Rouen & Paris Anniversary Trip
Jul 24th, 2017, 02:06 PM
#21
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I think it was the heat that kept you from writing. Lol. We had a very, very good dinner at Philippe Excoffier near the hotel. We are planning Scotland next June with maybe 2 days in Paris. But definitely a hotel with AC!! Im looking forward to a country that is cooler in summer. Im continuing to enjoy your trip report. Heat or not Paris is our favorite place.
Jul 24th, 2017, 02:48 PM
#22
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The apartment woulda been fine if we hadn't gotten sick! We have rented from them every trip and all the apartments have been bigger!
Wow, we love Minuty Rose and just had a bottle here about a week ago! We first had it at Le Bonaparte and I was hooked.
I know what you mean about the Louvre. Most of the art is not my style but the place is massive and it just doesn't do much for me.
Wow, we love Minuty Rose and just had a bottle here about a week ago! We first had it at Le Bonaparte and I was hooked.
I know what you mean about the Louvre. Most of the art is not my style but the place is massive and it just doesn't do much for me.
Jul 25th, 2017, 12:03 PM
#23
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Denisea I do recall that you and your husband were both ill on that trip. Mr. W and I felt terrible for you. Our river cruise cabin last year had a bigger bathroom than that apartment!
Jul 25th, 2017, 12:13 PM
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Wednesday June 28, 4th & 8th Arrondissements
The Metro took us to the Villiers stop in the 8th Arrondissement where we walked to the Musée Nissim de Camondo. This museum is similar to the Jacquemart Andre in that both were private homes of art collectors which eventually opened to the public as museums. In the early 20th century Moise de Camondo had a mansion built in 18th century style with modern conveniences. The Camondo family story is very sad; the son died in World War I and the daughter and her family were deported to Auschwitz and all perished.
As we worked our way to the top floor it became warmer and warmer, again we worried about the furniture and artwork in the heat and humidity. We were glad to make our way to the lower level and tour the huge kitchen and servants’ dining room. We made it to lunch at Le Dôme de Villiers just before a heavy shower hit. This would not be the day to stroll in the beautiful Parc Monceau so took the Metro to the Hotel de Ville to shop for French made goods. By now the sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon so we walked near the Saint Gervais church and on to the Ile St. Louis, one of our favorite spots in Paris. We bought a few gifts and took photos of this charming area. The rain came back late in the day so we didn’t walk far to dinner but sat under the awning at Café Central.
Thursday June 29, Fontainebleu
We decided that the Chateau de Fontainebleu would make a good day trip out of Paris. I had visited in 1986 but Mr. Wonderful had never been. I looked on Fodor’s message boards for info on getting there and if we had bought the Navigo pass for the Metro it may have been easy (we didn’t use the Metro daily). At the Gare de Lyon that morning we tried two or three times to buy train tickets from a machine on the mail floor but kept getting the message that our transaction could not be completed but no other information as to why. Off we went to a ticket window still on the main floor. When it was our turn the clerk rather rudely directed us downstairs. We haven’t experienced many rude people in all our trips to Paris and it is surprising when it happens. Downstairs at a bank of new ticket machines we worked our way through the screens until a young woman flashed a badge at us like she was Doctor Who with his psychic paper, said in English that she worked there and offered to help. She asked where we wished to go and she said she could help us, it would cost 50 euros and did we have cash? She manipulated the screen and quickly pulled 2 tickets from the machine then said to follow her to the train. We started walking behind her but both of us were wondering if this was legit. Mr. Wonderful didn’t think it seemed right and I said why is her badge on a string and not a lanyard? And it was tucked back into her shirt. We stopped walking and she noticed and came back to us. I asked to see her badge which looked suspiciously like a bus pass with her photo and the initials STIF and we told her we would buy our own tickets. She briefly tried to convince us that she was there to help then turned and walked away. We saw her meet up with another young woman and head up the ramp to the main level.
Back at the machine we bought our tickets (for much less than 50 euros) and waited for the platform to appear on one of the many screens around the station. When it did we went upstairs and boarded for the trip to Fontainebleu Avon. When we got off the train it was unclear to us and several others where to pick up the bus to the chateau. After looking around a bit we asked and were directed to the subway that lead to the bus stop.
The bus dropped us a short distance from the Chateau and we walked in the entrance courtyard taking lots of pictures as we strolled. There was scaffolding and quite a bit of work going on but with careful framing we got some good photos . Once inside we discovered there was no café in the chateau so decided to have an early lunch before touring . Across the street was a little café called La Magenta which suited. The service was very good and the food did the trick. We were visited by the owner’s dog who took up in the corner next to us.
The weather threatened rain all day so we decided to tour the gardens after lunch. There are some lovely views across the lake and boats to take out on a sunny day. There’s also one of the little white tourist trains and a carriage to explore farther into the grounds. As it began to sprinkle we decided it was time for the inside tour. We did the self-guided tour and marveled at some of the rooms. I’m a sucker for chandeliers and there were many stunning fixtures throughout the chateau. We enjoyed the visit but our favorite of the chateaux near Paris is still Vaux-le-Vicomte. If I were to do it again I might take one of the bus tours that visit both chateaux.
As we walked back to the bus stop it began to rain in earnest but we lucked out and saw a taxi stand. Perfect. Soon we were on the train heading back to Paris and dinner at Colonel Moustache on the Blvd. La Tour Maubourg. I had an omlette and Mr. Wonderful duck.
The Metro took us to the Villiers stop in the 8th Arrondissement where we walked to the Musée Nissim de Camondo. This museum is similar to the Jacquemart Andre in that both were private homes of art collectors which eventually opened to the public as museums. In the early 20th century Moise de Camondo had a mansion built in 18th century style with modern conveniences. The Camondo family story is very sad; the son died in World War I and the daughter and her family were deported to Auschwitz and all perished.
As we worked our way to the top floor it became warmer and warmer, again we worried about the furniture and artwork in the heat and humidity. We were glad to make our way to the lower level and tour the huge kitchen and servants’ dining room. We made it to lunch at Le Dôme de Villiers just before a heavy shower hit. This would not be the day to stroll in the beautiful Parc Monceau so took the Metro to the Hotel de Ville to shop for French made goods. By now the sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon so we walked near the Saint Gervais church and on to the Ile St. Louis, one of our favorite spots in Paris. We bought a few gifts and took photos of this charming area. The rain came back late in the day so we didn’t walk far to dinner but sat under the awning at Café Central.
Thursday June 29, Fontainebleu
We decided that the Chateau de Fontainebleu would make a good day trip out of Paris. I had visited in 1986 but Mr. Wonderful had never been. I looked on Fodor’s message boards for info on getting there and if we had bought the Navigo pass for the Metro it may have been easy (we didn’t use the Metro daily). At the Gare de Lyon that morning we tried two or three times to buy train tickets from a machine on the mail floor but kept getting the message that our transaction could not be completed but no other information as to why. Off we went to a ticket window still on the main floor. When it was our turn the clerk rather rudely directed us downstairs. We haven’t experienced many rude people in all our trips to Paris and it is surprising when it happens. Downstairs at a bank of new ticket machines we worked our way through the screens until a young woman flashed a badge at us like she was Doctor Who with his psychic paper, said in English that she worked there and offered to help. She asked where we wished to go and she said she could help us, it would cost 50 euros and did we have cash? She manipulated the screen and quickly pulled 2 tickets from the machine then said to follow her to the train. We started walking behind her but both of us were wondering if this was legit. Mr. Wonderful didn’t think it seemed right and I said why is her badge on a string and not a lanyard? And it was tucked back into her shirt. We stopped walking and she noticed and came back to us. I asked to see her badge which looked suspiciously like a bus pass with her photo and the initials STIF and we told her we would buy our own tickets. She briefly tried to convince us that she was there to help then turned and walked away. We saw her meet up with another young woman and head up the ramp to the main level.
Back at the machine we bought our tickets (for much less than 50 euros) and waited for the platform to appear on one of the many screens around the station. When it did we went upstairs and boarded for the trip to Fontainebleu Avon. When we got off the train it was unclear to us and several others where to pick up the bus to the chateau. After looking around a bit we asked and were directed to the subway that lead to the bus stop.
The bus dropped us a short distance from the Chateau and we walked in the entrance courtyard taking lots of pictures as we strolled. There was scaffolding and quite a bit of work going on but with careful framing we got some good photos . Once inside we discovered there was no café in the chateau so decided to have an early lunch before touring . Across the street was a little café called La Magenta which suited. The service was very good and the food did the trick. We were visited by the owner’s dog who took up in the corner next to us.
The weather threatened rain all day so we decided to tour the gardens after lunch. There are some lovely views across the lake and boats to take out on a sunny day. There’s also one of the little white tourist trains and a carriage to explore farther into the grounds. As it began to sprinkle we decided it was time for the inside tour. We did the self-guided tour and marveled at some of the rooms. I’m a sucker for chandeliers and there were many stunning fixtures throughout the chateau. We enjoyed the visit but our favorite of the chateaux near Paris is still Vaux-le-Vicomte. If I were to do it again I might take one of the bus tours that visit both chateaux.
As we walked back to the bus stop it began to rain in earnest but we lucked out and saw a taxi stand. Perfect. Soon we were on the train heading back to Paris and dinner at Colonel Moustache on the Blvd. La Tour Maubourg. I had an omlette and Mr. Wonderful duck.
Jul 25th, 2017, 12:22 PM
#25
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Friday June 30, 16th Arrondissement
Our last day in Paris (sigh). We packed, checked out, stored our luggage with the hotel, then walked to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris http://www.mam.paris.fr/en. We chose to visit this museum after seeing The Electricity Fairy by Raoul Dufy in a guidebook. It is a huge mural painted for an international exhibition in 1937. The paint has a translucent quality that almost makes it look as if it were lit from behind. It was an easy walk down the Avenue Bosquet and across the Pont l’Alma to the museum. Works that I liked include Robert Delaunay’s Tour Eiffel and Dufy’s 30 Ans ou la vie en Rose. After touring the museum we looked at cafes near the Place l’Alma and selected Café George V for lunch. The tables were crowded together and we were squeezed in which was fine until two young American men were seated next to us. When it was time for us to leave they had to get up so that we could get out. Mr. Wonderful had Linguini with salmon and I had a beautifully roasted chicken.
We walked back along the bridge, took a couple of last photos of the Eiffel Tower then stopped at the antique shop we passed on the way to the museum. So many lovely things but I only bought a couple of plates that caught my eye in the window that I knew I could get home safely.
We picked up our luggage and waited for the taxi to take us to the Hotel Pullman Paris Roissy for our flight home in the morning. Even though we would miss an evening in Paris we thought staying here would make catching our flight less stressful. The hotel was modern, the staff very customer service oriented and it was an easy walk to the shuttle that would take us to Terminal 2E. We were up early Saturday morning and easily made it to the Terminal. Getting to the gate was a little trickier as the airport was busy and the machine we used to print our boarding passes ran out of paper after printing the first one. When we asked one of the staff directed us to Priority check-in—duh, we forgot that booking Premium Economy gets us priority status. We moved right along after that.
The food on the way over was not very good so I suggested to Mr. Wonderful that he might want to purchase a sandwich. Turned out to be a great idea as his meal was mediocre at best and he didn’t eat it. My gluten-free choice was unidentifiable and three weeks later I am still waiting for Air France to tell me what it was. I even posted a photo on Facebook so my friends could guess. If AF ever tells me and one of them was correct I shall have to award a prize. I ate a GF granola bar I brought with me. An uneventful flight otherwise with a funny food story to tell at home. Pictures available here: http://www.airlinemeals.net/photos/a...-jul-2017/b923
Our last day in Paris (sigh). We packed, checked out, stored our luggage with the hotel, then walked to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris http://www.mam.paris.fr/en. We chose to visit this museum after seeing The Electricity Fairy by Raoul Dufy in a guidebook. It is a huge mural painted for an international exhibition in 1937. The paint has a translucent quality that almost makes it look as if it were lit from behind. It was an easy walk down the Avenue Bosquet and across the Pont l’Alma to the museum. Works that I liked include Robert Delaunay’s Tour Eiffel and Dufy’s 30 Ans ou la vie en Rose. After touring the museum we looked at cafes near the Place l’Alma and selected Café George V for lunch. The tables were crowded together and we were squeezed in which was fine until two young American men were seated next to us. When it was time for us to leave they had to get up so that we could get out. Mr. Wonderful had Linguini with salmon and I had a beautifully roasted chicken.
We walked back along the bridge, took a couple of last photos of the Eiffel Tower then stopped at the antique shop we passed on the way to the museum. So many lovely things but I only bought a couple of plates that caught my eye in the window that I knew I could get home safely.
We picked up our luggage and waited for the taxi to take us to the Hotel Pullman Paris Roissy for our flight home in the morning. Even though we would miss an evening in Paris we thought staying here would make catching our flight less stressful. The hotel was modern, the staff very customer service oriented and it was an easy walk to the shuttle that would take us to Terminal 2E. We were up early Saturday morning and easily made it to the Terminal. Getting to the gate was a little trickier as the airport was busy and the machine we used to print our boarding passes ran out of paper after printing the first one. When we asked one of the staff directed us to Priority check-in—duh, we forgot that booking Premium Economy gets us priority status. We moved right along after that.
The food on the way over was not very good so I suggested to Mr. Wonderful that he might want to purchase a sandwich. Turned out to be a great idea as his meal was mediocre at best and he didn’t eat it. My gluten-free choice was unidentifiable and three weeks later I am still waiting for Air France to tell me what it was. I even posted a photo on Facebook so my friends could guess. If AF ever tells me and one of them was correct I shall have to award a prize. I ate a GF granola bar I brought with me. An uneventful flight otherwise with a funny food story to tell at home. Pictures available here: http://www.airlinemeals.net/photos/a...-jul-2017/b923
Jul 25th, 2017, 02:30 PM
#26
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We had planned Fontainebleu but decided to skip it this time as the website said the Napolean museum was closed for renovation. I'm hoping on our next visit to see it. I'm so glad you caught on to the lady trying to scam you at the train station.
The Nissim Camondo is terribly sad. That poor poor family wiped out by 2 wars.
The Nissim Camondo is terribly sad. That poor poor family wiped out by 2 wars.
Jul 27th, 2017, 12:43 PM
#32
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Here is a link to photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/206929...57683190968402
I hope they are accessible. When you "mouse over" the title identifies the photo.
I hope they are accessible. When you "mouse over" the title identifies the photo.
Jul 27th, 2017, 02:24 PM
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Great report - especially Giverny was of interest - not real lines to get to gardens when it is always made out to be so mobbed.
Just skimmed -will have to digest a lot more from a great source.
Merci au revoir!
Just skimmed -will have to digest a lot more from a great source.
Merci au revoir!
Jul 28th, 2017, 06:17 AM
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I heard from Air France and this is what they claim the meal was:
". . . We're back as promised with the menu information for a Gluten Free meal: Chicken with rice with lemon sauce, Mixed fruits and Artichoke Salad (which might be the one in your photo). Hope this answers your inquiry. Have a nice day!"
Doesn't account for the shrimp shown in one photo and is that stuff really artichoke?
". . . We're back as promised with the menu information for a Gluten Free meal: Chicken with rice with lemon sauce, Mixed fruits and Artichoke Salad (which might be the one in your photo). Hope this answers your inquiry. Have a nice day!"
Doesn't account for the shrimp shown in one photo and is that stuff really artichoke?
Jul 28th, 2017, 06:53 AM
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Great report, Scootoir! I especially appreciated your reviews of the smaller museums, favorite cafes and also daytrips from Paris and will save somethem in my list for "some day when I go back."
Your photos of Les Andelys were pretty amazing too.
Your photos of Les Andelys were pretty amazing too.
Jul 28th, 2017, 08:45 AM
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Great report, and lovely photos, Scootoir! Thank you for letting us share your joy.
One problem; I wanted to see that picture of your meal, but when I clicked on the link my antivirus program went nuts and locked the link. Perhaps you could add it to your photos, which I can see.
One problem; I wanted to see that picture of your meal, but when I clicked on the link my antivirus program went nuts and locked the link. Perhaps you could add it to your photos, which I can see.
Jul 28th, 2017, 09:35 AM
#38
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Nukesafe, I added 2 photos of the meal at the end of the album. Bon appetite!
PalenQ, I also wondered about the mobs at Giverny and we were there on a Friday in June. If it's not crowded then when would it be?
PalenQ, I also wondered about the mobs at Giverny and we were there on a Friday in June. If it's not crowded then when would it be?
Jul 28th, 2017, 12:37 PM
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I think crowding can always pop up at places like Giverny if a few large bus tours pop in - probably really variable. I once wrote an article on Giverny and called the directoress of the House/Gardens and she said Wednesdays during school year were busier than normal because many French school kids had that day off and their grandparents brought them there -not sure that is true anymore though.
