Today was a wonderful day. We were invited for lunch by old and very dear friends, Guy Bensimon, Yvonne Restoix and her daughter Nelly and we met and also lunched with Guy's nephew who was introduced in such rapid French fashion that I don't know his name. But he has promised to email so I will find out his name than.
Yvonne we met almost 20 years ago when we took an Elderhostel on French cooking in a small village in SW France, Le Temple sur Lot. Part of the program included dinner with a local French family and we were lucky to be paired up with Yvonne and her husband Alain. We have kept in touch and visited here in France and in the US many times over the years. Alain died several years ago but we continue to visit with Yvonne. Nelly is works here in Paris. Guy was married to Yvonne's sister-in-law, Georgette who died about two years ago. Both Guy and Georgette became much loved friends. Guy celebrated his 90th birthday this year. So we had a grand reunion today.
We gather in Guy's apartment on a high floor of a building overlooking the Seine. What a view! We went for lunch at a Lebanese restaurant that Guy claimed is the best in Paris and after the meal I do believe he is correct the food, drinks and wine were outstanding.
We had mezza (sp?) and the dishes just kept arriving. If a dish is possible for such a meal I am sure we had it. I can't begin to describe the variety. We ate and ate and talked and ate until we were very full but then we added on every manner of middle-eastern pastry you can imagine of which I partook my full share. Who can have willpower faced with such goodies. Well, not I.
The conversation was mostly in French since only Harley and Nelly and I spoke English. I did reasonably well at understanding and speaking but I do need more exposure. Have to come back soon. How I would love to live here!
These people made us feel so at home. They are wonderful friends and we hope to see them again on our next trip to France.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Paris, Tues-Thurs, April 23-25, 2013
tuesday we invited our friends Elisabeth and Jean Pierre to lunch at Les Papilles. The buses were all messed up so we had to improvise. Thank goodness we had our Paris bus maps with us. And it worked so we arrived on time. I had made a reservation at this small place which has about 24 seats so we were tucked into a pleasant alcove at the back with a window. We went for the full meal but our guests were more restrained and took only the main course and an espresso. Everything was delicious. We had a very creamy cauliflower soup with all manner of little goodies added the last drop of which was wiped from the plates with their wonderful bread. This was followed by a beef dish cooked for hours in red wine with potatoes, carrots, pea pods and garlic cloves. Harley and I shared the blue cheese and the pudding dessert and we all enjoyed plenty of the house wine.
After this the only thing possible was to go home for a nap.
Wednesday we paid a visit to Dehilleron, the kitchen supply shop where Julia Child always bought kitchen equipment when in Paris. It is a very old enterprise loaded floor to ceiling with pots and implements squeezed along narrow aisles. I would have loved to have someone explain what a lot of the things were used for, but I'll never know. They serve as a source of equipment for restaurant kitchens so some of the pots were enormous. John Pierre noted that they are one of the few places to get the kind of knives which can be sharpened repeatedly producing an extremely sharp edge in which case the knife is eventually worn down. And they carry a huge line of copper pots which must be quite expensive since they are all chained and held fast with small locks.
After this adventure Harley bused back to the apartment and I walked to the Marais to enjoy the Paris streets and revisit the bead shops I had been to earlier. I walked for several hours until I was very tired and a bit lost but I didn't buy anything else. Managed to decipher a bus route that would get me back to the apartment tired but happy. I love to walk in cities!
Thursday promised to be a lovely day, warm and sunny so not even a jacket is needed to be outdoors. Stephanie stopped by to return our security deposit after which we took the bus to the Left Bank to walk along the Seine. It is such a magnificent way to admire Paris. What a city! If you've never been you must come and if you have been before, come back. It never gets boring.
We then walked a way south toward the Luxembourg Gardens looking for the restaurant where we planned to have lunch. As in the Marais, the streets here go every which way and change names frequently. And the regular map does not show many of the smaller streets so it took frequent stops for geographic analysis to find the restaurant, Bastide de l'Odeon, but we found it with no major detours.
We ate here two years ago when we were in Paris and it has remained excellent. Harley had creamed asparagus soup and I had raw, thin sliced salmon with ratte potatoes and a creamy sauce. We both wiped our plates with their bread which was so good. They manage to bake bread with a heavy, crisp crust which is tough to break but great to chew. (You may have concluded by now that I approve of the bread here.)
Then for mains we had duck with polenta. Their duck is a bit tougher than ours but tastes so good and we both love polenta. For dessert Harley had melon with ice cream and sauce and I had a sable with strawberries and pistachio ice cream. Then espresso to end a wonderful meal which again necessitated a return home for a nap. After all we had been eating for two hours which uses a lot of energy and the consumption of a good bit of red wine adds to the sleep requirement.
After this the only thing possible was to go home for a nap.
Wednesday we paid a visit to Dehilleron, the kitchen supply shop where Julia Child always bought kitchen equipment when in Paris. It is a very old enterprise loaded floor to ceiling with pots and implements squeezed along narrow aisles. I would have loved to have someone explain what a lot of the things were used for, but I'll never know. They serve as a source of equipment for restaurant kitchens so some of the pots were enormous. John Pierre noted that they are one of the few places to get the kind of knives which can be sharpened repeatedly producing an extremely sharp edge in which case the knife is eventually worn down. And they carry a huge line of copper pots which must be quite expensive since they are all chained and held fast with small locks.
After this adventure Harley bused back to the apartment and I walked to the Marais to enjoy the Paris streets and revisit the bead shops I had been to earlier. I walked for several hours until I was very tired and a bit lost but I didn't buy anything else. Managed to decipher a bus route that would get me back to the apartment tired but happy. I love to walk in cities!
Thursday promised to be a lovely day, warm and sunny so not even a jacket is needed to be outdoors. Stephanie stopped by to return our security deposit after which we took the bus to the Left Bank to walk along the Seine. It is such a magnificent way to admire Paris. What a city! If you've never been you must come and if you have been before, come back. It never gets boring.
We then walked a way south toward the Luxembourg Gardens looking for the restaurant where we planned to have lunch. As in the Marais, the streets here go every which way and change names frequently. And the regular map does not show many of the smaller streets so it took frequent stops for geographic analysis to find the restaurant, Bastide de l'Odeon, but we found it with no major detours.
We ate here two years ago when we were in Paris and it has remained excellent. Harley had creamed asparagus soup and I had raw, thin sliced salmon with ratte potatoes and a creamy sauce. We both wiped our plates with their bread which was so good. They manage to bake bread with a heavy, crisp crust which is tough to break but great to chew. (You may have concluded by now that I approve of the bread here.)
Then for mains we had duck with polenta. Their duck is a bit tougher than ours but tastes so good and we both love polenta. For dessert Harley had melon with ice cream and sauce and I had a sable with strawberries and pistachio ice cream. Then espresso to end a wonderful meal which again necessitated a return home for a nap. After all we had been eating for two hours which uses a lot of energy and the consumption of a good bit of red wine adds to the sleep requirement.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Paris Sunday April 21, 2013
Today, Sunday, we went up to the Brullerie to listen to the music which started at 11:00AM. They had a four piece group including bass, saxophone, banjo and rhythm washboard playing Dixieland and blues. Three men, one American on the sax, a woman on the banjo with the woman and the sax player also singing. It was a lovely, pleasant morning somany people walked by and many others stayed a while to listen. They were a fun group and we had a very enjoyable stay for about an hour. Today since it was comfortably warm, the large front windows were open so it was as if the group were on the street as was most of the audience. I even videos part of one piece with my iPhone. I didn't know if it would also record the sound, but when I got home and turned it on to play back I found it had. So now we have a mini recording of the group. What a treat!
Walking home we stopped to talk to a man handing out election flyers. He was most pleasant and even told us of a very good Italian restaurant on the street, Pucinella. (Rue Danremont). We hope to try it before we leave.
Next came another great discovery as we waked back to the apartment - a fantastic grocery store that sold only frozen food. It is part of a chain called Picard. There were about 50 freezer chests, each carefully labelled, containing pre-cut vegetables and fruit, all sorts of bird and bird parts and every imaginable type of seafood. It also had an astounding array of frozen prepared foods for every dinner course. Couln't resist so we got a couple of things to try including a salmon bread. Let you know after we try it.
Got back in time to make lunch of baked cod with a pesto, garlic olive ans sun dried tomato topping, a huge pot of cooked kale, beet tops and leftover cabbage and a few boiled potatoes from an earlier meal.
Nap time and then a walk to find Rue des Martyrs. Second time I couldn't find it. Does it really exist? But the streets around here go in every direction so, even with a map, you can get confused.
Walking home we stopped to talk to a man handing out election flyers. He was most pleasant and even told us of a very good Italian restaurant on the street, Pucinella. (Rue Danremont). We hope to try it before we leave.
Next came another great discovery as we waked back to the apartment - a fantastic grocery store that sold only frozen food. It is part of a chain called Picard. There were about 50 freezer chests, each carefully labelled, containing pre-cut vegetables and fruit, all sorts of bird and bird parts and every imaginable type of seafood. It also had an astounding array of frozen prepared foods for every dinner course. Couln't resist so we got a couple of things to try including a salmon bread. Let you know after we try it.
Got back in time to make lunch of baked cod with a pesto, garlic olive ans sun dried tomato topping, a huge pot of cooked kale, beet tops and leftover cabbage and a few boiled potatoes from an earlier meal.
Nap time and then a walk to find Rue des Martyrs. Second time I couldn't find it. Does it really exist? But the streets around here go in every direction so, even with a map, you can get confused.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Paris Friday April 19, 2013
Today we went for lunch at Breizh Cafe, a Breton creperie where we ate three years ago . At that time we were renting an apartment just across the street in the Marais. That apartment was a fifth floor walk-up for which we decided we are way too old. But it was a great apartment and great location.
We arrived just after noon and the place was packed. We had no reservation - who would have thought you'd need one for lunch - and they directed us next door to a small shop which got its food and drink from the original restaurant by carrying it outdoors between the two places. The little shop sold specialty items from Brittany such as buckwheat pasta, butter, smoked fish and cider. It had one wooden table which was not a table but rather a solid cube so there was no place for your feet and legs. It had room for six people around three sides. Seats were backless crates standing on end and it was suggested that we put our coats inside the crates. Definitely an informal arrangement. Not the most comfortable but certainly fun and it turned out to lead to good sociability.
The crepes were as varied and tasted as good as we remembered. And we tried a buckwheat beer from Brittany which was quite good. After a bit a couple came in for lunch who were obviously American. We started talking. They were from St. Louis. Then two French women sat at the other two places and we all began to talk. It Is interesting to me how sometimes you meet people and things just click so that you find lots to talk about. It is as if you are all on the same wave length. Anyway one of the French women was especially friendly and ended up taking my email address so that she could send us info on her favorite trestaurants, both French and Asian which she did later that day.
After lunch, Harley went back to the apartment and I walked up Rue du Temple looking for jewelry supply shops. There were many of them, but most were wholesale only. I did find a couple one of which had everything imaginable. I loaded up a basket with beads and findings. I saw some other things I'd like to have gotten but thought it better to check my total so far since they only took cash. Ouch. My total was pretty high so I offloaded some things and made do without the beads I would have liked. Maybe I'll go back next week.
We arrived just after noon and the place was packed. We had no reservation - who would have thought you'd need one for lunch - and they directed us next door to a small shop which got its food and drink from the original restaurant by carrying it outdoors between the two places. The little shop sold specialty items from Brittany such as buckwheat pasta, butter, smoked fish and cider. It had one wooden table which was not a table but rather a solid cube so there was no place for your feet and legs. It had room for six people around three sides. Seats were backless crates standing on end and it was suggested that we put our coats inside the crates. Definitely an informal arrangement. Not the most comfortable but certainly fun and it turned out to lead to good sociability.
The crepes were as varied and tasted as good as we remembered. And we tried a buckwheat beer from Brittany which was quite good. After a bit a couple came in for lunch who were obviously American. We started talking. They were from St. Louis. Then two French women sat at the other two places and we all began to talk. It Is interesting to me how sometimes you meet people and things just click so that you find lots to talk about. It is as if you are all on the same wave length. Anyway one of the French women was especially friendly and ended up taking my email address so that she could send us info on her favorite trestaurants, both French and Asian which she did later that day.
After lunch, Harley went back to the apartment and I walked up Rue du Temple looking for jewelry supply shops. There were many of them, but most were wholesale only. I did find a couple one of which had everything imaginable. I loaded up a basket with beads and findings. I saw some other things I'd like to have gotten but thought it better to check my total so far since they only took cash. Ouch. My total was pretty high so I offloaded some things and made do without the beads I would have liked. Maybe I'll go back next week.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Paris Wed-Thurs April 17-18, 2013
The Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times" has hit. Of course, the problems of the last few days pale in comparison to the horrors at the Boston marathon and later events there, the situation on Wednesday was most disturbing for me.
While preparing lunch Wednesday, the doorbell rang and two men announced they had come to clean the gas pipe. Like an idiot I let them in even though I sensed this was not smart, in fact it was stupid. They proceeded to take apart the exhaust pipe from the gas heater in the kitchen and to remove a lot of soot from it, explaining how unhealthy it was for it to be there. Then to compound my idiocy, they gave me something to sign saying they had done the work and I signed it. Only at this point did I exhibit a modicum of intelligence and call the apartment owner. Her first words were "don't let them in". Too late to say the least. Well to truncate the story and prevent my return to deep depression, they called the police when I refused to pay them. Then with the police present, they managed to "extort" 80 euros. It wasn't the money that hurt ( well it didn't help) but the feeling of idiocy I felt and the sense of shame at falling for such a scam. In the future I won't open the door to anyone without a battle. And the very nice Paris policeman carefully wrote down the phone number for the police and insisted I call them anytime I felt any sense of fear. I hope I learned my lesson. I still feel like a fool. It turned into a lost day since I felt completely down and refused to go out in public.
French disaster number 2, the assault in Lyon being number 1!!
Thursday Harley insisted we go out and so we took the bus to Musee Nissim de Camondo. This is a "hotel particulaire" or private mansion built by the Camondo family at the start of the 20 th century on rue de Monceau and backing on Parc Monceau. This area of Paris was largely settled by very wealthy Jewish bankers including such families as the Rothchilds. The homes are magnificent and the Camondo building also houses a large collection of art and furniture from the 18th century. It is indeed a museum. Every room was magnificently furnished. One interesting note was the number of clocks, large and small, that filled so much of the wall space. The home even contained an elevator.
For me, since I love anything connected with food, the kitchens were most interesting and it is of these rooms that I took the most photos.
As we headed for the bus back to the apartment walking up rue des Malesherbes we heard this terrific crash and both of us turned just in time to see a large Mercedes sedan fly through the air and land with a terrific thud. The driver had missed seeing a concrete stanchion 8 to 10 in he's high in the middle of the street. He must have hit it at some speed and went up in the air. When the car landed it was minus the driver's side front wheel and other assorted car parts and the engine was leaking various fluids. Being nosy we waited around about 20 minutes. It no police or tow truck arrived so we gave up. We did see about 10 police vans and busses go by. They were all loaded with people. Don't know if the people were police or people who had. Even arrested. We just assume there was a "manifestation" or demonstration somewhere. I count this as the third of our "interesting times" for this trip. That's enough.
On the way home we stopped for our usual bread and wine which we consume quickly and for the mâché salad to which we have become addicted. But the bread consumption has to stop, especially the baguette with poppy seeds which is irresistible. It will be difficult to lose the extra pounds when we get back to Baltimore.
While preparing lunch Wednesday, the doorbell rang and two men announced they had come to clean the gas pipe. Like an idiot I let them in even though I sensed this was not smart, in fact it was stupid. They proceeded to take apart the exhaust pipe from the gas heater in the kitchen and to remove a lot of soot from it, explaining how unhealthy it was for it to be there. Then to compound my idiocy, they gave me something to sign saying they had done the work and I signed it. Only at this point did I exhibit a modicum of intelligence and call the apartment owner. Her first words were "don't let them in". Too late to say the least. Well to truncate the story and prevent my return to deep depression, they called the police when I refused to pay them. Then with the police present, they managed to "extort" 80 euros. It wasn't the money that hurt ( well it didn't help) but the feeling of idiocy I felt and the sense of shame at falling for such a scam. In the future I won't open the door to anyone without a battle. And the very nice Paris policeman carefully wrote down the phone number for the police and insisted I call them anytime I felt any sense of fear. I hope I learned my lesson. I still feel like a fool. It turned into a lost day since I felt completely down and refused to go out in public.
French disaster number 2, the assault in Lyon being number 1!!
Thursday Harley insisted we go out and so we took the bus to Musee Nissim de Camondo. This is a "hotel particulaire" or private mansion built by the Camondo family at the start of the 20 th century on rue de Monceau and backing on Parc Monceau. This area of Paris was largely settled by very wealthy Jewish bankers including such families as the Rothchilds. The homes are magnificent and the Camondo building also houses a large collection of art and furniture from the 18th century. It is indeed a museum. Every room was magnificently furnished. One interesting note was the number of clocks, large and small, that filled so much of the wall space. The home even contained an elevator.
For me, since I love anything connected with food, the kitchens were most interesting and it is of these rooms that I took the most photos.
As we headed for the bus back to the apartment walking up rue des Malesherbes we heard this terrific crash and both of us turned just in time to see a large Mercedes sedan fly through the air and land with a terrific thud. The driver had missed seeing a concrete stanchion 8 to 10 in he's high in the middle of the street. He must have hit it at some speed and went up in the air. When the car landed it was minus the driver's side front wheel and other assorted car parts and the engine was leaking various fluids. Being nosy we waited around about 20 minutes. It no police or tow truck arrived so we gave up. We did see about 10 police vans and busses go by. They were all loaded with people. Don't know if the people were police or people who had. Even arrested. We just assume there was a "manifestation" or demonstration somewhere. I count this as the third of our "interesting times" for this trip. That's enough.
On the way home we stopped for our usual bread and wine which we consume quickly and for the mâché salad to which we have become addicted. But the bread consumption has to stop, especially the baguette with poppy seeds which is irresistible. It will be difficult to lose the extra pounds when we get back to Baltimore.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Paris Mon/Tues April 15/16, 2013
Monday was spent on housekeeping-laundry and cooking. Wanted to use up the chicken I had frozen and the huge sweet potato I had on hand so I made another batch of chicken curry and rice. It produced a big quantity so now I have enough for at least four meals. Well we like it and Harley enjoys leftovers as long as they taste good.
I've become obsessed with videos about jewelry making so I spent several hours watching those, each one leading to curiosity about another technique. How to be productively lazy! Didn't even go outdoors.
Tuesday was a totally different kind of day. It started with an email from Sandy as I sat down to drink my morning coffee mentioning the bombings in Boston. I had not known about them as we don't watch TV and I hadn't checked the NY Times website Monday evening. It sent chills through me just as it did for most other people. Sandy's sister Alison had run the marathon and luckily was past the finish line before the explosions. So hard to understand people who get their kicks from making other people suffer. I fear the US may face further incidents since copy cat action seems inevitable.
After reading all that was in the Times and checking out the other US and world news we made a run to the grocery for necessities, put them away and headed into town for lunch at a favorite creperie in th Marais. One bus ride and a fairly long walk later we found the place but it was closed.m should have checked for the days it is open. We had passed a spot that we had visited years earlier, Les Philosophes. So we turned around and headed for it, got a seat at one of the sidewalk tables and were given menus. Everything sounded good but expensive. When all attempts to get the waiter's attentioned failed we took the approach of voting with our feet, otherwise known as leaving. By now it was after two in the afternoon and we were very hungry. So we decided to find something on Rue des Rosiers, the heart of the Jewish section. Turning around again we walked back a couple of blocks and found a falafel and pita place and went in. Ordered pita sandwiches with schwarma, two cans of beer and a plate of eggplant, Israeli style. Everything was delicious and the waitress was pleasant and helpful. A change from Les Philosophes.
Heading back to the bus to go home, we stopped at a small grocery, l'Izrael that we had discovered on an earlier trip to Paris. It as just as amazing a shop as ever. If you are a foodie inParis I strongly recommend a visit.
Getting back to our neighborhood on the bus we stopped at Starbucks for a bag of ground coffee. Why Starbucks when you are in Paris you ask. Because it is hard to find decent coffee for brewing here. If you have read David Lebovitz's web site about Paris you would find his opinion is that coffee beans in Paris are awful and whenever he goes to Italy from here he comes back with a suitcase full of coffee. Would you believe?
Paris factoid: Many of the homeless on the streets have a pet dog or cat.
I've become obsessed with videos about jewelry making so I spent several hours watching those, each one leading to curiosity about another technique. How to be productively lazy! Didn't even go outdoors.
Tuesday was a totally different kind of day. It started with an email from Sandy as I sat down to drink my morning coffee mentioning the bombings in Boston. I had not known about them as we don't watch TV and I hadn't checked the NY Times website Monday evening. It sent chills through me just as it did for most other people. Sandy's sister Alison had run the marathon and luckily was past the finish line before the explosions. So hard to understand people who get their kicks from making other people suffer. I fear the US may face further incidents since copy cat action seems inevitable.
After reading all that was in the Times and checking out the other US and world news we made a run to the grocery for necessities, put them away and headed into town for lunch at a favorite creperie in th Marais. One bus ride and a fairly long walk later we found the place but it was closed.m should have checked for the days it is open. We had passed a spot that we had visited years earlier, Les Philosophes. So we turned around and headed for it, got a seat at one of the sidewalk tables and were given menus. Everything sounded good but expensive. When all attempts to get the waiter's attentioned failed we took the approach of voting with our feet, otherwise known as leaving. By now it was after two in the afternoon and we were very hungry. So we decided to find something on Rue des Rosiers, the heart of the Jewish section. Turning around again we walked back a couple of blocks and found a falafel and pita place and went in. Ordered pita sandwiches with schwarma, two cans of beer and a plate of eggplant, Israeli style. Everything was delicious and the waitress was pleasant and helpful. A change from Les Philosophes.
Heading back to the bus to go home, we stopped at a small grocery, l'Izrael that we had discovered on an earlier trip to Paris. It as just as amazing a shop as ever. If you are a foodie inParis I strongly recommend a visit.
Getting back to our neighborhood on the bus we stopped at Starbucks for a bag of ground coffee. Why Starbucks when you are in Paris you ask. Because it is hard to find decent coffee for brewing here. If you have read David Lebovitz's web site about Paris you would find his opinion is that coffee beans in Paris are awful and whenever he goes to Italy from here he comes back with a suitcase full of coffee. Would you believe?
Paris factoid: Many of the homeless on the streets have a pet dog or cat.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Paris. Saturday April 13 and Sunday
Saturday willbe a busy day. Up early with the alarm at 7:30. It is market day so we head to Blvd des Batignolles for the bio market and make the usual rounds - veggies and fruit, fish (cod this week)' sausages and pate for a couple of quick meals and, of course, cheese. Hurry home, put everything away and head to Chatelet to meet Elisabeth and Jean Pierre, the couple we met on oour Danube tour last year.
The bus we took ended its run at Bourse so, rather than wait for the next bus we decided to walk. The streets in this part of Paris must have been laid out by a meandering cow,but a longer than expected walk. We arrived with time to spare since we always leave time for every possible contingency, adding all possibilities together, a habit I acquired from my Grandfather.
It was so nice to see both of them again. We had enjoyed their company on the boat trip and had kept in touch. We had lunch at a very old restaurant "Zimmer" founded by French ALsacians who had fled Alsace when the Germans won it in the 1870's. Lunch was delicious as expected, with each of us having some combination of lentil soup, pate, salmon and duck confit and of course bread and wine.
After lunch we walked along the Seine past flower shops and animal shops, an unusual neighborhood. We then visited the corner where Elisabeth's family had lived and owned a small restaurant and the church where Elizabeth's parents were married.
A short metro ride took us to the area near Champs Élysées where Elisabeth and Jean Pierre live in a lovely apartment with views of the neighborhood and a glimpse of the top of th Eiffel Tower. A bit of envy was inevitable since I'd love to live in Paris at least for a while.
We got home about 6:00, two very tired but contented people.
Sunday started slowly with a bread run after breakfast followed by a lazy morning. After lunch of salmon, ratte potatoes and veggies followed by my daily nap we took the bus to Parc Monceau. This area was home to many of the very wealthiest Jewish bankers at the turn of the 19th/20th century. We had planned to visit Musee Camondo, the home built by Moisse Camondo. All of that family is gone, the last daughter killed by the Nazis. Rather than visit so late in the day we plan to return later in the week. most important, it is a beautiful, warm day. The first since we arrived.
Random notes: There are little green women as well as little green men who keep the streets clean.
Older couples here often walk down the street holding hands.
Dog ownership in Paris is very popular.
Huge numbers of people, especially the young, smoke.
Teen agers are as rude here as in the US.
The city bus and metro systems are super good.
Architecture here is magnificent. It is a beautiful city.
The bus we took ended its run at Bourse so, rather than wait for the next bus we decided to walk. The streets in this part of Paris must have been laid out by a meandering cow,but a longer than expected walk. We arrived with time to spare since we always leave time for every possible contingency, adding all possibilities together, a habit I acquired from my Grandfather.
It was so nice to see both of them again. We had enjoyed their company on the boat trip and had kept in touch. We had lunch at a very old restaurant "Zimmer" founded by French ALsacians who had fled Alsace when the Germans won it in the 1870's. Lunch was delicious as expected, with each of us having some combination of lentil soup, pate, salmon and duck confit and of course bread and wine.
After lunch we walked along the Seine past flower shops and animal shops, an unusual neighborhood. We then visited the corner where Elisabeth's family had lived and owned a small restaurant and the church where Elizabeth's parents were married.
A short metro ride took us to the area near Champs Élysées where Elisabeth and Jean Pierre live in a lovely apartment with views of the neighborhood and a glimpse of the top of th Eiffel Tower. A bit of envy was inevitable since I'd love to live in Paris at least for a while.
We got home about 6:00, two very tired but contented people.
Sunday started slowly with a bread run after breakfast followed by a lazy morning. After lunch of salmon, ratte potatoes and veggies followed by my daily nap we took the bus to Parc Monceau. This area was home to many of the very wealthiest Jewish bankers at the turn of the 19th/20th century. We had planned to visit Musee Camondo, the home built by Moisse Camondo. All of that family is gone, the last daughter killed by the Nazis. Rather than visit so late in the day we plan to return later in the week. most important, it is a beautiful, warm day. The first since we arrived.
Random notes: There are little green women as well as little green men who keep the streets clean.
Older couples here often walk down the street holding hands.
Dog ownership in Paris is very popular.
Huge numbers of people, especially the young, smoke.
Teen agers are as rude here as in the US.
The city bus and metro systems are super good.
Architecture here is magnificent. It is a beautiful city.
Paris Fri and later. April 12, 2013
Days are marching by. Friday was again cool and overcast. We are to meet friends for lunch Saturday so we decided to psych out the route and the meeting place to be sue we would find it and be on time Saturday. Finding bus stops is often a challenge and as we looked for the right one, the skies opened and we had a deluge. What to do? Stopin a nearby Starbucks for an espresso and regroup. the rain let up in about 5 minutes. With local help we found the bus stop and were off to find Chatelet and Teatre duChatelet. That was pretty easy and with just a bit of walking about we decided it best to find the bus back since the skies were most threatening. And a good thing we did because in about 3 minutes we heard hail pounding the top of the bus as we watched the ice pellets jump in the street. It was quite a storm - April in Paris.
Have to get lunch. Back later.
Have to get lunch. Back later.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Paris Thurs April 11
Another new bus adventure and a stunning art exhibit of many, many works by Eugene Boudin. This included drawings, pastels, oils and watercolors. Boudin was famous for his skies in all media. And they are fantastic. He was an inspiration to Monet among others. We visited his museum in Honfleur a number of years ago and were so pleased to see so many beautiful pieces in one place.
The exhibition was held at Musee Jaquesmart Andre on Blvd Haussman. This was an "hotel particulaire" or private residence and is itself a magnificent work of art so touring pthe house was part of the treat. The family who built it were very wealthy and travelled extensively collecting art and art objects from all over the world. You can actually take a detailed tour on-line.
The only downside to the visit was the incredible crowd. Again, the venue was not ideal but patience and a lot of squeezing into tight spots paid off.
After seeing all we could absorb, we decided to eat at the cafe in the museum. We sat on an outdoor porch which was protected by large plastic drops from the cold, damp air so it was quite comfortable. And the food was excellent. Harley had quiche and a salad and I had a large salad plate with smoked salmon, salmon mousse, potatoes and blini which was so huge that I shared some with Harley. Of course the bread was so good that too was gobbled up. Harley's choice was a lunch special so we shared his dessert (some kind of chocolate cake with a coffee mousse topping) and each enjoyed an expresso.
Then home to rest, read and try some jewelry making. Too much lunch to require much for supper.
The exhibition was held at Musee Jaquesmart Andre on Blvd Haussman. This was an "hotel particulaire" or private residence and is itself a magnificent work of art so touring pthe house was part of the treat. The family who built it were very wealthy and travelled extensively collecting art and art objects from all over the world. You can actually take a detailed tour on-line.
The only downside to the visit was the incredible crowd. Again, the venue was not ideal but patience and a lot of squeezing into tight spots paid off.
After seeing all we could absorb, we decided to eat at the cafe in the museum. We sat on an outdoor porch which was protected by large plastic drops from the cold, damp air so it was quite comfortable. And the food was excellent. Harley had quiche and a salad and I had a large salad plate with smoked salmon, salmon mousse, potatoes and blini which was so huge that I shared some with Harley. Of course the bread was so good that too was gobbled up. Harley's choice was a lunch special so we shared his dessert (some kind of chocolate cake with a coffee mousse topping) and each enjoyed an expresso.
Then home to rest, read and try some jewelry making. Too much lunch to require much for supper.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Paris Tues/Wed. April 9/10, 2013
NOTE: if anyone reading this has tried to email us and failed, please try again. I made an error in defining my email inbox which I have now corrected.
Tuesday, and our first more adventuresome foray. Last evening I bought the Paris bus directory which covers 109 bus lines so it should be possible to find our way to all parts of Paris. The metro is quicker but less interesting.
So this morning we headed off to Musee du Luxembourg to see the Chagall exposition. We had tickets for 10:00AM and arrived in good time. There was a long line and when we entered realized it would be very crowded which was true. The arrangement of the art was a bit awkward . Spaces were narrow and sometimes you had to backtrack to see things on an opposite wall, but it was well worth it. It is a fabulous exhibit with paintings and prints from many museums. So good we bought the catalog to be able to enjoy it many times.
It was almost 1:00 when we finished and we were now quite hungry so wo headed over to a favorite restaurant which we have visited on at least two earlier trips. It is Les Papilles on rue Gay-Lussac, a short walk from the museum. The restaurant is also a wine shop and epicerie. It serves one fixed menu which has always been very good. So we went for all four courses plus a "pot de vin" which is a 50cl of the house wine, a courbierres (sp?) that day.
The meal started with an excellent cream of celery soup which arrived in a good sized tureen and the typical fabulous baguette. The soup was cream based and probably had our arteries moaning but I am sure the red wine took care of that. I sopped up the last drops with the bread. We were then served a platter of roasted duck breast with potatoes and vegetables including a number of cloves of garlic in the skin. What more could a garlic lover like me want! And even the crisp duck fat was delicious. This was followed by a small wedge of blue cheese with a preserved plum and finally a panna cotta with cooked apple slices and a coffee foam on top. An espresso topped it off. After this there was no choice but to return to the apartment for a nap knowing no more food would be needed that day.
Wednesday is a recovery day and a day requiring cooking since the chicken curry is all gone. First to the market for some typical French potatoes called "rattes". These I just boiled and served with some oil. We also had roasted vegetables which I'd prepared a couple of days ago and roasted salmon which came from the Saturday market and which I'd frozen. The salmon was so good as we're the potatoes. Food here is first rate.
Went for a short walk in the neighborhood and discovered a small street that was lined on both sides with shops selling guitars. Must be a lot of guitar players in Paris.
Tuesday, and our first more adventuresome foray. Last evening I bought the Paris bus directory which covers 109 bus lines so it should be possible to find our way to all parts of Paris. The metro is quicker but less interesting.
So this morning we headed off to Musee du Luxembourg to see the Chagall exposition. We had tickets for 10:00AM and arrived in good time. There was a long line and when we entered realized it would be very crowded which was true. The arrangement of the art was a bit awkward . Spaces were narrow and sometimes you had to backtrack to see things on an opposite wall, but it was well worth it. It is a fabulous exhibit with paintings and prints from many museums. So good we bought the catalog to be able to enjoy it many times.
It was almost 1:00 when we finished and we were now quite hungry so wo headed over to a favorite restaurant which we have visited on at least two earlier trips. It is Les Papilles on rue Gay-Lussac, a short walk from the museum. The restaurant is also a wine shop and epicerie. It serves one fixed menu which has always been very good. So we went for all four courses plus a "pot de vin" which is a 50cl of the house wine, a courbierres (sp?) that day.
The meal started with an excellent cream of celery soup which arrived in a good sized tureen and the typical fabulous baguette. The soup was cream based and probably had our arteries moaning but I am sure the red wine took care of that. I sopped up the last drops with the bread. We were then served a platter of roasted duck breast with potatoes and vegetables including a number of cloves of garlic in the skin. What more could a garlic lover like me want! And even the crisp duck fat was delicious. This was followed by a small wedge of blue cheese with a preserved plum and finally a panna cotta with cooked apple slices and a coffee foam on top. An espresso topped it off. After this there was no choice but to return to the apartment for a nap knowing no more food would be needed that day.
Wednesday is a recovery day and a day requiring cooking since the chicken curry is all gone. First to the market for some typical French potatoes called "rattes". These I just boiled and served with some oil. We also had roasted vegetables which I'd prepared a couple of days ago and roasted salmon which came from the Saturday market and which I'd frozen. The salmon was so good as we're the potatoes. Food here is first rate.
Went for a short walk in the neighborhood and discovered a small street that was lined on both sides with shops selling guitars. Must be a lot of guitar players in Paris.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Paris Sunday April 7, 2013 and later
Sunday required the return to the neighborhood where we rented an apartment on our visit two years ago. There is a coffee and tea shop, un Brulerie or coffee roasting place, where the owner engages musicians to play for two hours each Sunday morning. It is a small shop and people come and go while the music is being played but some like us stay for most of the time. This Sunday two young men were playing mostly old jazz numbers and some klezmer. One man played a guitar and one a clarinet. Both were very good but Harley thought the clarinetist was super good. We enjoyed an espresso and cookie while we listened.
On the way up the hill we saw the "green men" out cleaning the streets. They seem like green men to me since they are dressed in neon green uniforms, wield neon green brooms, and push neon green carts for collecting the refuse. I have noticed them on every visit here. Very Parisian.
Took the bus back to the apartment, had lunch and continued with a quiet day at home.
Monday we repeated our attempted walk to rue des Batignolles but this time got the correct street. This is a lovely typical Paris neighborhood. It is a pleasure to admire the small shops and elegant apartment buildings with their beautifully decorated facades and long windows with decorative iron work along the bottoms of the windows. Many have flower boxes and if only it were warmer would be filled with colorful flowers.
As we returned home for lunch we made a stop at Chez Julian to try some more of their wonderful bread, this time getting a loaf of dark bread with sunflower seeds and a poppy seed baguette. Also stopped for another bottle of wine at Nicolas. Have to take every opportunity to stock up on wine since it is so heavy to carry.
The young man in the wine shop is American born but has lived in other countries including Scotland and Germany and now Paris. We commiserated on how hard it is to get a start in the US these days and how much easier it is to survive in Europe because of their better social programs. Probably won't get rich but it is a better life---and far fewer guns!
On the way up the hill we saw the "green men" out cleaning the streets. They seem like green men to me since they are dressed in neon green uniforms, wield neon green brooms, and push neon green carts for collecting the refuse. I have noticed them on every visit here. Very Parisian.
Took the bus back to the apartment, had lunch and continued with a quiet day at home.
Monday we repeated our attempted walk to rue des Batignolles but this time got the correct street. This is a lovely typical Paris neighborhood. It is a pleasure to admire the small shops and elegant apartment buildings with their beautifully decorated facades and long windows with decorative iron work along the bottoms of the windows. Many have flower boxes and if only it were warmer would be filled with colorful flowers.
As we returned home for lunch we made a stop at Chez Julian to try some more of their wonderful bread, this time getting a loaf of dark bread with sunflower seeds and a poppy seed baguette. Also stopped for another bottle of wine at Nicolas. Have to take every opportunity to stock up on wine since it is so heavy to carry.
The young man in the wine shop is American born but has lived in other countries including Scotland and Germany and now Paris. We commiserated on how hard it is to get a start in the US these days and how much easier it is to survive in Europe because of their better social programs. Probably won't get rich but it is a better life---and far fewer guns!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Paris. Saturday April 6, 2013
Saturday , the day for the bio farmers market on Blvd de Batignolles. But first breakfast and two loads of wash. This is a vacation? Finally we are out the door with a stash of bags to carry home the food. Stop 1-a new bakery, Chez Julien, recommended by the wine merchant we visited yesterday. Lots of people waiting so it must be good and the stock looks delicious. So many temptations, both sweet amd savory, in a place like this. So we have our bread and across the street is the beginning of the market. Just like old times. First stop is the vegetable stand we frequented two years ago. It is difficult because it consists of two rows of vegetable displays with a narrow aisle between with check-out at one end. It wouldn't be bad except for the number of parents with baby carriages squeezed into the narrow space. But we load uo with veggies including local asparagus and some pears and continue on looking for the fish stand we went to every Saturday on that earlier trip. Found it and the same man who always greeted us with: ah les Americaines. Got some salmon and smoked halibut to freeze for later in the week since there is still a couple of days worth of curried chicken and rice. Then on to the stand with all sorts of nuts and then the cheese stand for Comte and a chèvre.
Next stop the wine shop to buy another bottle of wine. This time the store clerk opened it for us so we wouldn't suffer the problems of last evening.
Home to lunch and a nap. Then made some bread pudding with yesterday's bread for Harley. I know it is for Harley since it has raisins which he loves and I hate.
Paris is so different from US cities even from New York which it probably most closely resembles. There seems to be a bakery, a green grocer and a small restaurant on every block. One wonders how they all survive. There are also many small cheese shops, wine shops, ready-to-eat take away shops. Of course it is almost a sin in Paris not to eat well and it is definitely a sin to buy bread in a supermarket if you are a true Frenchman. We hypothesize that the difference is that maximizing profit is not a primary value. The French culture has a lot of desirable characteristics.
For example, some of the larger subway stations have glass barriers between the platforms and the tracks with doors that open only when a train is in the station. Much safer for passengers and something that is discussed for NYC each time someone falls or is pushed in front of a train but is always rejected as too expensive. Taxes being anathema in the US, we don't do much for the good of the people anymore. You get what you pay for.
Next stop the wine shop to buy another bottle of wine. This time the store clerk opened it for us so we wouldn't suffer the problems of last evening.
Home to lunch and a nap. Then made some bread pudding with yesterday's bread for Harley. I know it is for Harley since it has raisins which he loves and I hate.
Paris is so different from US cities even from New York which it probably most closely resembles. There seems to be a bakery, a green grocer and a small restaurant on every block. One wonders how they all survive. There are also many small cheese shops, wine shops, ready-to-eat take away shops. Of course it is almost a sin in Paris not to eat well and it is definitely a sin to buy bread in a supermarket if you are a true Frenchman. We hypothesize that the difference is that maximizing profit is not a primary value. The French culture has a lot of desirable characteristics.
For example, some of the larger subway stations have glass barriers between the platforms and the tracks with doors that open only when a train is in the station. Much safer for passengers and something that is discussed for NYC each time someone falls or is pushed in front of a train but is always rejected as too expensive. Taxes being anathema in the US, we don't do much for the good of the people anymore. You get what you pay for.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Paris Friday April 5 continued.
So after lunch and a short siesta we set off for FNAC near Gare St Lazare to buy tickets for two museums for next week. The line for tickets at the store was very long and very slow but we finally reached the clerk and got tickets for next Tuesday for Musee du Luxembourg which has a Chagall exhibit and tickets for next Thursday for Musee Jaquemart Andre which has a special exhibit of Boudin's paintings. He does wonderful seascapes and is famous for his skies. Several years ago we visited the museum in Honfleur dedicated to his work.
We took the metro back to Place de Clicy, buying a sandwich and a small dessert at one of our favorite bakery chains, Paul's, which has shops all over France as well as in London and Washington DC. We then detoured to a wine shop because you can't eat a meal in France without wine - well maybe breakfast without wine is OK. We do have an expresso machine at the apartment for breakfast.
Choosing a bottle each of red and of white wine we trudged on home. We get tired easily these days so "trudged" is the appropriate word.
Then the fun began. We wanted to open the red wine but it had the tightest cork Harley or I had ever encountered. We worked for over half an hour and after one broken wine opener, an Ah So which is a permanent travel accessory fo us, joint cooperation and a ton of sweat equity we succeeded in getting that cork out. Oh, by the way, we also broke the cork in the process. The wine was very good as was the sandwich and dessert. But we are worn out!
We took the metro back to Place de Clicy, buying a sandwich and a small dessert at one of our favorite bakery chains, Paul's, which has shops all over France as well as in London and Washington DC. We then detoured to a wine shop because you can't eat a meal in France without wine - well maybe breakfast without wine is OK. We do have an expresso machine at the apartment for breakfast.
Choosing a bottle each of red and of white wine we trudged on home. We get tired easily these days so "trudged" is the appropriate word.
Then the fun began. We wanted to open the red wine but it had the tightest cork Harley or I had ever encountered. We worked for over half an hour and after one broken wine opener, an Ah So which is a permanent travel accessory fo us, joint cooperation and a ton of sweat equity we succeeded in getting that cork out. Oh, by the way, we also broke the cork in the process. The wine was very good as was the sandwich and dessert. But we are worn out!
Paris -April 4/5,2013. Thurs/Fri
Uh-oh have to note the difference among streets with the same name but a different prefix. Thursday we decided to explore a nearby neighborhood called les Batignoles. The map for the walk began on rue du B. but I goofed and we started down Boulevard du B. After about 10 blocks we arrived at the metro stop for rue de Rome. Aha, this is not right. So we turned around to return home, doing some grocery shopping on the way. At home I compared my walking route with that Paris map and discovered that the boulevard and the rue are roughly parallel but a couple of blocks apart. It was cold and starting to rain so we will try that walk another day. One can also encounter th prefix "avenue" and " place" and probably others. Fait attention!
We ate all meals in today acting like natives. Had more fish, veggies and fruit again fo lunch and salad with cheese and bread for supper. Quite similar to our diet at home.
Today, Friday, I tried a new bakery for bread. No pain aux noix left. I'll have to get up earlier. As soon as we finished breakfast, we started to prepare for lunch which is more complicated since I decided on massaman curry with sweet potatoes, rice and another batch of roasted vegetables. Haven't eaten yet so don't know how it will turn out since I modified the recipe.
This afternoon we will try another outing to buy some museum tickets for next week.
We ate all meals in today acting like natives. Had more fish, veggies and fruit again fo lunch and salad with cheese and bread for supper. Quite similar to our diet at home.
Today, Friday, I tried a new bakery for bread. No pain aux noix left. I'll have to get up earlier. As soon as we finished breakfast, we started to prepare for lunch which is more complicated since I decided on massaman curry with sweet potatoes, rice and another batch of roasted vegetables. Haven't eaten yet so don't know how it will turn out since I modified the recipe.
This afternoon we will try another outing to buy some museum tickets for next week.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Paris - Wednesday, April 3
Caught up with the blog at last. I must stop being so verbose.
The day started with a visit to the local bakery for bread followed by breakfast. We found the coffee maker so we can have our regular breakfast again. It is terribly hard to resist eating the bread here since it is so good. And their eggs seem to have more flavor than ours. It is nice to eat in a country where people care about and appreciate good food.
Today we made our lunch at the apartment. Roasted vegetables-cauliflower, carrots and potatoes- and th cauliflower was the best we've ever eaten. Both of us remarked on how sweet it was. Do they grow it differently, is it fresher or is it a different variety? Don't know but the veggies were all delicious. Sautéed some fish fillets in olive oil. I don't know what kind it was but it was very good even if I did manage to have it break up into little pieces.
After lunch Harley listened to music and I took a walk back to the neighborhood where we stayed two years ago. Did more grocery shopping and then returned to a tea and coffee shop where we got to know the owner on our last visit. In addition to getting some Japanese roasted green tea for Harley and some delicious preserves, I found out that they still have a concede just inside the shop every Sunday from 11:00AM to 1:00 PM. We plan to go back this Sunday.
The day started with a visit to the local bakery for bread followed by breakfast. We found the coffee maker so we can have our regular breakfast again. It is terribly hard to resist eating the bread here since it is so good. And their eggs seem to have more flavor than ours. It is nice to eat in a country where people care about and appreciate good food.
Today we made our lunch at the apartment. Roasted vegetables-cauliflower, carrots and potatoes- and th cauliflower was the best we've ever eaten. Both of us remarked on how sweet it was. Do they grow it differently, is it fresher or is it a different variety? Don't know but the veggies were all delicious. Sautéed some fish fillets in olive oil. I don't know what kind it was but it was very good even if I did manage to have it break up into little pieces.
After lunch Harley listened to music and I took a walk back to the neighborhood where we stayed two years ago. Did more grocery shopping and then returned to a tea and coffee shop where we got to know the owner on our last visit. In addition to getting some Japanese roasted green tea for Harley and some delicious preserves, I found out that they still have a concede just inside the shop every Sunday from 11:00AM to 1:00 PM. We plan to go back this Sunday.
Recap Lyon Fri-Sun, Lyon March 29-31
Friday the police called to inquire how we were and to tell us something which I did not fully understand since it was in French. I thought he said we didn't need the medical certificate, at least I hoped so. A short time later as we were leaving the hotel two policemen came into the lobby to give us a paper telling us when the man who attacked us would be arraigned and that we could be present. Since it is to be on June 6 when we will be in the US we will not be likely to attend.They confirmed that we would not need a medical certificate.
We took a walk up rue Victor Hugo, bought a bottle of wine for the two good Samaritans who had helped us Wednesday evening and brought it to their shop. They were very kind and gracious again.
Next we went to lunch at the same place where we ate late Wednesdy and then returned to the hotel to rest. Harley is still feeling the effects of the attack and has a good bit of pain in his shoulder.
After resting and reading, we had a light supper and called it a day.
Saturday I had hoped to visit Les Halles Paul Bocuse. It Harley was not yet up to it so we spent the day eating and resting. Since it was still rainy and cold that may have been for the best.
Sunday we started to walk to old Lyon when we discovered a farmer's market at Place Carnot. I can't resist these and so we inspected most of the stalls, bought some beignets de morue which we gobbled down, then some clementines and a pear which we ate sitting on a park bench and then crossed the street for coffee at a brasserie. Finally we made our way to the old part of Lyon which originated in the middle ages. It is a fascinating area and would have been fun to explore more thoroughly but Harley was not yet up to that. It had stopped raining but was quite chilly.
We had quite a long walk anyway and returned for an early supper and final packing for our departure for Paris on Monday.
We took a walk up rue Victor Hugo, bought a bottle of wine for the two good Samaritans who had helped us Wednesday evening and brought it to their shop. They were very kind and gracious again.
Next we went to lunch at the same place where we ate late Wednesdy and then returned to the hotel to rest. Harley is still feeling the effects of the attack and has a good bit of pain in his shoulder.
After resting and reading, we had a light supper and called it a day.
Saturday I had hoped to visit Les Halles Paul Bocuse. It Harley was not yet up to it so we spent the day eating and resting. Since it was still rainy and cold that may have been for the best.
Sunday we started to walk to old Lyon when we discovered a farmer's market at Place Carnot. I can't resist these and so we inspected most of the stalls, bought some beignets de morue which we gobbled down, then some clementines and a pear which we ate sitting on a park bench and then crossed the street for coffee at a brasserie. Finally we made our way to the old part of Lyon which originated in the middle ages. It is a fascinating area and would have been fun to explore more thoroughly but Harley was not yet up to that. It had stopped raining but was quite chilly.
We had quite a long walk anyway and returned for an early supper and final packing for our departure for Paris on Monday.
Paris - Tuesday, April 2, 2013
So, here we are at Tuesday. We continue to sleep late. What guilt!
We had an American - French breakfast. First thing we went to the corner bakery and got a Pain au Noix otherwise known as a walnut bread, which was still warm from the oven. And Harley could not resist the small pastries to substitute for raisins in the oatmeal to come. So we had oatmeal, espresso (haven't found the regular coffee maker yet) bread, pastries and apricot jam.
Then off to a grocery on the other side of Place de Clichy to stock the pantry and refrigerator since we expect to eat most meals in. Ate a light lunch of salad, cheese, sardines, bread and fruit and then spent most of the rest of the day reading or catching up on emails.
Another day!
We had an American - French breakfast. First thing we went to the corner bakery and got a Pain au Noix otherwise known as a walnut bread, which was still warm from the oven. And Harley could not resist the small pastries to substitute for raisins in the oatmeal to come. So we had oatmeal, espresso (haven't found the regular coffee maker yet) bread, pastries and apricot jam.
Then off to a grocery on the other side of Place de Clichy to stock the pantry and refrigerator since we expect to eat most meals in. Ate a light lunch of salad, cheese, sardines, bread and fruit and then spent most of the rest of the day reading or catching up on emails.
Another day!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Paris - Monday, April 1, 2013
I am going to jump ahead in time in an effort to catch up. I'll go back and fill in the blanks later.
Today was the day for our move from Lyon to Paris. Lyon is jinxed for me. I didn't realize that France turned ahead the clocks this past weekend so our plans for getting to the train station were not timely. When our wake up call came, I thought the hotel had made an error since my clock said 5:45 AM. So we didn't get up but waited for our alarm clock to ring an hour later. After about 30 minutes my subconscious said " maybe the time changed in France this past weekend." Just in case my subconcious was correct we jumped out of bed, dressed as quickly as possible, finished packing and hurried to the hotel lobby. And guess what, my subconscious was correct. So we were running well behind schedule.
We dragged our bags to the train station which was quite close. Harley cannot yet use his right arm easily so when packing Sunday night I eliminated his backpack and rearranged the things in our two suitcases so his was as light as possible. The train schedule showed the next train to the main statio from Perrache was due to leave in 30 minutes (at 8:28AM) so we decided to grab a coffee and quiche for breakfast while we waited. That done, we climbed on the train for the 15 minute ride to Part Dieu where we were to board the train to Paris.
The train didn't leave on time so we began to panic. It finally took off about ten minutes late but with plenty of time to catch the Paris train.
French mainline trains are excellent. So much better than trains in the US. Seats are comfortable, each seat has a table which can be lowered from the seat in front, and with all seats reserved they seem to rely on the honor system since we were never asked to show a ticket. And they are very fast.
We arrived in Paris at Gare de Lyon at about 11:00AM. Our first job was to find metro line 14 to Gare St. Lazarre and then to add a one month pass for metros and buses to the cards we had acquired a couple of years earlier. Successful,after waiting in a long line, we got the required metro. Four stops later we left the metro to figure out how to get to our rental apartment. Gare St Lazarre is a very large station and when we got to the street we weren't sure how to locate the requisite bus.
It had been suggested we take a taxi to our apartment but I don' believe in taxis so I convinced Harley we should just walk to the place. And so off we went. It was only abou ten blocks some of it uphill so I managed to wear Harley out. But we made it and as we approacheD the building, there was Stephanie, our landlady, waitin for us.
The apartment is in an old building with a front door, a small lobby and another door before you enter the building. Each door requires its own code be entered on a keypad to unlock the door.
In at last we came upon the tiniest elevator I've ever seen. It fit our two suitcases and Harley and that was it. Stephanie and I walked the two flights to the apartment to rejoin Harley.
The apartment is bright and beautifully furnished with lots of nice art. It has a large living room, separate dining room, two small but comfortable bedrooms, a large bath with a washing machine and a small full kitchen with all the dishes and cookware you would need. There is also a small powder room near the kitchen.
By now it was after one in the afternoon and we were tired but hungry. So following Stephanie's suggestion we walked up rue Lepic to a small restaurant, le Zebre, for lunch which was very good. We had beer and wine, spinach salads, codfish for HAP and lamb curry for me. And of course, good bread and expresso.
On the way Back to the apartment, we picked upa few groceries for breakfast ( coffee, oatmeal, milk) so that when we got back we promptly fell asleep. We awoke about five to unpack, get organized for
th next day, read and write emails before going back to sleep.
Today was the day for our move from Lyon to Paris. Lyon is jinxed for me. I didn't realize that France turned ahead the clocks this past weekend so our plans for getting to the train station were not timely. When our wake up call came, I thought the hotel had made an error since my clock said 5:45 AM. So we didn't get up but waited for our alarm clock to ring an hour later. After about 30 minutes my subconscious said " maybe the time changed in France this past weekend." Just in case my subconcious was correct we jumped out of bed, dressed as quickly as possible, finished packing and hurried to the hotel lobby. And guess what, my subconscious was correct. So we were running well behind schedule.
We dragged our bags to the train station which was quite close. Harley cannot yet use his right arm easily so when packing Sunday night I eliminated his backpack and rearranged the things in our two suitcases so his was as light as possible. The train schedule showed the next train to the main statio from Perrache was due to leave in 30 minutes (at 8:28AM) so we decided to grab a coffee and quiche for breakfast while we waited. That done, we climbed on the train for the 15 minute ride to Part Dieu where we were to board the train to Paris.
The train didn't leave on time so we began to panic. It finally took off about ten minutes late but with plenty of time to catch the Paris train.
French mainline trains are excellent. So much better than trains in the US. Seats are comfortable, each seat has a table which can be lowered from the seat in front, and with all seats reserved they seem to rely on the honor system since we were never asked to show a ticket. And they are very fast.
We arrived in Paris at Gare de Lyon at about 11:00AM. Our first job was to find metro line 14 to Gare St. Lazarre and then to add a one month pass for metros and buses to the cards we had acquired a couple of years earlier. Successful,after waiting in a long line, we got the required metro. Four stops later we left the metro to figure out how to get to our rental apartment. Gare St Lazarre is a very large station and when we got to the street we weren't sure how to locate the requisite bus.
It had been suggested we take a taxi to our apartment but I don' believe in taxis so I convinced Harley we should just walk to the place. And so off we went. It was only abou ten blocks some of it uphill so I managed to wear Harley out. But we made it and as we approacheD the building, there was Stephanie, our landlady, waitin for us.
The apartment is in an old building with a front door, a small lobby and another door before you enter the building. Each door requires its own code be entered on a keypad to unlock the door.
In at last we came upon the tiniest elevator I've ever seen. It fit our two suitcases and Harley and that was it. Stephanie and I walked the two flights to the apartment to rejoin Harley.
The apartment is bright and beautifully furnished with lots of nice art. It has a large living room, separate dining room, two small but comfortable bedrooms, a large bath with a washing machine and a small full kitchen with all the dishes and cookware you would need. There is also a small powder room near the kitchen.
By now it was after one in the afternoon and we were tired but hungry. So following Stephanie's suggestion we walked up rue Lepic to a small restaurant, le Zebre, for lunch which was very good. We had beer and wine, spinach salads, codfish for HAP and lamb curry for me. And of course, good bread and expresso.
On the way Back to the apartment, we picked upa few groceries for breakfast ( coffee, oatmeal, milk) so that when we got back we promptly fell asleep. We awoke about five to unpack, get organized for
th next day, read and write emails before going back to sleep.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday continued
Sadly the walk down this street led to a major problem. As we walked west we noticed a shop where they repaired musical instruments. Just inside the shop window were two men working away with workbenches and wallsfilled with fascinating tools and parts. We had to watch. Harley was fascinated with the process and I with the tools many of which resembled the multitude of tools and such that I just aquired to learn jewelry making. It was about 6:00 PM and we had been standing at the window about ten minutes when a man, obviously deranged, made a very hard running push at me on my left side. It felt like a footballer tackling me although i must admit I've never played football. The next thing I knew I was on the sidewalk on top of Harley who had been standing to my right. I was stunned and couln't figure out what hit me. The young man from the shop rushed out and helped me up. Then, with some difficulty, he managed to get Harley on his feet. Harley was somewhat out of it. I had been cushioned by Harley's body and was not physically hurt, but Harley seemed to have problems. The young man brought a chair to the door of the shop and got Harley seated on it so we could roll him inside. He was totally confused and when I took off his hat we saw that his hair was very bloody and there was a wound near the top of the back of his head. The young man immediately called the French equivalent of the rescue squad while the second man in the shop ran to try to catch the pusher.
The rescue squad people arrived after 5 to 10 minutes. There were several of them. They washed off the wound and poured some stuff, I assume antiseptic, on it. By this time Harley was less confused and feeling a bit better so we decided not to go to the hospital right away as they suggested.
In the meantime, man number 2 returned to the shop to tell us he had caught the man and he was now in police custody. Next the police arrived at the shop to find out the details. They asked us if we would be willing to come to the police station to make a statement. We agreed and we followed one of the men the four or so blocks to the station where we sat for what seemed like a long time until they were ready to tal to us.
What followed was an agonizing attempt at a recapitulation of events with one policeman typing and one helping with the questions and me trying to answer in my limited French and policeman number two trying to help with his limited English. After more than an hour I asked if the typing policeman was writing a novel or perhaps a detective story.
Finally they were satisfied and asked me to read the report on the computer. (The reason I was doing all the talking and stuff, Harley couln't remember what had happened and has little French language ability.). The report was in French but was in quite straight-forward language so I could follow it. I did catch a spelling error in the report which brought forth great guffaws from policeman number two.
They then printed off about six copies of the statement all but our copy requiring Harley's signature.
By this time Harley realized that his worst problem was not the head wound but a badly bruised right shoulder which he diagnosed as some of the muscle tendons having been pulled loose based on an accident he had had about forty years earlier. This made signing statements a painful process. As a final horror they asked that we see a doctor to get some sort of certificate for the police records! We said we would the next day. Enough already.
It was now 9:30 and we were tired and hungry. So we started to walk back to the hotel, stopping in a small restaurant for some food. Harley had onion soup and tea while I had more substantial food and drink. Good food takes precedence over all, especially in Lyon which is supposed to have the best food in France.
Back at the hotel we got ready for bed. Harley's shoulder problem necessitated a good deal of help since he couldn't and still today (Sunday) can't lift his right arm from the shoulder.
Side note: policeman number two used to be a chef and suggested a very good restaurant for us to try-lemonade from the lemons.
The rescue squad people arrived after 5 to 10 minutes. There were several of them. They washed off the wound and poured some stuff, I assume antiseptic, on it. By this time Harley was less confused and feeling a bit better so we decided not to go to the hospital right away as they suggested.
In the meantime, man number 2 returned to the shop to tell us he had caught the man and he was now in police custody. Next the police arrived at the shop to find out the details. They asked us if we would be willing to come to the police station to make a statement. We agreed and we followed one of the men the four or so blocks to the station where we sat for what seemed like a long time until they were ready to tal to us.
What followed was an agonizing attempt at a recapitulation of events with one policeman typing and one helping with the questions and me trying to answer in my limited French and policeman number two trying to help with his limited English. After more than an hour I asked if the typing policeman was writing a novel or perhaps a detective story.
Finally they were satisfied and asked me to read the report on the computer. (The reason I was doing all the talking and stuff, Harley couln't remember what had happened and has little French language ability.). The report was in French but was in quite straight-forward language so I could follow it. I did catch a spelling error in the report which brought forth great guffaws from policeman number two.
They then printed off about six copies of the statement all but our copy requiring Harley's signature.
By this time Harley realized that his worst problem was not the head wound but a badly bruised right shoulder which he diagnosed as some of the muscle tendons having been pulled loose based on an accident he had had about forty years earlier. This made signing statements a painful process. As a final horror they asked that we see a doctor to get some sort of certificate for the police records! We said we would the next day. Enough already.
It was now 9:30 and we were tired and hungry. So we started to walk back to the hotel, stopping in a small restaurant for some food. Harley had onion soup and tea while I had more substantial food and drink. Good food takes precedence over all, especially in Lyon which is supposed to have the best food in France.
Back at the hotel we got ready for bed. Harley's shoulder problem necessitated a good deal of help since he couldn't and still today (Sunday) can't lift his right arm from the shoulder.
Side note: policeman number two used to be a chef and suggested a very good restaurant for us to try-lemonade from the lemons.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Lyon - Wednesday, March 27, 2013
We arrived at our hotel about 3:00PM local time and immediately took a nap. Not supposed to do that since it is recommended that you start to live on local time right away, but tired is tired. When we awoke, we looked on the Internet for good restaurants and discovered there was a good one just around the corner. Now that is luck! It was pretty early for dinner in France but we again were lucky since it is a brasserie which has pretty flexible dining times. Brasserie Georg was founded in1886. It is very large with an elegant interior, brews it's own beer and specializes in fish. What more can you ask! And the beer was excellent as was the Choucroute Pechure made with assorted fish. Harley had the daily special which provided a huge slab of meat - good but not as good as the choucroute. And as has been true at every restaurant so far, the bread is first rate such that we have been stashing some in my handbag to serve as the next day's breakfast. We have continued this minor theft since we have not yet gotten up early enough for breakfast so the bread holds us over until lunch. I am writing this on Saturday and will note, so that I don't have to describe every meal, that we have eaten at Brasserie Georg twice more and H arley had the Choucroute Pecheur the second visit and it was as good as the first time.
We went to sleep early Wednesday evening and managed about ten hours of rest but still felt the jet lag Thursday morning.
Near our hotel is a major junction for trams and subways. Crossing that you reach a pleasant park, Parc Carnot and on the other side of that is a semi-pedestrian street, rue Victor Hugo lined with shops of all sorts and at the end of that street you come to Place Bellecour. Here we decided we were tired and ready for lunch so we turned around and unimaginatively made ou way back to Brasserie Georg.
After lunch it was nap time again. After a couple of hours of sleep we thought it would be interesting to visit a new neighborhood west of the Soane River. So at abou five thirty we again left the hotel starting out on the same route as earlier but turning left at the end of Parc Carnot.
We went to sleep early Wednesday evening and managed about ten hours of rest but still felt the jet lag Thursday morning.
Near our hotel is a major junction for trams and subways. Crossing that you reach a pleasant park, Parc Carnot and on the other side of that is a semi-pedestrian street, rue Victor Hugo lined with shops of all sorts and at the end of that street you come to Place Bellecour. Here we decided we were tired and ready for lunch so we turned around and unimaginatively made ou way back to Brasserie Georg.
After lunch it was nap time again. After a couple of hours of sleep we thought it would be interesting to visit a new neighborhood west of the Soane River. So at abou five thirty we again left the hotel starting out on the same route as earlier but turning left at the end of Parc Carnot.
France. - 2013 - Tuesday/Wednesday
Today is Saturday, March 30. We left Baltimore last Tuesday en route to Lyon, France. We drove to Ruth and Hugh's house to leave our car and be picked up by a van for the trip to Dulles. Joining us on the van was another couple who was picked later. We got to talking and became instant friends. They were both Harley's age and would be on the same plane to Paris as we. They were continuing to Italy for a birding tour. Their names are Herb And Rene Jasper. We hope to be in touch again.
The flight to Paris was long and largely sleepless. We flew Air France and were disappointed by the food which used to be quite good. I guess it it now a profit center and unless you order a paid for meal don't expect much. But we got to Paris in good shape and our luggage was waiting for us.
CDGis such a huge airport that we felt like we were walking for miles to get to baggage claim and ths signage was very poor so we ended up in the wrong baggage area necessitating another long trek. By this time we were hungry and had a light lunch at a better-than-average fast food spot. We also learned that a small coffee in France means an expresso, not a small container of coffee a la McDonalds.
We found the CDG train station and figured out the access to tracks so we successfully boarded our train to Lyon in the correct car, climbing to the upper level where our reserved seats were located. The trains here are excellent with comfortable seats. They have modern trackage and make good speed so we were in Lyon in just two hours. We weren't sure how to get to our hotel so we went to th information booth. It turned out that there was a train from our arrival station at Parc Dieu to another station, Perrache, which by sheer dumb luck was directly across from our hotel. So far so good.
We got to the Hotel Normandie which is a small 2 star hotel that I reserved sight-unseen on Priceline. At first I was concerned about my choice because it is a rather shabby neighborhood and th hotel looked small and old. But it turns out to be clean and comfortable with very pleasant and helpful desk people. They can't have been nicer and have given us much good advice with great patience.
So much for our arrival. I will post this and continue the story of our travels later.
The flight to Paris was long and largely sleepless. We flew Air France and were disappointed by the food which used to be quite good. I guess it it now a profit center and unless you order a paid for meal don't expect much. But we got to Paris in good shape and our luggage was waiting for us.
CDGis such a huge airport that we felt like we were walking for miles to get to baggage claim and ths signage was very poor so we ended up in the wrong baggage area necessitating another long trek. By this time we were hungry and had a light lunch at a better-than-average fast food spot. We also learned that a small coffee in France means an expresso, not a small container of coffee a la McDonalds.
We found the CDG train station and figured out the access to tracks so we successfully boarded our train to Lyon in the correct car, climbing to the upper level where our reserved seats were located. The trains here are excellent with comfortable seats. They have modern trackage and make good speed so we were in Lyon in just two hours. We weren't sure how to get to our hotel so we went to th information booth. It turned out that there was a train from our arrival station at Parc Dieu to another station, Perrache, which by sheer dumb luck was directly across from our hotel. So far so good.
We got to the Hotel Normandie which is a small 2 star hotel that I reserved sight-unseen on Priceline. At first I was concerned about my choice because it is a rather shabby neighborhood and th hotel looked small and old. But it turns out to be clean and comfortable with very pleasant and helpful desk people. They can't have been nicer and have given us much good advice with great patience.
So much for our arrival. I will post this and continue the story of our travels later.
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