The Roads Less Traveled: Traversing France With Mai Tai Tom & Tracy
Feb 23rd, 2017, 01:56 PM
#162
Original Poster
We made it…Paris baby! Tracy and I took the train from Montpellier to Paris in the morning in time for a good meal at our favorite Marais luncheon spot. Then we made our fateful trip to the Arc de Triomphe where I did my best Humpty Dumpty impression and took a great fall. Spoiler alert: I survived. All in all a fun first day (well, except for the falling thing) in the City of Light as we basked in the Parisian sunshine. Life is good! As always, here is the link with photos to go along with the verbiage.
<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-fifteen-well-always-paris/</B>
Day Fifteen: On Track To Paris, Camille Appeal, Oh How I Love The French, Timing Is Everything, “284 Steps…Only”, Slip Up or Have A Nice Trip, The I Fell Tower, Bruised Ego (any other things), We Are The Champs, That’s The Way The Cookie Crumbles, The Garden of Two Larrys, Supertramp Armed Guards, Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Soup, Jewel Heist and Our Most Comfortable Bed
In addition to my AVADD (Adult Vacation Attention Deficit Disorder), I am also afflicted with DMTTD (Don’t Miss The Train Disorder). We had a 9:26 departure from Montpellier to Paris, but thanks to my fear of missing trains, Tracy and I were the first people in Pézenas to awake on Monday morning.
We declined Babette’s kind offer to prepare an early breakfast, but she was still up before the crack of dawn to help us lug our luggage to the car. Remember Hotel de Vigniamont if you visit Pézenas!
Despite the fact that it was hours before departure we hit the road, and even with our GPS I managed to take the wrong road off the ringstrasse (that’s what we call roundabouts), which made me slightly perturbed. Tracy gave me “the look” and quickly went on her Ipad to Match.com.
Notwithstanding that slight miscue, we arrived at the slick looking Montpellier train station with plenty of time to eat about three breakfasts before our train departed.
The nearly 3 1/2 hour trip to Paris proved to me that France is really one giant vineyard, and I can drink more coffee than nearly anyone on earth.
Once in Paris, we grabbed a taxi to our hotel in the Marais, the Grand Hotel Malher (5 rue Malher). Our room was small, but the shower was terrific, and it had a very, very comfortable bed. In addition, the staff was quite helpful, so we both gave this place a thumbs up (not too expensive for Paris, either).
We didn’t stay in the room for very long because Mr. Antsy Pants had relaxed quite enough on this trip and was still wired from coffee overload. Of course, one needs sustenance to explore Paris, so we plunked ourselves down at a nearby restaurant where we had a couple of lunches in 2014. I hoped the staff had not contracted my bronchitis that some contend wiped out half the Parisian population on that journey.
Camille was slammed (the restaurant, not a person). There were a lot of business people (or incredibly well dressed tourists), and we were seated in quite close proximity to a local couple, who we conversed with, although they spoke very little English and our French is rather pathetic. (photo from 2014 trip)
Over some carpaccio and pasta salad, we learned their son lives in Paris and works for Apple, so the family has visited San Francisco when their son is working in Cupertino. It was just another chance encounter with another friendly couple. They (and our very attentive and friendly waiter) were helpful in explaining how to reach a park we wanted to visit the next day, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.
After lunch, we walked for a bit in the Marais…
…and made a quick stop at Square Georges Cain on Rue Payenne. I took a picture of Tracy with L’Aurore, a bronze statue of a nude woman in the middle of a bed of roses. Tracy declined to shed her clothes.
The weather could not have been better (60 degrees and sunny), but what to do? It had been a couple of decades since we visited the Arc de Triomphe, so we bought a carnet of metro tickets and popped over to Place Charles de Gaulle. This is the intersection where a dozen avenues converge into controlled chaos and the spot where I nearly wiped out a few cars and motorcycles on our 2012 wild ride through Paris.
I had (mistakenly) told Tracy there was an elevator to the top, but since we really hadn’t done out usual “1,000 stairs a day” on this trip, she wasn’t too upset when we found out we had to climb (€12) to the top. Surprisingly, there was no line for tickets, and just as we began our climb, Tracy asked a gentleman how many steps to the top. His answer, ”284.” He paused for a second, then added with a wry smile, “Only!”
I had (mistakenly) told Tracy there was an elevator to the top, but since we really hadn’t done out usual “1,000 stairs a day” on this trip, she wasn’t too upset when we found out we had to climb (€12) to the top. Surprisingly, there was no line for tickets, and just as we began our climb, Tracy asked a gentleman how many steps to the top. His answer, ”284.” He paused for a second, then added with a wry smile, “Only!”
We took photos of some statues…
…this one, I believe, is a cast of the head of a figure from François Rude’s sculpture “La Marseillaise” (Head of the Genius of Liberty). Coincidentally, that is also the face I make often while driving the congested Los Angeles freeways.
We then walked outside to view Paris on this glorious day.
After taking some shots of the city…
…we took our first selfie ever…sans selfie-stick, of course. We had to attempt this a few times as the first photos made our heads look like the size of giant pumpkins.
We started walking to the other side where I was going to point out the other Paris arch, La Grande Arche. As I continued my fateful saunter while staring at La Grande Arche, I made the mistake of not looking at where I was going.
The people who constructed this arch (which stands in honor of those who fought for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars) decided that they would include a few small steps in some areas. These are places where stupid tourists who don’t pay attention as they walk might not see. Just as I was about to point out La Grande Arche to Tracy, I tripped on one of those little steps. As if in slow motion, I started falling…and nothing was going to stop me…except the ground.
There were two things that could not hit the ground when I fell; my camera and, more importantly, my head. I succeeded in both endeavors…barely.
I could hear a few gasps as I plummeted downward, and as I lay there, a couple of Good Samaritans rushed to my assistance and grasped my forearms (strongly) to pull me up. Unbeknownst to them, this could pose a problem for a guy on blood thinners.
Sure enough, after thanking them for their good deed, I looked at my forearms and each had bruises that eventually looked like the state of Texas. Once again Tracy worried that when people saw my arms that she would be accused of elder abuse. I also half expected her to say, “Hi Tom, is that your new Fall wardrobe?”
We walked back down the stairs (carefully) and after looking at the now incredibly long line (timing is everything), we walked by The Unknown Soldier located at the arch’s base.
We walked around for a few moments, and looking up, we saw “The Resistance of 1814,” a relief by Antoine Étex; and his 1815 “La Paix de 1815” (Peace of 1815).
Then we decided to do something else we haven’t done for years; stroll the crowded Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
We made a quick stop at Le Lido, one of the most famous cabarets in the world. I stopped here because my dad and his company used to help get costumes from the Lido and Folies Bergère through Customs for their shows in Las Vegas.
One of the perks for me at an early age was that, since I had connections (aka dad), I got to attend these vaudeville-type shows in Vegas at a very early age. Yes, at 13 years of age my parents actually took me to see the Lido and the Folies…complete with topless dancers. Life definitely was a cabaret. God bless them both! (photos from wikipedia…my favorite was the Stardust show).
Although the Champs-Élysées is not our favorite spot in Paris, we had a reason to walk it on this day. While in line at LAX before departing, we had plenty of time to speak to a Parisian couple who said if we were in this neighborhood to visit a famous upscale bakery, Ladurée, and try their macarons.
The line at Ladurée stretched to Rouen, so we passed on the macarons, but ducked inside to check out the cool bar. After looking at the cocktail prices, we decided it would be less expensive to purchase some wine back in our own ‘hood.
Our next stop was the Jardin du Tuileries, or as my ex-brother-in-law called it back in the 1980s when we visited, The Garden of Two Larrys.
It was a gorgeous day…
…and people were lounging in the sunshine.
We walked below another arch, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built in the first decade of the 18th century that commemorates Napoleon’s victories. We snapped a few photos of it…
…and the Louvre.
It was just a day made to be outside and we took advantage of it.
Then we caught the metro back to the Marais.
Across from our hotel was (and still is) a place called Breakfast In America. Although it does not sell Supertramp albums to my knowledge…
…it does serve hamburgers, blueberry pancakes, California chicken-wraps and other American-style food (photo from internet).
On this day, a group of guys with semi-automatic weapons stood nearby to also remind us of home. Fortunately they didn’t have to use them.
As Tracy took a little snooze, I walked to a nearby local wine shop and picked up a couple of bottles that were still probably cheaper than one drink at Ladurée’s bar. We stepped out on our small balcony for a sip, but knowing my propensity for falling, we quickly stepped back inside to avoid almost certain tragedy.
I had made 8 p.m. reservations at Bistrot de L’Oulette (38 rue des Tournelles, near Place des Vosges), which celebrates its 30th year in 2017. When I think of what Paris bistros should look like, this is the kind of place that comes to mind, and as a bonus, the food was quite good.
We started with a delicious amuse bouche, creamy goat cheese and whipped mascarpone on garlic toast. Since we had not eaten much earlier in the day, we hoped for a fulfilling (with the key being “filling”) meal, which is exactly what we got. We ordered the €36 “eat every darned course” carte.
Tracy deftly wove her spoon through a terrific vegetable soup with curry cream and the enjoyed her home-made cassoulet with confit, duck gizzard confit and Toulouse sausage.
That combo, along with a chocolate tart with vanilla glacé dessert made for a great meal.
I started with a fantastic chestnut soup with jambon (I should have ordered a second it was so good). My steak in red wine sauce with mashed potatoes was also scrumptious as was the flaky pastry with caramelized apple and Iced Armagnac.
As we rolled back up the street after dinner, what should appear before us but our dinner spot two nights later, L’Ange 20 (now in their new location). It was a gorgeous evening in Paris so we strolled for a bit (one always “strolls” in Paris, I believe).
Back at the hotel, we turned on something called a television (we had hardly seen any TV since we left since almost every place we stayed did not have one). What was the first big news event we heard about when we switched it on? It was the Kim Kardashian Paris jewelry robbery. The set was quickly turned off. We were happy for that comfortable bed, because the next three days would be busy.
Tomorrow, we’d hit a famous historic local church, step inside a museum where we got shut out a couple of years before, a picturesque park I had wanted to visit the last couple of times in Paris, walk through the gardens behind Notre Dame, metro to a big tower (no falling, however) and wander the streets of Paris on one of the most beautiful days we have ever experienced in The City of Light.
<B>Next: Day Sixteen – Behind The Red Door, No Not Cognac, You Can Call Me Jay, Ifs Ands & Buttes, Going To Temple, Hip To Be Square, Dante’s Infernal, Strollin’ On A Sunny Afternoon, Let Me “Think” About That, Tower Of Power, The Apple Of Our Eye and That’s Aligot</B>
<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-fifteen-well-always-paris/</B>
Day Fifteen: On Track To Paris, Camille Appeal, Oh How I Love The French, Timing Is Everything, “284 Steps…Only”, Slip Up or Have A Nice Trip, The I Fell Tower, Bruised Ego (any other things), We Are The Champs, That’s The Way The Cookie Crumbles, The Garden of Two Larrys, Supertramp Armed Guards, Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Soup, Jewel Heist and Our Most Comfortable Bed
In addition to my AVADD (Adult Vacation Attention Deficit Disorder), I am also afflicted with DMTTD (Don’t Miss The Train Disorder). We had a 9:26 departure from Montpellier to Paris, but thanks to my fear of missing trains, Tracy and I were the first people in Pézenas to awake on Monday morning.
We declined Babette’s kind offer to prepare an early breakfast, but she was still up before the crack of dawn to help us lug our luggage to the car. Remember Hotel de Vigniamont if you visit Pézenas!
Despite the fact that it was hours before departure we hit the road, and even with our GPS I managed to take the wrong road off the ringstrasse (that’s what we call roundabouts), which made me slightly perturbed. Tracy gave me “the look” and quickly went on her Ipad to Match.com.
Notwithstanding that slight miscue, we arrived at the slick looking Montpellier train station with plenty of time to eat about three breakfasts before our train departed.
The nearly 3 1/2 hour trip to Paris proved to me that France is really one giant vineyard, and I can drink more coffee than nearly anyone on earth.
Once in Paris, we grabbed a taxi to our hotel in the Marais, the Grand Hotel Malher (5 rue Malher). Our room was small, but the shower was terrific, and it had a very, very comfortable bed. In addition, the staff was quite helpful, so we both gave this place a thumbs up (not too expensive for Paris, either).
We didn’t stay in the room for very long because Mr. Antsy Pants had relaxed quite enough on this trip and was still wired from coffee overload. Of course, one needs sustenance to explore Paris, so we plunked ourselves down at a nearby restaurant where we had a couple of lunches in 2014. I hoped the staff had not contracted my bronchitis that some contend wiped out half the Parisian population on that journey.
Camille was slammed (the restaurant, not a person). There were a lot of business people (or incredibly well dressed tourists), and we were seated in quite close proximity to a local couple, who we conversed with, although they spoke very little English and our French is rather pathetic. (photo from 2014 trip)
Over some carpaccio and pasta salad, we learned their son lives in Paris and works for Apple, so the family has visited San Francisco when their son is working in Cupertino. It was just another chance encounter with another friendly couple. They (and our very attentive and friendly waiter) were helpful in explaining how to reach a park we wanted to visit the next day, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.
After lunch, we walked for a bit in the Marais…
…and made a quick stop at Square Georges Cain on Rue Payenne. I took a picture of Tracy with L’Aurore, a bronze statue of a nude woman in the middle of a bed of roses. Tracy declined to shed her clothes.
The weather could not have been better (60 degrees and sunny), but what to do? It had been a couple of decades since we visited the Arc de Triomphe, so we bought a carnet of metro tickets and popped over to Place Charles de Gaulle. This is the intersection where a dozen avenues converge into controlled chaos and the spot where I nearly wiped out a few cars and motorcycles on our 2012 wild ride through Paris.
I had (mistakenly) told Tracy there was an elevator to the top, but since we really hadn’t done out usual “1,000 stairs a day” on this trip, she wasn’t too upset when we found out we had to climb (€12) to the top. Surprisingly, there was no line for tickets, and just as we began our climb, Tracy asked a gentleman how many steps to the top. His answer, ”284.” He paused for a second, then added with a wry smile, “Only!”
I had (mistakenly) told Tracy there was an elevator to the top, but since we really hadn’t done out usual “1,000 stairs a day” on this trip, she wasn’t too upset when we found out we had to climb (€12) to the top. Surprisingly, there was no line for tickets, and just as we began our climb, Tracy asked a gentleman how many steps to the top. His answer, ”284.” He paused for a second, then added with a wry smile, “Only!”
We took photos of some statues…
…this one, I believe, is a cast of the head of a figure from François Rude’s sculpture “La Marseillaise” (Head of the Genius of Liberty). Coincidentally, that is also the face I make often while driving the congested Los Angeles freeways.
We then walked outside to view Paris on this glorious day.
After taking some shots of the city…
…we took our first selfie ever…sans selfie-stick, of course. We had to attempt this a few times as the first photos made our heads look like the size of giant pumpkins.
We started walking to the other side where I was going to point out the other Paris arch, La Grande Arche. As I continued my fateful saunter while staring at La Grande Arche, I made the mistake of not looking at where I was going.
The people who constructed this arch (which stands in honor of those who fought for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars) decided that they would include a few small steps in some areas. These are places where stupid tourists who don’t pay attention as they walk might not see. Just as I was about to point out La Grande Arche to Tracy, I tripped on one of those little steps. As if in slow motion, I started falling…and nothing was going to stop me…except the ground.
There were two things that could not hit the ground when I fell; my camera and, more importantly, my head. I succeeded in both endeavors…barely.
I could hear a few gasps as I plummeted downward, and as I lay there, a couple of Good Samaritans rushed to my assistance and grasped my forearms (strongly) to pull me up. Unbeknownst to them, this could pose a problem for a guy on blood thinners.
Sure enough, after thanking them for their good deed, I looked at my forearms and each had bruises that eventually looked like the state of Texas. Once again Tracy worried that when people saw my arms that she would be accused of elder abuse. I also half expected her to say, “Hi Tom, is that your new Fall wardrobe?”
We walked back down the stairs (carefully) and after looking at the now incredibly long line (timing is everything), we walked by The Unknown Soldier located at the arch’s base.
We walked around for a few moments, and looking up, we saw “The Resistance of 1814,” a relief by Antoine Étex; and his 1815 “La Paix de 1815” (Peace of 1815).
Then we decided to do something else we haven’t done for years; stroll the crowded Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
We made a quick stop at Le Lido, one of the most famous cabarets in the world. I stopped here because my dad and his company used to help get costumes from the Lido and Folies Bergère through Customs for their shows in Las Vegas.
One of the perks for me at an early age was that, since I had connections (aka dad), I got to attend these vaudeville-type shows in Vegas at a very early age. Yes, at 13 years of age my parents actually took me to see the Lido and the Folies…complete with topless dancers. Life definitely was a cabaret. God bless them both! (photos from wikipedia…my favorite was the Stardust show).
Although the Champs-Élysées is not our favorite spot in Paris, we had a reason to walk it on this day. While in line at LAX before departing, we had plenty of time to speak to a Parisian couple who said if we were in this neighborhood to visit a famous upscale bakery, Ladurée, and try their macarons.
The line at Ladurée stretched to Rouen, so we passed on the macarons, but ducked inside to check out the cool bar. After looking at the cocktail prices, we decided it would be less expensive to purchase some wine back in our own ‘hood.
Our next stop was the Jardin du Tuileries, or as my ex-brother-in-law called it back in the 1980s when we visited, The Garden of Two Larrys.
It was a gorgeous day…
…and people were lounging in the sunshine.
We walked below another arch, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built in the first decade of the 18th century that commemorates Napoleon’s victories. We snapped a few photos of it…
…and the Louvre.
It was just a day made to be outside and we took advantage of it.
Then we caught the metro back to the Marais.
Across from our hotel was (and still is) a place called Breakfast In America. Although it does not sell Supertramp albums to my knowledge…
…it does serve hamburgers, blueberry pancakes, California chicken-wraps and other American-style food (photo from internet).
On this day, a group of guys with semi-automatic weapons stood nearby to also remind us of home. Fortunately they didn’t have to use them.
As Tracy took a little snooze, I walked to a nearby local wine shop and picked up a couple of bottles that were still probably cheaper than one drink at Ladurée’s bar. We stepped out on our small balcony for a sip, but knowing my propensity for falling, we quickly stepped back inside to avoid almost certain tragedy.
I had made 8 p.m. reservations at Bistrot de L’Oulette (38 rue des Tournelles, near Place des Vosges), which celebrates its 30th year in 2017. When I think of what Paris bistros should look like, this is the kind of place that comes to mind, and as a bonus, the food was quite good.
We started with a delicious amuse bouche, creamy goat cheese and whipped mascarpone on garlic toast. Since we had not eaten much earlier in the day, we hoped for a fulfilling (with the key being “filling”) meal, which is exactly what we got. We ordered the €36 “eat every darned course” carte.
Tracy deftly wove her spoon through a terrific vegetable soup with curry cream and the enjoyed her home-made cassoulet with confit, duck gizzard confit and Toulouse sausage.
That combo, along with a chocolate tart with vanilla glacé dessert made for a great meal.
I started with a fantastic chestnut soup with jambon (I should have ordered a second it was so good). My steak in red wine sauce with mashed potatoes was also scrumptious as was the flaky pastry with caramelized apple and Iced Armagnac.
As we rolled back up the street after dinner, what should appear before us but our dinner spot two nights later, L’Ange 20 (now in their new location). It was a gorgeous evening in Paris so we strolled for a bit (one always “strolls” in Paris, I believe).
Back at the hotel, we turned on something called a television (we had hardly seen any TV since we left since almost every place we stayed did not have one). What was the first big news event we heard about when we switched it on? It was the Kim Kardashian Paris jewelry robbery. The set was quickly turned off. We were happy for that comfortable bed, because the next three days would be busy.
Tomorrow, we’d hit a famous historic local church, step inside a museum where we got shut out a couple of years before, a picturesque park I had wanted to visit the last couple of times in Paris, walk through the gardens behind Notre Dame, metro to a big tower (no falling, however) and wander the streets of Paris on one of the most beautiful days we have ever experienced in The City of Light.
<B>Next: Day Sixteen – Behind The Red Door, No Not Cognac, You Can Call Me Jay, Ifs Ands & Buttes, Going To Temple, Hip To Be Square, Dante’s Infernal, Strollin’ On A Sunny Afternoon, Let Me “Think” About That, Tower Of Power, The Apple Of Our Eye and That’s Aligot</B>
Feb 24th, 2017, 11:53 AM
#163
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This is a repeat, but my DH was also DMTTD afflicted. I told him he couldn’t die—he’d hate to be forever referred to as the LATE Mr. R.
There was an elevator at the Arc when we were there some years ago—perhaps they saw you coming and hid it….
Fall wardrobe, indeed. Glad you weren't injured. What a gorgeous day you had.
Keep it coming please!
There was an elevator at the Arc when we were there some years ago—perhaps they saw you coming and hid it….
Fall wardrobe, indeed. Glad you weren't injured. What a gorgeous day you had.
Keep it coming please!
Feb 24th, 2017, 01:57 PM
#164
Original Poster
td - I'm a freak about getting to airports and train stations early. Sadly Tracy (and often Kim and Mary) are sleep deprived because of this affliction. The Montpellier train station was very cool, so having coffee and catching up on notes was ok.
Yes, also glad I wasn't injured. One of these days, however, I'm afraid falling could be my ultimate demise, although I will attempt to do gracefully. Perhaps I should start wearing a helmet and bubble-wrap on vacation.
Yes, also glad I wasn't injured. One of these days, however, I'm afraid falling could be my ultimate demise, although I will attempt to do gracefully. Perhaps I should start wearing a helmet and bubble-wrap on vacation.
Feb 24th, 2017, 04:49 PM
#165
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There is a lift at the Arc. IIRC the entrance is on the outside of one of the North facing legs of the Arc. I think you need to state your need for taking in when you buy your ticket. They took one look at my ravaged visage and an attendant walked us around to the proper door.
There are still about 60 steps to the top from the gift shop where you the lift ends. After watching the crazy traffic in the round-about below the Arc for awhile we started down but saw no way of calling the lift from the top so, after waiting for a bit, we took the helical stairs down. Much easier than climbing them!
There are still about 60 steps to the top from the gift shop where you the lift ends. After watching the crazy traffic in the round-about below the Arc for awhile we started down but saw no way of calling the lift from the top so, after waiting for a bit, we took the helical stairs down. Much easier than climbing them!
Feb 25th, 2017, 03:44 AM
#166
maitai - it's a good job you're not married to my DH. He's the opposite - he'd much prefer to be running for the train or plane than to sit around in an airport or station for even a minute. He's got better over the years and we've never actually missed a train or plane, but we've come close to it occasionally.
keep it coming.
keep it coming.
Feb 25th, 2017, 08:47 AM
#167
Finally caught up with the latest addtions to your report, maitaitom. As excellently entertaining as always, although there are always moments when I think things like "damn, why didn't they do this instead of doing that other thing?"
My parents lived in Béziers for several years, so I came to know that city quite well as well as Pézenas, Montpellier and the coastal towns (why didn't you visit them?).
Carcassonne is always quite controversial -- tourist trap or not? I am a bit wishy washy about it, but I do not accept the common criticism in France about how Viollet-le-Duc totally ruined it with his renovations. The fact is, he did not really "renovate" places in France -- he sort of recreated them as he felt they should have looked. For example, the walled city of Carcassonne did not have any pointy roofs -- the towers were all flat. Viollet-le-Duc thought it would look better with the pointy roofs, so he put them there. I think he was right, just as I approve of his reconstruction of the château of Pierrefonds and quite a few of his other works.
My parents took me to the Folies Bergère and the Casino de Paris (when it was doing the same sort of show) when I was 10 years old. No big deal in France. Seeing the bare breasts was obviously wonderful and it helped me to have a healthy attitude about such things as I grew up rather than considering them nasty or inappropriate. If you watch any European television at all (and not just premium cable), you quickly see that nudity is no big deal.
My parents lived in Béziers for several years, so I came to know that city quite well as well as Pézenas, Montpellier and the coastal towns (why didn't you visit them?).
Carcassonne is always quite controversial -- tourist trap or not? I am a bit wishy washy about it, but I do not accept the common criticism in France about how Viollet-le-Duc totally ruined it with his renovations. The fact is, he did not really "renovate" places in France -- he sort of recreated them as he felt they should have looked. For example, the walled city of Carcassonne did not have any pointy roofs -- the towers were all flat. Viollet-le-Duc thought it would look better with the pointy roofs, so he put them there. I think he was right, just as I approve of his reconstruction of the château of Pierrefonds and quite a few of his other works.
My parents took me to the Folies Bergère and the Casino de Paris (when it was doing the same sort of show) when I was 10 years old. No big deal in France. Seeing the bare breasts was obviously wonderful and it helped me to have a healthy attitude about such things as I grew up rather than considering them nasty or inappropriate. If you watch any European television at all (and not just premium cable), you quickly see that nudity is no big deal.
Feb 25th, 2017, 12:12 PM
#168
Original Poster
"and the coastal towns (why didn't you visit them?)."
Upon further review I wish we had done that (the coastal towns) the last day instead of our other drive. Some day I still would like to get down to those Cathar castles (Château de Quéribus and Château de Peyrepertuse), so hopefully the coastal towns will be included on that trip.
Upon further review I wish we had done that (the coastal towns) the last day instead of our other drive. Some day I still would like to get down to those Cathar castles (Château de Quéribus and Château de Peyrepertuse), so hopefully the coastal towns will be included on that trip.
Feb 27th, 2017, 05:28 PM
#169
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Fabulous report, as usual! We've been "off media" for a while, so we're just catching up. Your writing and photos make us feel like we visited places in S.France that we actually missed.
We were interested in your ascent of the Arc, as we enjoyed that experience on a similarly clear day in Paris. Sorry you took that fall and hope that your enjoyment of your final days in that wonderful city wasn't affected.
We'll stay tuned for more.
We were interested in your ascent of the Arc, as we enjoyed that experience on a similarly clear day in Paris. Sorry you took that fall and hope that your enjoyment of your final days in that wonderful city wasn't affected.
We'll stay tuned for more.
Mar 2nd, 2017, 05:43 PM
#170
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Following along and waiting for the next episode. Sorry about your fall and glad you survived it. I was reminded of the face plant that happened to me while stepping off a canal boat in Amsterdam. It zigged and I zagged. My knee replacements went into a panic.
Waiting for Day 16.....
Waiting for Day 16.....
Mar 7th, 2017, 10:34 AM
#172
Original Poster
We're nearing the finish line...only two days after this. As always click link to see the photos with the story.
<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-sixteen-crisscrossing-paris-walk-parc/</B>
Chapter Sixteen – Crisscrossing Paris & A Walk In The Parc
Day Sixteen – Behind The Red Door, No Not Cognac, You Can Call Me Jay, Ifs Ands & Buttes, Going To Temple, Hip To Be Square, Dante’s Infernal, Strollin’ On A Sunny Afternoon, Let Me “Think” About That, Tower Of Power, The Apple Of Our Eye and That’s Aligot
It was time to lace up the walking shoes. No more relaxing for us (although I did let us sleep in until after 8). After dropping off some laundry so we’d have some clean clothes for our flight home, Tracy and I stopped in to the nearby historic church. I guess it was in the Cards for us to visit a church named for St. Louis. We’ve been to Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis before (at first I didn’t know if I was in Minnesota or Missouri), but usually just to take a quick look. This time we spent a few more moments than usual at this 17th century French and Italian Baroque church. Inside the red door we entered.
I learned that the white marble main altar contains fragments from Napoléon’s tomb that’s in the Crypte des Invalides. The interior is quite spectacular. One sculpture is La Vierge del Douleur (the Virgin of Pain). There is also a sculpture of St. Vincent de Paul with three children. We wandered through the church…
…before heading to a museum that was closed the last time we were in Paris. When it opened at 10 a.m., Tracy and I stepped inside Musée Cognacq-Jay. Ernest Cognacq, founder of the Samaritaine department stores, and his wife Marie-Louise Jay, bequeathed their collection of art to the city of Paris in 1929 and it was moved to the Hôtel Donan (8 rue Elzévir) in 1990. The museum is free to visit, but you can “donate” if you’d like, so we threw in a few euros. The interior is beautiful…
…with lots of decorative arts to admire. I always call these type of displays, “The Martha Stewart Collection.”
The paintings, mostly from the 18th century are well worth a look. I’m a little sheepish to say that a girl and a lamb painting caught my eye.
There are about 1,200 items in this museum. We meandered through many of the 20 rooms. It does not take long to go through, plus we wanted to be outside on another spectacular day. Tracy said she needed some more sleep, but I told her this was not the place for a nap, although the bed looked quite comfortable.
After picking up a latte at (gasp) Starbucks, we caught the metro to a park that was on my list for our 2014 trip, but the plague forced me to postpone until this year. As usual, upon exiting the metro I had no idea which staircase to ascend, but I knew we were very close to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont located in the 19th arrondissement.
On our last visit to Paris, we paid a couple of visits to the lovely Parc Monceau. Subsequently, it was recommended that one of the prettiest parks in Paris was Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. he park (the fifth largest in Paris) has been around since the 1860s and covers about 60 acres.
On a beautiful day, the green spaces and the trees about ready to change colors, made for outstanding views as we made our way along the tree-covered pathways. After traversing up hills, down hills and all around, we finally came upon the Temple de la Sibylle, located on a man-made cliff. It was supposedly inspired by the Temple of Vesta near Rome (not to be confused with the noisy Roman streets, which we call the “Temple of Vespa”).
According to the sometimes correct Wikipedia, “it was close to the site of the Gibbet of Montfaucon, the notorious place where the bodies of hanged criminals were displayed after their executions from the 13th century until 1760. After the 1789 Revolution, it became a refuse dump, and then a place for cutting up horse carcasses and a depository for sewage.”
Coincidentally, we hung out here after the walk up to the temple, and the views were terrific. We looked down at some of the man-made lakes (there are nearly four acres of lakes)…
…and out to the buildings of the 19th.
We walked across the suspension bridge we had seen from up top…
…and since we had actually done some real exercise…
…I decided I needed to stop for something to drink. Thankfully, nearby (in the park) was the Le Pavillon du Lac. A glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice revitalized me, while Tracy admired their floral expertise. This gave us the energy to walk through the park for another 40 minutes or so.
From one vantage point, there is a cool view of Basilica du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. We could have stayed here longer…
…but then I realized we might be relaxing too much…
…so we hopped on the metro back to the Hôtel de Ville station to scout out a place for lunch. We passed by city hall…
…where a couple of years before we were lucky enough to tour its interior on Les Journées du Patrimoine weekend.
The Seine glistened in the sunlight as we crossed heading for Le square Jean-XXIII, located behind Notre-Dame de Paris.
We always enjoy walking through this peaceful, little jardin with its view of the apse of the cathedral.
Gorgeous views of the cathedral (except for the guy in front of it) gave way to hunger…
…so we crossed to the other side in search of food. Unfortunately we found it.
In a “Oh hell, let’s just sit down somewhere” moment we camped on the sidewalk in front of Cafe Le Dante. To be fair, our lunch of a Croque monsieur and fish and chips was not terrible, but certainly ranked as one of two lunches we had on the trip (the other was in Beaune) that were disappointing.
At least it gave us the strength to carry on.
We walked the streets of St. Germain…
…and fortunately the booths had nothing to extract euros from our wallets.
asked Tracy if we could visit the Musée Rodin (not her favorite museum) because we hadn’t been there since its renovation. So off we traveled to the 7th arrondissement. The line to enter was long and being “the Thinker” I am…
…I decided we’d return early on our last day.
Since we were near that big, famous tower, and we’d only walked about six or seven miles, off we went to the Tour Eiffel.
We walked through the Parc Du Champ Du Mars to take more blue sky photos.
We ran into another couple, took their picture, and they politely asked to take ours. Moral of the story…don’t trust the photo taking abilities of everyone.
I haven’t a clue who or what these figures represent. If you know, please contact me.
It was at this point, Tracy bemoaned the fact that her camera on the iPhone would not allow her to take photos because the storage was used up.
Despite having a data plan from AT&T, it was not pushing the photos to a place I hate more and more each day…the cloud. So for our second straight trip to Paris, we traveled to the Louvre, not for the Mona Lisa (I’ve seen her enough anyway), but because the Apple Store – Carrousel du Louvre is right there.
As we huddled together next to the store to use their wifi, the Apple guy thought he had fixed the problem, but his manipulations only freed up a few photos. He was perplexed, as were we, but it was bad timing to lose my great photographer because tomorrow would be the day where we’d take a million photos. She might have to use (gasp again) a real camera!
After a short nap, it was time to gorge ourselves on a unique potato dish at dinner.
Ambassade D’Auvergne has been around since 1966 and it’s known for its famous Aligot purée. Being the “renowned” chef I am, I had to look that up. According to Mimi Thorrison on her website (click on her name), “Aligot is a traditional mashed potato dish from the Aubrac region in France. They’re the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had — the melted cheese is so rich in texture. Combined with garlic and crème fraîche, aligot is the star of all side dishes. The mash is so thick, forming ribbons of cheesy strands on your plate — it is quite an experience for any cheese lover. Tomme de Laguiole cheese is traditionally used for this dish; however, it’s not always easy to find. You can substitute this cheese with Cantal, Lancashire or Cheddar. Serve aligot with a juicy steak and a smashing glass of Bordeaux red wine. Satisfaction guaranteed!”
Since I have never met a potato I didn’t like, Aligot it would be.
The Ambassade D’Auvergne interior exudes (that might be the first time I’ve written that word) old world charm, which is perfect since I am old. A little vino made me a bit younger.
Tracy started with the Creamy Chestnut soup, Goat cheese & Parsley (€9) and then Roast duck breast & Aligot (€21).
My appetizer was escargot served in a bone (it was good) and then Pan fried beef steak, marrowbones & Aligot (€27). I had no bone to pick with the meal.
Tracy, however, was not enamored with the Aligot. I, on the other hand, thought them to be very good.
On our walk back to the hotel, we peered (yes, I was now a certified peeping Tom into a couple of places in the Marais.
Tomorrow we’d take the tour we had to cancel on our last trip. We’d first hop on a bus for a morning visit to Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Afterward, we’d travel the short distance to another famed residence, Château de Fontainebleau.
The day would end with dinner at our favorite Paris restaurant…so good, that we groveled to get reservations for our last night, too.
<B>Next: Day Seventeen – Why Are My Legs So Sore, Picture Perfect Morning, André Le Nôtre’s Park, Don’t Overshadow The King, The Man In The Iron Mask?, Another Incredible Chateau, Versailles Moves To Third Place, What A Backyard, Where’s The Bus? and MaiTaiTom & MaitaiTracy’s Favorite Parisian Restaurant</B>
<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chapter-sixteen-crisscrossing-paris-walk-parc/</B>
Chapter Sixteen – Crisscrossing Paris & A Walk In The Parc
Day Sixteen – Behind The Red Door, No Not Cognac, You Can Call Me Jay, Ifs Ands & Buttes, Going To Temple, Hip To Be Square, Dante’s Infernal, Strollin’ On A Sunny Afternoon, Let Me “Think” About That, Tower Of Power, The Apple Of Our Eye and That’s Aligot
It was time to lace up the walking shoes. No more relaxing for us (although I did let us sleep in until after 8). After dropping off some laundry so we’d have some clean clothes for our flight home, Tracy and I stopped in to the nearby historic church. I guess it was in the Cards for us to visit a church named for St. Louis. We’ve been to Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis before (at first I didn’t know if I was in Minnesota or Missouri), but usually just to take a quick look. This time we spent a few more moments than usual at this 17th century French and Italian Baroque church. Inside the red door we entered.
I learned that the white marble main altar contains fragments from Napoléon’s tomb that’s in the Crypte des Invalides. The interior is quite spectacular. One sculpture is La Vierge del Douleur (the Virgin of Pain). There is also a sculpture of St. Vincent de Paul with three children. We wandered through the church…
…before heading to a museum that was closed the last time we were in Paris. When it opened at 10 a.m., Tracy and I stepped inside Musée Cognacq-Jay. Ernest Cognacq, founder of the Samaritaine department stores, and his wife Marie-Louise Jay, bequeathed their collection of art to the city of Paris in 1929 and it was moved to the Hôtel Donan (8 rue Elzévir) in 1990. The museum is free to visit, but you can “donate” if you’d like, so we threw in a few euros. The interior is beautiful…
…with lots of decorative arts to admire. I always call these type of displays, “The Martha Stewart Collection.”
The paintings, mostly from the 18th century are well worth a look. I’m a little sheepish to say that a girl and a lamb painting caught my eye.
There are about 1,200 items in this museum. We meandered through many of the 20 rooms. It does not take long to go through, plus we wanted to be outside on another spectacular day. Tracy said she needed some more sleep, but I told her this was not the place for a nap, although the bed looked quite comfortable.
After picking up a latte at (gasp) Starbucks, we caught the metro to a park that was on my list for our 2014 trip, but the plague forced me to postpone until this year. As usual, upon exiting the metro I had no idea which staircase to ascend, but I knew we were very close to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont located in the 19th arrondissement.
On our last visit to Paris, we paid a couple of visits to the lovely Parc Monceau. Subsequently, it was recommended that one of the prettiest parks in Paris was Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. he park (the fifth largest in Paris) has been around since the 1860s and covers about 60 acres.
On a beautiful day, the green spaces and the trees about ready to change colors, made for outstanding views as we made our way along the tree-covered pathways. After traversing up hills, down hills and all around, we finally came upon the Temple de la Sibylle, located on a man-made cliff. It was supposedly inspired by the Temple of Vesta near Rome (not to be confused with the noisy Roman streets, which we call the “Temple of Vespa”).
According to the sometimes correct Wikipedia, “it was close to the site of the Gibbet of Montfaucon, the notorious place where the bodies of hanged criminals were displayed after their executions from the 13th century until 1760. After the 1789 Revolution, it became a refuse dump, and then a place for cutting up horse carcasses and a depository for sewage.”
Coincidentally, we hung out here after the walk up to the temple, and the views were terrific. We looked down at some of the man-made lakes (there are nearly four acres of lakes)…
…and out to the buildings of the 19th.
We walked across the suspension bridge we had seen from up top…
…and since we had actually done some real exercise…
…I decided I needed to stop for something to drink. Thankfully, nearby (in the park) was the Le Pavillon du Lac. A glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice revitalized me, while Tracy admired their floral expertise. This gave us the energy to walk through the park for another 40 minutes or so.
From one vantage point, there is a cool view of Basilica du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. We could have stayed here longer…
…but then I realized we might be relaxing too much…
…so we hopped on the metro back to the Hôtel de Ville station to scout out a place for lunch. We passed by city hall…
…where a couple of years before we were lucky enough to tour its interior on Les Journées du Patrimoine weekend.
The Seine glistened in the sunlight as we crossed heading for Le square Jean-XXIII, located behind Notre-Dame de Paris.
We always enjoy walking through this peaceful, little jardin with its view of the apse of the cathedral.
Gorgeous views of the cathedral (except for the guy in front of it) gave way to hunger…
…so we crossed to the other side in search of food. Unfortunately we found it.
In a “Oh hell, let’s just sit down somewhere” moment we camped on the sidewalk in front of Cafe Le Dante. To be fair, our lunch of a Croque monsieur and fish and chips was not terrible, but certainly ranked as one of two lunches we had on the trip (the other was in Beaune) that were disappointing.
At least it gave us the strength to carry on.
We walked the streets of St. Germain…
…and fortunately the booths had nothing to extract euros from our wallets.
asked Tracy if we could visit the Musée Rodin (not her favorite museum) because we hadn’t been there since its renovation. So off we traveled to the 7th arrondissement. The line to enter was long and being “the Thinker” I am…
…I decided we’d return early on our last day.
Since we were near that big, famous tower, and we’d only walked about six or seven miles, off we went to the Tour Eiffel.
We walked through the Parc Du Champ Du Mars to take more blue sky photos.
We ran into another couple, took their picture, and they politely asked to take ours. Moral of the story…don’t trust the photo taking abilities of everyone.
I haven’t a clue who or what these figures represent. If you know, please contact me.
It was at this point, Tracy bemoaned the fact that her camera on the iPhone would not allow her to take photos because the storage was used up.
Despite having a data plan from AT&T, it was not pushing the photos to a place I hate more and more each day…the cloud. So for our second straight trip to Paris, we traveled to the Louvre, not for the Mona Lisa (I’ve seen her enough anyway), but because the Apple Store – Carrousel du Louvre is right there.
As we huddled together next to the store to use their wifi, the Apple guy thought he had fixed the problem, but his manipulations only freed up a few photos. He was perplexed, as were we, but it was bad timing to lose my great photographer because tomorrow would be the day where we’d take a million photos. She might have to use (gasp again) a real camera!
After a short nap, it was time to gorge ourselves on a unique potato dish at dinner.
Ambassade D’Auvergne has been around since 1966 and it’s known for its famous Aligot purée. Being the “renowned” chef I am, I had to look that up. According to Mimi Thorrison on her website (click on her name), “Aligot is a traditional mashed potato dish from the Aubrac region in France. They’re the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had — the melted cheese is so rich in texture. Combined with garlic and crème fraîche, aligot is the star of all side dishes. The mash is so thick, forming ribbons of cheesy strands on your plate — it is quite an experience for any cheese lover. Tomme de Laguiole cheese is traditionally used for this dish; however, it’s not always easy to find. You can substitute this cheese with Cantal, Lancashire or Cheddar. Serve aligot with a juicy steak and a smashing glass of Bordeaux red wine. Satisfaction guaranteed!”
Since I have never met a potato I didn’t like, Aligot it would be.
The Ambassade D’Auvergne interior exudes (that might be the first time I’ve written that word) old world charm, which is perfect since I am old. A little vino made me a bit younger.
Tracy started with the Creamy Chestnut soup, Goat cheese & Parsley (€9) and then Roast duck breast & Aligot (€21).
My appetizer was escargot served in a bone (it was good) and then Pan fried beef steak, marrowbones & Aligot (€27). I had no bone to pick with the meal.
Tracy, however, was not enamored with the Aligot. I, on the other hand, thought them to be very good.
On our walk back to the hotel, we peered (yes, I was now a certified peeping Tom into a couple of places in the Marais.
Tomorrow we’d take the tour we had to cancel on our last trip. We’d first hop on a bus for a morning visit to Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Afterward, we’d travel the short distance to another famed residence, Château de Fontainebleau.
The day would end with dinner at our favorite Paris restaurant…so good, that we groveled to get reservations for our last night, too.
<B>Next: Day Seventeen – Why Are My Legs So Sore, Picture Perfect Morning, André Le Nôtre’s Park, Don’t Overshadow The King, The Man In The Iron Mask?, Another Incredible Chateau, Versailles Moves To Third Place, What A Backyard, Where’s The Bus? and MaiTaiTom & MaitaiTracy’s Favorite Parisian Restaurant</B>
Mar 7th, 2017, 12:28 PM
#174
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Enjoying this report, and your Spain trip report (which I am hoping to follow substantially on a trip in 2018). One note: in Chapter 15 of this report, you have the following: "Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built in the first decade of the 18th century...." That should read 19th century, not 18th.
Mar 8th, 2017, 05:12 AM
#178
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Tom, you maintain a high standard with your trip reports. (It helps that I have a weakness for puns.) I never miss an installment of your travels, and as soon as I discovered you, years ago now, I went back and read the whole canon. Yes, I'm using the term "canon" because I never get a chance to say that word otherwise.
Mar 8th, 2017, 07:44 AM
#180
<i>I haven’t a clue who or what these figures represent. If you know, please contact me.</i>
This is your photo of the <i>Monument aux Droits de l'Homme</i> (human rights monument) which was commissioned by the city of Paris as part of the revolutionary bicentennial commemorations in 1989. It is the work of Czech artist Ivan Theimer and is in the shape of ancient Jewish or Egyptian temples covered with Masonic symbols (lots of triangles and eyes).
Among the statues there is a man in a toga carrying various documents and a woman wearing a dress and carrying a nude child wearing a hat made of newspapers.
You would be bored (you're already bored) if I explained the other items on display.
No I am not an expert of useless Parisian knowledge, but Google is my friend. Aren't you glad that we did not actually have a drink somewhere as you had said we would before this trip?
Not to worry. I find it best to decline 95% of the propositions that I receive, even though it is likely that I would have accepted yours.
This is your photo of the <i>Monument aux Droits de l'Homme</i> (human rights monument) which was commissioned by the city of Paris as part of the revolutionary bicentennial commemorations in 1989. It is the work of Czech artist Ivan Theimer and is in the shape of ancient Jewish or Egyptian temples covered with Masonic symbols (lots of triangles and eyes).
Among the statues there is a man in a toga carrying various documents and a woman wearing a dress and carrying a nude child wearing a hat made of newspapers.
You would be bored (you're already bored) if I explained the other items on display.
No I am not an expert of useless Parisian knowledge, but Google is my friend. Aren't you glad that we did not actually have a drink somewhere as you had said we would before this trip?
Not to worry. I find it best to decline 95% of the propositions that I receive, even though it is likely that I would have accepted yours.
