Paris trip report.
Nov 10th, 2003, 10:59 AM
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Paris trip report.
This year when we decided to take our annual trip to Europe, we selected Paris as our destination. We used Go-Today, for the third time, as they had the right price and our experences with them have all been favorable.
We flew out of San Francisco on a United Airlines flight that left on Saturday afternoon. We arrived at the airport early so we could do all the check-in and security stuff, and buy some currency to pay for tips and incidentals upon arrival. The flight departed on time and was uneventful. The flight personnel were courteous and professional even though we did not tip them at this stage of the trip. We found that it was hard to sleep on the airplane due to the noise of the flight but not for fear of pickpockets or acts of theivery.
We arrived in Paris, on time, mid-Sunday morning. After spending what seemed to be a long time collecting our checked bags, we met our "Alize Tours" driver who had been patiently waiting for us. The trip we had purchased included round trip transportation from the airport to our hotel which made for a pleasent and worry free transition after having been awake on the airplane for almost eleven hours. Our driver gave us a mini-tour of Paris as he drove us to our hotel. He was a very nice young man who had recentley graduated from the university with a degree in anthropology, but had been forced to work as a driver as he had unable to find a job in his chosen profession.
Our hotel was the Duminy Vendome, located in the First Arrondissement, near the Louvre. The hotel surpassed all of our expectations. Our room was on the third floor and had two casement windows that overlooked the street. The room was not as small as we had been led to belive all rooms would be, and the staff, who were all multilingual, were pleased to have us as their guests.
We checked in at 11:30 am and were given our room without delay. At this point we had been awake for about 19 hours so we decided to take a nap before we hit the streets to check out our neighborhood. After sleeping for about four hours we awoke, refreshed, and hungry. We walked from the hotel over to the Ile St Cite' and stopped in at the Brasserie de I'lle St-Louis. You do not need reservations to dine there, and they accept Visa. We ordered off their regular a la cart menu and had an excellent dinner of tomato salad, country pate, cassoulet, cream broulle, a bottle of wine, coffee, and several bottles of water. The total price for the two of us was less than $100.00. After dinner it started raining as we walked back to our hotel. Walking though the streets of Paris in the rain with someone you love is an event that is not to be missed. More to come later.
We flew out of San Francisco on a United Airlines flight that left on Saturday afternoon. We arrived at the airport early so we could do all the check-in and security stuff, and buy some currency to pay for tips and incidentals upon arrival. The flight departed on time and was uneventful. The flight personnel were courteous and professional even though we did not tip them at this stage of the trip. We found that it was hard to sleep on the airplane due to the noise of the flight but not for fear of pickpockets or acts of theivery.
We arrived in Paris, on time, mid-Sunday morning. After spending what seemed to be a long time collecting our checked bags, we met our "Alize Tours" driver who had been patiently waiting for us. The trip we had purchased included round trip transportation from the airport to our hotel which made for a pleasent and worry free transition after having been awake on the airplane for almost eleven hours. Our driver gave us a mini-tour of Paris as he drove us to our hotel. He was a very nice young man who had recentley graduated from the university with a degree in anthropology, but had been forced to work as a driver as he had unable to find a job in his chosen profession.
Our hotel was the Duminy Vendome, located in the First Arrondissement, near the Louvre. The hotel surpassed all of our expectations. Our room was on the third floor and had two casement windows that overlooked the street. The room was not as small as we had been led to belive all rooms would be, and the staff, who were all multilingual, were pleased to have us as their guests.
We checked in at 11:30 am and were given our room without delay. At this point we had been awake for about 19 hours so we decided to take a nap before we hit the streets to check out our neighborhood. After sleeping for about four hours we awoke, refreshed, and hungry. We walked from the hotel over to the Ile St Cite' and stopped in at the Brasserie de I'lle St-Louis. You do not need reservations to dine there, and they accept Visa. We ordered off their regular a la cart menu and had an excellent dinner of tomato salad, country pate, cassoulet, cream broulle, a bottle of wine, coffee, and several bottles of water. The total price for the two of us was less than $100.00. After dinner it started raining as we walked back to our hotel. Walking though the streets of Paris in the rain with someone you love is an event that is not to be missed. More to come later.
Nov 10th, 2003, 11:12 AM
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I for one am anxiously awaiting the continuation of this saga. I love your posts because I know that I can always count on a few laughs.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...n_name=mcv1105
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...n_name=mcv1105
Nov 10th, 2003, 12:55 PM
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Monday morning arrived with the break of day. Unfortunality we did not see the sunrise as we were still in bed. After we decided to arise, we went down to the hotels breakfast room where we were served scrambled eggs, sausage, various kinds of cheese, cold cuts of meat, fruit, ceral, rolls,
Nov 10th, 2003, 01:06 PM
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Hi,
You may laugh, but let me tell you about a real brakfast.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Parc Medici outside Rome. Breakfast was included in the price (110E). We expected the usual Italian breakfast of a pastry and a cuppa. It was there, along with 2 baskets of rolls, 2 plates of cheeses and 2 plates of meats.
They also served:
A full English breakfast, including baked beans, tomato and Vienna sausages,
American Breakfast: OJ, Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, oatmeal, grits, waffles, French toast,
Dry cereals and milk
Fruits
Omelets
AND they kept refilling the capuccino.
You may laugh, but let me tell you about a real brakfast.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Parc Medici outside Rome. Breakfast was included in the price (110E). We expected the usual Italian breakfast of a pastry and a cuppa. It was there, along with 2 baskets of rolls, 2 plates of cheeses and 2 plates of meats.
They also served:
A full English breakfast, including baked beans, tomato and Vienna sausages,
American Breakfast: OJ, Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, oatmeal, grits, waffles, French toast,
Dry cereals and milk
Fruits
Omelets
AND they kept refilling the capuccino.
Nov 10th, 2003, 02:02 PM
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Monday morning arrived with the break of day. Unfortunality we did not see the sunrise as we were still in bed. After we decided to arise, we went down to the hotels breakfast room where we were served scrambled eggs, sausage, various kinds of cheese, cold cuts,fruit, ceral, rolls, and other goodies to numerous to mention. We also had coffee, which was something we really, really needed.
After breakfast we decided to go and visit the Louvre, as it was just a block away, and entered through the passage Richelieu. We had purchased a museum pass so we did not have to wait in the very long admissions lines. The five day pass cost us 45 Euro each, and over the course of our weeks stay more than paid for itself.
There is more to see in the Louvre then can be seen in one day. On an earlier trip we had spent two full days wandering through that museum and had enjoyed that experence very much. On this trip we just wanted to refresh our memories of some of the finer exibits, which we were able to do in a few short hours. We also found an ATM machine in the underground Carrousel area of the museum. That ATM machine was in a well lit and secure area and we used it as our "cash" machine all during this trip.
After having made sure that Mona Lisa was still smiling, we walked over to the Conciergerie to check out the palace of Marie-Antoinette's last days. On the way we stopped at a small cafe, for coffee, and observed a waiter get into a shouting match with a pretty young woman who was tring to place an order for herself and what appeared to be her child. It appeared that the waiter did not want to serve the child who was of mixed race. The young woman left with her child, both in tears, and so did we. This was the only unsavory experence of the trip.
For dinner that evening we walked down the street from our hotel to the small bistro, Lescure. This place is really small so get there early or be prepared to wait in line. The food prepard by the chef was delicious and filling. Off the fixed price menu we had, country pate(love that stuff), fresh salad, Beef Bourguignonne, a cream dessert, a bottle of wine, and then coffee afterwards. They take no reservations and they accept visa. The price for dinner was less than $50.00 total.
After dinner we walked to the Palace de Concord to watch the sunset behind the Arc de Trimph (spelling?) After the sun went down we returned to the hotel for a well earned rest. More to come.
After breakfast we decided to go and visit the Louvre, as it was just a block away, and entered through the passage Richelieu. We had purchased a museum pass so we did not have to wait in the very long admissions lines. The five day pass cost us 45 Euro each, and over the course of our weeks stay more than paid for itself.
There is more to see in the Louvre then can be seen in one day. On an earlier trip we had spent two full days wandering through that museum and had enjoyed that experence very much. On this trip we just wanted to refresh our memories of some of the finer exibits, which we were able to do in a few short hours. We also found an ATM machine in the underground Carrousel area of the museum. That ATM machine was in a well lit and secure area and we used it as our "cash" machine all during this trip.
After having made sure that Mona Lisa was still smiling, we walked over to the Conciergerie to check out the palace of Marie-Antoinette's last days. On the way we stopped at a small cafe, for coffee, and observed a waiter get into a shouting match with a pretty young woman who was tring to place an order for herself and what appeared to be her child. It appeared that the waiter did not want to serve the child who was of mixed race. The young woman left with her child, both in tears, and so did we. This was the only unsavory experence of the trip.
For dinner that evening we walked down the street from our hotel to the small bistro, Lescure. This place is really small so get there early or be prepared to wait in line. The food prepard by the chef was delicious and filling. Off the fixed price menu we had, country pate(love that stuff), fresh salad, Beef Bourguignonne, a cream dessert, a bottle of wine, and then coffee afterwards. They take no reservations and they accept visa. The price for dinner was less than $50.00 total.
After dinner we walked to the Palace de Concord to watch the sunset behind the Arc de Trimph (spelling?) After the sun went down we returned to the hotel for a well earned rest. More to come.
Nov 10th, 2003, 03:27 PM
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Tuesday arrived as it always does. We met the morning cheerfully and after a hearty breakfast decided to take a stroll. It was a beautiful clear morning and as we were over our "jet lag" and not suffering from a hangover we decided to walk through the Jardin des Tuileries which was around the corner and across the street from the hotel. The Garden is full of trees that you cannot climb, lawns that you cannot walk on, and flowers that you cannot pick. It's beautiful.
We saw lots of school children out and about with their teachers, and and they all seemed to be enjoying the day as much as we were.
We walked through the Garden to the Seine and crossed the river on a footbridge. we were headed to the Orsey, but when we arrived we found that the staff were on strike, and the museum was closed. Bummer. So what to do. Well we decided to visit the Basilique du Sacre' Coeur, which we had not seen before, so we entered the metro, bought a carnetof tickets, and rode the metro to the Abbesses stop. Then we took the elevator up to the street level and wandered around the area untill we came to the funicular which we rode up to the Basilique. The Basilique may not be a famous as Notre Dame but it is a magnificant building and should not be missed. There was a service underway when we arrived at the Basilique which we were able to observe. Afterwards we toured the crypt which was not as spooky as it may seem. It was full of statues of deceased religous persons who if they were half as pious in life as their statues appeared, then they were pious indeed.
After we left the Basilique we wandered through the streets looking at the sights and the people as they went about their daily lives. We stummbled into a little Italian Sandwich Shop and Deli where we were served excellent sandwiches and beer by some young people who did not speak english but who tried very hard to communicate with us. They actually went to the shop next door and brought back a person to interpert for us as our French was as bad as their English. When it came time to pay and leave, they did not want to take our money because of the language difficulties. We noticed that there was a collection jar on the counter for a local charity. We placed the amount of money we thought our lunch would cost in the jar and thanked the owners for their kindness. The owner, through the interperter, thanked us for our visit, and our contribution to the charity. These were really nice people, and I am not sure I have ever been treated as nice in any other place I have ever been.
We returned to our hotel for a nap (much needed) and afterward decided to go to the Les Halles area for dinner. We passed by and stopped in at Zinos Cigar Store and picked up some cubans. Then we went to eat at the Hippopotamus. This was an excellent restaurant serving beef, steaks grilled to order, and "all the fixings". We had their expensive menu
We saw lots of school children out and about with their teachers, and and they all seemed to be enjoying the day as much as we were.
We walked through the Garden to the Seine and crossed the river on a footbridge. we were headed to the Orsey, but when we arrived we found that the staff were on strike, and the museum was closed. Bummer. So what to do. Well we decided to visit the Basilique du Sacre' Coeur, which we had not seen before, so we entered the metro, bought a carnetof tickets, and rode the metro to the Abbesses stop. Then we took the elevator up to the street level and wandered around the area untill we came to the funicular which we rode up to the Basilique. The Basilique may not be a famous as Notre Dame but it is a magnificant building and should not be missed. There was a service underway when we arrived at the Basilique which we were able to observe. Afterwards we toured the crypt which was not as spooky as it may seem. It was full of statues of deceased religous persons who if they were half as pious in life as their statues appeared, then they were pious indeed.
After we left the Basilique we wandered through the streets looking at the sights and the people as they went about their daily lives. We stummbled into a little Italian Sandwich Shop and Deli where we were served excellent sandwiches and beer by some young people who did not speak english but who tried very hard to communicate with us. They actually went to the shop next door and brought back a person to interpert for us as our French was as bad as their English. When it came time to pay and leave, they did not want to take our money because of the language difficulties. We noticed that there was a collection jar on the counter for a local charity. We placed the amount of money we thought our lunch would cost in the jar and thanked the owners for their kindness. The owner, through the interperter, thanked us for our visit, and our contribution to the charity. These were really nice people, and I am not sure I have ever been treated as nice in any other place I have ever been.
We returned to our hotel for a nap (much needed) and afterward decided to go to the Les Halles area for dinner. We passed by and stopped in at Zinos Cigar Store and picked up some cubans. Then we went to eat at the Hippopotamus. This was an excellent restaurant serving beef, steaks grilled to order, and "all the fixings". We had their expensive menu
Nov 10th, 2003, 03:31 PM
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Tuesday arrived as it always does. We met the morning cheerfully and after a hearty breakfast decided to take a stroll. It was a beautiful clear morning and as we were over our "jet lag" and not suffering from a hangover we decided to walk through the Jardin des Tuileries which was around the corner and across the street from the hotel. The Garden is full of trees that you cannot climb, lawns that you cannot walk on, and flowers that you cannot pick. It's beautiful.
We saw lots of school children out and about with their teachers, and and they all seemed to be enjoying the day as much as we were.
We walked through the Garden to the Seine and crossed the river on a footbridge. We were headed to the Orsey, but when we arrived we found that the staff were on strike, and the museum was closed. Bummer. So what to do. Well we decided to visit the Basilique du Sacre' Coeur, which we had not seen before, so we entered the metro, bought a carnet of tickets, and rode the metro to the Abbesses stop. Then we took the elevator up to the street level and wandered around the area untill we came to the funicular which we rode up to the Basilique. The Basilique may not be a famous as Notre Dame but it is a magnificant building and should not be missed. There was a service underway when we arrived at the Basilique which we were able to observe. Afterwards we toured the crypt which was not as spooky as it may seem. It was full of statues of deceased religous persons who if they were half as pious in life as their statues appeared, then they were pious indeed.
After we left the Basilique we wandered through the streets looking at the sights and the people as they went about their daily lives. We stummbled into a little Italian Sandwich Shop and Deli where we were served excellent sandwiches and beer by some young people who did not speak english but who tried very hard to communicate with us. They actually went to the shop next door and brought back a person to interpert for us as our French was as bad as their English. When it came time to pay and leave, they did not want to take our money because of the language difficulties. We noticed that there was a collection jar on the counter for a local charity. We placed the amount of money we thought our lunch would cost in the jar and thanked the owners for their kindness. The owner, through the interperter, thanked us for our visit, and our contribution to the charity. These were really nice people, and I am not sure I have ever been treated as nice in any other place I have ever been.
We returned to our hotel for a nap (much needed) and afterward decided to go to the Les Halles area for dinner. We passed by and stopped in at Zinos Cigar Store and picked up some cubans. Then we went to eat at the Hippopotamus. This was an excellent restaurant serving beef, steaks grilled to order, and "all the fixings". We had their expensive menu
Sorry about that, I hit the wrong key.
As I was saying, we ordered off their expensive menu and recived a starter, a steak, fries, a vegtable, and desert. Included was wine and coffee. Total price was right at $50.00 for two.
After dinner we returned to the hotel and turned in. More to come
We saw lots of school children out and about with their teachers, and and they all seemed to be enjoying the day as much as we were.
We walked through the Garden to the Seine and crossed the river on a footbridge. We were headed to the Orsey, but when we arrived we found that the staff were on strike, and the museum was closed. Bummer. So what to do. Well we decided to visit the Basilique du Sacre' Coeur, which we had not seen before, so we entered the metro, bought a carnet of tickets, and rode the metro to the Abbesses stop. Then we took the elevator up to the street level and wandered around the area untill we came to the funicular which we rode up to the Basilique. The Basilique may not be a famous as Notre Dame but it is a magnificant building and should not be missed. There was a service underway when we arrived at the Basilique which we were able to observe. Afterwards we toured the crypt which was not as spooky as it may seem. It was full of statues of deceased religous persons who if they were half as pious in life as their statues appeared, then they were pious indeed.
After we left the Basilique we wandered through the streets looking at the sights and the people as they went about their daily lives. We stummbled into a little Italian Sandwich Shop and Deli where we were served excellent sandwiches and beer by some young people who did not speak english but who tried very hard to communicate with us. They actually went to the shop next door and brought back a person to interpert for us as our French was as bad as their English. When it came time to pay and leave, they did not want to take our money because of the language difficulties. We noticed that there was a collection jar on the counter for a local charity. We placed the amount of money we thought our lunch would cost in the jar and thanked the owners for their kindness. The owner, through the interperter, thanked us for our visit, and our contribution to the charity. These were really nice people, and I am not sure I have ever been treated as nice in any other place I have ever been.
We returned to our hotel for a nap (much needed) and afterward decided to go to the Les Halles area for dinner. We passed by and stopped in at Zinos Cigar Store and picked up some cubans. Then we went to eat at the Hippopotamus. This was an excellent restaurant serving beef, steaks grilled to order, and "all the fixings". We had their expensive menu
Sorry about that, I hit the wrong key.
As I was saying, we ordered off their expensive menu and recived a starter, a steak, fries, a vegtable, and desert. Included was wine and coffee. Total price was right at $50.00 for two.
After dinner we returned to the hotel and turned in. More to come
Nov 12th, 2003, 11:00 AM
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Wednesday presented us with a typical beautiful French morning. After our usual hearty breakfast in the hotel, we decided to try the Orsay once more. We retraced our steps through the Tuileries Garden to the Louvre, over the footbridge and to the museum. Upon arrival we found that admission was free, due to the priors days strike, and were granted immediate access as holders of the Museum Pass. If for no other reason, not having to wait in line is worth the price of the pass. We spent the entire morning looking at the art on display. For lunch we had our choice of three dining establishments in the museum. #1 was a fancy sit down restaurant, #2 was a nice cafe, and #3 a selfserve cafeteria. We had already been to the fancy place on a prior trip so this time we elected option #2. The food was just as good but not much less expensive. On our next trip we will try the selfserve place and see what thats like.
After lunch we decided to stroll up the Champs Elyse'es. I am not really sure what we were expecting but we found that the Champs Elyse'es contained many stores that were similar to the stores you can find in any mall, in any city, in the United States. Still it was neat experence to walk along that street watch the people doing the things that people do in such places.
After a while we took a side street, Rue de Ponthtell, over to Ave de Marigny and walked down that street. We found it contained any number of small shops, newstands, cafes, and bars that we belived to be much more interesting then what we saw on the Champs Elyse'es. We wondered around untill we came upon the Palais de L'Elyse'e were there was a military style review, complete with band, taking place in its courtyard. As we peered through the gate I attempted to take a picture of the goings on with my camera. Immediatley, a guard rushed up to me, shook his finger in a "no no" manner, and indicated I should give him my camera. Well he took my camera, when I surrendered it to him, and he walked to the center of the coutyard where he took several pictures of the event before returning the camera to me with a slight bow. Those pictures turned out to be better than any I could have taken, as he had a better vantage point from which to shoot.
After that excitement we walked over to and down Rue de Faubourg St. Honore. I tell you this is the high rent district of Paris. The shops contained everything you could desire that was exclusive and expensive. All we could afford to do was look in the windows and wish we could afford to pay the prices they were asking for the items they were selling. Still, its always nice to see how the "other half" lives.
Later that evening we walked over to Chez Clement, near Opera Garnier, to partake of their famous Grand Rotisserie dinner. We each had a salad, a combination of roast beef, chicken, and pork, served with a mountain of mashed potatoes, followed by dessert. We washed it all down with a bottle of wine and had coffee afterwards. The waiter who served us took our picture for us when we asked him to as we explained to him that this was our anniversery. He also gave us complementary afterdinner drinks.
Slighty tipsy we walked back to the hotel and turned in celebrating the successful conclusion of another year of marrage. More to come.
After lunch we decided to stroll up the Champs Elyse'es. I am not really sure what we were expecting but we found that the Champs Elyse'es contained many stores that were similar to the stores you can find in any mall, in any city, in the United States. Still it was neat experence to walk along that street watch the people doing the things that people do in such places.
After a while we took a side street, Rue de Ponthtell, over to Ave de Marigny and walked down that street. We found it contained any number of small shops, newstands, cafes, and bars that we belived to be much more interesting then what we saw on the Champs Elyse'es. We wondered around untill we came upon the Palais de L'Elyse'e were there was a military style review, complete with band, taking place in its courtyard. As we peered through the gate I attempted to take a picture of the goings on with my camera. Immediatley, a guard rushed up to me, shook his finger in a "no no" manner, and indicated I should give him my camera. Well he took my camera, when I surrendered it to him, and he walked to the center of the coutyard where he took several pictures of the event before returning the camera to me with a slight bow. Those pictures turned out to be better than any I could have taken, as he had a better vantage point from which to shoot.
After that excitement we walked over to and down Rue de Faubourg St. Honore. I tell you this is the high rent district of Paris. The shops contained everything you could desire that was exclusive and expensive. All we could afford to do was look in the windows and wish we could afford to pay the prices they were asking for the items they were selling. Still, its always nice to see how the "other half" lives.
Later that evening we walked over to Chez Clement, near Opera Garnier, to partake of their famous Grand Rotisserie dinner. We each had a salad, a combination of roast beef, chicken, and pork, served with a mountain of mashed potatoes, followed by dessert. We washed it all down with a bottle of wine and had coffee afterwards. The waiter who served us took our picture for us when we asked him to as we explained to him that this was our anniversery. He also gave us complementary afterdinner drinks.
Slighty tipsy we walked back to the hotel and turned in celebrating the successful conclusion of another year of marrage. More to come.
Nov 12th, 2003, 03:51 PM
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I forgot to mention that dinner at Chez Clement cost $61.00 total, and that they take visa. Reservations were not required. They have a web page you can access to see what they have on their menus, and obtain directions to their several locations. Our waiters name was Robert. He was a charming young man who said his nickname was "Superman" as he was "the best waiter in all of Paris". I am not sure I would disagree with his assesment as he was the best waiter to served us during this trip.
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