Trying to be busy doing (almost) nothing in Paris and failing miserably!
Jun 11th, 2023, 08:00 AM
#1
Trying to be busy doing (almost) nothing in Paris and failing miserably!
Paris. Première journée.
Memo to self. The next time someone suggests travelling by Eurostar (or indeed any other mode of transport save shanks’s pony) on a bank holiday weekend, ignore them. Having had at least an hour added to my journey from Cornwall up to Kent simply by the weight of traffic (one of the worst bits being getting out of Cornwall) at least I got a decent night's sleep at the home of my travel companion, M, and the next morning she and I made it to Sevenoaks station in one piece care of a kind neighbour giving us a lift. The fast train to London Bridge was ok (single seats next to the loo proved to be a better option than one might expect as there was plenty of room for our luggage) but they have changed London Bridge station quite a bit since I was last there and last minute changes of platform didn’t help. Still we made it onto the right train eventually, albeit in First Class, and alighted at St Pancras international a mere 3 hours before our Eurostar train was due to leave.
Last time I had been there was early in the morning so I had not been expecting such a zoo. We wandered around a bit, found a place upstairs for a leisurely snack away from the madding crowd below, and eventually worked up the energy to make our way to the end of the queue to enter the Eurostar lounge (entry only allowed within 1 ¼ hours of the departure time) which involved schlepping the entire length of the concourse, then following one of those caterpillar queue controls up and down until we reached security where inevitably we were preceded by people who were still scrabbling for their tickets and/or had enough luggage for months of travel, not just a long weekend. One couple even had fresh flowers with them which they also had to put through security. (Are there no flowers in Paris?)
Just as we were really beginning to flag, the travel gods took pity on us and noticing M’s stick a lovely French official whisked us to the front of the passport queue so we were finally able to relax in the lounge in relative peace for a while and wait for our train to Paris.
Finding our seats was surprisingly easy, the journey was smooth and event free, and the long walk to carriage 17 when we got on meant that when we got off we would be able to get to the front of the taxi queue. Ha. Not so fast. (Literally). They have now moved the taxi tank from the front of the Gare du Nord to the back so you have a long walk to get to it and then have to queue again while they sort you out a taxi. Still we had already established that there was no escalator or lift at our destination metro station so there was no alternative that M would have been able to manage with luggage as well.
Unlike on my trip to Paris last year the taxi driver turned out to be an honest guy and had the meter on. He also did a good job of getting us through the traffic and less than €20 later we were at our hotel the Citadines Bastille Marais on Boulevard Richard Lenoir. He got a decent tip just for being honest. It’s an aparthotel so as well as the sleeping area we had a kitchen, small dining area and, a terrace!
I had booked dinner at L’Ange 20 (a 10 minute walk away) a couple of months ago but phoned to confirm which turned out to be a waste of time as we still had to wait for what seemed like ages for our table. Still the coupe de champagne helped the time to pass (not the bottle they tried to charge us for last time!) and the food was as good as ever. My companion had snails and cod, which she said were excellent, and I had a warm geziers salad followed by magret de canard with mashed potatoes and more salad. The duck was terrific as was the very reasonably priced glass of Cotes de Rhone I had to accompany it.
After a very careful study of the bill (€98 servis tout compris) we waddled our way back to our hotel and fell quickly asleep.
Tomorrow - Cuban brunch and sore feet.
Memo to self. The next time someone suggests travelling by Eurostar (or indeed any other mode of transport save shanks’s pony) on a bank holiday weekend, ignore them. Having had at least an hour added to my journey from Cornwall up to Kent simply by the weight of traffic (one of the worst bits being getting out of Cornwall) at least I got a decent night's sleep at the home of my travel companion, M, and the next morning she and I made it to Sevenoaks station in one piece care of a kind neighbour giving us a lift. The fast train to London Bridge was ok (single seats next to the loo proved to be a better option than one might expect as there was plenty of room for our luggage) but they have changed London Bridge station quite a bit since I was last there and last minute changes of platform didn’t help. Still we made it onto the right train eventually, albeit in First Class, and alighted at St Pancras international a mere 3 hours before our Eurostar train was due to leave.
Last time I had been there was early in the morning so I had not been expecting such a zoo. We wandered around a bit, found a place upstairs for a leisurely snack away from the madding crowd below, and eventually worked up the energy to make our way to the end of the queue to enter the Eurostar lounge (entry only allowed within 1 ¼ hours of the departure time) which involved schlepping the entire length of the concourse, then following one of those caterpillar queue controls up and down until we reached security where inevitably we were preceded by people who were still scrabbling for their tickets and/or had enough luggage for months of travel, not just a long weekend. One couple even had fresh flowers with them which they also had to put through security. (Are there no flowers in Paris?)
Just as we were really beginning to flag, the travel gods took pity on us and noticing M’s stick a lovely French official whisked us to the front of the passport queue so we were finally able to relax in the lounge in relative peace for a while and wait for our train to Paris.
Finding our seats was surprisingly easy, the journey was smooth and event free, and the long walk to carriage 17 when we got on meant that when we got off we would be able to get to the front of the taxi queue. Ha. Not so fast. (Literally). They have now moved the taxi tank from the front of the Gare du Nord to the back so you have a long walk to get to it and then have to queue again while they sort you out a taxi. Still we had already established that there was no escalator or lift at our destination metro station so there was no alternative that M would have been able to manage with luggage as well.
Unlike on my trip to Paris last year the taxi driver turned out to be an honest guy and had the meter on. He also did a good job of getting us through the traffic and less than €20 later we were at our hotel the Citadines Bastille Marais on Boulevard Richard Lenoir. He got a decent tip just for being honest. It’s an aparthotel so as well as the sleeping area we had a kitchen, small dining area and, a terrace!
I had booked dinner at L’Ange 20 (a 10 minute walk away) a couple of months ago but phoned to confirm which turned out to be a waste of time as we still had to wait for what seemed like ages for our table. Still the coupe de champagne helped the time to pass (not the bottle they tried to charge us for last time!) and the food was as good as ever. My companion had snails and cod, which she said were excellent, and I had a warm geziers salad followed by magret de canard with mashed potatoes and more salad. The duck was terrific as was the very reasonably priced glass of Cotes de Rhone I had to accompany it.
After a very careful study of the bill (€98 servis tout compris) we waddled our way back to our hotel and fell quickly asleep.
Tomorrow - Cuban brunch and sore feet.
Jun 11th, 2023, 08:14 AM
#2
Looking forward to this. I had to look up "Just as we were really beginning to flag." I might start using that. I've heard recent reports that there have been long waits at L'Ange 20, even with a reservation. Good to hear the food is still good.
Jun 11th, 2023, 09:02 AM
#4
Is that not an American expression, Tom? interesting. Also that we are not the only people who have had to wait at L'Ange 20. I was a bit miffed [there's another one you might not know!] that we had to wait for two reasons [sorry three] - I'd booked when we booked our trip at least 2 months before, I phoned when we arrived at the hotel to confirm that the time was ok [we could easily have gone 30 mins later as having just arrived from London our body clocks were effectively an hour behind] and when we got there, despite seeing my companion's stick they didn't offer us a seat though they had plenty free waiting for other diners. When M eventually gave up and sat down in the nearest one of course those people turned up almost immediately! As we had to wait nearly 30 mins I rather hoped that our initial drinks would be comped, but no such luck. OTOH the food was very good, I like the ambience, and for what we had it was very good value.
Jun 11th, 2023, 09:16 AM
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Is that not an American expression, Tom? interesting. Also that we are not the only people who have had to wait at L'Ange 20. I was a bit miffed [there's another one you might not know!] that we had to wait for two reasons [sorry three] - I'd booked when we booked our trip at least 2 months before, I phoned when we arrived at the hotel to confirm that the time was ok [we could easily have gone 30 mins later as having just arrived from London our body clocks were effectively an hour behind] and when we got there, despite seeing my companion's stick they didn't offer us a seat though they had plenty free waiting for other diners. When M eventually gave up and sat down in the nearest one of course those people turned up almost immediately! As we had to wait nearly 30 mins I rather hoped that our initial drinks would be comped, but no such luck. OTOH the food was very good, I like the ambience, and for what we had it was very good value.
Jun 11th, 2023, 10:51 AM
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I always enjoy your trip reports Ann so I am following along, even if Paris is not and never will be on my radar to visit.
Jun 11th, 2023, 11:47 AM
#11
<<We also were amazed at the long lines to get on the Eurostar. But it worked out just need to get there early. When we arrived at the gare du nord with no euros (couldn’t find an atm) and cab driver said he would take our dollars but he wanted $35 for a 10 minute ride we declined and walked to our hotel in the upper Marais. It took 25 minutes but probably good exercise. I was amazed at how much easier the restaurant reservation system was now after not being in Paris for 4 years. I reserved 3 of our dinners online (Parcelles, Bistrot des Tournelles and Kubri) and we were seated instantly. Maybe because we were on the early side?>>
Macdogmum - I like to have some cash for this very reason so I bought £200 in € from Tescos a week before I left - Sainbury's had a rate that was a fraction better but it was on line and had to be posted whereas I could just pop into my local Tescos and buy them over the counter. Last year a cabbie tried to rook me at GdN but I politely said no, jumped out and after a beer did a bit like you except I walked to the best metro station to get to my hotel in the 5th, which I had researched in advance, just in case. This time i knew by the time we got to GdN that we were definitely going to need a cab as there was no way that M could have managed the metro with her luggage. Had I enabled Uber i might have tried to book one whilst we were on the train but I only got the hang of it after we arrived in Paris.
As for getting there early, half the problem was that people were getting there too early [like us] and they wouldn't let you start to queue until 75 mins before the train was due to go so that travellers on later trains didn't clog up the departure lounge.
<<There has been quite a bit in the press about the Eurostar problem in London. Apparently, the first trains of the day leave 30% empty because they cannot process a full load.>>
Kerouac, our trains were completely full both ways but of course they were in the middle of the day.
<<The joys of Brexit, all those stamps to be stamped and expiry dates to be checked.I always enjoy your trip reports Ann so I am following along, even if Paris is not and never will be on my radar to visit.>>
Exactly Hets, bonkers isn't it? and dare I ask why never Paris?
Macdogmum - I like to have some cash for this very reason so I bought £200 in € from Tescos a week before I left - Sainbury's had a rate that was a fraction better but it was on line and had to be posted whereas I could just pop into my local Tescos and buy them over the counter. Last year a cabbie tried to rook me at GdN but I politely said no, jumped out and after a beer did a bit like you except I walked to the best metro station to get to my hotel in the 5th, which I had researched in advance, just in case. This time i knew by the time we got to GdN that we were definitely going to need a cab as there was no way that M could have managed the metro with her luggage. Had I enabled Uber i might have tried to book one whilst we were on the train but I only got the hang of it after we arrived in Paris.
As for getting there early, half the problem was that people were getting there too early [like us] and they wouldn't let you start to queue until 75 mins before the train was due to go so that travellers on later trains didn't clog up the departure lounge.
<<There has been quite a bit in the press about the Eurostar problem in London. Apparently, the first trains of the day leave 30% empty because they cannot process a full load.>>
Kerouac, our trains were completely full both ways but of course they were in the middle of the day.
<<The joys of Brexit, all those stamps to be stamped and expiry dates to be checked.I always enjoy your trip reports Ann so I am following along, even if Paris is not and never will be on my radar to visit.>>
Exactly Hets, bonkers isn't it? and dare I ask why never Paris?
Jun 11th, 2023, 11:50 AM
#12
Jun 11th, 2023, 01:43 PM
#15
Paris 2023 - deuxième journée
Still pretty tired after the day before’s trials and tribulations and full of the previous night’s dinner we slept in for quite a while, only rousing ourselves when M’s son A texted to say he would be arriving in 45 minutes. The spur to organising the trip at this particular time was that A and the Cambridge choir he sings in were performing William Walton Belshazzar’s Feast at the Cite de Musique on Tuesday night and both being keen choral singers M and I were eager to be there. Also the soloist, Willard White used to sing in concerts given by the choir I joined when I first moved to London so for me it would be great to have an opportunity to hear him again too.
So up we leapt, I introduced M to the mysteries of the shower (not too bad really apart from the fact it was the over bath version, not a walk in which we both much prefer) and by the time he arrived we were ready to receive our visitor. After a relaxed coffee on our terrace we set off for our first stop, the nearby Cuba Compagnie cafe which the night before we had earmarked for a Sunday morning brunch. https://www.cubacompagnie.com
Between us we ordered a normal breakfast, a brunch and some Cuban specialities, all of which were great. Good coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, a wide variety of dishes from bacon, eggs and fruit salad to spicy cod balls and smoked salmon on avocado toast, all finished off with chocolate brownie in proper custard. Something for everyone.
After about an hour A had to go off to a rehearsal, so feeling very full M and I jumped (if that’s the right word) on a no 69 bus from right outside out hotel. The plan was to go as far as the Hotel de Ville and then take the Batobus so we could enjoy Paris from the water. Or so we hoped. This was easier said than done as locating the batobus stop was not easy. I had tried to identify one which was close to a bus stop but failed miserably and we ended up walking rather further than I’d hoped. Then we just missed one but at least there were seats in the shade and a stall selling water so it wasn’t too bad. Also it turned out not to be such a bad place to board the bus as there were very few people waiting at that stop and we got on easily unlike several other stops like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. And I discovered that with a Navigo card you got €5 off the ticket price which considering they only cost €2 was a bargain!
It took about two hours to go all the way round, stopping at various places to let off passengers and allow seemingly random numbers to board in their stead and despite the heat we were reasonably comfortable apart from one short stretch where we were in full sun. The fab views of the Eiffel Tower made up for this and M said she loved seeing how all the sights fitted together around the river as well as reminiscing about the places she had been to with her family on previous visits.
Of course when we got off the boat we had the same trouble finding the right bus stop as we had had earlier to find the right boat stop but we got there in the end and in no time we were alighting near the Place des Vosges and enjoying a somewhat overpriced coke and beer in a local cafe. Still the view of the Bastille was a pretty good compensation and we spied what we thought might be a good dinner spot beneath the cloisters for the following night. (La Place Royal) and well as coming across a souvenir shop that had exactly the sorts of things that M wanted to take home with her for friends and family as well as a couple of T shirts that I thought would be perfect for my kids.
On the way back to the hotel we picked up some croissants for the next day’s breakfast from a very nice boulangerie and having decided to eat on our terrace that evening, some bread, ham, cheese and wine for supper. All excellent except for the wine which was sweet! Coteaux de Layon it was called and unless you like sweet white wine avoid at all costs. And zero indication on the bottle to indicate its level of sweetness. Still it was a fun evening relaxing and hearing our neighbours enjoying a Saturday night to the accompaniment of birdsong and, later on, the fluttering of bats.
Bon nuit mes amis!
Still pretty tired after the day before’s trials and tribulations and full of the previous night’s dinner we slept in for quite a while, only rousing ourselves when M’s son A texted to say he would be arriving in 45 minutes. The spur to organising the trip at this particular time was that A and the Cambridge choir he sings in were performing William Walton Belshazzar’s Feast at the Cite de Musique on Tuesday night and both being keen choral singers M and I were eager to be there. Also the soloist, Willard White used to sing in concerts given by the choir I joined when I first moved to London so for me it would be great to have an opportunity to hear him again too.
So up we leapt, I introduced M to the mysteries of the shower (not too bad really apart from the fact it was the over bath version, not a walk in which we both much prefer) and by the time he arrived we were ready to receive our visitor. After a relaxed coffee on our terrace we set off for our first stop, the nearby Cuba Compagnie cafe which the night before we had earmarked for a Sunday morning brunch. https://www.cubacompagnie.com
Between us we ordered a normal breakfast, a brunch and some Cuban specialities, all of which were great. Good coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, a wide variety of dishes from bacon, eggs and fruit salad to spicy cod balls and smoked salmon on avocado toast, all finished off with chocolate brownie in proper custard. Something for everyone.
After about an hour A had to go off to a rehearsal, so feeling very full M and I jumped (if that’s the right word) on a no 69 bus from right outside out hotel. The plan was to go as far as the Hotel de Ville and then take the Batobus so we could enjoy Paris from the water. Or so we hoped. This was easier said than done as locating the batobus stop was not easy. I had tried to identify one which was close to a bus stop but failed miserably and we ended up walking rather further than I’d hoped. Then we just missed one but at least there were seats in the shade and a stall selling water so it wasn’t too bad. Also it turned out not to be such a bad place to board the bus as there were very few people waiting at that stop and we got on easily unlike several other stops like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. And I discovered that with a Navigo card you got €5 off the ticket price which considering they only cost €2 was a bargain!
It took about two hours to go all the way round, stopping at various places to let off passengers and allow seemingly random numbers to board in their stead and despite the heat we were reasonably comfortable apart from one short stretch where we were in full sun. The fab views of the Eiffel Tower made up for this and M said she loved seeing how all the sights fitted together around the river as well as reminiscing about the places she had been to with her family on previous visits.
Of course when we got off the boat we had the same trouble finding the right bus stop as we had had earlier to find the right boat stop but we got there in the end and in no time we were alighting near the Place des Vosges and enjoying a somewhat overpriced coke and beer in a local cafe. Still the view of the Bastille was a pretty good compensation and we spied what we thought might be a good dinner spot beneath the cloisters for the following night. (La Place Royal) and well as coming across a souvenir shop that had exactly the sorts of things that M wanted to take home with her for friends and family as well as a couple of T shirts that I thought would be perfect for my kids.
On the way back to the hotel we picked up some croissants for the next day’s breakfast from a very nice boulangerie and having decided to eat on our terrace that evening, some bread, ham, cheese and wine for supper. All excellent except for the wine which was sweet! Coteaux de Layon it was called and unless you like sweet white wine avoid at all costs. And zero indication on the bottle to indicate its level of sweetness. Still it was a fun evening relaxing and hearing our neighbours enjoying a Saturday night to the accompaniment of birdsong and, later on, the fluttering of bats.
Bon nuit mes amis!
Last edited by annhig; Jun 11th, 2023 at 01:48 PM.
Jun 11th, 2023, 02:38 PM
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You write very well.
I was interested to read this as I was toying with the idea of flying to London then taking the Eurostar to Paris in Sept (I live on east coast US), and I changed my plans. Of course I wasn't going to go on a holiday weekend.
I"m American and was raised ion the US and that's a normal word in English that I've always known (with that meaning). I guess it isn't used that much today in the US. I don't think I would naturally use it in conversation, I'd just say get tired or maybe "I was beginning to run out of steam." Young people probably wouldn't say that, either. OED says it is probably derived from the Middle English word flacken or Old Norse flaka meaning to flap or hang loosely or limply.
It dates to the 16th Century.
I was interested to read this as I was toying with the idea of flying to London then taking the Eurostar to Paris in Sept (I live on east coast US), and I changed my plans. Of course I wasn't going to go on a holiday weekend.
I"m American and was raised ion the US and that's a normal word in English that I've always known (with that meaning). I guess it isn't used that much today in the US. I don't think I would naturally use it in conversation, I'd just say get tired or maybe "I was beginning to run out of steam." Young people probably wouldn't say that, either. OED says it is probably derived from the Middle English word flacken or Old Norse flaka meaning to flap or hang loosely or limply.
It dates to the 16th Century.
Jun 11th, 2023, 07:47 PM
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"L’Ange 20 and champagne is a great start."...D'accord, Paqngo.
How nice to have a terrace, annhig. Looking forward to more.
ps: I know 'Flag' as being tired but looked it up and it's toward the end of the defs. A very good word:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flag
How nice to have a terrace, annhig. Looking forward to more.
ps: I know 'Flag' as being tired but looked it up and it's toward the end of the defs. A very good word:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flag
