Trip Report Part Two: more Paris
 

so to continue:
Day three we ambled along the banks of the Seine to the Musee Orsay to indulge one of my passions, Impressionist art. unfortunately we didn't realize there was a major Manet exhibit - it is clear the French love their art. the lines were immense, so of course by the time we actually got in the poor tootsies were tired again, but nonetheless loved it. We then took the Metro to the Marais. Being Jewish it was deeply meaningful to me to see Jewish life alive and well and living in Paris. We enjoyed the Carnavalet and the Museum of Jewish HIstory - both very moving in their own ways. Dinner that night at Le Petit Chatelet on the left bank right across from Notre Dame. Lovely owner and waiter and truly delicious food (as well as humorous incidents of Americans spilling red wine on Russian tourist white jacket - (not us thank goodness) - ouch)

Day four visited the Cluny which I loved, then wandered over to St. Sulpice and St. Germain De Pres - both exquisitely beautiful and holy churches - and then I insisted we had to honor Hemmingway with lunch at Deux Maggots - truly fun. home to rest and then to the Louvre for late hours. Disgusted by the tourists madly taking pictures of the Mona Lisa in spite of the signs all over forbidding photos - and no one actually looking at it. In the spirit of honoring our pasts we enjoyed most the Assyrian exhibit which is my husbands ethnic background - those guys knew how to make statues!

Only disappointing dinner of our Paris sojourn, following the recommendation of Frommers we went to Le Vaudeville across from the bourse: hurried, rude service, no help understanding menu which in spite of my passable french I couldn't decipher, husband traumatized by steak tartare - he had to stop on the way home to ease his heart at McDonalds leading to our only squabble of the trip.

Final day in Paris we start off early on the RER headed towards Versaille - except we weren't - discovering we took the wrong C line, a kindly man sent us back to the city where we changed trains and finally arrived around 1 pm. starving we bent our principles to eat in the Mexican restaurant near the station, but after the waitress sneazed on the food I kinda lost my appetite.

Took a tour of the Kings Apartments with only 5 other English speakers, one of whom was sure she was the reincarnation of Maria Antoinette (no comment). Personally I wasn't that taken with Versaille - it was so over the top I kept thinking, how could anyone live here? plus the conspicuous consumption - well I guess if you're a king that's what you do. favorite part was the Hall of Paintings depicting French military victories, loved the historical perspective it gave.

To comfort ourselves after the prior nights debacle we returned to the Isle St. Louis, our favorite dining venue, and found another lovely little restuarant whose name I can't recall but will share later - perfect cassolet putting the smile back on hubbies face.

Then back to Hotel Britannique to prepare for our next days rendezvous with French Mystique Tours and our further adventures in Normandy and the Loire...

thanks everyone for your comments, stay tuned tomorrow for the next segment.

Have been enjoying your report. Looking forward to the next part. I agree with you about Versailles--

He really didn't know what steak tartare was and the waiter did not warn him? That is a real no-no. Any decent waiter will ALWAYS check to know if the (foreign) person knows what he is ordering.

Laura, did you have a museum pass when you visited the Musee d'Orsay? I thought one could bypass the line with that. I had wanted to see the Manet exhibit in a couple of weeks, but will skip it and go straight to the other door for passholders if that line proves too long. I would be sorry to miss the exhibit, though, as I do quite like Manet.

You're at least the second Fodorite in a week who has had a problem finding the right train to Versailles, so this makes me a little nervous. I'm confirming that it's the RER C-1 to Versailles Rive-Gauche, correct? (We'll be getting on at St-Michel/Notre-Dame.)

Really enjoying your report, thanks. BTW, when I visited a couple of months ago non flash photography was permitted at the Louvre (but no photography was the rule at the Musee d'Orsay).

Hi Sap - even with the museum pass the line was insane - the line for the Manet exhibit was even worse. however we went on the day that the Louvre is closed (Tuesday i think) so maybe we got all the artsy folks heading to the Orsay and it might be better on a different day of the week.

as far as the RER - part of the problem is the trains aren't clearly labelled so either ask a local if its the right one, or check the monitors overhead as they list the stations it stops at. I'm not sure of which RER C is the right6 one, anyone else?

It's the train for Versailles Rive Gauche. There is another train that goes to the other Versailles station that is not near the chateau. If you look at a map RER C branches out - one way for Rive Gauche, the other for St-Quentin.

Or perhaps you were on RER C in the wrong direction?

Sap - On the RATP site, it looks like the train that goes to Versailles Rive Gauche is designated C5.

http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orie...pdf=rer&fm=gif

If you happen to get on the other C train that goes to Versailles Chantier (like I did once), you can still walk to the palace. Just takes an extra 10-15 minutes or so.

You're right, MaineGG. It is C5. I don't know why my notes say C1, but thank you so much for correcting that. We would have been going to Pontoise.

I was planning Musee d'Orsay for next Friday the 10th, so hopefully it won't be as crowded. Either way, c'est la vie. What I'm more bummed about is the weather forecast for rain -- and Paris has been having such a lovely spring until now.

Looking forward to your next segment, Laura.

Laura, sorry about your experience at Le Vaudeville, but I wanted to tell you that we had a bad one there, too, back in 2006. The service was awful, but my burnt foie gras is what I remember most. Burnt. Like a piece of charcoal. And yes, I did send it back.

Anyway, I'm enjoying your report, and look forward to more!

Enjoying your report Laura. We just returned from one week in Paris and another in Beaune.

As for the Musee D'Orsay we ran into a long line and did not have a pass but the line moved very quickly. The line for Manet exhibit was extremely long and even though we paid to get in we decided against it.

Did you run into the ring gypsies outside the museum? Glad I knew about them as one approached us. We sat next to a US couple at lunch on floor 2 who fell for their ruse, giving them 3 euros.

Note to self...never go to Le Vaudeville! Thanks for the warning but would love to know where the cassolet was on ISL.

You have to forgive your husband for the McDonald's trip. If tartare isn't your thing...you gotta go for something you know. :-)

burned Foi gras - quelle horreure! The wonderful restaurant with the cassolet was (I'm having a hard time deciphering the business card - but I think it says) Aux Anysetiers du Roy, 61 Rue Saint-louis en L'isle - [email protected]

and yes, we did run into some gypsies, but walked on by....

thanks so much!

This gives step by step instructions.

http://parisbytrain.com/tag/rer-c/

The trains had names too, and it was easy to tell which train to take, based on the name - Nora and a few others names that I have forgotten, get you to Versailles. Perhaps others can respond about the train names.

Thanks for the link & further info DebitNM.

The Vick went to Versailles when hub and I were there.