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Paris Trip Report - How to blow off Thanksgiving responsibilities.

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Paris Trip Report - How to blow off Thanksgiving responsibilities.

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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 09:48 AM
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Thanks for the responses, I hope to finish the last two days ASAP. tod I have to admit I needed to look up faffing about and kipping in the urban dictionary. As for the kipping, that was partially due to the jet lag, the walking and the early sunsets.
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Old Dec 6th, 2006, 10:03 AM
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Thanks for sharing your escapade. The photos are terrific. You're a handsome couple. I'm sure there'll be more Paris adventures in your future.
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Old Dec 7th, 2006, 06:49 AM
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Thank you very much Treesa.

Tod, we did have our trip planned as far as grouping the areas and things we wanted to see, but we did wing the schedule a bit. As the trip progressed I continued to think about how we could organize our remaining time and sites most effectively.

I forgot to mention that on day 3 after taking the metro from near Napoleons tomb back to Odeon, at the top of the metro steps we emerged in the center of a protest of some sort. Although it was very peaceful (it looked like a group of teachers) it was complete with police in riot gear. You can see it in the pictures. I am guessing they were protesting for a 20 hour work week.

Day 4 Monday 11/27

We awoke with sadness, the once powerful, magical museum pass was dead; long live the museum pass. We were now mere mortals, doomed to stand in line with the rest of the hoi polloi. While our hearts wept, our feet rejoiced; they knew without passes we would not be nearly as ambitious. After asking the desk to make dinner reservations for us at Chez Denise http://www.jetsetting.net/article.php?sid=243 we started out the day with café creme, fresh squeezed orange juice and croissants at the Café de Flore http://www.cafe-de-flore.com/ . Both Deux Magots and de Flore were a few blocks from the hotel, but because I had been to Deux Magots before and the fact that a septic truck was parked in front Deux Magot cleaning the sewers we opted for de Flore. It is also the café that Ina Garten and her husband ate at on Barefoot in Paris.

With the sun shinning we thought we’d head to Ste. Chappelle for the stained glass. Because the church is housed inside the gates of the Paris Hall of Justice it is necessary to pass through a security screening. My wife turned pale as a ghost when one of the HK MP-5 toting guards that was manning the security scanner I passed my coat through asked me if I was carrying a knife. We had purchased a corkscrew earlier in trip with a 1” foil removing knife that I had brought along incase a picnicking opportunity arose. After I checked my “knife” with the guards and my wife’s heart returned to a normal rhythm we went in to view the beautiful stained glass of Ste. Chappelle. As a side note, the guards are used to finding such items, in fact the table where I checked my corkscrew there were assorted knives, some of them pretty large and other items. The process only took a minute, did not delay or interrupt any of the other visitors.

After retrieving my weapon, we took the RER to the Eiffel Tower. I had already been to the top of the tower and my wife was mostly interested in seeing the best view of the city, so we took the elevator to the 2nd level. The very top is fun to see but personally I think the best views are from the 2nd level, the elevated portion of the second level allows the best pictures unobstructed by security fences. The sun was shinning and the wind wasn’t bad at all. If you have never been to the tower, it is one of those things that you see during your trip and although it is certainly one of the most recognizable monuments in the world, it doesn’t look that large, even from the trocadero. It is only when you get to the base and see how massive the columns are that your begin to appreciate it. The levels are the same. From farther away or even from the bottom they do not look that high up, once you get up there it is definitely a different story. I am sure it is amplified by the low level of the surrounding buildings and the “erector set” feel of the tower. After sending postcards from the 1st floor post office for the special Eiffel Tour postmark, we took the stairs down to the bottom.

It was early afternoon so we went to rue Cler and bought half of a rotisserie chicken, olives and cheese, bread, and wine. Our supplies in hand, we went to the little gardens in front of Invalides. We ate the chicken with our hands (thankfully was also bought napkins) and drank wine while watching the groups of old men playing bocci, and the Parisians playing with their dogs. I knew the corkscrew would come in handy. We leisurely made our way back to the hotel for a little rest.

When we confirmed the address of Chez Denise with the receptionist at the hotel he was vary happy that we were going to a “classic French kitchen.” The restaurant was an easy walk from the hotel. Because we had a relatively early reservation of 8:30 we were seated immediately. All of the tables were full before our appetizers arrived. We were seated between four phamacists from the south of france in town for a convention, and a group of Germans constantly in awe and snapping pictures of the huge portions. The rest of the patrons were all locals.

In total we had frisee salad, escargot, bread, wine, gilled lamb (lamb-o-thon continues), frites, and a huge skewer of grilled steak and vegetables (shish kabob wouldn’t do it justice) and desert. The food was amazing, and we really enjoyed speaking with the other dinners. Again the portions were huge. I do not remember the price but it was reasonable and in line with the other meals we had. Chez Denise also comes equipped with a Turkish or squatter toilet. The place is a classic.

After some more pictures by the Seine on our stroll home we were greeted by the desk clerk who had a big smile on his face because he knew what a great meal we just had, day 4 was finished.
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Old Dec 7th, 2006, 10:57 AM
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knoxtraveler, great trip report. Looking forward to more!
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Old Dec 7th, 2006, 11:49 AM
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Your night pictures are great. Thanks for those and the report.
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Old Dec 7th, 2006, 12:34 PM
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I don't want this to be finished!
Your "work" is a joy to read.
I am going to join in this phrase, "the lamb-a-thon"... I WANT SOME..this weekend will have to do. (You've given me a "yen&quot
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Old Dec 7th, 2006, 01:08 PM
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Thank you all once again. I will try to get the final day completed tomorrow.

It's funny you say that about the lamb-o-thon Suzie. We are having dinner tomorrow night with some friends. Ince of the restaurant's signature dishes is lamb. I told my wife that the lamb-o-thon may be going international.

I don't know what happened to me on this trip, I am usually fairly adventurous with my ordering but having not had lamb in quite a while I think I forgot how much I enjoyed it. I was initially going to have veal at Chez Denise but when I realized it was veal kidneys, my adventurous side got run over by a bus.

One other note about Chez Denise the menu changes regularly and is written on a couple chalk boards in the restaurant. They offer some of the French staples such as pigs feet and the andouille like sausage that our tablemates informed us are acquired tastes.

At both Au Pied de Cochon and Denise people next to use ordered the pigs feet. They must be cooked for hours because in both cases the end result was a small plate piled with the short stout bones without a speck of meat left on them.
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 12:58 AM
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Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories! We love staying in that area and you are right, the Le Régent staff is very friendly...we stopped in once during a 5:30 am walk and had quite a nice chat with the front desk. We enjoyed the cuisine at Allard's, but unfortunately were right at the front door area so it was constant comings and goings. You sure did make the most of your time and I take it your wife came away with a positve opinion of Paris?

Thanks again...almost as good a being there!
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 02:25 AM
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My husband , my son and I were in Paris for Thanksgiving two years ago. We had Allard's duck with olives (for three)and ate every last bite. I'm looking forward to hearing more.
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 04:55 AM
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knoxtraveler -
Thanks for replying to my questions.
Sorry to hit you with our slang terms!
I am curious to know if you found the toilets at Chez Denise in an acceptable condition - never mind the fact they were a` la turque'?
The restaurant looks charming but I always judge the cleanliness in the kitchen by the state of the toilets offered to customers.
Don't get me wrong - I have found the majority of loo's in Paris eateries are old, but still fairly presentable.

I have only found one travel guide that comments on the toilet conditions if they are not too good and that is 1997 Pauper's Paris by Miles Turner.

I don't know if all these places still exist, or if they have done any upgrading, but he says thus about:

ANADOLU, Cnr.Rue Turbigo & Volta, 2e.
Unpretentious cafe` is a godsend on the edge of the wholesale jewellery/leather goods/luggage area serving huge sandwiches of spit-roasted lamb etc. etc. Note: the loos are unisex and should be used only in a real necessity!

LE PETIT GAVROCHE, 15 rue Ste.-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4e.
An odd, scuzzy little restaurant with zinc bars upstairs and down, peeling paint and toilets to avoid!

LE POLIDOR, 41 rue M.-le-Prince, 6e.
Is really Vieux Paris, extremely popular and usually packed etc.etc.
The courtyard toilettes are a` la turque and ancient, so be warned!

AU PIED DE FOUET, 45 rue de Babylone, 7e.
Straight out of the late 1940's ambiance, this tiny, fiendly restaurant is not for the claustrophobic - 5 or 6 tables. A young French friend warns that the toilets are 'indescribable'!!




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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 06:47 AM
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To be honest, other than the squatter I don't recall.
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 06:56 AM
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bkm to read later
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 10:01 AM
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Day 5 11/29

On our final day in Paris we started out by taking the metro to the base of Sacre Coeur. For our exploration of Montmartre we used the Rick Steeves walk. Personally, I found it to be very well done, it covered everything we wanted to see the neighborhood was well suited for the walk. Having seen many of the impressionist’s works over the last few days, it was really interesting to see where many of them lived and the settings in which many of their works were painted. Although I do have to mention that I thought my wife was about to kill me and Mr. Steeves (watch your back Rick) after a couple of the backtracks, but it wasn’t too bad.

Cheap souvenirs are readily available on the hill leading to the base of Sacre Coeur, unfortunately we failed to capitalize on that which led to a later trip to the shops along the Seine near Notre Dame to avoid going home empty handed. The hill to Sacre Coeur is not a bad one, but having a few extra metro tickets left from our 2nd carnet we opted for the funicular.

The views of Paris from the steps of the church and the church itself are wonderful, despite the relatively youthful age of the church. After the church we worked our way down Montmartre throwing “no merci’s” left and right to the throngs of artists offering to sketch me and the beautiful Madame. At one point when I was asked to take a picture of a tourist and his newly discovered artist friend the artist asked my wife to join them in the picture; god only knows where that will end up. We hit all the highlights of the area, the vineyard, La Maison Rose, Au Lapin Agile, Moulin de la Galette, the homes and studios of Picasso (at least where it had stood and the square where he met Fernande Olivier), Lautrec, Van Gogh as well as the café from Amelie, and the Moulin Rouge. Walking back to the metro we walked past the endless sex shops and erotic museums in the area. Although I am sure the sleaziness is heightened at night it was not bad during the day.

After Montmartre we took the metro to the opera area for Galleries Lafayette. The sheer size of the store is overwhelming after spending a few days strolling little shops. Decorated for Christmas the main rotunda looked beautiful. We made our way to the self serve café for a great lunch with views of the city from the top of the store. The café has a wide selection of food with everything from packaged sandwiches to stations for various entrees; sadly no lamb, but I was not to be denied. As mentioned we where just not in the mood to shop but enjoyed the store, particularly the gourmet department where we picked up a few things. The store is very similar to Harrods.

With our last day in Paris winding down we spent some time wandering the streets making our way through Place Vendome, Place de la Concorde and the Champs Elysees before the rain forced us to take the metro back to St. Germain. After some hot chocolate at a café near our hotel and a quick stop to dry off we spent a few hours stocking up on cigars and souvenirs before getting ready for dinner.

Our reservations for the night were at Le Caveau de l’Isle www.lecaveaudelisle.com
Isle St Louis was the one area that you could truly tell it was the low season. At night the streets were practically deserted and many things were closed. The restaurant was the only one we ate at during our trip that was not completely full. We did not take it as a bad sign, as there were a few locals. It simply felt that the island had shut down for the night. The food at Le Caveau was very good and the prix fixe menu was an excellent value. Having lost our Eating and Drinking in Paris book earlier in the day, my wife was glad to spot some recognizable selections. I would definitely recommend that book by the way to anyone visiting Paris. It is well organized and small enough to keep tableside.

PS there were some stamps in the book we picked up at a post office in Montmartre earlier in the day for some additional post cards we needed to send, we didn’t have all of our addresses with us at the Eiffel Tower. So to anyone that didn’t get a post card: Greetings from Paris, the city is wonderful and we are having a terrific time. See you soon.

For 84 euros we had Kir Royales, onion soup, foie gras, steak with béarnaise sauce, lamb chops with dauphinoise potatoes (a fitting end to lamb-O-thon Paris 2006), cheese plate, crème brulee, a bottle of Beaujolais and a bottle of water. After dinner the manager or owner brought us two glasses of Armagnac which was especially nice. With the rain having ended we enjoyed our walk home along the Seine made especially enjoyable by a Cohiba robusto. When are we going to let that damn embargo end?

When we arrived back at our room it was particularly fitting to see that one of the tulips we purchased on the first day of our trip, which had gradually opened during our stay had dropped its first petal. Was my seeing this as symbolic a true artistic moment caused by the influences we had been exposed to during our stay or simply the effects of excessive wine consumption? Probably a little of both.



Our packing complete we checked out of the hotel, took the short walk to the RER and were on the train back to CDG by 8AM. Thankfully we arrived at the airport with more than enough time to check in and take the shuttle bus to the satellite terminal our flight was leaving from. I am guessing that the construction taking place at CDG makes the satellite terminals necessary, but note that it does add a little time if you need to get to one.

After being awake for 18 hours with 11 of them on planes we arrived safely back at our home airport. To my wife’s complete enjoyment we were greeted by 3 members of the executive committee of my company who were booked on the next flight out on the plane we had just come in on. After a quick hello and recap of our trip, we were off to McDonalds.

My wife and I have talked about the restaurants we ate at and to be honest there is not one of them we wouldn’t go back to and there is no way I could rank them as they all offered something different. The food at each was wonderful.

Thank you for all of the positive posts, I hope this helps someone planning a trip. As mentioned, I have poached from the site for so long I wanted to contribute a report.

Tonight we are going out to dinner with some friends and there is a pretty good chance that the US tour of lamb-O-thon 2006 is about to kickoff.
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 10:25 AM
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Thank you SO much for your wonderful report. Ahhh Paris and ahhh the foie gras and potatoes dauphinoise at Le Caveau!! I am literally drooling on my keyboard remembering how scrumptious my meal was there. Merci!!
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 01:24 PM
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Thanks for the wonderful report and photos. I took many of the same ones a little over a year ago when we were in Paris for 4 days, so they brought back many memories - I might go back and read my own report and look at my pics!

KnoxvilleCouple
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Old Dec 8th, 2006, 02:37 PM
  #36  
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Great title. And extremely well written. So from now on, we'll be expecting trip reports from your future destinations. BTW, I'm extremely jealous of your nightly food forays. They sound spectacular. Dave
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Old Dec 9th, 2006, 12:17 PM
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Great pics...I noticed that in some shots you took your coat off. And from your title, I assume it was November so please tell us about what you packed, how warm it was, what did you not need and what did you wish you had brought.

I love the photos of the Seine with the moon...lovely.
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Old Dec 9th, 2006, 01:23 PM
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Brilliant!
Thank you so much for posting this excellent trip report!
Wasn't the Marchal Foche tomb amazing?
We stayed in an apt on rue Cler last visit to Paris, I have fond memories of those walks down the street, buying a bit of this and a bit of that .. La Notré especially with the tarts and chocolates
This was a very enjoyable read, now to go look at photos. Merci, knoxtraveler!
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Old Dec 9th, 2006, 03:32 PM
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Knoxtraveler: Wonderful trip report and pictures. My best friend and I were in Paris during the same period and I was delighted to read your observations on things we saw at nearly the same time. You have motivated me to get my trip report and pictures posted! I am wrapping up the captions for the pictures and should be ready to post before the end of the weekend.

Thanks, again, for your great report!
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Old Dec 9th, 2006, 06:03 PM
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The Thanksgiving trip seems to be a popular time for a short holiday. My wife and I left for Paris Sunday early evening arriving in Paris the Monday morning before Tgiving and returning to ORD on black Friday. MP miles and HHilton points paid for the trip.
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