Paris report: hotels, restaurants, etc
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:53 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Paris report: hotels, restaurants, etc
First, let me express my regrets to those Fodorites who were going to be in Paris during some of the days I was there—we had hoped to meet some of you on the Sunday Jan 16 Marais walking tour (Pariswalks) but we had to make some adjustments in our schedule, including the fact that we changed hotels on that day. In fact, we never got to the Marais on this trip. I am sorry I missed seeing one or more of you, would like to hear how your own trips went, and how the walk was if you went on it.
Weather: we were lucky. Temps were in the upper 30s or low 40s every day. No rain except the last morning of our trip. According to the weather forecast info at www.worldexecutive.com, Paris has less rainfall in winter than it does in spring and summer. If that’s true, then our weather experience for January was the norm.
American Airlines, JFK to CDG and back again
Planes were 767s, seating plan 2-3-2. For coach, decent leg room, much better than some others. We took a taxi from CDG to our hotel in the 6th, it was about 45 euro before tip, hit some morning rush hour traffic, but not bad. On our return trip, we left Paris for the airport at about 3pm, taxi price almost exactly the same
Weather: we were lucky. Temps were in the upper 30s or low 40s every day. No rain except the last morning of our trip. According to the weather forecast info at www.worldexecutive.com, Paris has less rainfall in winter than it does in spring and summer. If that’s true, then our weather experience for January was the norm.
American Airlines, JFK to CDG and back again
Planes were 767s, seating plan 2-3-2. For coach, decent leg room, much better than some others. We took a taxi from CDG to our hotel in the 6th, it was about 45 euro before tip, hit some morning rush hour traffic, but not bad. On our return trip, we left Paris for the airport at about 3pm, taxi price almost exactly the same
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:53 PM
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hotels:.
First, I'll offer the disclaimer that the Grand Hotel
des Balcons is a very popular hotel. The following observations are mine (and those of my travel companion)--if others find the
hotel completely to their liking I will not disagree. However, my friend and I didn't care for it at all.
It is very well-located, about a 5 minute walk to the
Odeon metro station. About a 20-25 minute walk to St
Michel metro station which is also an RER station.
Our 'twin' room was the smallest hotel room for two
people I have ever seen. Two twin beds pushed
together with no space in between. No bedside tables,
just about 10 inches of floor space to a wall on
either side of the beds. About 3 feet from the edge
of the beds was a counter/desk top with some
cubbyholes underneath for clothes storage. There was a
small closet which was of adequate size. The furnishings
were plastic, and clean, but far from pretty and new.
Bathroom small, but ok, towels thin, Washcloths, soap,
shampoo provided. Hand-held shower hose, no curtain
around tub.
Small tv with one English-language channel
(CNN). Hair dryer provided, but not installed in
bathroom, it was out on a shelf, and one had
to crawl underneath the bedroom counter in order to
find the solitary room plug for the hairdryer. Worst thing
was that the room, #406, REEKED of smoke. I don't smoke
but am not an anti-smoking fanatic; this odor was
very unpleasant and made the room feel not fresh. Room rate 100 euro. The hotel's often-praised breakfast was okay imo. For 10 euro there
was a choice of fruit juices, dried fruit,
yogurt, coffee, tea, and instant hot chocolate, good
baguettes and croissants, butter and jams, wedges of flan, and
scrambled eggs (stone cold each day) and bacon and
sausage. We had it twice. I am among those who do like having breakfast in my hotel, but if we’d continued staying there we would not have had breakfast there again.
By the morning of our second day, having gotten a night’s sleep, we decided that our room was really too unpleasant and inquired about a
larger room. We accepted room 303. Much larger, it
is a triple room, one double bed plus one twin day bed
in its own alcove. Bigger bathroom, more electrical
outlets, two sinks in bathroom, toilet in its own wc.
A couple of area rugs, vinyl flooring. Posted price
for this room 180 euro, but they offered it for 150 euro.
First, I'll offer the disclaimer that the Grand Hotel
des Balcons is a very popular hotel. The following observations are mine (and those of my travel companion)--if others find the
hotel completely to their liking I will not disagree. However, my friend and I didn't care for it at all.
It is very well-located, about a 5 minute walk to the
Odeon metro station. About a 20-25 minute walk to St
Michel metro station which is also an RER station.
Our 'twin' room was the smallest hotel room for two
people I have ever seen. Two twin beds pushed
together with no space in between. No bedside tables,
just about 10 inches of floor space to a wall on
either side of the beds. About 3 feet from the edge
of the beds was a counter/desk top with some
cubbyholes underneath for clothes storage. There was a
small closet which was of adequate size. The furnishings
were plastic, and clean, but far from pretty and new.
Bathroom small, but ok, towels thin, Washcloths, soap,
shampoo provided. Hand-held shower hose, no curtain
around tub.
Small tv with one English-language channel
(CNN). Hair dryer provided, but not installed in
bathroom, it was out on a shelf, and one had
to crawl underneath the bedroom counter in order to
find the solitary room plug for the hairdryer. Worst thing
was that the room, #406, REEKED of smoke. I don't smoke
but am not an anti-smoking fanatic; this odor was
very unpleasant and made the room feel not fresh. Room rate 100 euro. The hotel's often-praised breakfast was okay imo. For 10 euro there
was a choice of fruit juices, dried fruit,
yogurt, coffee, tea, and instant hot chocolate, good
baguettes and croissants, butter and jams, wedges of flan, and
scrambled eggs (stone cold each day) and bacon and
sausage. We had it twice. I am among those who do like having breakfast in my hotel, but if we’d continued staying there we would not have had breakfast there again.
By the morning of our second day, having gotten a night’s sleep, we decided that our room was really too unpleasant and inquired about a
larger room. We accepted room 303. Much larger, it
is a triple room, one double bed plus one twin day bed
in its own alcove. Bigger bathroom, more electrical
outlets, two sinks in bathroom, toilet in its own wc.
A couple of area rugs, vinyl flooring. Posted price
for this room 180 euro, but they offered it for 150 euro.
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:54 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Next morning, our third day, on our way out in the
morning, we decided to check out the small hotel just
two doors down that we'd noticed each day. Hotel
Delavigne, #1 rue Casimir Delavigne. Lobby looked
lovely but since it is a 3-star, we assumed it would
be much more expensive. Wrong! The hotel is lovely,
fresh, modern but charming, etc. We were offered a
twin room, #24, for 130 euro, less than our 2nd room at the
Balcons. We went back to the Balcons, checked out, and
rolled our bags down the street to the Delavigne.
Room was not as large as the triple at the Balcons,
but much larger than our original twin. Decor very
pretty and in pristine condition. Fully carpeted.
Bathrooms have built-in hairdryers, yay! Shampoo,
body wash, shower cap provided. There are shower
curtains. Satellite tv with two English stations, CNN
and BBC. Hotel elevator larger, not large, but larger
than at the Balcons which was slightly more than coffin-sized.
Note that hotel Delavigne does not have air
conditioning. We also peeked into some rooms that were
being serviced; some of their double rooms appeared to
be just as very small as the ones we saw at the Balcons.
But, these were fresh and pretty and in perfect condition.
The hotel brochure mentions that each room is different, and that may also mean that there is a lot of size variation.
We also had a balcony (not a terrace, a balcony)
facing the street, no problem with street noise. Rue Delavigne is only one block long and it’s a one-way street, and in fact a couple of our cab drivers had trouble finding it when we were heading home after dinner.
The balconies at the Balcons hotel were more charming,
with plants in pots.
Hotel breakfast: for 10 euro (same price as at
Balcons) we were not offered eggs and bacon.
However, we were each offered a glass of
freshly-squeezed fruit juice (choice of grapefruit or
orange--small glass, but delicious! TC doesn’t know many French words, but she does know what ‘pamplemousse’ is) a very large and
absolutely wonderful croissant, must have been direct
from a great bakery, a generous piece of baguette
and a slice of toasted brioche, jam and butter, good
cafe au lait. The basement stone-walled breakfast room was down a
stone spiral staircase, and is tiny. The elevator does go down to that level. Breakfast has to be ordered the night before. They will also deliver it to your room if you prefer.
Hotel lobby very pretty and comfortable, with
newspapers to read, including Herald Tribune and USA
Today. Everything about this hotel was upscale
compared to the Balcons--staff presentation, decor,
ambience,etc. Moral of the story: don't assume that a
three-star is more expensive than the two-star you are
considering.
Current rates at the Delavigne (lower from July 15-Aug 31)
double 115 e
twin 130 e
triple 145 e
VAT included
www.hoteldelavigne.com
email [email protected]
It has good reviews at tripadvisor.com, as does the Balcons hotel. I’ve posted my reviews there as well.
The above opinions may or may not be relevant to a recent discussion thread here that debated the overall quality of 2-stars vs. 3-stars. This was only my second experience in a 2-star Paris and the last time was many years ago. I’m older now and perhaps less tolerant, and it's possible I had unrealistic expectations of a
two-star. However in this case the 2-star was not cheaper, so it’s more important to judge the hotel by the amenities you want/like, rather than making any assumptions about what the price may be.
morning, we decided to check out the small hotel just
two doors down that we'd noticed each day. Hotel
Delavigne, #1 rue Casimir Delavigne. Lobby looked
lovely but since it is a 3-star, we assumed it would
be much more expensive. Wrong! The hotel is lovely,
fresh, modern but charming, etc. We were offered a
twin room, #24, for 130 euro, less than our 2nd room at the
Balcons. We went back to the Balcons, checked out, and
rolled our bags down the street to the Delavigne.
Room was not as large as the triple at the Balcons,
but much larger than our original twin. Decor very
pretty and in pristine condition. Fully carpeted.
Bathrooms have built-in hairdryers, yay! Shampoo,
body wash, shower cap provided. There are shower
curtains. Satellite tv with two English stations, CNN
and BBC. Hotel elevator larger, not large, but larger
than at the Balcons which was slightly more than coffin-sized.
Note that hotel Delavigne does not have air
conditioning. We also peeked into some rooms that were
being serviced; some of their double rooms appeared to
be just as very small as the ones we saw at the Balcons.
But, these were fresh and pretty and in perfect condition.
The hotel brochure mentions that each room is different, and that may also mean that there is a lot of size variation.
We also had a balcony (not a terrace, a balcony)
facing the street, no problem with street noise. Rue Delavigne is only one block long and it’s a one-way street, and in fact a couple of our cab drivers had trouble finding it when we were heading home after dinner.
The balconies at the Balcons hotel were more charming,
with plants in pots.
Hotel breakfast: for 10 euro (same price as at
Balcons) we were not offered eggs and bacon.
However, we were each offered a glass of
freshly-squeezed fruit juice (choice of grapefruit or
orange--small glass, but delicious! TC doesn’t know many French words, but she does know what ‘pamplemousse’ is) a very large and
absolutely wonderful croissant, must have been direct
from a great bakery, a generous piece of baguette
and a slice of toasted brioche, jam and butter, good
cafe au lait. The basement stone-walled breakfast room was down a
stone spiral staircase, and is tiny. The elevator does go down to that level. Breakfast has to be ordered the night before. They will also deliver it to your room if you prefer.
Hotel lobby very pretty and comfortable, with
newspapers to read, including Herald Tribune and USA
Today. Everything about this hotel was upscale
compared to the Balcons--staff presentation, decor,
ambience,etc. Moral of the story: don't assume that a
three-star is more expensive than the two-star you are
considering.
Current rates at the Delavigne (lower from July 15-Aug 31)
double 115 e
twin 130 e
triple 145 e
VAT included
www.hoteldelavigne.com
email [email protected]
It has good reviews at tripadvisor.com, as does the Balcons hotel. I’ve posted my reviews there as well.
The above opinions may or may not be relevant to a recent discussion thread here that debated the overall quality of 2-stars vs. 3-stars. This was only my second experience in a 2-star Paris and the last time was many years ago. I’m older now and perhaps less tolerant, and it's possible I had unrealistic expectations of a
two-star. However in this case the 2-star was not cheaper, so it’s more important to judge the hotel by the amenities you want/like, rather than making any assumptions about what the price may be.
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:55 PM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Activities:
On line, from www.museums-of-paris.com, I’d ordered 3-day museum passes, and as promised, they were hand-delivered to the hotel Balcons front desk.
I was with a Paris first-timer, hereafter referred to as TC (Travel Companion.) As a result, we saw primarily several of the Greatest Hits in our 5 days. A couple of them were either new to me or I hadn’t done them in many years, so it was time well spent.
On our first day from St Michel we took the RER line C to the Tour Eiffel stop. You emerge from the stop, walk about 1.5 blocks and there it is, the symbol of Paris. The observatory at the top of the ET was closed, so we went to the 2nd floor observatory, and, I blush to say, this was my first time inside the ET. I’m not one for aerial views, they usually don’t do much for me, but this was pretty cool. There was no line for ticket-buying and just a little line to come down in the elevator when we were through. The observatory area is small though, and I can imagine the storied crowds and lines in high season.
On our second day, Saturday, I had purchased in advance timed tickets for the Turner-Whistler-Monet art exhibition at the Grand Palais. It was wonderful. I’d especially wanted to see their pictures of Venice because I knew they’d all painted there—I was not disappointed.
We then walked the Champs-Elysees, TC’s first time. We detoured onto Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V, so she could see the famous designer boutiques of Chanel, Dior, etc. We also walked up the Champs so TC could see the Arc de Triomphe, but we didn’t actually go up to it. We did take our lives in our hands and managed to take pictures of each other in the traffic divider in the center of the Champs with the Arc in the background. I think. While we were strolling on the Champs, a young woman and her boyfriend approached us. Although she was Asian, she asked if we spoke English. When we said we did, she said in halting English that she wanted our help: the nearby Louis Vuitton store was having a sale, she said, but they were only allowing customers to purchase one item at sale prices, so she wanted us to go with her, she’d give us money, and we’d buy another bag for her using her money. We declined and walked away, but then wondered if we were missing a great opportunity, so we walked to the nearby Louis Vuitton store. (It’s a temporary store while a large store right on the Champs is being renovated.) It was one of the few stores not having any “Soldes” (sale) signs inside, and in fact when I asked I was told that nothing was on sale for a reduced price. So, either the young woman on the Champs was mistaken, or I had the wrong store, or she was running a scam of some kind.
We had lunch at Laduree on rue Royale (could have gone to the Laduree on the Champs, but we had other errands to run near the other). Laduree mobbed as usual, and I’m not sure that lunch is actually worth the price, but I like it there. No macarons were consumed, but we did have a pastry.
I bought a replacement watch band at O Perrin on rue Royale, and then we metro’d to Cite so TC could see Notre Dame. We didn’t stay long, and since it was late in an overcast winter day the light wasn’t great, but we saw it. Regretfully, we didn’t get to Ste Chapelle (the light wouldn’t have been great anyway); it’s the first time I’ve been in Paris that I haven’t been there. We also tried to go to the Deportation Memorial behind Notre Dame, but it closes at 5pm and we missed it by 5 minutes. Instead we walked to Pont Neuf and took a boat ride with Vedettes de Pont Neuf. Right behind the equestrian statue of Henri IV, you walk down a flight of stairs, buy a ticket, and get on the boat. I haven’t taken a Seine boat ride for a long time. The Vedettes boats are smaller than the Bateaux Mouches, and they tout that they have live commentary (rather than a tape.) However, the disadvantage of a live commentary is that you must count on the narrator’s speaking clear English, and ours was only so-so. We did get to see the ET’s 6pm flashing light display just as it started. It goes on in the evenings for about 10 minutes, starting on the hour.
On line, from www.museums-of-paris.com, I’d ordered 3-day museum passes, and as promised, they were hand-delivered to the hotel Balcons front desk.
I was with a Paris first-timer, hereafter referred to as TC (Travel Companion.) As a result, we saw primarily several of the Greatest Hits in our 5 days. A couple of them were either new to me or I hadn’t done them in many years, so it was time well spent.
On our first day from St Michel we took the RER line C to the Tour Eiffel stop. You emerge from the stop, walk about 1.5 blocks and there it is, the symbol of Paris. The observatory at the top of the ET was closed, so we went to the 2nd floor observatory, and, I blush to say, this was my first time inside the ET. I’m not one for aerial views, they usually don’t do much for me, but this was pretty cool. There was no line for ticket-buying and just a little line to come down in the elevator when we were through. The observatory area is small though, and I can imagine the storied crowds and lines in high season.
On our second day, Saturday, I had purchased in advance timed tickets for the Turner-Whistler-Monet art exhibition at the Grand Palais. It was wonderful. I’d especially wanted to see their pictures of Venice because I knew they’d all painted there—I was not disappointed.
We then walked the Champs-Elysees, TC’s first time. We detoured onto Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V, so she could see the famous designer boutiques of Chanel, Dior, etc. We also walked up the Champs so TC could see the Arc de Triomphe, but we didn’t actually go up to it. We did take our lives in our hands and managed to take pictures of each other in the traffic divider in the center of the Champs with the Arc in the background. I think. While we were strolling on the Champs, a young woman and her boyfriend approached us. Although she was Asian, she asked if we spoke English. When we said we did, she said in halting English that she wanted our help: the nearby Louis Vuitton store was having a sale, she said, but they were only allowing customers to purchase one item at sale prices, so she wanted us to go with her, she’d give us money, and we’d buy another bag for her using her money. We declined and walked away, but then wondered if we were missing a great opportunity, so we walked to the nearby Louis Vuitton store. (It’s a temporary store while a large store right on the Champs is being renovated.) It was one of the few stores not having any “Soldes” (sale) signs inside, and in fact when I asked I was told that nothing was on sale for a reduced price. So, either the young woman on the Champs was mistaken, or I had the wrong store, or she was running a scam of some kind.
We had lunch at Laduree on rue Royale (could have gone to the Laduree on the Champs, but we had other errands to run near the other). Laduree mobbed as usual, and I’m not sure that lunch is actually worth the price, but I like it there. No macarons were consumed, but we did have a pastry.
I bought a replacement watch band at O Perrin on rue Royale, and then we metro’d to Cite so TC could see Notre Dame. We didn’t stay long, and since it was late in an overcast winter day the light wasn’t great, but we saw it. Regretfully, we didn’t get to Ste Chapelle (the light wouldn’t have been great anyway); it’s the first time I’ve been in Paris that I haven’t been there. We also tried to go to the Deportation Memorial behind Notre Dame, but it closes at 5pm and we missed it by 5 minutes. Instead we walked to Pont Neuf and took a boat ride with Vedettes de Pont Neuf. Right behind the equestrian statue of Henri IV, you walk down a flight of stairs, buy a ticket, and get on the boat. I haven’t taken a Seine boat ride for a long time. The Vedettes boats are smaller than the Bateaux Mouches, and they tout that they have live commentary (rather than a tape.) However, the disadvantage of a live commentary is that you must count on the narrator’s speaking clear English, and ours was only so-so. We did get to see the ET’s 6pm flashing light display just as it started. It goes on in the evenings for about 10 minutes, starting on the hour.
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:55 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sunday
Spent a couple of hours in the morning changing hotels, so we got a late start for Versailles (which is one reason why we didn’t make it back in time for the Marais in the afternoon.)
We took the RER line C from Saint Michel, the train didn’t say Versailles RG as it used to, now its label is Vero or Vick.
Got off at the stop called Versailles Rive Gauche, emerged from the train station, shuttle bus to the Chateau was waiting so we took it, it costs under 2 euro.
I hadn’t been to Versailles for many years and once there I’m not sure we made the best choices about tours. Two guided tours in English were being offered that day: Louis XVI’s private apts, plus the Opera, and Marie Antoinette’s private apts plus the Opera. We opted to see Marie’s. There really wasn’t much to see, mostly empty rooms with a few very beautiful furnishings, but not a lot of ‘stuff’. Seeing the Versailles Opera (a private Opera house built for Marie A and Louis XVI’s wedding and then used for private performances) was worth the tour. I think we then should have taken an accoustiguide tour, but instead because the hour was already much later than originally planned for, we opted to just do a quick walk through of the official royal apartments. Just as gorgeous as I remembered, but I know I’d seen other rooms last time—the “bull’s-eye” room, for one thing, I missed out on this time. If someone can jump in here and advise how to organize one’s time at Versailles in order to see ‘everything’, I’d appreciate it for next time.
We took the RER back to Paris and got off at the Orsay museum. I love the place, and wanted TC to at least see the building. We had only an hour there, but she wanted to see La Mere de Whistler, and I wanted to at least see Van Gogh’s ‘Church at Auvers’, so in that sense we were each satisfied. Barely.
We took a long walk in the twilight because I underestimated the distance between the Orsay and our hotel. Just pass the Orsay, by the way, on rue de Lille, we peered into a promising restaurant called Le Telegraphe, which I’d heard about from someone on this forum (those interested can search on it here). It looked very promising and I hope to try it in the future. After a good 30 minute walk we were still only at Brasserie Lipp on the Boul. St Germain, so from there we treated our weary selves to a taxi back to the hotel.
Monday
Our last chance for the Louvre. We were there by 10:30 am as we wanted to take the 11am English tour of the highlights. We were in the designated place before 11am, but our group waited until 11:30 for the tour to begin, some glitch having occurred. I noticed on a printed schedule that the 3pm English tour was cancelled entirely, which I’m sure was going to disappoint those who would have showed up. The
90 minutes of our highlights tour flew by. It required a lot of walking and stair climbing, but included the big three (Mona, Winged and Venus), plus Leonardo’s Madonna of the Rocks, Michelangel’s Slaves, a stop in the Italian-Early Renaissance room, and also a tour of some of the underground remains of the original Louvre structure. Obviously a brief overview, but a good introduction. Our tour guide spoke good English, and she presented interesting facts about the works we saw. As many times as I’ve seen the Winged Victory, I never knew that its original position was on top of a hill in Greece and that’s why the Louvre curators decided to place it on top of a staircase in the Louvre, and not with the rest of the ancient Greek works.
By the way, we had Museum Passes, but even if we hadn’t, I’m still a big fan of entering the Louvre via the Carrousel shops from the Louvre-Palais Royal metro station. You skip the Pyramid line, and walk directly into the underground information and ticket-selling hub of the Louvre.
Following the Louvre, we had lunch at Café Marly, which overlooks the Pyramid. It’s overpriced, and not as interesting in winter when there is no chance of sitting out on the terrace, but I like it there.
Food pretty good. When we were ready to leave, the maitre d’ was having trouble identifying our coats, and two different times offered us other people’s fur coats. Boy, would they have been miffed!
After lunch we headed to Montmartre, TC wanted to see the Moulin Rouge.
I was unenthusiastic, but agreed. TC was shocked to see how sleazy the area was. We did take a photo of the front of Moulin Rouge. I suggested that we walk toward Sacre Coeur, but after a few blocks of sex shops (most seem to specialize in inflatable dolls, ‘poupees gonflatables’ sould you want to know this) TC lost interest and we got back on the metro heading toward Concorde.
Spent a couple of hours in the morning changing hotels, so we got a late start for Versailles (which is one reason why we didn’t make it back in time for the Marais in the afternoon.)
We took the RER line C from Saint Michel, the train didn’t say Versailles RG as it used to, now its label is Vero or Vick.
Got off at the stop called Versailles Rive Gauche, emerged from the train station, shuttle bus to the Chateau was waiting so we took it, it costs under 2 euro.
I hadn’t been to Versailles for many years and once there I’m not sure we made the best choices about tours. Two guided tours in English were being offered that day: Louis XVI’s private apts, plus the Opera, and Marie Antoinette’s private apts plus the Opera. We opted to see Marie’s. There really wasn’t much to see, mostly empty rooms with a few very beautiful furnishings, but not a lot of ‘stuff’. Seeing the Versailles Opera (a private Opera house built for Marie A and Louis XVI’s wedding and then used for private performances) was worth the tour. I think we then should have taken an accoustiguide tour, but instead because the hour was already much later than originally planned for, we opted to just do a quick walk through of the official royal apartments. Just as gorgeous as I remembered, but I know I’d seen other rooms last time—the “bull’s-eye” room, for one thing, I missed out on this time. If someone can jump in here and advise how to organize one’s time at Versailles in order to see ‘everything’, I’d appreciate it for next time.
We took the RER back to Paris and got off at the Orsay museum. I love the place, and wanted TC to at least see the building. We had only an hour there, but she wanted to see La Mere de Whistler, and I wanted to at least see Van Gogh’s ‘Church at Auvers’, so in that sense we were each satisfied. Barely.
We took a long walk in the twilight because I underestimated the distance between the Orsay and our hotel. Just pass the Orsay, by the way, on rue de Lille, we peered into a promising restaurant called Le Telegraphe, which I’d heard about from someone on this forum (those interested can search on it here). It looked very promising and I hope to try it in the future. After a good 30 minute walk we were still only at Brasserie Lipp on the Boul. St Germain, so from there we treated our weary selves to a taxi back to the hotel.
Monday
Our last chance for the Louvre. We were there by 10:30 am as we wanted to take the 11am English tour of the highlights. We were in the designated place before 11am, but our group waited until 11:30 for the tour to begin, some glitch having occurred. I noticed on a printed schedule that the 3pm English tour was cancelled entirely, which I’m sure was going to disappoint those who would have showed up. The
90 minutes of our highlights tour flew by. It required a lot of walking and stair climbing, but included the big three (Mona, Winged and Venus), plus Leonardo’s Madonna of the Rocks, Michelangel’s Slaves, a stop in the Italian-Early Renaissance room, and also a tour of some of the underground remains of the original Louvre structure. Obviously a brief overview, but a good introduction. Our tour guide spoke good English, and she presented interesting facts about the works we saw. As many times as I’ve seen the Winged Victory, I never knew that its original position was on top of a hill in Greece and that’s why the Louvre curators decided to place it on top of a staircase in the Louvre, and not with the rest of the ancient Greek works.
By the way, we had Museum Passes, but even if we hadn’t, I’m still a big fan of entering the Louvre via the Carrousel shops from the Louvre-Palais Royal metro station. You skip the Pyramid line, and walk directly into the underground information and ticket-selling hub of the Louvre.
Following the Louvre, we had lunch at Café Marly, which overlooks the Pyramid. It’s overpriced, and not as interesting in winter when there is no chance of sitting out on the terrace, but I like it there.
Food pretty good. When we were ready to leave, the maitre d’ was having trouble identifying our coats, and two different times offered us other people’s fur coats. Boy, would they have been miffed!
After lunch we headed to Montmartre, TC wanted to see the Moulin Rouge.
I was unenthusiastic, but agreed. TC was shocked to see how sleazy the area was. We did take a photo of the front of Moulin Rouge. I suggested that we walk toward Sacre Coeur, but after a few blocks of sex shops (most seem to specialize in inflatable dolls, ‘poupees gonflatables’ sould you want to know this) TC lost interest and we got back on the metro heading toward Concorde.
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:56 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Next story is an anecdote that I will call
The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang at the Ritz. Well, the Hole-in-the-Wall Duo, anyway. The following is long but it’s an abridged version of the incident.
We were on our way to a perfume store I know, Catherine, on rue Castiglione. Along rue de Rivoli, TC saw one of the many souvenir shops and stopped in to buy some gifts. She made a purchase by credit card and signed the receipt. Then she looked again and called me over.
The purchase, for 20.50 euro, had been rung up as 205 euro! The cashier and her colleague at the counter didn’t speak much French or English. On the messy desk/cashier counter was a lot of mussed up paperwork, and a book that appeared to be a beginner’s French textbook. (They were Chinese, I think.) I told her, half in French, half in English, that she had to cancel the transaction and start again on the charge. She kept asking ME how SHE should cancel the transaction. I insisted that SHE had to do it, and she kept saying she didn’t know how to. I became agitated and suggested that perhaps I should seek out a policeman for assistance. She said that WE could call American Express, and I said that the store had made a mistake, and the store had to correct it, that she should tell Am Ex that we wanted to cancel the purchase. She then called her boss (or someone) and she whispered into the phone for 5 minutes. She ended her call, and said that her boss told her to tell us the store rule: she pointed to the sign behind her that said, in English, ‘No refunds or exchanges.’ At that point I lost it and all semblance of courtesy on my part ended. First she wanted TC’s credit card back again, I’m not sure why—we refused. She offered to give us back in cash the difference between the 205 euro of the charge, and the 20.50 euro of the correct price. After some more arguing, we reluctantly agreed. She gave us the cash ( I was hoping it wasn’t counterfeit) and we left the store after having spent a half hour, mostly arguing. We continued on rue de Rivoli, grumbling about what had happened. One block later, the store cashier came running up to us. Breathlessly, she said that she couldn’t find the receipt for the 205 euro charge and that we must have it and give it back to her. We told her we didn’t have it, that it must be on her desk, but she insisted that her ‘colleague’ said that it wasn’t there and we must have taken it back. We walked away, shouting at her to leave us alone. She ran back to the store. We walked another block, and just as we reached the corner of rue Castiglione, Cashier Girl came running to us again. She said she couldn’t find the receipt, that we must come back to the store and sign another one. Right!
Of course we refused, and she kept yelling “You must help me!!!!” I must admit she sounded desperate, but not my problem at that point. We continued walking, she continued yelling at us and pleading. At this point I didn’t know how to get rid of her. We ducked into the lobby of a small hotel, she followed us in. We pretended to be hotel guests, the doorman approached all of us, and Cashier Girl started telling him the story. We quickly left the lobby, ran up rue Castiglione until we could turn into a covered passageway next to Fred the jeweler. We hid there for a few minutes, afraid that if we showed ourselves on the street too soon she’d find us again. We were half-upset, half-laughing—what had WE done wrong, and why were WE hiding? After a few minutes we peered round the corner and, hoping the coast was clear, we almost ran into the Ritz Hotel. We ended up having tea and dessert at the Vendome Bar, and eventually we relaxed and made jokes about what had happened. We’d entered feeling that we were on the run, but it ended well. Tea at the Ritz was soothing, civilized, and expensive, but we loved being there for an hour. By the way, they have a cocktail menu with a la carte canapés, a la carte desserts, hot drinks, and an afternoon tea set menu. I don’t recall the prices. TC had a hot chocolate and dessert, and I had a 8.50 euro cup of tea (selection from Mariage Freres). It was worth every penny, tea was of course loose tea steeped properly in a pot. I guess I should quote the price as being for two cups as that was how much was in the pot.
We were glad we were reasonably well-dressed (not haute couture by any means, but glad we weren’t in jeans) and from the perfect service we received you would think we were have wearing jewels and gowns. When we left, we asked the obliging doorman to get us a taxi, and I loved overtipping him for the service. (Now that I think of it, considering the clients he’s used to, perhaps he didn’t think it overtipping in the least.)
The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang at the Ritz. Well, the Hole-in-the-Wall Duo, anyway. The following is long but it’s an abridged version of the incident.
We were on our way to a perfume store I know, Catherine, on rue Castiglione. Along rue de Rivoli, TC saw one of the many souvenir shops and stopped in to buy some gifts. She made a purchase by credit card and signed the receipt. Then she looked again and called me over.
The purchase, for 20.50 euro, had been rung up as 205 euro! The cashier and her colleague at the counter didn’t speak much French or English. On the messy desk/cashier counter was a lot of mussed up paperwork, and a book that appeared to be a beginner’s French textbook. (They were Chinese, I think.) I told her, half in French, half in English, that she had to cancel the transaction and start again on the charge. She kept asking ME how SHE should cancel the transaction. I insisted that SHE had to do it, and she kept saying she didn’t know how to. I became agitated and suggested that perhaps I should seek out a policeman for assistance. She said that WE could call American Express, and I said that the store had made a mistake, and the store had to correct it, that she should tell Am Ex that we wanted to cancel the purchase. She then called her boss (or someone) and she whispered into the phone for 5 minutes. She ended her call, and said that her boss told her to tell us the store rule: she pointed to the sign behind her that said, in English, ‘No refunds or exchanges.’ At that point I lost it and all semblance of courtesy on my part ended. First she wanted TC’s credit card back again, I’m not sure why—we refused. She offered to give us back in cash the difference between the 205 euro of the charge, and the 20.50 euro of the correct price. After some more arguing, we reluctantly agreed. She gave us the cash ( I was hoping it wasn’t counterfeit) and we left the store after having spent a half hour, mostly arguing. We continued on rue de Rivoli, grumbling about what had happened. One block later, the store cashier came running up to us. Breathlessly, she said that she couldn’t find the receipt for the 205 euro charge and that we must have it and give it back to her. We told her we didn’t have it, that it must be on her desk, but she insisted that her ‘colleague’ said that it wasn’t there and we must have taken it back. We walked away, shouting at her to leave us alone. She ran back to the store. We walked another block, and just as we reached the corner of rue Castiglione, Cashier Girl came running to us again. She said she couldn’t find the receipt, that we must come back to the store and sign another one. Right!
Of course we refused, and she kept yelling “You must help me!!!!” I must admit she sounded desperate, but not my problem at that point. We continued walking, she continued yelling at us and pleading. At this point I didn’t know how to get rid of her. We ducked into the lobby of a small hotel, she followed us in. We pretended to be hotel guests, the doorman approached all of us, and Cashier Girl started telling him the story. We quickly left the lobby, ran up rue Castiglione until we could turn into a covered passageway next to Fred the jeweler. We hid there for a few minutes, afraid that if we showed ourselves on the street too soon she’d find us again. We were half-upset, half-laughing—what had WE done wrong, and why were WE hiding? After a few minutes we peered round the corner and, hoping the coast was clear, we almost ran into the Ritz Hotel. We ended up having tea and dessert at the Vendome Bar, and eventually we relaxed and made jokes about what had happened. We’d entered feeling that we were on the run, but it ended well. Tea at the Ritz was soothing, civilized, and expensive, but we loved being there for an hour. By the way, they have a cocktail menu with a la carte canapés, a la carte desserts, hot drinks, and an afternoon tea set menu. I don’t recall the prices. TC had a hot chocolate and dessert, and I had a 8.50 euro cup of tea (selection from Mariage Freres). It was worth every penny, tea was of course loose tea steeped properly in a pot. I guess I should quote the price as being for two cups as that was how much was in the pot.
We were glad we were reasonably well-dressed (not haute couture by any means, but glad we weren’t in jeans) and from the perfect service we received you would think we were have wearing jewels and gowns. When we left, we asked the obliging doorman to get us a taxi, and I loved overtipping him for the service. (Now that I think of it, considering the clients he’s used to, perhaps he didn’t think it overtipping in the least.)
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:56 PM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Last day, I was not feeling well, but we couldn’t let that stop us entirely. We tried to visit the Opera Garnier which opens at 10am, but on the day we went the sign said in English that there was an “Exceptional Closing” and they thanked us for our “Comprehension.” Damn, TC really wanted to see the Opera. Then, in the rain, we walked a few blocks to rue de la Paix in order to go to a perfume shop called Michel Swiss, but when we arrived there a sign said that the location was closed. They had another location at #1 rue Scribe, but as we trudged there in the rain and wind, we first came upon the parfumerie Freddy, which was recommended in a Frommer’s book I have. The salesperson was very good at selling, but also good at her business, and with the various discounts and the VAT refund I believe we did very well on prices. This is one store that arranges the VAT refund in advance, all you have to do is get the refund form stamped at the airport, mail it at the airport, and once she gets it she puts through the charge at the tax-free amount. This is legit, not a scam (at least in reliable stores), and you’re not waiting for a refund, you’ve already gotten the refund.
The weather was starting to clear, but my illness was not (turned out to be a 24-hour stomach bug which laid me low all day and night including the plane ride home) so we went into the nearby Grand Café on rue Capucines for a last lunch. Expensive between one thing and another, but then we ordered at the high end. Fodorite Cristina had once recommended it, and as she said, it’s beautiful inside, but we opted for a table at a window on the enclosed terrace. We lingered a long time and were not rushed—by then I was in no shape for further sightseeing. By the way, the Onion Soup Gratinee was excellent. The café, so near the Opera, could easily be just a tourist trap, but I really liked it.
popular sights we didn’t see:
Saint Chapelle (a big omission imo, I really regret not seeing it again)
Napoleon’s Tomb
Any of the Marais
Any of the Pantheon area
Dinners:
We ate well, not spectacularly well, but well.
First night, Perraudin. They have a 28 euro menu (which, for newbies, means prix fixe, everything that’s not on a ‘menu’ is a la carte, individually priced.)
We had escargots, boeuf bourgignon, Evian, a half bottle of Beaujolais, and for desserts, profiteroles and tarte tatin. The food was very good, the atmosphere like a typical French bistro that you’ve seen in movies—checked tablecloths, etc. Very pleasant service. Casual dress was fine, one young couple was in jeans (great looking jeans). We liked this place a lot and of all our dinners on this trip, I hope to go back to this place. It was a good 25 minute walk into the 5th (rue St-Jacques) from our hotel in the 6th, but well worth it, and after that meal, the walks didn’t do us any harm.
2nd dinner was at Chez Maitre Paul, just around the corner from the hotel Balcons and the Delavigne. They have a 29 euro menu; with water and a ˝ bottle of wine, our total was 67 euro. We had shrimp wrapped in phyllo, the chicken with cheese and wine sauce, and for dessert, Berthillon ice cream and some Mont Blanc (chestnut puree, topped with crème fraiche). This is a pretty restaurant, fancier looking than Perraudin, new art on the walls. A few men wore ties, but most didn’t.
Our wardrobe of sweaters and slacks with an accessory or two worked well for every restaurant we visited for dinner.
The weather was starting to clear, but my illness was not (turned out to be a 24-hour stomach bug which laid me low all day and night including the plane ride home) so we went into the nearby Grand Café on rue Capucines for a last lunch. Expensive between one thing and another, but then we ordered at the high end. Fodorite Cristina had once recommended it, and as she said, it’s beautiful inside, but we opted for a table at a window on the enclosed terrace. We lingered a long time and were not rushed—by then I was in no shape for further sightseeing. By the way, the Onion Soup Gratinee was excellent. The café, so near the Opera, could easily be just a tourist trap, but I really liked it.
popular sights we didn’t see:
Saint Chapelle (a big omission imo, I really regret not seeing it again)
Napoleon’s Tomb
Any of the Marais
Any of the Pantheon area
Dinners:
We ate well, not spectacularly well, but well.
First night, Perraudin. They have a 28 euro menu (which, for newbies, means prix fixe, everything that’s not on a ‘menu’ is a la carte, individually priced.)
We had escargots, boeuf bourgignon, Evian, a half bottle of Beaujolais, and for desserts, profiteroles and tarte tatin. The food was very good, the atmosphere like a typical French bistro that you’ve seen in movies—checked tablecloths, etc. Very pleasant service. Casual dress was fine, one young couple was in jeans (great looking jeans). We liked this place a lot and of all our dinners on this trip, I hope to go back to this place. It was a good 25 minute walk into the 5th (rue St-Jacques) from our hotel in the 6th, but well worth it, and after that meal, the walks didn’t do us any harm.
2nd dinner was at Chez Maitre Paul, just around the corner from the hotel Balcons and the Delavigne. They have a 29 euro menu; with water and a ˝ bottle of wine, our total was 67 euro. We had shrimp wrapped in phyllo, the chicken with cheese and wine sauce, and for dessert, Berthillon ice cream and some Mont Blanc (chestnut puree, topped with crème fraiche). This is a pretty restaurant, fancier looking than Perraudin, new art on the walls. A few men wore ties, but most didn’t.
Our wardrobe of sweaters and slacks with an accessory or two worked well for every restaurant we visited for dinner.
Jan 19th, 2005, 04:57 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
3rd dinner was La Fontaine de Mars in the 7th. Someone on this forum once wrote that if he/she could have only only one meal in Paris this would be the one. Not for me. It was good, but not memorable IMO, and certainly to my mind not worth going across town for. If I were staying in the area I would certainly consider dropping in again, but there are so many other places in the 6th that the meal, while good, was to me not worth the travel. We were surrounded by smokers on all sides, which didn’t help. Dinner was 111 euro, so not cheap (enough): 2 full meals, with a bottle of house wine (that was only 11 euro). We had escargots, cream of celery soup, scallops, cassoulet, floating island, and another dessert that I forget.
A thought: We all know that most French people have a high respect for food and for their palates: they have coffee after dessert so as not to affect the taste of the dessert, they choose their wines to compliment their meals, they feel that strong cocktails before dinner can affect the palate, etc. I can’t help but wonder why so many of them don’t think that smoking doesn’t affect the palate and taste of the food. I’m not trying to start a war about this, it’s clear that they don’t view smoking in that way, it’s just confusing to this
Paris-loving American.
Our last dinner was at Marty, in the 5th, 20 avenue Goeblins. www.marty-restaurant.com I’d read about it once in the New York Times. They specialize in raw bar items as appetizers, but we had land-lubber main courses. I had veal sweetbreads, TC had a steak. Very pretty décor, vaguely Art Deco murals and fixtures. Large place, and blessedly, they have a non-smoking section. Marty has continuous service from noon to midnight, open 7 days. The food was very good. I don’t feel a need to rush back, just because Paris has so many good restaurants, but it was enjoyable.
We’d started out with a reservation for one night at Christian Constant’s seafood restaurant Les Fables de La Fontaine, but we cancelled that one—that was probably a mistake since I’m a fan of his.
Well, there’s always next time, because I’ll always have Paris.
A thought: We all know that most French people have a high respect for food and for their palates: they have coffee after dessert so as not to affect the taste of the dessert, they choose their wines to compliment their meals, they feel that strong cocktails before dinner can affect the palate, etc. I can’t help but wonder why so many of them don’t think that smoking doesn’t affect the palate and taste of the food. I’m not trying to start a war about this, it’s clear that they don’t view smoking in that way, it’s just confusing to this
Paris-loving American.
Our last dinner was at Marty, in the 5th, 20 avenue Goeblins. www.marty-restaurant.com I’d read about it once in the New York Times. They specialize in raw bar items as appetizers, but we had land-lubber main courses. I had veal sweetbreads, TC had a steak. Very pretty décor, vaguely Art Deco murals and fixtures. Large place, and blessedly, they have a non-smoking section. Marty has continuous service from noon to midnight, open 7 days. The food was very good. I don’t feel a need to rush back, just because Paris has so many good restaurants, but it was enjoyable.
We’d started out with a reservation for one night at Christian Constant’s seafood restaurant Les Fables de La Fontaine, but we cancelled that one—that was probably a mistake since I’m a fan of his.
Well, there’s always next time, because I’ll always have Paris.
Jan 19th, 2005, 05:06 PM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,007
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great trip and report! Welcome back!
I admire your tenacity in getting a hotel room that you liked; good for you!
I just have a question about the metro stations near the Balcons; I don't see how it could be only 5 min. from Odeon and 20 from St. Michel, when they are only a few minutes apart? (Why am I splitting hairs tonight? Actually, I've always wondered how far away the Balcons is from the heart of St. Ger., and 20 min. was what I figured)
Anyway, it sounds like a super time!
I admire your tenacity in getting a hotel room that you liked; good for you!
I just have a question about the metro stations near the Balcons; I don't see how it could be only 5 min. from Odeon and 20 from St. Michel, when they are only a few minutes apart? (Why am I splitting hairs tonight? Actually, I've always wondered how far away the Balcons is from the heart of St. Ger., and 20 min. was what I figured)
Anyway, it sounds like a super time!
Jan 19th, 2005, 05:11 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can only say that perhaps we weren't walking the most direct route to St Michel, but it was definitely a short walk to Odeon and a proportionally much longer one to St Michel. We did browse a bit on the walk from St Michel, but I thought I accounted for that; perhaps I overstated.
Jan 19th, 2005, 05:17 PM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the kind thoughts, it is just 24 hours later and I am fully recovered, tired, but recovered.
Scarlett, I'd been obsessing about TC being ill at the start, I'd been wishing for her to get better quick, and then at the end it was I who was laid low. At least it was on the last day!
Scarlett, I'd been obsessing about TC being ill at the start, I'd been wishing for her to get better quick, and then at the end it was I who was laid low. At least it was on the last day!
Jan 19th, 2005, 05:24 PM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know, I remember the advice to you, Hold your breath! LOL
I came home sick on a plane from Bermuda once, food poisoning, I really feel bad that you had to fly sick.
Glad you are better now though, and I am taking down all your recommendations for restaurants.
And I will stay away from souvenir shops on the Right Bank
I came home sick on a plane from Bermuda once, food poisoning, I really feel bad that you had to fly sick.
Glad you are better now though, and I am taking down all your recommendations for restaurants.
And I will stay away from souvenir shops on the Right Bank
Jan 19th, 2005, 05:33 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
a couple of other details about the Hotel Delavigne
Room had an in-room safe (Balcons room did not) also a radio (Balcons room did not). They offer wake-up calls and off-premises laundry service.
Room had an in-room safe (Balcons room did not) also a radio (Balcons room did not). They offer wake-up calls and off-premises laundry service.
Jan 19th, 2005, 05:56 PM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wonderful report elaine and so detailed about the hotels.
Remind me to never go shopping with you and your companion. You're lucky you didn't end up in the Bastille!
And funny you had the Chez Maitre Paul chicken with cheese and wine. Tonight I made that!! I had downloaded the recipe posted here some time ago and decided this cool Florida night was a good time to make it. I hope theirs was as good as mine!!!
Remind me to never go shopping with you and your companion. You're lucky you didn't end up in the Bastille!
And funny you had the Chez Maitre Paul chicken with cheese and wine. Tonight I made that!! I had downloaded the recipe posted here some time ago and decided this cool Florida night was a good time to make it. I hope theirs was as good as mine!!!
