Two femmes d'un certain age and their daughters take on Paris
 

Five years ago, my sister-in-law and I decided when our daughters graduated from high school we would take them to Paris. That day arrived (sooner than imagined) and we were off. I travel to Paris almost annually and this trip marked my daughter's fifth visit, but it was the first trip to France for my sister-in-law and my niece. I kept an almost daily record of our trip on another social media site and am copying here for anyone interested in knowing what it's like to take two teenage girls to Paris (it is fabulous BTW).

Day 0/1 in Paris: Safe Landings and Ninja Cats

Day 0 (Travel Day): Left San Jose on time, landed in Chicago and headed to AA Admiral's Club for lunch (I bought a monthly membership for trip); hush came over entire lounge as news of plane crash at SFO spread. Imagine everyone felt as I did, grateful for safe flights behind us and hopeful for safe flights ahead.

J (sister-in-law) and M (niece) arrived from LA and we soon boarded plane to Paris. L (daughter) was looking for fuzzy socks and I asked flight attendant if I might purchase a first class amenity kit. Nice, nice lady gifted girls with kit as a graduation present: we were off to a good start (I love AA flight attendants). Despite much leg room in exit row (and yes, I was ready to open that door in case of emergency), very little sleep on way there thus arrived in France in zombie-like state.

Day 1: Despite zombie-like state was still able to converse in French with taxi driver during ride to Paris, which confirmed that the 5 years I spent getting that French degree not a total waste.

Arrived at apartment which was spectacular (link here:http://www.vrbo.com/422828). Because cleaners were still working we dropped bags, changed into sandals (hot in Paris) and headed to meet American friends at former favorite Café Central. Service was awful; was it because we were a large group of Americans or was the waiter incompetent, who knows but did eventually get much needed crèmes and the waiter avoided a shellacking from my friend (she does not suffer fools which is one of the many things I admire about her).

Back to apartment for nap (yes I know you're supposed to keep going but it wasn't possible for any of us). Took those wonderful first post-travel showers then dinner at 9:30 at great Café des Officiers just down avenue Duquesne (still light until 10:30 or so here). Off to walk around the Champs de Mars at dusk and to people watch. Sat on lawn next to woman with two cats on leashes; watched as she led them around the park to ninja leap on trees. Lady and cats also closely observed by a fascinated homeless man who perhaps, like us, wasn't quite sure what he was seeing.

Evening ended with sparkling light show of Eiffel Tower, right on cue at 11:00 pm. Perfect end to a beautiful first day in Paris.

I know I am going to enjoy this! I could not get your apartment link to work. Would you please check it? Looking forward to the rest of this. Thanks.

Kansas, just take the end parentheses and the period off of the link and it should work. Bad editing on my part, sorry!

Thanks. It works. And WOW! Lovely, lovely place.

Link doesn't work for me, either.

Nukesafe,

Copy and paste the entire link into the location bar of a new browser window. Use the back button to get rid of the period and
bracket. Hit enter. Voila!

Here is link again to apartment I rented: http://www.vrbo.com/422828

The previous link was correct but somehow the punctuation was included in the hyperlink, which prevented it from working.

And, more trip report:

Day 2 in France: Cherchez Le Bébé

Started off with breakfast at our favorite place on rue Cler (name is Bar PTT, but we call it the red awning place). Ordered tartine, which is just bread and butter, but it is FABULOUS and my favorite Parisian breakfast. Of course it tastes so good due to the superior French bread and butter, but I also think the fancy name helps (and that I'm eating it in Paris).

After breakfast we decided to walk up to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. This turned out to be not a great choice as the day became very warm and the walk was uphill; I was at fault for this since I am the one who "knows" Paris. The area around the Arc was mobbed with tourists; we decided to walk a little up the street and had to window shop (pauses necessary in front of stores to cool off). Reached the cashmere seller Eric Bompard and where better to shop on a hot day? Could not resist the sale prices (50% off) and each walked away with a sweater or scarf.

All wanted to go up the Arc de Triomphe so we walked down passageway; long line led us to decide this might better be attempted another day. Stopped for lunch along the hot walk home. Wondered how Frenchwomen look so cool and chic in the heat as we were all sticking to the bistro chairs; large pichet of wine and bottle of water made us feel a little better. Also grateful for printed skirts/dark pants so that sweat stains on rear part of body did not make us look like we had embarrassing accident due to pichet of wine. Apartment looked really good at end of walk; we continue to feel very lucky to have found this place. However, all are becoming annoyed by constantly yelling/crying/whining French baby who lives nearby and all are becoming obsessed with finding the baby and asking it "what is wrong with you, loud French baby?" with the hope that this would frighten it into silence.

Despite baby screaming took long naps again; jet lag seemed worse today. Finally got out for dinner around 9:15, ate at Italian place on rue de Grenelle. Food was good but inside was hot. Big problem because I ordered too small carafe of wine; typically in Paris, the servers come by only once to take your order and if you want something else during your meal you're pretty much SOL. Will definitely be getting the large carafe (or even better, bottle) next time as wine is essential to good eating (and it also makes me much more fluent in French).

Ended day at grocery store for essentials; American-type food for niece who is not gastronomically adventurous and bottles of wine for mothers who need it. Decent rosé for 5 euros, we are really loving France. Grocery store is open until midnight and that makes sense in a city where everyone eats dinner at 9pm and it stays light until 10:30. The warm nights have been amazing. Loving it here!

Loving your report. thanks for fixing the link. Apartment looks gorgeous!

Ugh, feel your pain re: Champs Élysées (hate it and awful in summer)! Double ugh, on the constantly crying baby. No bueno on the vacation! After listening to that, I am stunned you didn't order a mega-carafe of wine at dinner!

Looking forward to more.

Sweet report...thanks.

Days 3 in France: Pomme Chips de Dieu

There's really not much to say here as we finally had a kickback day. Stayed in until noon and then headed out to do some shopping (sister-in-law needed sandals; it is still hot and we're doing a lot of walking). At boutique on rue St. Dominique, daughter stole a pair of pants from a woman, sort of; daughter tried on a cute pair of pants and a French woman nearby saw them on daughter and decided that SHE wanted them, too. I walked back towards trying-on area to find French woman and husband talking to each other while glancing at daughter; they appeal to store owner who asks me in French "Is she going to buy them or not?" Why yes indeed, she is, and I perhaps would have bought them even if daughter didn't really like them if only to spite snippy store owner and greedy French couple (in any case, the dame d'un very certain âge who wanted the pants wouldn't have looked as good in them as 17 year-old daughter does).

Weather still very hot and all continue to worry about getting up from bistro chair with sweat spot that looks like bathroom accident. Once again I wonder how the Parisian women avoid this (Le Depends?). I noticed today that there is a sort of Parisienne summer uniform: sleeveless dress or top and skirt in white, cream or black, and gladiator sandals, often in metallic leather or neutral leather with a touch of neon (they call it fluo over here and it is all over). Also observed that it is true that the women are all thin, or thinnish; I attribute this to all of the walking everyone does, because I can tell by the fit of my clothes that I've lost weight since being here despite the butter, café crèmes, rosé wine and croissants.

Decided to eat in for dinner and bought provisions at Lenôtre, home of the best potato chips in the world (if God ever made potato chips he would use Lenôtre's recipe; we've taken to calling these the Jesus Potato Chips). Everything in the markets so good; tomatoes are more tomato-ey, fruit is so sweet and so colorful. I will most certainly be scowling in Safeway when I grocery shop again in America. All early to bed this evening because we must catch morning train for Montpellier the next day.

Are you wearing linen?

Enjoying your report very much. I leave for Paris in 6 wks. Hopefully it will be cooler in September, but not too cold! The apartment looks elegant, spacious and beautiful! But I wouldn't like the crying infant part.

We will arrive in Montpellier 6 weeks from today to start our trip. I am glad we decided to add an extra day there to recover from jet lag after reading your wonderful description! Your trip sounds fabulous.

Day 4/5 in France: Montpellier Rocks

Didn't get much sleep the night before our trip to Montpellier because I was too excited to see our former French exchange students J and C, and also to see C's mother who had become a treasured Facebook friend. The TGV ride was comfortable and fast and we were in Montpellier before noon. J met us at the train station and led us to the (small, typically French) hotel where sister-in-law and I stayed; J then took us to the town center where we met her beautiful and chic mother who treated us to lunch in an outdoor café in the old part of town.

How to describe Montpellier? My first thought was of the movie Casablanca: beautiful old stone buildings, palm trees, and all kinds of people milling about the squares and boulevards of city. The old part of the city, Vieux Montpellier, reminded me of the winding streets through which the bad guys chase Indy’s girlfriend Marion in the first Indiana Jones movie, but the buildings in Montpellier are a creamy burnished beige instead of the bleached white that is found in North Africa. Thankfully we had J and her mother to lead us around or we would have certainly been lost in the old part of the city! After lunch we split up and sister-in-law and I headed to the hotel for a nap and daughter and niece went home with J to be French exchange students for the night.

Later on sister-in-law and I walked to the shopping center which is part of the large pedestrian plaza that covers the center of the city; Montpellier is also laced through with a convenient tram system. It was very, very hot down in the south and the pants and shirt that I were wearing were not working (my light khaki pants did little to hide those embarrassing bistro chair sweat stains as my daughter delightedly pointed out after lunch). Husband put a moratorium on spending after earlier cashmere sweater fest at Eric Bompard and so we headed to Monoprix, where thanks to the summer soldes I picked up sleeveless maxi dress and tank to wear underneath for an amazing 10 euros. After a quick change at hotel we returned to mall to meet C and her mother, who picked us up and drove us to their home outside of Montpellier where we were to have dinner.

C’s mother is one of the warmest and most generous women that I have ever met. She assembled her family for an unforgettable dinner; imagine two long tables in the backyard of a French home in the countryside, laden with bottles of wine, olives and then dish after dish of regional specialties. Dogs roam the yard and the conversation and laughter never stop; both the food and the company were wonderful. What surprised me is that even though I speak American-classroom French, my sister-in-law doesn't speak any French, and C's mother and her family spoke only in French, we all communicated perfectly throughout the night, which I believe is a testament to what a good hostess C’s mother is. It is clear that she enjoys life and that she is a great mother; her children are kind and generous like her and our former exchange student C remains beautiful and sweet as she was remembered to be. We were treated like honored guests, plied with gifts from the region, and given the most priceless gift of the memory of une soirée incroyable et inoubliable.

Next day we met up with the girls and J (they had a wonderful time and my American-food loving niece even ate rabbit!) and after a three hour delay made it safely back to Paris. Thursday evening we were lucky to have two friends from home spend the night with us before they headed back to the U.S. At the apartment we six ladies drank some (rosé) wine, nibbled on some of Languedoc-Roussillon treats that we had been gifted with, and then headed back to Café des Officiers out for a great dinner. The waiter completely messed up our orders but neatly saved the evening by offering an effusive and charming apology in French and English (the waiters here were the nicest that I have ever encountered in Paris). Headed down rue Cler to the crèpe man so that the girls could get the almost-obligatory crèpe au chocolat, and then walked home in the shadow of the sparkling Eiffel Tower. Another day in French paradise; we were especially enjoying the fragrant and cool evenings which made us forget all about the sweltering days.

Bilboburgler: I did have a navy linen skirt that I wore often, but the problem was with the khaki pants that formed one of the other anchors of my wardrobe. Luckily, at the last minute before I closed my suitcase I threw in a sleeveless cotton-knit dress in a navy print, which I ended up wearing five times in two weeks; it was not only cool but also did a good job of hiding any damp spots!

susan001: My mom was in Paris last year during September and reported the weather was perfect; I will wish the same for you.

Kansas: You'll love Montpellier! I need to go back to explore and I am thinking of attending a language school in the city.

There's an American Library in Montpellier. I communicated with a couple of people there once thinking it might be nice to live there for a while, with more than a few English speakers in the area. I'm enjoying your report very much. Can't get over that luxurious apartment!

Yes, that apt looks amazing!

Day 6 in France: A Three-Year-Old Could Do This

Decided to visit the Centre Pompidou today because daughter wanted to see the Roy Lichtenstein exhibit. First had to have kick-back morning drinking coffee and eating Bonne Maman madeleines (incredibly good and they come out of a package, goodness and convenience in one little golden cake that kicks Twinkie's butt). Niece continues to amaze us all with her inventive French food combinations; today for breakfast, Coke and a pain au chocolat (yum?)

Finally got out of the apartment, had lunch at very nearby Café Gaspard (bacon-loving niece discovered that the French do have bacon but that it is round) and then made it to the Pompidou. The Lichtenstein exhibit was astonishing. I had only known Lichtenstein for his comic-strip like paintings but we discovered that he did so much more. We saw some beautiful impression-y works (a series of studies of the Chartres cathedral was amazing) and some really cool sculptures. Among my favorites were two female busts painted in the style of comic book characters; Lichtenstein said that he made those pieces because he always wondered what women would look like if they wore comic-book style makeup. Just genius; the kind of art that is so great it made us feel humbled and amazed and grateful at the same time.

After Lichtenstein we moved down to the Pompidou’s two large floors of modern art. The early stuff was great; it included some photography (the B/W shots of just-pre-war Paris were haunting) and early masters like Picasso. The later stuff; well, see title of this post for our sentiments. One exhibit was a room hung with some blank canvases, all painted in red. Not art to me, instead I saw a room painted by someone too impatient to take stuff down off the walls (perhaps a decorating job by my dear husband?). Also, come on, an all-black canvas (no texture or design) in a black frame? Yes, I know it has meaning but it was lost on me. My sister-in-law particularly loved the fire-hose sculpture (really looked like a fire hose just laid on the ground) and all were puzzled (and a little freaked out) by the flannel batting-lined room that contained a single piano. Later that afternoon my niece found a post on tumblr titled “How to spot a jerk in an art museum” and we all felt a little guilty because we said most, if not all of these things:

I don’t get it
I could make that
How is that art
They literally just put ____ and ____ together
A 3 year old could do this
What is it supposed to be

Recovered from our shame to have dinner at Pizza La Gourmandise on rue Augereau, across the street from the first apartment that we rented in Paris (in 2005). I have so many memories here in the 7th and it is truly a second home to me. Still hoping to stumble on that magic door that will take me, my family and friends to Paris whenever we wish to go. Big sigh. Back home to prepare for two days of fêtes, my birthday tomorrow (Saturday) and the 14th of July on Sunday.

Just catching up - what a great report! Thank you.

I nodded when I read "imagine two long tables in the backyard of a French home in the countryside," because I've been fortunate enough to have an experience just like that (amongst vines, no less). They made us feel like rock stars, lol.

Looking forward to more.