Nukesafe's Final(?) French Huzzah
Oct 22nd, 2012, 08:32 AM
#27
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report nukesafe. I love reports from people who stay in the outer arrondissements even though I can never get myself away from the 5th and 6th.
Question - any reason why you did not tag this as a trip report? I wanted to continue reading this thread but had trouble fining it because it did not have the TR tag on it.
Question - any reason why you did not tag this as a trip report? I wanted to continue reading this thread but had trouble fining it because it did not have the TR tag on it.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 08:32 AM
#28
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DH and I are 70 and 67 respectively and wondering how much longer we will be able to indulge our passion for European travel. You give us hope that the answer may be able to be "for quite a while yet." Thanks for such a fun report. More please--both of this trip and more to come.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 10:29 AM
#32
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
AGM-Cape Cod: I am SOOOO impressed with your parents! That REALLY gives me hope for future trips.
Julie: You are a spring chicken to me. Keep up your wonderful trips and the reports thereof!
Nukesafe: Please, please, please, more of this interesting report. The apartment looks quite good, (well, did they change those chairs?)
Julie: You are a spring chicken to me. Keep up your wonderful trips and the reports thereof!
Nukesafe: Please, please, please, more of this interesting report. The apartment looks quite good, (well, did they change those chairs?)
Oct 22nd, 2012, 11:17 AM
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Friday morning the weather seemed dry enough for our long delayed Pere Lachaise cemetery jaunt. We made our way to Gambetta, bought a cemetery map from the news stand for €2.50 and walked a few blocks uphill to the gateway. What a wonderful place that is! A veritable maze of memorials, old and new. Some brightly clean, and others with tumbled down columns covered with layers of moss. We managed to find almost all of the graves we wanted to see, from Oscar Wilde to Abelard and Heloise, from Jim Morrison to Simone Signoret and Yves Montand, from Chopin to Pissaro. It took awhile to locate Marcel Marceau's grave, but since I had shared a few drinks with him many years ago, I particularly wanted to see it.
One thing I might mention that was a great help in not getting lost was Annette's iPad. Unfortunately. She bought the early Verison version, that does not work in Europe, except with WiFi. She carried it on our excursion because, while it will not receive data, it does have a GPS function that allows us to see where we are by downloading a Paris App for a few bucks. Being able to locate our exact position by looking at that little blue dot really was helpful.
We came out at the bottom of the cemetery at the main entrance, and looked for a place to have lunch. For Paris, it seemed a desert as far as restaurants go. I had noticed a nice looking place as we walked up from Gambetta on the Rue de Pere Lechaise to start our tour. We hopped back on the Metro and with one quick line change were soon back at Gambetta, where we had a very satisfactory lunch at a small brasserie, Le Ramus. http://www.le-ramus.fr/
From there we got back on the Metro and headed for the Musee Nissan de Comondo. Wonderfully preserved reproduction of 18th century life, with a heart rending story. We enjoyed it very much.
Then to the silly thing we did for the day. I had mentioned Le Manoir, earlier. It had caught Annette's eye as we walked past it on Rue Paridis the day before, and it looked spooky. Strange flickering lights deep within a cavernous entryway. She looked it up online back in the apartment, and it seems it is a sort of haunted house. On steroids. My beloved idiot loves anything to do with things theatrical, and wanted to go. I did not, being an old fart, but rather than have her go alone, I went too. Sure enough, it was a haunted house, through which you pass, “scared” by a series of things that dart out of dark holes, blasts of air, horrible creatures that confront you, and try to gross you out by splashing “blood” in your face, etc. It has a “cast” of 23 live bilingual “monsters”, who shout dull obscenities by rote at you in English or French, depending. The “characters” are not allowed to touch you, and ask you do not belt them one when they jump out at you. It takes about a half an hour, and costs €20. I thought it was dorky, but have to admit it was very elaborate and well done. http://lemanoirdeparis.fr/accueil/ Since that sort of thing is not my cup of tea, I can't recommend it --- but it certainly is something different to do in Paris.
Rain was forecast for the next day, Saturday. No surprise, as rain was forecast for almost every day of our trip, and sure enough it almost always did for at some point. Folding umbrellas in hand we set out early for the flea market in Vanves. Luckily, the rain held off in the morning, and we were able to explore the market without the benefit of precipitation.
Vanves, for those of you who are lovers of garage sales, flea markets, and estate auctions, as we are, would love this market! As opposed to the huge Clignancourt market on the other side of the city, where there is mostly junk in the streets, and high priced junk in the buildings, Vanves has blocks and blocks of street stalls with real vendors of an incredible variety of junk, trash and treasures; some of which is really good stuff at affordable prices.
I do woodworking as a hobby, and collect old tools. I am always on the lookout for wooden bodied molding planes, drawknives, and other woodworking items that show signs of human sweat from being used. The first thing I saw as I walked up to the market was a box of old tools sitting behind a dealers booth. He hadn't put the things out for sale as yet. I could see the end of a wooden-bodied jointer hand plane sticking up. I picked it up and asked the dealer, “How much?”
“Huit Euro”, he replied.
I was stunned. I would have paid several times that at home in a garage sale and gloated over it for weeks. “Oh, non, Monsieur, trop cher”, I said as my bargaining instincts went on automatic, pointing to the rust on the iron.
He instantly parried my thrust by scratching the rust at the top of the iron, indicating that there was probably a makers mark stamped at the top. A few more back and forth exchanges in the universal sign language of bargainers, and I could have had the thing for €5. I finally indicated I would think about it, and walked away with a tear in my eye. We travel light, and I could have never gotten the monster into my suitcase. It must have been just short of a meter long, and very heavy.
Damn!
Anyway, we spent several happy hours wandering poking through the booths. The only thing I did buy was a set of vintage apothecary's measures. Now, I know I don't need a set of bronze liquid measures that nest neatly inside a hinged, lidded, case, which itself forms the largest of the measures. Who needs to measure things in drams and scruples anymore? But there it was, in all its patinated glory, sitting on a table among a bunch of junk, with a sign that said that anything on the table was mine for €5. That did fit into my carry-on, and it still was under my 10 kilo weight limit.
Annette was interested in an old suitcase in which were a bunch of old postcard size original water color landscapes. The fellow wanted €35 each, and she was tempted, but did not buy. Now we will forever wonder if they were really something someone famous had done.
In any case, I recommend Vanves for anyone who is hooked on flea markets. BTW, for those of you living in Paris or those visiting Vanves, please do not tell the vendors that their vintage wood working tools are undervalued; I may go back with a big suitcase!
The afternoon was spent trudging up and down the Rue de Seine and surrounding streets looking for our elusive glass artists. We found two. One was a gallery that was showing the work of Yves Trucchi, a glass artist that was doing some interesting pieces, somewhat similar to what Annette is experimenting with, but using a different technique. We could not talk to the artist, as he works in the south of France, but we will try to contact him. The second gallery we found had some really interesting pieces by a Brigitte Sillard. The gallery was beautifully laid out and well lit, but was never open. We came by several times, too. Could not tell if the thick pieces were kiln formed/slumped or cast, but they were well done.
BTW, I want to thank Forum members, I don't recall which ones, that recommended Compeed. Those French blister strips are really great in protecting toes not used to keeping up with my Wife, the Energizer Bunny. They were really necessary by now.
After dark we braved the rain, which was falling quite steadily, to plunge into the Nuit Blanche festivities. We made our way on the crowded Metro to the Seine, where we had heard one could get the brochures listing the night's activities. On the way we saw a few installations, one with fluorescent bulbs flashing in unpredictable patterns. We headed to the Hotel de Ville, where we expected there to be some activity. There was. Many, many, people milling around, or standing in long lines in the steady drizzle, trying to poke out each others eyes with their umbrellas.
We managed to snag a brochure, and a couple of glow-in-the-dark stick on buttons from cute white-wigged girls in a Samsung booth, and then squished over to a street light to try to make sense of the thick book that listed and described all of the many installations. We ended up just totally confused. If we knew Paris intimately, we might have known the locations without resort to map or iPad, and if we had more French we might have understood it the installation was going to be worth a long trudge in the dark and rain. We wandered around, following the crowds of mostly young folks who seemed to know where they were headed, only to find they were headed to the ends of yet another long line that stretched through the rain into infinity.
The crowds seemed happy enough, but we were not, so we slogged across the bridge to our old haunt of Trois Mailletz, where we snagged a table upstairs, had a few overpriced drinks, and a bite to eat, while we listened to the an Asian lady belt out operatic arias in Italian. We got back to the apartment around 12:30. Our Forum member, the illustrious Kerouac, who is made of sterner stuff than we, did a photo report just a few days ago that will show you some of the things we did not see. Please look it up. This was our second Nuit Blanche, but we certainly enjoyed the first one much more.
The next installment will get us to Giverny
One thing I might mention that was a great help in not getting lost was Annette's iPad. Unfortunately. She bought the early Verison version, that does not work in Europe, except with WiFi. She carried it on our excursion because, while it will not receive data, it does have a GPS function that allows us to see where we are by downloading a Paris App for a few bucks. Being able to locate our exact position by looking at that little blue dot really was helpful.
We came out at the bottom of the cemetery at the main entrance, and looked for a place to have lunch. For Paris, it seemed a desert as far as restaurants go. I had noticed a nice looking place as we walked up from Gambetta on the Rue de Pere Lechaise to start our tour. We hopped back on the Metro and with one quick line change were soon back at Gambetta, where we had a very satisfactory lunch at a small brasserie, Le Ramus. http://www.le-ramus.fr/
From there we got back on the Metro and headed for the Musee Nissan de Comondo. Wonderfully preserved reproduction of 18th century life, with a heart rending story. We enjoyed it very much.
Then to the silly thing we did for the day. I had mentioned Le Manoir, earlier. It had caught Annette's eye as we walked past it on Rue Paridis the day before, and it looked spooky. Strange flickering lights deep within a cavernous entryway. She looked it up online back in the apartment, and it seems it is a sort of haunted house. On steroids. My beloved idiot loves anything to do with things theatrical, and wanted to go. I did not, being an old fart, but rather than have her go alone, I went too. Sure enough, it was a haunted house, through which you pass, “scared” by a series of things that dart out of dark holes, blasts of air, horrible creatures that confront you, and try to gross you out by splashing “blood” in your face, etc. It has a “cast” of 23 live bilingual “monsters”, who shout dull obscenities by rote at you in English or French, depending. The “characters” are not allowed to touch you, and ask you do not belt them one when they jump out at you. It takes about a half an hour, and costs €20. I thought it was dorky, but have to admit it was very elaborate and well done. http://lemanoirdeparis.fr/accueil/ Since that sort of thing is not my cup of tea, I can't recommend it --- but it certainly is something different to do in Paris.
Rain was forecast for the next day, Saturday. No surprise, as rain was forecast for almost every day of our trip, and sure enough it almost always did for at some point. Folding umbrellas in hand we set out early for the flea market in Vanves. Luckily, the rain held off in the morning, and we were able to explore the market without the benefit of precipitation.
Vanves, for those of you who are lovers of garage sales, flea markets, and estate auctions, as we are, would love this market! As opposed to the huge Clignancourt market on the other side of the city, where there is mostly junk in the streets, and high priced junk in the buildings, Vanves has blocks and blocks of street stalls with real vendors of an incredible variety of junk, trash and treasures; some of which is really good stuff at affordable prices.
I do woodworking as a hobby, and collect old tools. I am always on the lookout for wooden bodied molding planes, drawknives, and other woodworking items that show signs of human sweat from being used. The first thing I saw as I walked up to the market was a box of old tools sitting behind a dealers booth. He hadn't put the things out for sale as yet. I could see the end of a wooden-bodied jointer hand plane sticking up. I picked it up and asked the dealer, “How much?”
“Huit Euro”, he replied.
I was stunned. I would have paid several times that at home in a garage sale and gloated over it for weeks. “Oh, non, Monsieur, trop cher”, I said as my bargaining instincts went on automatic, pointing to the rust on the iron.
He instantly parried my thrust by scratching the rust at the top of the iron, indicating that there was probably a makers mark stamped at the top. A few more back and forth exchanges in the universal sign language of bargainers, and I could have had the thing for €5. I finally indicated I would think about it, and walked away with a tear in my eye. We travel light, and I could have never gotten the monster into my suitcase. It must have been just short of a meter long, and very heavy.
Damn!
Anyway, we spent several happy hours wandering poking through the booths. The only thing I did buy was a set of vintage apothecary's measures. Now, I know I don't need a set of bronze liquid measures that nest neatly inside a hinged, lidded, case, which itself forms the largest of the measures. Who needs to measure things in drams and scruples anymore? But there it was, in all its patinated glory, sitting on a table among a bunch of junk, with a sign that said that anything on the table was mine for €5. That did fit into my carry-on, and it still was under my 10 kilo weight limit.
Annette was interested in an old suitcase in which were a bunch of old postcard size original water color landscapes. The fellow wanted €35 each, and she was tempted, but did not buy. Now we will forever wonder if they were really something someone famous had done.
In any case, I recommend Vanves for anyone who is hooked on flea markets. BTW, for those of you living in Paris or those visiting Vanves, please do not tell the vendors that their vintage wood working tools are undervalued; I may go back with a big suitcase!
The afternoon was spent trudging up and down the Rue de Seine and surrounding streets looking for our elusive glass artists. We found two. One was a gallery that was showing the work of Yves Trucchi, a glass artist that was doing some interesting pieces, somewhat similar to what Annette is experimenting with, but using a different technique. We could not talk to the artist, as he works in the south of France, but we will try to contact him. The second gallery we found had some really interesting pieces by a Brigitte Sillard. The gallery was beautifully laid out and well lit, but was never open. We came by several times, too. Could not tell if the thick pieces were kiln formed/slumped or cast, but they were well done.
BTW, I want to thank Forum members, I don't recall which ones, that recommended Compeed. Those French blister strips are really great in protecting toes not used to keeping up with my Wife, the Energizer Bunny. They were really necessary by now.
After dark we braved the rain, which was falling quite steadily, to plunge into the Nuit Blanche festivities. We made our way on the crowded Metro to the Seine, where we had heard one could get the brochures listing the night's activities. On the way we saw a few installations, one with fluorescent bulbs flashing in unpredictable patterns. We headed to the Hotel de Ville, where we expected there to be some activity. There was. Many, many, people milling around, or standing in long lines in the steady drizzle, trying to poke out each others eyes with their umbrellas.
We managed to snag a brochure, and a couple of glow-in-the-dark stick on buttons from cute white-wigged girls in a Samsung booth, and then squished over to a street light to try to make sense of the thick book that listed and described all of the many installations. We ended up just totally confused. If we knew Paris intimately, we might have known the locations without resort to map or iPad, and if we had more French we might have understood it the installation was going to be worth a long trudge in the dark and rain. We wandered around, following the crowds of mostly young folks who seemed to know where they were headed, only to find they were headed to the ends of yet another long line that stretched through the rain into infinity.
The crowds seemed happy enough, but we were not, so we slogged across the bridge to our old haunt of Trois Mailletz, where we snagged a table upstairs, had a few overpriced drinks, and a bite to eat, while we listened to the an Asian lady belt out operatic arias in Italian. We got back to the apartment around 12:30. Our Forum member, the illustrious Kerouac, who is made of sterner stuff than we, did a photo report just a few days ago that will show you some of the things we did not see. Please look it up. This was our second Nuit Blanche, but we certainly enjoyed the first one much more.
The next installment will get us to Giverny
Oct 22nd, 2012, 11:34 AM
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry, I did not read some of the responses before posting the above. Yes, Nikki, there have been two more comfortable chairs added to the apartment. I must confess we used them mostly for piling junk upon, rather than for sitting, though. Had the iPad and my netbook set up on the table, and sat on the edge of the bed to apply Compeed strips to our blisters.
Tarquin, I did not notice Hotel Clip. It is only a few blocks South of Passage Saint Sebastian, where our apartment was located, but we never walked down that far. The one hat shop that I remember was named Marie Mercie, at 23 Rue Sulpice. Really strange hats! I'll have to wait until Annette digs out a receipt to find the name of the shop in Village Saint Paul.
Tarquin, I did not notice Hotel Clip. It is only a few blocks South of Passage Saint Sebastian, where our apartment was located, but we never walked down that far. The one hat shop that I remember was named Marie Mercie, at 23 Rue Sulpice. Really strange hats! I'll have to wait until Annette digs out a receipt to find the name of the shop in Village Saint Paul.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 11:42 AM
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tarquin, Annette just showed me the receipt. I was not allowed a glimpse of the bottom part, with the prices, but the shop is called Brykalsky, and is located at 9 Rue Saint-Paul.
Oct 22nd, 2012, 09:50 PM
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We happened to be near Gare de l'Est earlier in the week, and decided to get our tickets to Giverny there to avoid the rush on the day we decided to go. Had to wait in line for a bit, but got a very pleasant young chap (anyone under about 60, to me.) to advise us on tickets. We told him we wanted to go to Vernon on the earliest train. He said that would be around 6:00 in the morning, so we decided on the 07:15. He was very helpful, even popping into the back room to get us a schedule for the Vernon train; that train does not leave from that station, so the schedules are not readily at hand. The morning forecast for Giverny said Sunday morning would have only a 10% chance of showers, as apposed to Paris with 30%, so we decided to go, even if Sunday might be more crowded.
Up early, and to Gare Saint-Lazare – only to find that there is no 07:15 train to Rouen/Vernon on Sunday. (One should really take the time to read the schedule given to one by the kindly young man.) There was an 08:20, however, which gave us time for coffee, and croissant/confiture.
The ride to Vernon was pleasant and quick, and we arrived shortly after 09:00 to find the buses waiting that took us to the parking lot. It was a bit of a walk to the gates, but by 09:30 we were at the Japanese bridge, almost alone, in sunny weather, snapping pictures like mad. We had been worried by reports that the flowers would be all gone, and the gardens not worth seeing. We, however, felt that our objective was to see where Monet lived, worked, and gained his inspiration. He lived there in the Fall and Winter, as well as the flower laden Spring. In the event, the ponds were filled with lily pads, the gardens lush with Fall flowers, and the entire place had a feeling that you could turn a corner in the path at any moment and come upon an old bearded guy with a paintbrush and pallet, and who am I to complain about old bearded guys?
After a tour of the house, and the really nice gift shop, we left and walked around Giverny for a bit. We had something to drink in a cafe and, taking a different route back to the bus parking lot, stumbled upon a few more galleries. One was run by a very charming sculptress who was showing some bronzes I would have loved to own. She asked about Annette's work, and since she seldom is without her iPad, we were able to show her the kind of things my gal is doing. The sculptress mentioned she knew of a glass artist, with a gallery in the south, who's name she would send us later. FYI, if you are interested, you can see Annette's web site at: http://lumenaeries.com/Lumenaeries.com/Welcome.html Go to the “Dimensional Landscapes” and “Glass Fabrics” sections of the Galleries to see the direction of her latest works.
The trip back to Paris was uneventful, except we got on the wrong train. The announcement for the next train said something about Paris, and a delay, but suddenly there it was, five minutes early. A bunch of us followed each other on like sheep and sat down. Pretty soon the conductor came through and informed us that we were on a train that would Terminate a stop or two outside of Paris. After a babble of panic, it became clear that we merely needed to get off at that station, and the proper train, which had been delayed by five minutes, would pick us up and get us to Paris. All ended well.
Since we were back in Paris in the early afternoon, we felt we had time to zip out to see the Sunday art market on Blvd. Edgar Quinet, at the foot of the Montparnasse Tower. How wonderful is the Paris transportation system that allows one to do this?! Anyway, there were a few interesting things which made the trip worthwhile, but no glass art, as usual.
That's going to have to be enough for now; I feel a nap coming on. I'll tell you about the Baccarat Museum, and the Drouot Auction House later.
Up early, and to Gare Saint-Lazare – only to find that there is no 07:15 train to Rouen/Vernon on Sunday. (One should really take the time to read the schedule given to one by the kindly young man.) There was an 08:20, however, which gave us time for coffee, and croissant/confiture.
The ride to Vernon was pleasant and quick, and we arrived shortly after 09:00 to find the buses waiting that took us to the parking lot. It was a bit of a walk to the gates, but by 09:30 we were at the Japanese bridge, almost alone, in sunny weather, snapping pictures like mad. We had been worried by reports that the flowers would be all gone, and the gardens not worth seeing. We, however, felt that our objective was to see where Monet lived, worked, and gained his inspiration. He lived there in the Fall and Winter, as well as the flower laden Spring. In the event, the ponds were filled with lily pads, the gardens lush with Fall flowers, and the entire place had a feeling that you could turn a corner in the path at any moment and come upon an old bearded guy with a paintbrush and pallet, and who am I to complain about old bearded guys?
After a tour of the house, and the really nice gift shop, we left and walked around Giverny for a bit. We had something to drink in a cafe and, taking a different route back to the bus parking lot, stumbled upon a few more galleries. One was run by a very charming sculptress who was showing some bronzes I would have loved to own. She asked about Annette's work, and since she seldom is without her iPad, we were able to show her the kind of things my gal is doing. The sculptress mentioned she knew of a glass artist, with a gallery in the south, who's name she would send us later. FYI, if you are interested, you can see Annette's web site at: http://lumenaeries.com/Lumenaeries.com/Welcome.html Go to the “Dimensional Landscapes” and “Glass Fabrics” sections of the Galleries to see the direction of her latest works.
The trip back to Paris was uneventful, except we got on the wrong train. The announcement for the next train said something about Paris, and a delay, but suddenly there it was, five minutes early. A bunch of us followed each other on like sheep and sat down. Pretty soon the conductor came through and informed us that we were on a train that would Terminate a stop or two outside of Paris. After a babble of panic, it became clear that we merely needed to get off at that station, and the proper train, which had been delayed by five minutes, would pick us up and get us to Paris. All ended well.
Since we were back in Paris in the early afternoon, we felt we had time to zip out to see the Sunday art market on Blvd. Edgar Quinet, at the foot of the Montparnasse Tower. How wonderful is the Paris transportation system that allows one to do this?! Anyway, there were a few interesting things which made the trip worthwhile, but no glass art, as usual.
That's going to have to be enough for now; I feel a nap coming on. I'll tell you about the Baccarat Museum, and the Drouot Auction House later.
Oct 23rd, 2012, 04:00 AM
#39
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 602
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nukesafe, I'm continuing to read and enjoy your report. I'm so glad you enjoyed Giverny in the fall. My absolute favorite month to visit is September in it's fall glory. You and your dear wife are continuing to amaze me with your energy and the amount of ground you covered on your trip. What is this about a Sunday Art Market? How fabulous. Your post is the first I've ever heard of it. (Where oh where have I been?) That will be on the agenda for my next trip. I look forward to hearing about the Baccarat Museum and the Drouot Auction House, two more places I haven't been. I will continue to follow along. I enjoy your writing style and your energy.
