Our London and France trip recap!
Jul 27th, 2006, 03:48 PM
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Our London and France trip recap!
My husband and I returned from our trip to London and France this past weekend. We had a great time. Unfortunately, we only had three days in London but we managed to pack quite a bit in. We went to:
Buckingham Palace- My Frommer's guidebook said the changing of the guard takes place at 11:15, but it actually takes place at 11:30. We got there at 10:45 but decided against waiting until 10:30 as there were quite a bit of people there.
St. James's Park- this is next to Buckingham Palace. Worthwhile if you like birds.
The British Museum- I was on the fence about going but I'm glad I did! Definitely worthwhile--very contemporary displays.
Tate Modern- I've been wanting to go to this museum ever since they opened (I love contemporary art)--they had a great installation that was basically a collage of films with music-related clips that were shown on four screens simultaneously--memorable.
Design Museum- this was probably the one thing we could've skipped out on. It cost 7 L but was quite small.
Shopping on Oxford Street- a mad, mad experience, at least on the weekend. I had to go to Topshop though.
Spitalfields Market- this was ok, skip out on Arkansas Cafe which I believe was recommended in Frommer's. The British do not know their barbecue.
Borough Market- worthwhile, especially if you like food. I wish I lived near this place so I could go there everyday.
Portobello Market- nice but crowded. I recommend going early.
London Wetland Centre- recommended if you like birds, also was a nice spot outside of metropolitan London.
Hampton Court Palace- nice but a little disappointing. The maze garden was much smaller than I had hoped for.
Fuerzabruta- a new show at the Roundhouse. I'm so glad I found out about this show before our trip--it's by the producers of De La Guarda and is amazing. Highly recommended though be prepared to stand in a crowded theater for an hour and a half.
The food in London was good but expensive and can't quite compare with France.
French side of the Basque region:
My uncle lives in Bayonne, so we took a RyanAir flight (the only airline that flies into Biarritz, the local airport) from London to Biarritz. Biarritz is beautiful. Bayonne is also very nice. And my uncle drove us to a bunch of towns around the Basque region, including San Sebastian. The drive and the towns were really nice though several of the towns were fairly similar to one another.
Paris:
We stayed in two hotels in Paris:
Hotel Ecole Centrale- we only stayed here our first night but it's very nice and is in a good location (it's literally across the street from the Metro!)
Le Meridien Montparnasse- We've had nothing but good luck with Priceline and this hotel was no exception. Centrally located (it's across the street from a major rail station, blocks away from the Metro, and across the street from an Air France shuttle bus stop that takes you to Charles DeGaulle Airport), I recommend this hotel if you value comfort and convenience (though I wouldn't pay the full price of 450 Euro for it). It's also a great location if you like to shop as there is a mall with a Galleries Lafayette nearby along with numerous stores such as Mango and others--I did nearly all my shopping in Paris in Montparnasse. Take advantage of this on a hot day!
What we did:
Evening boat ride on the Seine- we took the Bateaux-Parisiens which has departure points from the Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower but there are many boats that you can take.
Louvre, Pompidou Centre, Musee d'Orsay, Sainte Chapelle, and any other sights you can squeeze in with your Paris Museum Pass. We actually felt Versailles was somewhat overrated--the train that takes you there and Versailles itself are un-air-conditioned so I recommend that you go there early.
Jardin de Luxembourg- nice and worthwhile though I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the gardens we saw in Paris. I think the dirt paths detract from them--we were more impressed with the gardens we saw in Japan.
Bois de Boulogne- I made the mistake of going here in attempt to go to Parc de Bagatelle. Not recommended if you don't have a car--should've known it was a bad sign when the people we approached for directions said, Parc de Bagatelle, that's far!
Ate, a lot--below are my reviews of the restaurants we went to:
Dame Tartine- we went to the one located near the Pompidou Centre fountain. Good option near the Pompidou.
Auberge de Jarente- 7 rue de Jarente (Metro: Bastille or St-Paul). We went here specifically because we didn't really get a chance to try Basque food when we visited my uncle and aunt. I was disappointed with their menu though--I do recommend the chocolate fondant though.
Chez Maitre Paul- 12 Rue Monsieur le Prince (Metro: Odeon) I read I believe on TripAdvisor that they had excellent coq au vin but there was no coq au vin on their menu. I was also a little disappointed with my dish (I believe I ordered a chicken and mushroom dish)
Le Cafe du Marche- 38 rue Cler (Metro: Ecole-Militaire). A good lunch spot on Rick Steve's favorite street in Paris--I went here because I read they had warm chevre salad which became my obsession after my cousin ordered a fantastic one in Bayonne but I don't recommend the chevre salad here--instead, order the Indian chicken one.
Cafe Faubourg- 15 rue Boissy d'Anglas (Metro: Concorde)- some travel writer posted an amazing review of this place on the internet so I added it to my list. Unfortunately, going to this restaurant was a mistake for us--it's in an expensive hotel restaurant and, while the food was pretty good, you can do better for considerably less.
A la Biche au Bois- 45 ave Ledru Rollin (Metro: Quai de la Rapee) Decadent coq au vin--the sauce is very rich and they have both chicken and duck in theirs. I loved the mushroom appetizer I ordered off the prix fixe menu.
Creperie de Josselin- 67 rue de Montparnasse (Metro: Montparnasse) this place was also recommended but we were disappointed--maybe it's the fact that we're not used to buckwheat crepes but I thought my ham and cheese crepe tasted a little burnt.
Le Gros Minet- 1 rue des Prouvaires (Metro: Chatelet) recommended- I had the scallop dish off the prix fixe menu and my husband had a lamb or pork dish that came with excellent french fries!
I might add that all the restaurants we went to, save for Le Cafe du Marche (which did have outdoor sprays) and Dame Tartine were air-conditioned! This can make a big difference on a hot day.
Tip: Bring a hand fan--the subways in London and Paris aren't air-conditioned and the ones in Paris especially can't get extremely hot! Also, quite a number of cafes and restaurants in Paris aren't air-conditioned.
Flight: We flew into London and out of Paris on American Airlines. Our flight to London went smoothly but our return flight from Paris was delayed by at least three hours. It was annoying but I met a couple who had been evacuated from Beirut so it put things in perspective. Also, AA e-mailed us today to inform us that we've been given 10,000 bonus miles to compensate for the experience! We were both pretty impressed.
Question:
Why is the only ice tea that London and France seemed to have peach ice tea?
For more on my trip and photos, you can go to my blog at http://www.bloggingsouls.com.
Buckingham Palace- My Frommer's guidebook said the changing of the guard takes place at 11:15, but it actually takes place at 11:30. We got there at 10:45 but decided against waiting until 10:30 as there were quite a bit of people there.
St. James's Park- this is next to Buckingham Palace. Worthwhile if you like birds.
The British Museum- I was on the fence about going but I'm glad I did! Definitely worthwhile--very contemporary displays.
Tate Modern- I've been wanting to go to this museum ever since they opened (I love contemporary art)--they had a great installation that was basically a collage of films with music-related clips that were shown on four screens simultaneously--memorable.
Design Museum- this was probably the one thing we could've skipped out on. It cost 7 L but was quite small.
Shopping on Oxford Street- a mad, mad experience, at least on the weekend. I had to go to Topshop though.
Spitalfields Market- this was ok, skip out on Arkansas Cafe which I believe was recommended in Frommer's. The British do not know their barbecue.
Borough Market- worthwhile, especially if you like food. I wish I lived near this place so I could go there everyday.
Portobello Market- nice but crowded. I recommend going early.
London Wetland Centre- recommended if you like birds, also was a nice spot outside of metropolitan London.
Hampton Court Palace- nice but a little disappointing. The maze garden was much smaller than I had hoped for.
Fuerzabruta- a new show at the Roundhouse. I'm so glad I found out about this show before our trip--it's by the producers of De La Guarda and is amazing. Highly recommended though be prepared to stand in a crowded theater for an hour and a half.
The food in London was good but expensive and can't quite compare with France.
French side of the Basque region:
My uncle lives in Bayonne, so we took a RyanAir flight (the only airline that flies into Biarritz, the local airport) from London to Biarritz. Biarritz is beautiful. Bayonne is also very nice. And my uncle drove us to a bunch of towns around the Basque region, including San Sebastian. The drive and the towns were really nice though several of the towns were fairly similar to one another.
Paris:
We stayed in two hotels in Paris:
Hotel Ecole Centrale- we only stayed here our first night but it's very nice and is in a good location (it's literally across the street from the Metro!)
Le Meridien Montparnasse- We've had nothing but good luck with Priceline and this hotel was no exception. Centrally located (it's across the street from a major rail station, blocks away from the Metro, and across the street from an Air France shuttle bus stop that takes you to Charles DeGaulle Airport), I recommend this hotel if you value comfort and convenience (though I wouldn't pay the full price of 450 Euro for it). It's also a great location if you like to shop as there is a mall with a Galleries Lafayette nearby along with numerous stores such as Mango and others--I did nearly all my shopping in Paris in Montparnasse. Take advantage of this on a hot day!
What we did:
Evening boat ride on the Seine- we took the Bateaux-Parisiens which has departure points from the Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower but there are many boats that you can take.
Louvre, Pompidou Centre, Musee d'Orsay, Sainte Chapelle, and any other sights you can squeeze in with your Paris Museum Pass. We actually felt Versailles was somewhat overrated--the train that takes you there and Versailles itself are un-air-conditioned so I recommend that you go there early.
Jardin de Luxembourg- nice and worthwhile though I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the gardens we saw in Paris. I think the dirt paths detract from them--we were more impressed with the gardens we saw in Japan.
Bois de Boulogne- I made the mistake of going here in attempt to go to Parc de Bagatelle. Not recommended if you don't have a car--should've known it was a bad sign when the people we approached for directions said, Parc de Bagatelle, that's far!
Ate, a lot--below are my reviews of the restaurants we went to:
Dame Tartine- we went to the one located near the Pompidou Centre fountain. Good option near the Pompidou.
Auberge de Jarente- 7 rue de Jarente (Metro: Bastille or St-Paul). We went here specifically because we didn't really get a chance to try Basque food when we visited my uncle and aunt. I was disappointed with their menu though--I do recommend the chocolate fondant though.
Chez Maitre Paul- 12 Rue Monsieur le Prince (Metro: Odeon) I read I believe on TripAdvisor that they had excellent coq au vin but there was no coq au vin on their menu. I was also a little disappointed with my dish (I believe I ordered a chicken and mushroom dish)
Le Cafe du Marche- 38 rue Cler (Metro: Ecole-Militaire). A good lunch spot on Rick Steve's favorite street in Paris--I went here because I read they had warm chevre salad which became my obsession after my cousin ordered a fantastic one in Bayonne but I don't recommend the chevre salad here--instead, order the Indian chicken one.
Cafe Faubourg- 15 rue Boissy d'Anglas (Metro: Concorde)- some travel writer posted an amazing review of this place on the internet so I added it to my list. Unfortunately, going to this restaurant was a mistake for us--it's in an expensive hotel restaurant and, while the food was pretty good, you can do better for considerably less.
A la Biche au Bois- 45 ave Ledru Rollin (Metro: Quai de la Rapee) Decadent coq au vin--the sauce is very rich and they have both chicken and duck in theirs. I loved the mushroom appetizer I ordered off the prix fixe menu.
Creperie de Josselin- 67 rue de Montparnasse (Metro: Montparnasse) this place was also recommended but we were disappointed--maybe it's the fact that we're not used to buckwheat crepes but I thought my ham and cheese crepe tasted a little burnt.
Le Gros Minet- 1 rue des Prouvaires (Metro: Chatelet) recommended- I had the scallop dish off the prix fixe menu and my husband had a lamb or pork dish that came with excellent french fries!
I might add that all the restaurants we went to, save for Le Cafe du Marche (which did have outdoor sprays) and Dame Tartine were air-conditioned! This can make a big difference on a hot day.
Tip: Bring a hand fan--the subways in London and Paris aren't air-conditioned and the ones in Paris especially can't get extremely hot! Also, quite a number of cafes and restaurants in Paris aren't air-conditioned.
Flight: We flew into London and out of Paris on American Airlines. Our flight to London went smoothly but our return flight from Paris was delayed by at least three hours. It was annoying but I met a couple who had been evacuated from Beirut so it put things in perspective. Also, AA e-mailed us today to inform us that we've been given 10,000 bonus miles to compensate for the experience! We were both pretty impressed.
Question:
Why is the only ice tea that London and France seemed to have peach ice tea?
For more on my trip and photos, you can go to my blog at http://www.bloggingsouls.com.
Jul 27th, 2006, 03:58 PM
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I tried adding this to my last post but I guess it didn't work but, for reading material, I recommend Bill Bryson's Neither Here Nor There: Travels In Europe--refreshingly humorous and good for anytime but especially if you're travelling within Europe.
Jul 27th, 2006, 05:13 PM
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thanks, urbanp, for the report. I was interested to read your assessment of the markets. We hope to visit Borough Market when we are in London in a few weeks. Also the British Museum. I hope Topshop didn't disappoint! It was quite the madhouse the day we were there.
Jul 27th, 2006, 05:52 PM
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Actually, I was a little disappointed by Topshop--I guess the anticipation had been building for too long! But Debenhams was having good sales (though it was worse than Topshop in terms of crowds) and I loved Mango! (which was having great sales and was a lot less crowded than Topshop and Debenhams)
Jul 27th, 2006, 08:34 PM
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Thanks for the heads up about Mango. It was on our list for Oxford Street, but we never made it past our old standbys Topshop and H&M (which we knew from other cities) and the food court is all we saw of Debenhams! I don't think I'd shop Oxford Street again; might check out Kensington High Street or King's Road instead.
We had a major session at Jigsaw in the Sloane Square/King's Road and we stopped in at Monsoon and Accessorize in Covent Garden.
We will HAVE to check out Mango on our trip next month - probably in Glasgow where I will have both daughters.
We had a major session at Jigsaw in the Sloane Square/King's Road and we stopped in at Monsoon and Accessorize in Covent Garden.
We will HAVE to check out Mango on our trip next month - probably in Glasgow where I will have both daughters.
Jul 28th, 2006, 05:37 AM
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Actually, I thought Arkansas Cafe was opened by an Arkansan who had moved to London? Is this not so? Now, being an Arkansan, I like Arkansas barbecue; but it's quite different from the kinds they serve in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, or St. Louis. Intriguing...
Jul 29th, 2006, 06:43 AM
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We received an e-mail from AA apologizing for the flight delay and indicating that we'd be receiving the 10,000 bonus miles pretty unexpectedly (we hadn't complained).
Mango actually recently opened a store in NYC--I haven't been there yet but, as it's in Soho, I suspect the NYC branch might be more expensive than their European counterparts. I went to Mango stores in both London and Paris and probably would've bought nearly everything in the store if I could have! I skipped out on Zara b/c we have a number of Zaras in NYC.
Arkansas Cafe is run by a couple from Arkansas--I guess what I meant was the review I had read indicated that the eatery was well-visited one and I presumed that a lot of its patrons are British who may not know that much about good barbecue. Maybe they've gone downhill or our experience isn't indicative of most people's experiences but we weren't impressed with our food there at all and it looked like there were a lot of other options in Spitalfields Market.
Another thing I liked in Paris/France was their Travel Channel which seemed to better programming than the one in the states. They also seemed to air my favorite travel show, Globe Trekker, nightly!
Mango actually recently opened a store in NYC--I haven't been there yet but, as it's in Soho, I suspect the NYC branch might be more expensive than their European counterparts. I went to Mango stores in both London and Paris and probably would've bought nearly everything in the store if I could have! I skipped out on Zara b/c we have a number of Zaras in NYC.
Arkansas Cafe is run by a couple from Arkansas--I guess what I meant was the review I had read indicated that the eatery was well-visited one and I presumed that a lot of its patrons are British who may not know that much about good barbecue. Maybe they've gone downhill or our experience isn't indicative of most people's experiences but we weren't impressed with our food there at all and it looked like there were a lot of other options in Spitalfields Market.
Another thing I liked in Paris/France was their Travel Channel which seemed to better programming than the one in the states. They also seemed to air my favorite travel show, Globe Trekker, nightly!
