company.

Nina

Fun report Nina and I am so glad to see you are both feeling better. You came home to cold weather here..brrr!
Any excuse to not unpack and do laundry works for me, lol. The part of the trip that I truly dislike.

Love your report. I feel as if I am there walking down the street with you, give us more.

Thanks for the report, Nina. I can't wait to read the rest, it sounds like such a lovely time overall.

Note: Pizza Pino serves until 5 a.m., which is one of the reasons that it is a favorite with locals.

I'm enjoying this, Nina. Looking forward to more ...

Anselm

Thanks for the "taste" of Paris. I am particularly fascinated by your report of things at that time of year.

Fun report, thanks for posting.

You caught the same thing that your husband had in Paris? So glad to hear you're feeling better now! Fun report, I love Paris in the winter.

For those of you heading for Paris in the next few days: we are still in the middle of a viral epidemic called "gastro" here and which I was brought up to call "the intestinal flu." Naturally, that is when your intestines try to leave your body, either out the top or out the bottom.

Good description Kerouac - DH concurs.

I'm getting my notes, actually 0 notes, scraps of paper, business cards and scribbles together and I'll continue my trip report shortly. Thanks for the kind words.

Marcy and her two daughters are in Paris now, I hope they don't catch the virus.

Nin

Nina, I haven't left yet- we leave on Friday. Right now I'm in the throes of packing-- Decisions, decisions!

Can you tell us where Pizza Pino is? We might have to give it a try. And the dog store sounds like a must- wouldn't our Goldens look precious with rhinestone collars!

kerouac, Thanks for the heads-up about the &quot;gastro&quot; bug going around. Some of us already had a bout with it over Christmas, and I <b><i>REALLY</i></b> hope we don't get it again!

I think we're going to be going through a lot of hand sanitizer- I hope that does the trick.

Nina- can't wait to hear more!

Nina, DH and I are heading to Paris on 2/22 for two weeks and, though we've been 3 or 4 times before, I'm always looking for new restaurants and interesting sites (of course, who among us isn't?).

I'm wondering if Le Caveau de l'Isle used to be Le Isle de Gourmet (your description of the cave basement sounds right). If so, we had several wonderful meals there over the years, but had heard it changed hands and haven't been back. Sadly, after your report we won't.

Can you provide an address for Cafe Panise, please?

We first started off at the Hotel de Ville ice rink. It was so much fun watching the small children skating. Some very young, may five or six year olds skated like little champs, while others clung to their parents, but obviously were having a wonderful time. The rink is free and the skate rentals were 6 euros.

Next to the rink was a free merry-go-round. It, and the rink, are the Major of Paris' gift to the City. I loved watching the expressions on the their small faces. Lots of gooey cotton candy was stuffed into those little faces.

Then a brisk - cold walk down the rue de Rivoli for what seemed like a mile (probably not that far, but in the cold, it seemed like it) to the recently re-opened Musee des Arts Decoratifs, 107 r. de Rivoli, 1er, Metro: Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre.

It has been closed for ten years. Closed Monday and open until 9:00PM on Thursdays. It is absolutely suburb, with an extensive and amazing collection of jewelry, and furniture, in various decorative styles from the Middle Ages to the present day. They have about 5,000 objects on display, all in well lit large rooms. The jewelry is the only thing in a dark room with lit cases.

I am a Decco and Nouveau buff and I especially enjoyed those pieces - often entire mathing rooms. Absolutely breathtaking.

One closed in display (like a life sized doll house) was Jeanne Lanvin's private apartments.

The museum is huge, nine floors. At first we started from the first floor up, and soon decided that it would be more productive to go to the top floor and walk down. The elevators were packed and so walking up or down the stairs was easier and faster.

Budget for plenty of time here - at least three hours. This is a must see.

Then a short stop at our favorite large store, BHV, about an hour before closing - with a promise to return in a few days when we really had the time to examine every tool in the basement hardware department. More on our really serious visit.

The day was tiring and cold, and we just wanted to kick back and eat in, so it was a loaf of bread and of course some pastries from Paul's on r. St. Antoine, one of our favorites. Paul's is a high quality chain with branches in other parts of Paris. Everything is top quality and fresh and they run out of baguettes usually around 5:00PM, or maybe a bit later. Next it was a roti chicken, complete wth those fabulous potatoes that the chicken 'drip' on as they rotate. Plus a few salads, and we were good to go. We already had the wine in the apartment.

The next day we went to the photo exhibit that the Parisan man at Jim Haynes' so enthusiastically recommended - Roman Vishniac, at the Musee d'art et d'historie du Judaisme, 71, rue du Temple, 3er.

Part of my family came from a small towns in Poland. My maternal grandparents came to Los Angeles in 1908 and most of my grandmother's sisters and families followed over the next
ten years. Some relatives, numerous cousins and aunts and uncles didn't want to leave and stayed in Poland until it was too late. The town Makow as they knew it, no longer exhisted after the war. I have never been able to find out much about it and the only other place that I have seen the name in writing is at Yad Vashem in Israel.

Roman Vishniac, I forget from which East European county he was from, was a scientist who turned his hobby, photography, into his life's work for many years. He sensed what was coming and wanted to document and preserve as much as he could. During the thirties, he went all over Eastern Europe photographing Jews in various situations. He stayed or got to know everyone he photographed and documented their names and stories - even going back after the war to follow up on them - few of whom still existed. To see their faces, read their names, and hear what was happening at that moment, was truly one of the moving experiences my life. He had taken pictures in Makow - and maybe I was looking at the faces of my unknown family members.

Not all of his 2,000 photos were saved, but enough to make a true statement of of the times.

He lived in the U.S. until his death in 1990. One, and possibly more of his photography books was published.

We walked through the Marais for quite a while after the exhibit, and then returned to another of our regular spots, Au Falafal on r. des Rosiers. Two vegetarian falafal plates with soft drinks, came to less than 30 euros.

A British couple in their mid 70's, sat at the table next to us and lightened my mood with their light and interesting chit chat. Every year during the winter, they take their houseboat to a different part of Europe for three months and live on the water. Burrrrr, by their own admission. They've wintered in Paris several times as well as their favorite place, Amsterdam. I don't remember if we asked how they got their boat from the UK.

Why do this in the winter we asked - cheaper and far less tourists on the waterways and in the docking areas was their answer. They were staying on the Canal St. Martin near the Bastille. She said that they are on a budget and usually eat in, but tonight was so cold that they wanted to be inside of a restaurant, and of course their kitchen is small and crowded.

Next a walk over to the nearby Ille St. Louis. All I could think of was a gelato from Amorono, 47 r. St Louis en I'lle. We had never been in this one before and I could hardly wait. This is a very small shop and we found once we got there, this is the only shop of this eight store chain (in Paris), that doesn't sell gelato - only candy. Candy is good, but not when you are anticipating and craving a gelato and please don't ask why we didn't go to he 'other' St. Louis ice cream institution.... that's a whole other thread :-))

A few doors up from Amorono, is one of our favorite stores, Pylones. They have great imaginative gadgets, pens, compacts, kitchen whisks, coasters, toasters, radio, all whimsical and very clever. Every year I buy lots of things, always promising DH that they are for gifts, well some of them at least. I really can't describe their merchandise fully, as there are so many different things. Next door they have a children's store. Great bibs and toys.

They have at least two other branches in the City, one is near the Pompidou. We always spend time on St. Louis, so this is the branch that we usually go to. Our little dog Zebby has been eating out of their cat head shaped dishes with a smiling cat face inside, since the day we bought him home. In this case, the food bowls came before the dog. This time we picked up two more, bright yellow and light blue.

After we got home, we actually me to be truthful, decided that we _had_ to go back to Pylones get some other 'gifts'.

I proof read this, but I always make so many typos ...I apolgize or the others.

Nina

MelJ ... the Caveau en Ille is near to the where the Reine Blanche was. I know the the name fo l'Gourmet and have probaby eaten there over the years, but I don't know if they are one and the same place.

Cafe Panise is on the street, on the Left Bank, that runs alongside of Notre Dame and the river. I'll check a map and let you know. It is a few blocks up that street, it was the only cafe that we saw, but of course it was late and any others may have been closed. Of course it was on the opposite side of that street or it would have been in the Seine. It is on a corner. Sorry I couldn't be more explicit. I don't remember if we paid with cash or a credit card. I'll check my receipts.

Remember, we didn't eat there, just dessert and warm beverages.

If you're going to be on the Ille or nearby, have you tried the Brasserie St. Louis? We usually have at least one meal there, but when we were in the area, it was closed, possibly for Christmas week and we forgot to check it the following week.

Sorry I couldn't give you more detailed help. Enjoy your trip - I wish I was going back that soon! (that crack was directed to Marcy ...one lucky gal).

Enjoy yourself Marcy, stay well and I'll be anxiously awaiting your trip report.

Nina

I think that I broke my own record for typos in that last post. A case of my fingers moving faster than my brain. I am a super fast typist, and a lousy proof reader. I guess that I don't like to read it after I have typed it .... I already know what it says!