Have to forewarn you that I can not write humorous magic like MaiTai Tom, or beautiful prose like Bookchick or spout fountains of knowledge like StCirq, Ira, Ben Haines et al. But I would like to share my experiences with you since it is in with Fodorites' help that we had a marvelous trip! So, Thank you, and bear with me where necessary...

We arrive CDG midday 8/27/03 after an uneventful flight, mainly full of returning French and Spanish vacationers. Having experienced this airport when it was brand new, I have to admit it is starting to need a new facelift. But that indescribable, distinctive smell that sais "Ah,Paris" is still in the air. We get our second wind as we gather our luggage and pass through customs--about an hour, as expected. On to transportation arrangements...

Having followed Fodors' threads on "The Delemas of Choosing Transportation Into Paris...An Ongoing Saga", we decide to try a shuttle service for a change. Following reservation directions we call, go to Porte#8, wait 5 minutes and Voila! our shuttle arrives. Once loaded with two other groups we are underway. Evidence of the summer's harsh heat is glaring-we speed by fields of bone-dry corn stalks, totally blanched and lifeless. We will be the last drop off, which if fine with us as we are taking in all the sights and sounds of Paris along the way! Only disappointment: the driver talked on his cell phone non-stop the whole trip, through 3 stops. Normally I wouldn't care, but because of this he missed specific directions of 2 out of the three clients and missed the drop locations. In our case, I had given him the specific adress on r. Gregoire de Tours and told him (in French) he'd need to turn left from Blvd St. Germain, as it is a one-way street. Instead, he turned left on r. Seine, which resulted in arriving at the TOP of the street at the corner of r. Buci, a charming but very crowded market street. Trapped between the throng and the one way street our driver was very angry, and it was obvious he expected us to get out there and tramp down the street with all our luggage to the hotel! We just sat and played dumb, looking back at him looking at us. Finally, he threw up his hands in exasperation while letting verbal objections fly and proceeded to back up the length of the street until we were at the hotel...He was not a happy camper as he sped off, but it was the principal of the thing. Of note for those with toddlers...the first dropoff got into a huge argument with this driver because he insisted they pay a full (third) fare for the toddler and they insisted they had been told there would be no charge for the toddler as long as he sat on a parent's lap. They finally paid for 3 but were most unhappy, so you might want to have your fee agreement in writing with you to show the driver just in case. Bottome line: this particular driver aside, we wouldn't hesitate to take a shuttle again as it was easy and reasonable and in a twisted way even amusing.

After a change of clothes, we are ready to head out for lunch. We take a short walk to Chez -Maitre Paul, a restaurant which comes highly recommended on previous posts. At a glance, the place is so empty I inquire as to if they are even open. We get the go ahead and are seated at a lovely table. It is smaller than I had imagined but nicely appointed. We celebrate our arrival with a Kir before ordering the 33 euro menu (28 without the Bourgeuil if preferred). Norm starts with a sausage and hot potato salad (big enough to have been the whole meal) while I savor scrumptious shrimp with julienned vegetable in a crisp puff pastry, swimming on a seafood and cream coulee. Next to arrive is a breast of duck for one and a chicken in white wine, cream, and comte cheese sauce for the other. Dessert is a 3-cheese plate and a creme brulee. All this having been washed down with the lovely Bourgeuil and 26 hours now sans sleep, I am feeling rather giddy. The only other table, two men who look like a prof. de philosophie and his protege, has spent the whole meal discussing the true significance of the "I think. therefore I am" statement. I kid you not! By the time we pay (74 euros) and leave, they are still vehemenently discussing this one sentence. Only the French... Wow! That was some leisure meal; it is now almost 4:00 pm.

Rather relieved to make it the short way to the hotel, we collapse into bed for a nap.

Yum! What happend after the cat nap? Where did you go and more importantly what did you eat?

We wake up around 6pm. Though supposedly airconditioned, it is not working and the heat and noise of the street below rouse us from our sleep. We dress and head out on foot down Blvd St. Germain to the Seine, stopping along the way to refortify ourselves with an Italian gelato, down along the quais with their now closing stalls. It is most pleasant as the heat is breaking, and within 15 minutes we are at the Musee d'Orsay (open Thurs eves). Very impressed by the building itself, which I had only seen from the outside on previous visits, and of course the magnificent art. The biggest plus is that it is REALLY airconditioned and this invigorates us somewhat.

When we finish we take r. des St. Peres back to St. Germain and stroll down the boulevard past the famous cafes where all the litterary greats used to meet, now full of tourists. My husband thinks we should eat dinner in one; I'm not in the mood to pay an overpriced amount for a potentially good meal surrounded by other tourists. (we would laugh repeatedly throughout our trip, as we found ourselves constantly not being able to see ourselves as tourists, like "them&quot We continue until we come to "Leon de Bruxelles" and decide for old times sake to eat there. We are seated outside along the sidewalk and it is absolutely marvelous to soak up the ambiance of St. Germain over an aperatif. It is really hopping by this time of night. I have mussels a l'escargot (yummy) and my husband opts for a steak/frites. We finish with a creme brulee (better than chez-maitre Paul) and a chocolate ice cream. Total including a little extra for the waiter 43 euros. Making small talk with the waiter, he tells us the weather is supposed to change drastically in the next day or so. I bet he can hardly wait, as I watch him work in his waiters' long-sleeved coat and tie. Maybe he is right; there's a brisk breeze blowing as we reach our hotel.

8/29/03 Second day in Paris. Difficult to sleep last night. The area has become even more animated that 2 years ago. Our particular street has turned into "restaurant row" and still has the night club...which played live music until 3:00 am, followed by the noise as the crowd headed home. It was either keep the windows closed and roast in silence or open the windows to the cool breeze and listen to the sounds of the streets. The streets won, hands down.

Finally we give up and arise around 5:00 am, dress and set out for a leisure walk. It is marvelous to meander the little ruelles with only the garbage men for company every now and then. As we head up r. St. Andre des Arts, we were stopped by a man with an armful of brioches coming out of a building. He murmurs "tenez" as he hands us one. The row of golden brown peaks on top of the still-warm loaf look like circus tents, one right after the other. We must have been staring at him like he is crazy, because he then explains he was supposed to deliver several brioches to the above adress but no one was home so we might as well take one, and off he walks in the opposite direction before we can utter a word. Suddenly he turns back towards us and assures us "It's okay. Ce n'est pas du poison." as he he takes a bite of his own brioche to prove it. He needn't have worried. We had already dived into the tempting morsel! We laugh and thank him again. Not only was it a nice gesture, but we actually do find ourselves ravenous. We film a little of the markets along r. Bucci as they start to open and set up for the day.

After a cafe au lait and a rest, we plan on visiting Luxumbourg Gardens, which should be in full bloom. But as we head off, the skies grow extremely dark and proceed to open up, releasing torrents of rain. Even with an umbrella we are getting drenched and it isn't letting up. Quick change of plans...on to the Rodin Museum, one of my all time favorites but which my husband has never seen. We rent the audio cassette and are not disappointed by it or the actual art, though I am struck by the lack of overall upkeep of the mansion itself. Some of the parquet floors are worn down to the bare wood, ceilings in need of repair etc. Hopefully economics will get better or whatever. The gardens, as always, are so enjoyable to walk through even with the rain.

Our visit complete, we exit and walk along Les Invalides and its long esplanade to the most beautiful bridge in all of Paris (IMO), Pont Alexandre III. Along the way I smile to myself...spaced every so often are very obvious signs in French stating to stay OFF the grass; that it is NOT to be used for soccer. And just as obvious directly behind the signs is the huge bare strip, sans pelouse, the length of where soccer most definitely has been played-over and over again! Ah, those French...

We head back to our neighborhood for a simple lunch at "Paul's", rue Buci, our standby for a wholesome meal when we are tired and hungry. I opt for an omelette w/salad and Norm an open-faced smoked salmon sandwich w/salad. Unable to resist the fantastic bakery, we give in to the allure of an almond and raspberry tart before heading around the corner to our waiting bed for a siesta. The remainder of the afternoon is spent lounging in bed watching on TV the World Sports Meet being held here in Paris.

Finally about 20:45 we start to get hungry (again) and decide on crepes at La Creperie des Pecheurs (27r. St. Andre des Arts). We have tried other creperies along this street and like this one the best so far. I stick to my usual "the simpler the better": crepe ble noir, fromage/jambon and for dessert crepe froment, beurre/sucre. Norm opts for the fancier Seafood Medley Crepe in shrimp sauce (very rich) followed by a Banana and Chocolate crepe topped with dark chocolate ice cream. All this washed down with the traditional apple cider. We are the only foreigners in the tiny place. Actually we're also painfully the oldest! It is great fun to be surrounded by all this youth and vitality, and they are even speaking French!

We briefly return to the hotel to check email and then for a night cap head around the corner to one of the many sidewalk cafes on r. Buci that are absolutely teaming with humanity. We sit out under cover (it's pouring rain again) and have a very delightful 3-way conversation with a Scottish couple celebrating their 44th anniversary at one table and a French gentleman at another. Before we know it, the gentleman is pouring glasses of Pommerol for everyone! They obviously are set for the evening, but the downpour has stopped and after sincere thanks for the great wine we make our get away to the privacy of our room. It is now midnight and the close of our second day in what for us is truly the most romantic "big" city.

Hi Klondike,

Lovely report, and you stayed in my favorite neighborhood.

More.

What a lovely Saturday morning read! Can't wait for the rest
(And I don't feel sorry for the couple who had to pay for their toddler on the shuttle. Little ones on laps in vehicles is dangerous and I hate when people do that)

I'm enjoying your trip report - and am making note of the restaurants - what is the name of your hotel - and were you happy with it overall?

blh: We have stayed at the Grand Hotel de l'Univers, 6 r. Gregoire De Tours (6th) Tel.33143293700. fax.33140510645 They also have a web site which portrays the hotel realistically. We have stayed at this Best Western affiliate our last two visits for 150euro/night. The plus side is the St. Germain location, "charm" of the lobby and breakfast room (former wine cellar), easy acces to 2 metro stops, tons of restaurants and cafes. Downside is size of the rooms and some of those need refurbishing (our most recent room the carpet was badly stained like a bathtub had overflowed and had huge iron burn marks on it. It appeared clean, but not what I'm expecting for a 3 ***, $175./night room. We did look around and close by found the Hotel Regent (rue Dauphine...also have a web site) which appeared very nice for only 130euros. Since we REALLY like the location, if we can't get into the Regent to try it we would consider staying at the Univers again, but we'd insist on a choice of room. I know the back side is quieter, but I like to people watch from the front! Breakfasts are great, especially if you're one of those "only eat 2 meals-a-day people"...3 breads/person (baguette, croissant and chausson aux pommes--no seconds on these), scrambled eggs, coddled eggs, yogourt, cold cuts, sliced cheese, (cold) crepes, butter, jams, fruits and a personal pitcher of your beverage of choice and an OJ. You can get a simple continental breakfast around the corner at Pauls for half the price, but you only get the one cup of cafe au lait (not enough to get me jumpstarted in the am).

Maybe someone has stayed at the Regent and can give us their opinion of it???

8-30-03 We start the day with breakfast at Paul's around the corner. We then head off to the flea market at Porte de Clignancourt. I must say, it is most daunting. Spread out over 17 hectares, it is HUGE. I think you could go every weekend for a year and still not see everything. And the variety of things...war memorabilia, furniture, books, even pieces of chateaux/mansions! We are basically on a search for Quimper faience and after more that 3 hours and several finds, our feet can take no more. The few eating places we see don't inspire us so we don't eat around the flea marketbut instead eat across from our hotel at the Chinese/Vietnamese/Thai restaurant ,"Lac d'Or", 5 r. Gregoire de Tours. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but is quite nice once inside. The food is strightforward and a good value for the price with choice of menus starting for as little as 6.50 and going up to 18 euro. We choose the 11 euro menu: Norm starts with crab & asparagus soup and I have those great spring rolls (nems?) with mint leaves and lettuce, followed by Ginger Beef and Beef Satay accompagnied w/fried rice--both are equally good. Choices for dessert: Banana beignet, chinese nougat covered in sesame seed or lychees. My husband is still on his chocolate ice cream kick so adds a couple of scoops onto his deep-fried beignet. The total including wine, lg apricot juice and service: 30 euros. Would definitely eat at the Lac d'Or again if I was in the quartier. Crossed the street to our hotel at 3:00pm and fell into bed for the ritual nap. We must really need the rest because we don't wake up until after 7pm.

Our last evening in Paris and we feel compelled to see the Arc de Triomphe, even more magical at night. Having admired her in all her glory and snapped a few pictures for posteritiy, we are off up the Champs Elysee mingling with the huge international crowd. It's Saturday night and everyone is out for a good time. We stop off at LaDuree Tea Salon sans reservation, but they are kind enough to slip us in. Having read about its famous macaroons, I feel we are very, very lucky to have gotten in on a Saturday night. I am anxious to see if it lives up to the hype.

We start off with a Kir and hazel nuts while we look over the menu. We chose the full menu and can now relax and get in some serious people- watching both inside (full room, lots of middle-eastern, oriental patronage, surprisingly only one other American couple about ready to leave) and outside. The first course arrives: Cold Melon Soup, a puree of watermelon to which small balls of cantaloupe and watermelon, fresh chopped tarragon, and a few rounds of red onion had been added garnished with shredded mozarella cheese. Odd, bur really refreshing! Then the feasting starts in earnest: for my husband a leg of lamb off the bone, combined with mixture of couscous and fresh vegetables which have been rolled in a crepe and sauteed in butter-sort of like a Morrocan Bastilla (sp?pastilla?) For me, seared salmon over a risotto surrounded by a black thin sauce garnished with toasted sesame seeds. I have no clue as to what the black sauce is (squid ink? It's the only thing I can think of ...maybe it's better not to think too hard, I decide) It is delicious whatever it is. The Sancerre hits the spot as we contemplate dessert. For one of us, not really a tough decision since we've never tried the macaroons--I go with the chefs assortiment. For my husband a Red Fruit tart (almond pastry shell, mascarpone cream, berry jam, with fresh raspberry, strawberries and currants on top). First off, I can't believe the macaroons ARE actually as ethereal as Fodorites said! But secondly, why has nobody every said what great, gourmet food they create?! An expresso to complete the 2 1/2 hour meal. We pay the tab (113.65 euros), finish walking the Champs just in time to catch the last Metro to the hotel. A hot soak in the tub while listening to Nora Jones...What a special, romantic evening to finish up our Paris stay!

Thanks for information and good description of the hotel. Does seem a bit much for the price.

8/31/03 We head out first thing in the AM via taxi to pick up our car at Hertz-Gare de Lyon. We have no idea where to really pick up the car and the taxi driver isn't helpful at all either. He drops us off where we see a Hertz sign, but that door ends up being closed, even though the other companies are open. We head into the actual Gare, get directions and cross over a walkway (over rue Bercy), all the luggage in tow, to the Hertz office. An Italian family is ahead of us...things seem complicated for them. They finally leave and it's our turn...now things seems complicated for us...We aren't on the reservation board, then we're found, forms completed, keys actually being handed over...no, keys being taken back (Ohlala, we almost gave you M. so-and-so's Megane) We start paperwork over and after much discussion and eons of time, we end up with a Fiat. All our patience is about used up. Thankfully we're finished and heading out the door as the Italians are heading back in... The keys they've been given don't fit the car they've been assigned. Hopefully this is not a bad omen. We get the parking pass stamped and are told we have 15 minutes to exit before we have to pay for parking. It takes us at least 5 minutes to find the car. It is soooo dark we can't see anything and the car is backed in so we can't load the luggage until we figure out how the car works. We finally figure out how to start and move the car. Can't find the button to open the back. Finally just use the key, load the car up and try to find our way out...You guessed it! Time's up! Must pay for parking. Okay, okay, but where do you put in the money? Can't figure it out in the dark. Ring emergency button. Voice tells us we have to pay with credit card. (What if we didn't have a credit card I wonder). We both are relieved to be out of there at last! After once around the block to get our bearings we are on le peripherique on our way to Chartres. Yahoo!

We have a shakedown drive to Chartres, passing through several small towns interspersed with tree-lined roads. Within 90 minutes we find our hotel, Le Grand Monarque, check in and head off to find a restaurant. Those open directly across from the cathedral seem "snacky". We head down a little side street and choose Le Buisson Ardent. Being Sunday, we know this will not be a quick affair, but the dishes passing us make it clear we won't mind. For starters, opened with a lobster pate in puff pastry served over a zuchinni/red pepper relish with caramelised cider dress. My husband has melon with duck pate. Great dining room upstairs with beamed ceilings etc. Main entrees arrive: Beef in a rich sauce with potatoes au gratin and a turbot with spinach ravioli and a side timbale of spinach souffle. As we enjoy a trio of cheese, most of the French families are starting to finish up. Norm finishes with a baked peach stuffed with almond paste and served with amaretto ice cream. I have a chocolate sampler plate with indescribable morsels of chocolate: a chocolate mousse, a chocolate fondant encrusted in coconut, and a mouelleux choclate cake. Off hand I can't remember how much the meal was, but it was worth every penny! We would go back in a heartbeat.

Wonderful to read...don't belittle your writing skills...I've enjoyed your time in Paris over my coffee this AM - is there more?

I've really enjoyed your report. Have to ask, did you find any Quimper? (My kitchen is designed around the set of Quimper I inherited from my grandmother).

Nikki- got to head off to work, but yes. We did find it quite readily, though it is getting harder and harder to find non-distressed pieces. Prices are a bit higher often times, but many will come down on the price if you dicker or buy more than one piece etc. Unless you're buying an expensive piece, they also really like cash over cards. Lot of luck.

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