This blog will be different than the past. It will be only one post that will be updated as we travel along. That way, when you look at it, it will start at the beginning and at the bottom will be the end. I will see how this works out. The down side is that those who subscribe to the blog, I am not sure you will get notifications of updates and you will have to come back here on your browser to catch up.
ST. PETE TO PARIS
Sept 1-5
Ok, the guy who said clear was correct from 10 to 4 and 6 until whenever. The guy who said rain was right the rest of the time. So, I guess they are both correct.ST. PETE TO PARIS
Sept 1-5
DAMN BABY BOOMERS!!! Use to be that after
Memorial Day you could get on a plane to Europe on standby with no problem. Not
any more. The Baby Boomers are on the move. First delay came when Deb, in
Jacksonville, called and said she was sick. We postponed our departure a day to
see if she had a virus or bad taco’s. It was the taco’s, so we spent Sunday
night with her. She and Vicki threw my first “your are officially old now”
party and it came as a complete surprise. I had a ice cream cake with a
decorated banner and on the banner was a Eiffel tour, suit cases, vespa's, a
passport and other little travel related items along with a bottle of the Veuve
, my favorite champagne, and some eye glass's with what I was told were candles,
but since they did not light like they were supposed to, they looked like
penis’s.
After dumping the cat at Mom's and a
short visit we were off to Paris. Raleigh to Philly was going to be easy, or so
we thought. There were lots of seats until the Charlotte flight with 185
passengers at the gate next door canceled and those 20 seats to Philly we were
sure would disappear quickly. At the last minute the agent called and handed us
two tickets and said "enjoy Paris". Philly to Paris had one open seat; but we
were optimistic and it paid off. Vicki got the last row center seat in the first
cabin next to the head and I got the last row in the airplane with an isle seat.
But that was ok because there was no bathroom next to it and the galley was
right behind me. The flight attendants found a nice seat for the gentleman next
to me and moved Vicki back. How they did that with a full plane amazed me but we
were grateful. Now days on international flights, on our airline, you get on glass
of very, very cheap red wine in a milk carton with your meal. Lucky for us, the
flight attendants would walk out of the galley and hand us small bottles of the
“good stuff” until I had to say “I give”. The kindness of the employees on this
trip was overwhelming.
With "local knowledge" we zoomed through
customs and since our bags were loaded last they were first off and we were off
to the RER in a flash.
The rest of the modern world has
switched to credit cards with a computer chip and you use it just like a atm
card and our bank, USAA, is only one of three banks that issue them in the U.S.
if you request it. Swipe the card and enter a 4 number pin and you are done.
Though you can still you use our type of cards most places, in France the
railroads do not. So, I was eager to use my new CC and it worked like a charm
and we were in the center of Paris in a flash on the RER.
PARIS
Sept 6-14
Sept 6-14
On day one, we slept off the jet lag and then hit the bricks. We love to
just get out and walk all day in Paris. First stop the local market to stock up
with fresh stuff like clementine's to radishes. Fortunately we were not hungry and
we resisted the fresh cooked pork and rotisserie chickens and stuck with
vegetables and fruit. Next we began the walk. Weekends are great with all the
people out in the parks and on the street.
Our destination was Le Regent a small brassiere in the Maris district on
the opposite side of town. It is one of the few that is still owned privately.
Despite most brassieres looking like individual operations they have all been
bought up by large multi-national companies. We had discovered the Regent on a
cold winter day and the owner had been so nice and the food is so good. There
are a couple of places we try to return to eat and this is one of them. Today
the Plat de Jour was Steak and a Foie de Veau Meuniere. Vicki said “that’s
veal” and I asked the cook what the “Meuniere” was and he said “in butter”.
Something about the “Foie” which means “fake” bothered me and rightfully so.
“Foie de Veau” is liver. But this ain’t your Momma’s over done liver. It is the
best, most tender liver you have ever had. I could cut it with a fork and it
did not have a strong liver taste.
Weather forecasting is not easy in Europe for many reasons, so often they are not as accurate in the U.S. Monday it was off a little. The forecast was on and off light rain so we took off on foot. The "light" quickly turned into a continuous down pour. We discovered my coat was no longer waterproof and blowing rain pretty much negated the umbrella. This is the first time I can recall that we were forced home due to rain, but we were soaked and in no mood to squish around a museum We took the bus back to Montparnasse and got a lunch take out of Donor Kabobs and caught the metro the short way home.
Here is todays forecast from two sources.:
Accu Weather
18 °C
Here is todays forecast from two sources.:
Accu Weather
Paris, France
Tuesday
A mix of clouds and sun. High around 65F. Winds NW at 10
to 20 mph.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weather underground
Paris, France
Today
18c/64F
Chance of Rain
40% chance of precipitation
18 °C
The history of writers and painters in Paris are legendary
and there more than I can ever know. Every visit we uncover a new one to us. Jules Pascin (born Pincas), someone I had never heard of, taught in Savannah
Georgia for six years during WWI. He returned to Paris and was know as the
“Prince of Montparnasse” (the area we like to stay in). Ernst
Hemingway's wrote in A Moveable Feast a whole chapter
called “With Pascin At the Dome” (don't bother reading), so he is well known. Here is a fun
fact. Jules Pascin, the "Prince of Montparnasse hung
himself from his door knob after trying to slit his wrist to commit Hara-Kari.
Figure that one out.
One of the great things about Paris and most cities in France is the broad boulevards and the green spaces. To bad the French did not design more than Washington, D.C. in the U.S. Recently they added a green space on the River Seine.
....and it was good!
I love this place Au Chien Qui Fume, The Dog Who Smokes
Today we got a late start. Jet lag got me yesterday and Vicki this morning, but once on the move we were going. Down Raspal to Remmes to St. Germain, across from the famous Deux Magots, down this and that back street, across the Seine, through the Louvre to Rue Raspal. My mom's care giver had asked for a tacky tourist item and this was the place to get it. I threw Vicki in a shop with all the bus tourist and told her not to come out until she had something. Fortunately, they were all oriental and though they are very aggressive, Vicki can just bonk them on the head and they move.
With that task accomplished, we turned our thoughts to lunch.
Last night we wanted Moules, but our favorite place was closed for vacation or maybe they went out of business, not really sure. The next place was out of them and we refuse to go the chain moule place any more. So, since it was lunch time and we were close to our Le Regent and we knew they had moules, off we went. Through the Palais Royal, where people were having my favorite lunch, a baguette and anything.
At the Regent it was just before 1, the French lunch hour, and we were seated in a back corner at the window. This was good as we knew we could not get out for an hour and in fact sat there until everyone was gone and left at 2:30 after desert and coffee.
After coffee, we were off again. Mind you, this is all walking. Our destination is the Guimet Museum. The one we had gotten rained out of visiting. Trouble is, I never travel in a straight line.
In the Tuileries we came uponst a fight. I sat down to watch and hoped I could join in.
By now we were walked out and after setting for awhile enjoying the action, we called it a day. We hopped the metro back to Montparnasse and to the apartment. The Guimet what have to wait until tomorrow.
sign on the metro
Tomorrow was laundry day but Vicki decided to do it today. European laundrys are great. They are clean and simple. Pick a machine, check the number, go to the box and pay. Some even take credit cards.
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ART FACT OF THE DAY
Alice Ernestine Prin
nicknamed Queen of Montparnasse, and often known as Kiki de
Montparnasse, was a French artist model, nightclub singer, actress, and painter. She
flourished in, and helped define, the liberated culture of Paris in the early
1920s. Long after her death, KiKi remains the embodiment of the outspokenness,
audacity, and creativity that marked that period of life in Montparnasse. In
1989, biographers Billy Klüver and Julie Martin called her "one of the century's
first truly independent women."
So why is she interesting. The studio of Man
Ray, who painted her, is directly across from our apartment at 19 Passage
d’Enfer. Of course, like many artist she died in her early 50’s from drugs and
alcohol.
Today is a drizzly overcast day. We hoped the #6 metro to Trocadero and
then walked down to the Guimet Museum of Asian Religion and Art. Yawn! I guess
living in Asia all those years and now being old, I have seen enough Budda
statues, figurines, elephants, etc. I do enjoy the art. After a eternity,
Vicki was done and we walked down down my great uncles blvd, President
Wilson, to the Chez France Café.
In a French café the price of a item is determined by how far you are from
the bar; the bar being the cheapest and on the street being the most expensive.
As I always say, think of a café as some place you can rent the real estate
where you set for as long as you want. The French do not care, like Americans
who want to turn over tables as quick as possible. So average real estate
coffee is 2.20 euro or $2.92. Chez France is some of the most expensive real
estate coffee you can have at 4.40 euro or $5.82. Don’t even think of eating
there. A club sandwich is 21 euro or $27.93. Compare that to the lunch we had
in a little alley restaurant for 12 euro or $15.96. That is appetizer, main
dish and desert.
But back to the point. The Chez France looks directly across the Seine at
the Eiffel tour with lots of foot traffic. It is just across from the Lady Di
memorial at the entrance to the tunnel. So, it is high end real estate.
From there we walked down to the Grand Palis passing the St. Regis Hotel.
It is very, very high end real estate. Vicki could not understand why I wanted
pictures of the Ferrari parked in front.
Weather drove us into the Metro and we came up at Notre Dame. There is
some big 85 anniversary of something and the place is a mess. Vicki said, just
think of some one who came for the once in lifetime trip and had to look at that
“stuff”. We were just passing by anyway to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant
so it was no big deal. We where to late to the restaurant. He had closed 30
minutes before our 3 pm arrival.
Lunch in a little café and on we marched up the Rue de Rennes to another
fine real estate coffee location, but at normal prices. La Citroulle sets on the
corner of three streets and you watch the world go by. One stop light has a
green time of exactly 10 seconds. It is a great place for people and scooter
watching.
La Citroulle cafe
continues under "south of France" tap at top of page
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