Merci beaucoup, Katie Scarlett!!

We were virtually with you all the way, Thanks.

Wow! What an incredible report. I love seeing Paris through your eyes. It was like watching Amelie! I think travelling on your own makes for such a rich experience. You are more inclined to really see things -- and to meet so many people that you might otherwise not notice.


I'm going tomorrow and you got me all fired up. My Paris experiences are bite-sized, since I'm living in Provence(though I'm originally a Hoosier from your neighbor state) and get there a few times a year for a couple days when my hub has business meetings.

So, tomorrow afternoon (and Friday morning) I will have my own little adventures while my hub sits in some stuffy conference room working.

I am planning to do the Friday night skate -- which I've always wanted to do -- so I'm excited about that!

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Cigalechanta, I could feel your virtual presence the whole time!! Especially when I'd hear those singing cicadas!!

Why, thank you, Babette!! You must be in Paris right now!! I do really like traveling by myself but it's always so nice when you can meet up with a friend halfway thru the trip to share experiences. : ) Must be wonderful living in Provence. You'll have to share pointers with me sometime as I'd love to travel there someday.

WOW!! I can't believe you're doing the Friday night skate - that'll be so awesome. I'll never forget the 1st time I saw them, last year when a friend & I were staying in the 7th and we had walked to a phone booth so she could call her fiance. All of a sudden there're police skating past and then a SLEW of people whooshing past - cars were honking - took forever for them to get past. An experience I'll never forget and sure took the mundanity out of waiting on my friend to finish her call.

Beatchick - A wonderful report. One question...How did you possibly remember every street, every little detail? Did you carry a notebook with you at all times and jot things down along the way? Share your secret.

Hi Madison!

Thank you so much, happy you enjoyed it.

Yes, I did carry a journal and then had a very detailed itinerary that helped fill in some of the details and also a great Plan de Paris to help with the street names. Plus, kept all my receipts, tickets & things & pasted them in the journal and that helped me to remember. Oh, and the pictures I took as well!!

I had the the journal about 1/2-way finished by the time I came home. I whiled away several hours in several cafes jotting things down, pasting things while I people-watched. It was a nice respite from the "gotta see everything" walk throughout. :D

I can't believe I missed this+ Thanks to you BC.

Thank you, Tondalaya! I hope you don't think I'm the other BC, Bookchick!! :)

Hi, I did a search on your name because somehow I had missed your trip report -- I think it was because we were giving final exams. Wanted to read more about your Jeanne d'Arc experiences. Enjoyed the whole report very much. Quick question (and sorry in advance if you've already answered it): Did you make your restaurant reservations by e-mail in advance, or did you phone from the hotel, or did you ask your concierge to assist? Friends and I have never made reservations, but I have a feeling that the advance communication is a good PR thing if you're on your own. j.

Hi jmw!!

Actually, I did all three. I reserved on-line for the afternoon tea at the Ritz. The e-mail confirmation I printed out & produced to them when I showed up. I phoned & made reservations to Le Vieux Bistro, Bofinger (which is why I think I got the "at last we meet" comment when I arrived slightly late for dinner there! :) ), Trumilou, & Hotel Degres de Notre Dame (the auberge where I had the couscous!). Stefane, the concierge at the GHJD, made the reservations for me at La Boulangerie. StCirq, she made our reservations for La Maison Fournaise on the Ile des Impressionistes.

I think Stefane would be happy to make any reservations for you. He's quite professional and very nice! Personally, I think the GHJD is a wonderful find, centrally located, clean & easy on the budget. The only problem is that you must reserve well in advance!

jmw, if you have any further questions please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].

Ciao,
Mary : )

Merci beaucoup, Mary. J.

De rien, J!!






I hope everyone has a Happy 4th of July Holiday!! :D

Beatchick your report was INCREDIBLE! Makes me want to jump on a plane in hand and follow your footsteps!

(We stayed at Le Notre Dame Hotel kitty-corner to the Cathedral and leaned out the window one night to see what the commtion was about...it was the rollerbladers going past. It was a tiny room but what a view of the Cathedral, especially in the morning before everyone arrived.)

Seriously though, your report is not only a good travel resource but left me very impressed with your literary/art knowledge.

PS Happy 4th July to everyone :)

Thank you- I just found this today.
Excellent report! It sounds like you really enjoyed yourself.

Oh, WOW, Tiramisu - that must've been wonderful!! I just did a search on your hotel on Les Pages Jaunes and was able to see the great view of Notre Dame by "turning around". Tres cool! And thank you so much for your kind comments. :D

Kay, thank you for your nice words, too! I'm glad you liked it!! :D

Right this minute in Cincy it is storming, storming, storming. Glad we didn't go to King's Island tonight!!

Anyone enjoying any fireworks out there?

Ciao ~ MaryC

Thanks for taking so much time and care in getting this report to us. I felt like i was right there with you!

Oh, good!! Thank you, Klondike! I'm glad you could come along for the ride!! ;)

What a great report! I savored every moment along with you!

Glad you are also a Nadorite, as am I!

On the rue Tournefort - can't believe it, stayed on that street meself at a friend's place and didnt' even know...

Went through the 5th, the 6th, as well as the two Iles and had a totally different experience from yours, so your journal was a remarkable voyage for me! As if Paris were a brand new place that I had never visited!

I went with the Cadogan guide and saw the place where Delacroix worked (Furstenburg Square), the place where Chopin died (#12 Place Vendome), the house where Abelard and Heloise had their affair, the hotel where Oscar Wilde made one of his final statements ("either the wall paper has to go or I do" and so he went), the plxce where Marie Curie made her scientific discoveries (near rue Tournefort), etc. etc.
You mght be interested to know that the Sorbonne started as a place where students would meet sitting on hay bales. The streets around the university are named for the nationality of the students who attended this "univesity". Thus, there is the rue de Ireland. It's possible that Connelly's place is near the rue de Ireland.
Anyhow, really, truly enjoyed your report!
Thanks so much for taking the time to post it. Hope you might have a chance to post some of your pictures on virtual tourist.com.
Thanks again!

Wow, Jason! Looks like I need to get a copy of the Cadogan guide! I went with a Fodor's Pocket Paris, Fodor's Paris, Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Paris & printouts from an out-of-print book, "Expatriate Paris: A Cultural & Literary Guide to Paris of the 1920s" by Arlen J. Hansen who was chair of the English dept. at the University of the Pacific (he's since passed away). It's a fabulous book & a great reference guide - I think you'd really enjoy it - they have copies of it on Amazon right now for as little as $15. If you do buy it make sure you get the 1990 edition.

I see what you mean by us having 2 entirely different trips although we were in the same area!! I'm a HUGE Oscar Wilde fan & had planned to have a drink at L'Hotel where he died but didn't make it. Actually, I've planned to do that the last 3 trips but have never made it. And that's one of my fave quotes of his. Another is "I have nothing to declare but my genius"! Looks like you and I have a lot in common.

I also was going to go to Delacroix's atelier and skipped over that one on the itinerary because I did too much that day, but I didn't know about the Heloise & Abelard place (I'm so fascinated by them) nor did I know about Marie Curie's place nor about Chopin dying on Place des Vosges! Man!!

Yes, that lady taking me to her courtyard on rue Tournefort was a piece of luck. I can e-mail the code to the building to you should you get back to Paris soon (assuming they don't change the codes that quickly). You'll only be able to get into the lobby but you'll be able to see the courtyard thru the glass doors. I also have the code to Patricia Wells' place also - same story, you can get into the lobby but you can't get past the other door, yet you'll be able to see into the courtyard if that's your fancy. And get a glimpse of her mailbox - ooh, ahhh! :)

Thank you for the Sorbonne tidbit. I looked up the rue de Ireland but could only locate rue des Irlandais which I'm thinking is the same street. It's a very short street running off of the area directly surrounding the Sorbonne. Connolly's Corner is on rue Mirbel near the Censier Daubenton Metro station so it's not too far away.

Yes, I do like Nader - he's the only one of the 3 that I could really respect and I've held a great deal of respect for the man for a very long time. Many people I've talked to weren't aware of who he was nor the contributions he's made to our society & our safety. Too bad. :(

I'm so glad that you & others really liked the report. I worked very hard on it & was afraid people would find it pedantic & boring. But despite it's flaws (and it has many - I need to re-edit) my love of Paris shone through & I suppose that's most important!!

Anyway, I feel like you're my doppelganger or I am yours, we seem to have so much in common. We just have to figure out which one is the "evil" one!! ;)

If you have a trip report out there somewhere I'd LOVE to read it. It's funny that you mentioned Virtual Tourist because just today I started building my Travel Pages (not much else on there really). I've added my trip report up thru Sunday and only have 4 pics added. I've had a frustrating day trying to condense the report to fit the format & discovered I can only add 1 pic per chapter. So if you've had experience there & can help me figure out how to add more pics I'd greatly appreciate it!!

Here's the URL:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/5dc15/

My e-mail address is:
[email protected]

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!! :D

When did you last go to Paris? And how long were you able to stay?

Ciao,
MaryC

Beatchick, I read your trip report today....what a joy! It just brings home that, while one may think they've seen Paris several times, it's brand new seen through someone else's eyes. Thank you for taking the time and effort to do this (I've planned to do so many times but when it came down to the work involved, never wrote a trip report)

Judy! Thank you so much! You're a sweetheart to say so. I was supposed to write trip reports for my 1st 2 trips but never got around to doing it and they were only 3 & 4 day trips. I think it was easier to write because I did much of the writing in a journal while I was there & just transposed it to a Word doc. On the days I didn't finish writing while there, I kept the receipts for each day together & used that & the pics I took & souvenirs I'd brought back to remind of what I'd done (& my itinerary)!

Judy, if you (or anyone else) ever wanted to e-mail me your impressions of Paris I'd love to read them!! I get a kick out of reading other people's trip reports & even seeing what they've lined up on their itineraries!!

Beatchick, I travel with husband and, while for me this has definite advantages, trip documentation seems to lose every time! In September I'm traveling to Ireland with my sister and one of my adult daughters....maybe then I'll find the time to journal as I've always wanted!
Next France trip is May with husband and a few friends. We're planning 2 days around Bordeaux, a week in the Dordogne and 4 days Paris (always have to fit that in.) Maybe I'll try for a trip report then...you can be my mentor!

Mentor schmentor!! :D

I suppose it IS a great deal easier to write in one's journal while traveling alone. If I had my husband traveling with me I wouldn't want to journal either!!

Judy, like you I always tried to keep up with my journal when traveling with my husband, but somehow it ended up going by the wayside. On my solo trip in 2002 I wrote a lot in it (in cafes and restaurants). But, as WC Fields would say, all things considered, I'd rather be traveling with my husband.

My friend's kids got so mad at her not taking notes that they bought one of those little recorders, so she just stops periodically and records what she sees.

This could be called
Mary's Hotel :)

Thank you, Scarlett!!

I was wondering if it might be the St. Merry's Hotel in the Marais?

Topping for Riona

I am so glad someone topped it.
Wonderfull writing !

Please, help me to find how to make reservation for Afternoon Tea at Ritz.

Thanx

Ziana you'll find more information here: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/mo...is/default.asp

Sounds wonderful!

Thanks,
you will never believe this:
they have no Paris nor France on their drop down menue, so I've just submitted request with None destination.

Thanx

The web page www.ritz-carlton.com is NOT affliated with either the London or Paris Ritz hotel's. That is why they are not showing on the drop down. The link actually takes you to info on a hotel in Montreal. Try just searching for Ritz Paris.

Try this webpage for tea at the Ritz

http://www.ritzparis.com/home_ritz/home_ritz.asp?id=2

Ziana, if you go to the link that Caro1A provided you'll only need to click on "Restaurants, Bars, Club", then "Vendôme Bar", then "Information & Reservation" to reserve. They'll e-mail you a nice confirmation of your reservation; just print that out & take it with you when go. :)

I was just admiring my Ritz ashtray this weekend.

How kind of you to think of my little ol' report. :D Thanks Grantop & Ziana.

oops - sorry about that. I had previously seen the Paris site, did a quick search for you and never read through to see that it wasn't for the Paris location. Follow CarolA's link and let us know how tea is!

Not sure if anyone is still interested in this report, but I finally got around to working on pages & tips at Virtual Tourist. So, if you'd like to see some of my photos (with others photos to flesh out where I didn't have any) please feel free to pop in & take a peek! :)

http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/5dc15/18308/

or

http://www.virtualtourist.com/BEATCHICK
(click on Paris)

If you scroll to the bottom of the Paris front page you'll see listings for things like Must See Activities, Restaurants, Hotels, etc..

@};- Wishing everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ((D))

Thank you!!! Just took a little peak, will need to linger longer later.

- Sharon

Hey Mary,

I really loved your photos and writings! As you know we share the love of the St. Paul area. We will be back at Grand Hotel Joanne d'Arch in May and I can't wait to set again in Marche Ste. Catherine. I always enjoy a Kir (sp) there. I did not know that Miss Mannon was so famous! Their pastry is great and my husband always wants breakfast at Bouquet St. Paul just across the street!
As you know I could go on and on but I will close with a Happy Holidays to you!

Thank you, ladies!!

Hi Sharon!

Aj, I will take this opportunity to tell these lovely people about your trip report of this area. It is from YOUR trip report that I learned so much about the immediate, especially about the Place du Marché Ste-Catherine. BTW, can you send me a copy of your trip report again; I've misplaced your report, it's a great read & I'd love to read it again.

Happy Hannukah (it's the 8th night of Hanukah!), Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!! :)

Bonjour Cincy Chick!

As a former resident of Finneytown, and having spent an eclectic visit to Paris in November of 2002, I feel a bit of a bond with you.

Your journal is so fine! Your detailed descriptions including the addresses, etc are most appreciated for anyone planning a return trip.

Since I live in Chicago, I have spent a lot of time in the Art Institute admiring their many collections including the world class Impressionists.

When my wife and I went to Paris we stayed a few days at the same hotel you did and then moved to an apartment in the Marais. I highly reccommend staying in an apartment because it forces you to live like a resident. Since we live in an area exactly like the Marais in Chicago in terms of a mix of genders and chic boutiques and restaurants we felt very comfortable fitting in.

I will try to email you my journal (since you mention your desire to receive them) It is difficult to do one, but I did the same things you did and it makes it easier. Still, you better write each day as it happens and in the evening.

Peace

Steve in rainy dreary Lakeview, Chicago