Travels with Monica: May 2007

Trip to Paris, France, May 8-18, 2007

Ah, Paris! Venice Italy is my first love, but Paris runs close behind. I wanted to take a trip in the spring (as usual) but didn’t want to spend two weeks (half way through this trip I regretted not spending two full weeks in Paris!) because I have a big trip coming up in the fall. Since I enjoyed my solo trip to Italy last year, and since Paris is a place I know reasonably well, I decided to return to one of my favorite places.

I ended up inviting my friend Louisa, who was very happy that I asked her to join me. I had asked Louisa if she was willing to spend some time apart. She said yes. I feel that having time on my own allows me to slow down and really get to know a place. I also love to take pictures and take my time composing them. Meeting up for dinner is always fun because we can talk about our own day and experiences. So we both came up with our own itineraries and worked on them so that we both had our time apart, as well as our day trips and evenings together. It worked out very well and I really enjoyed Louisa’s company on this trip.

A few of my goals on this trip was to hit a lot of the Paris markets, enjoy some outdoor time at cafes, museums I hadn't visited yet, and a couple of walking tours.

May 9th, Tuesday: I arrived on Wednesday after a good flight from Philadelphia on US Airways. Talk about a cheap company. Drinks and headphones now cost $5 each. Fortunately I brought my own headphones and watched a movie. I guess I got spoiled flying on Air France. I didn't sleep on the plane, as usual, but managed well on Wednesday. I flew on USAir because I get a family discount. It would have been better to fly from Dulles on Air France and pay the extra bucks.

I took the Air France shuttle bus, line 4, to Gare de Lyon after purchasing my round trip tickets (located just outside of gate 34 at terminal 1, 22 Euros rt) and then a taxi to my studio apartment on #32 rue Vieille du Temple, a fabulous street in the Marais. It was a short taxi ride and under $10. I met Louisa, who was sitting at the café (Au Petit fer à Cheval) next to our apartment entrance where she was drinking an espresso. She had arrived two days before me and had stayed near the Eiffel Tower in the 7th Arr. It was great to see her and I was beginning to get excited by the fact I was in Paris again – I was in Paris five years ago.

Jean-Pierre, one of the apartment owners, showed up about 30 minutes late and carried our suitcases up the three flights of stairs to our studio (75 Euros/night). He showed us how to use the washer/dryer, TV, answering machine, etc. The place is quite small but we managed. The 20 square meter room has a pull down murphy queen bed, which we kept down the whole time, a small table with the TV and VCR, phone, answering maching, a small kitchen, a tiled bathroom with a partial glass “door” and combination washer/dryer next to the sink. All of the usual amenities were included (hair dryer, utensils, dishes, coffee maker, etc). The rental advertisement stated a fresh bouquet of flowers would be in the room upon our arrival; however, there were none to be found in the apartment.

The building is located right off rue des Rosiers, the Jewish quarter of the Marais. Rue de Rivoli is just 2 blocks south of the building with the Seine a little further south. The Pompidou center is a 10-minute walk to the west and Place des Vosges is 15 minutes to the east. Two metros (Hotel de Ville and St. Paul) were just about a 10-minute walk from the apt. Another plus for the area were the large number of cafés, bistro’s and restaurants, as well as many bars. The whole area is busy day and night and our street, rue Vieille du Temple, is one of the main streets for Paris’ large gay population. It’s a safe area and we were comfortable the whole time we were there.

On the ground floor of our building is a Boulangerie (bakery), which every morning we would open our two windows, which faced the interior court of the building, and smell the aroma of the fresh baked breads and pastries from below. The smells were unbelievably delicious! We later met Nadia at the bakery, who treated us to extra goodies every morning. She would even give me a croissant from the tray that just came out of the oven rather than one from the display case (although those were quite fresh too).

Our first afternoon together was spent wandering the Marais area, including quaint Village St. Paul. There are some wonderful ancient streets, including rue des Barres, with half-timbered buildings from the middle ages. There is also the remains of an ancient Roman wall on rue Charlemagne, built by Philippe-Augustus in the 12th-century.

Lunch at chez Julien was wonderful, although expensive. We were the only tourists having lunch with about 10 others. The restaurant is small, with dining rooms on the first and second level. Great atmosphere. So very French with the decor and foods we had. Well, every place was so French!

After lunch we visited the Baudoyer market at Place Baudoyer, which was fairly small, but with fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood. The display of radishes was beautiful! The roving market is located on rue Rivoli a couple blocks east of Hotel de Ville. (Wednesday 3 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Metro: Hôtel-de-Ville). At one point we stopped in La Vaissellerie, a wonderful kitchen gadget shop. We both purchased small ceramic wine pitchers. There were so many great things to purchase, I decided to come back another day (but I never made it back!). We walked along the Seine up the place de la Bastille and back to our neighborhood.

In the apartment we unpacked the rest of our things, and then headed out to explore the nearby streets of our neighborhood. We found a small café and sat outside enjoying a glass of wine while writing in our journals.

We decided to have an inexpensive dinner at L'as du Falafel on rue des Rosiers, to make up for our expensive lunch, as we didn’t want two expensive meals each day. We shared a small bottle of red wine and both of us ordered the falafel special: pita pocket stuffed with falafel, eggplant, hummus, cabbage, and radish. It was absolutely delicious and quite filling! This is the most famous falafel place on rue de Rosiers, as well as all of Paris. There is usually a long line at the take out counter and the tables are always filled inside. The restaurant inside is tiny but the tables turn over pretty quickly. There are other falafel places on the same street, but apparently this one is the best and I just loved the flavors of the ingredients of their falafel special. I could easily have gone there for another dinner or lunch, but I had too many places on my restaurant list to visit. This just gives me the opportunity to go back to Paris again!

After dinner, we walked around our neighborhood – we walked around after dinner most nights. All the restaurants, cafes, and bars were packed and people were enjoying the evening with their friends and significant others.

May 10th, 2007 Thursday: Thursday is a great day to visit some of Paris’ outdoor markets. Louisa and I, after our croissant and espresso and tea for breakfast at Au Petit fer à Cheval, headed to the left bank. Along the way we stopped to take some pictures of Notre Dame, which looked like it had a makeover from my last visit. The façade was free of pollution. The area was packed with visitors and vendors selling their cheap souvenirs. In addition, we saw a large group of men, all in blue uniform, who were on strike and were marching over to the left bank. We talked to one of them, who stated they were hospital workers and were protesting over their pay.

We continued our walk to Place Maubert, the location of one of the roving markets in Paris. This is located on Blvd. Saint Germain right at the metro Maubert. On display were wonderful vegetables, fruits, and seafood. Also for sale were clothing, jewelry, scarfs, pâtés, foie gras, olives, and other food products. Both Louisa and I purchased pashminas at 5 Euros a pop. What a bargain! I had hoped to pick up some Herbs de Provence and soaps like I did several years ago, but didn’t see any for sale.

We continued south through the university quarter to rue Mouffetard, another wonderful pedestrian food street. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Restaurant Pot du Terre, which someone had recommended on a foodie web site. I had a delicious salad with a terrine foie gras and grilled lamb topped with a tarragon sauce and whole roasted garlic cloves; fried potatoes and a puree of peas. For dessert, I enjoyed my crème brulee. Their web site has a coupon for a complimentary Kir (white wine with a dash of Cassis – black currant liquor) that we enjoyed with our meal. We both enjoyed sitting outside eating our meal and writing in our journals. It was a lovely day and we were both glad to be in Paris. The street that this restaurant is located on is full of restaurants. Some seemed pretty touristy with their English menus posted along the sidewalk but I’m sure the area is quite lively at night.

After lunch Louisa and I walked to the Pantheon where we were allowed in at no charge. At the opposite side of the Pantheon I had my first view of the Eiffel Tower! What a sight! Yes, I’m in Paris!! We wandered through the Luxembourg gardens and sat for a while enjoying the views of the ponds, gardens, and flowers. Many people were out enjoying the gardens. It was nice to just sit and people watch.

Along the way back towards the Seine, we stopped by a hotel to say hello to the owner, who showed us one of the double rooms and his apartment that he'll soon rent out. It was a place I had booked before considering renting an apartment. When I did cancel my hotel reservations, the owner told me to come by to say hello and check the hotel out. I would definitely like to stay in either the hotel or apartment the next time I'm in Paris, although I do love the area of the Marais!

We wound our way to rue de la Huchette, a very touristy place filled with Greek restaurants and gyro stands. In the area is apparently the smallest street (really an alleyway) in Paris: rue du chat qui peche, street of the fishing cat. A couple walked up to us asking what we were photographing, so I told them about the street. They were fresh off the plane and had never been to Paris. They didn’t even have a guidebook, so we gave them several suggestions on what to see/do. They asked how to get to Notre Dame, which was over the seine.

Back on the right bank we came across six young handsome Gendarmerie, who were stationed near the Hotel de Ville. We noticed the Gendarmerie throughout Paris, as the presidential elections had recently taken place. We quickly snapped their pictures, who smiled at our attention. Continuing on, we walked up one street to the George Pompidou for a quick peek. People were sitting next to the fountains enjoying the afternoon. We went to the apartment to rest for a while before dinner. Louisa had a list of restaurants, as I did, so we picked La Guirlande de Julie at the place des Vosges. Dinner was very good but very expensive. We sat outside facing the place des Vosges while a group of business men sat inside filling the tables.

May 11th, Friday: We spent our day in Dijon, which is a lovely city. It was easy to get there on the TGV train, which I had purchased our tickets online before we left the USA. I printed our receipts and just showed them to the ticket man who validated them. Since we were up and out early, we purchased our croissants at the train station.

Dijon is a fabulous town with lovely streets and buildings. One of my goals for this trip was to hit as many markets as possible and we hit the jackpot at Les Halles. It's a huge indoor market with many vendors. We were able to taste some fresh made tapenade, olives, cheese, etc. All around the building were vendors selling used clothing, kitchen utensils, house wares, and flea-market castoffs. (Les Marchés autour des Halles, Tuesday and Friday from 8am to noon, and Saturday from 8am to around 5pm).

We headed to the Beaux Arts museum, which there was no entry fee. After lunch near the market, we walked around town and stopped in a few shops. We climbed 316 steps to the top of the tower in town for some wonderful rooftop views. It wasn’t a bad climb and I didn’t have to deal with open-type stairs, which I hate.

Before getting back to the train station, we stopped at the grocery store to purchase some mustard, wine, and other goodies.

Since we had walked all day, we picked a place for dinner close to the apartment. Chez Marianne specializes in Middle Eastern and Eastern European dishes and is busy day and night. It’s located just a few doors down from L'as du Falafel. The wooden tables inside are placed close together, so we chatted with our neighbors. There is also outdoor dining, but was drizzling when Louisa and I got there to eat. Reservations are not needed, although there might be a 5 to 10-minute wait. We were seated right away. Louisa and I each ordered four choices of mezes (12€ per plate) to share. Wow, what wonderful food! We had falafel, Kefte, hummus (the best I have ever tasted!), sliced pastrami (absolutely fabulous), tarama, feta cheese, grilled eggplant, olive tapenade, eggplant caviar (the waitress added this to our dish by mistake) and bread. Pita bread was extra, but the bread that was served to us was great: rye and a dark pumpernickel type bread. We shared a small bottle of wine with our meal. We walked away stuffed, so we decided to walk around the area for a short while. That was one of the best meals on this trip and it was very inexpensive too!

May 12th Saturday: Louisa and I split up on this day to tour Paris on our own. I headed to towards Les Halles walking along with my pan aux raisins from "our" bakery. Yum! Along the area of Les Halles was an outdoor market, mostly junk from people’s homes and lots of kids toys. Nearby, I went inside Saint Eustache and enjoyed watching an Italian wedding taking place. The bride and groom were lovely while the guests were impeccably dressed.

I headed up rue Montorgueil, another great pedestrian food street. One store sold exotic spices. Everyone was out shopping and enjoying the cafes. I visited the various glass covered shopping Passages and had lunch at a small place. Two men sat next to me, as the tables were set very close together. One was getting married in a few days and they were on their 2nd or 3rd bottle of wine. Since they couldn’t finish it all they offered me a couple of glasses. They were very friendly and I had my picture taken with them – both kissing me on each cheek. What flirts!

After lunch I headed to Musee L'Orangerie (near the Jardin des Tuileries), which had been closed for several years. The main showcase were Monet’s Nymphéas (Water Lilies), huge 2x6m panels. Monet is my favorite impressionist, so I was thrilled to see these beautiful paintings. I must have arrived at the right time, as there was no line to get in and the rooms were not crowded at all. Other artists included: Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso, Rousseau, Matisse, Soutine, Utrillo. After, I walked up to the Louvre, took several pictures of I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid, and my feet finally said, "No more!" so I took the nearest metro back to the apartment. Louisa came back soon after and we had a glass of wine while talking about our day.

For dinner, we made reservations at Les Ombres, located on the top floor of the new Branley Museum, which is located very close to the Eiffel Tower. I was given a gift of some money from my dad who told me to “enjoy one fabulous dinner at a fabulous place in Paris.” After doing some research, I selected Les Ombres based on fodorite recommendations and the fact the dining room is all glassed-in with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower. Louisa and I had taken the metro to Alma and walked across the bridge to the museum. We were the first to arrive and got a table at the window facing the Eiffel tower, although the restaurant did fill up pretty quickly.

Louisa and I both ordered the 95€ tasting menu, which was a five-course dinner. We ordered an inexpensive bottle of red wine for 36€ (highest bottle of wine goes for 600€) to go along with our meal. Fresh baked bread was served along with a small dish of herring on top of a curry sauce. I thought it was an unusual starter. Our dinner began: Garden peas veloute soup flavored with fresh mint, crabmeat and thin shellfish jelly (this was the most unique dish out of the entire meal). The mint was not overwhelming and I could taste the hint of dill. Next, we had the duck foie-gras terrine with sweet pepper chutney and grained mustard (great combination of flavors between the duck and chutney); Grilled rare tuna, hot piperade and “Noirmoutier” potatoes cooked with salted butter; Young lamb, cooked rare (the way I like my meats), flavored with marjoram and spinach ricotta gnocchi (which really looked and tasted like a quiche). For dessert: “La grande Dame”: Praline-flavored light pastry with lemon like “aux Ombres.” We were even given a small plate of pettifores. Everything was beautifully presented and the service was wonderful. Les Ombres is certainly worth a visit for a special occasion, especially having such wonderful views of the Eiffel Tower right in our face. Once it was dark, the Eiffel Tower sparked at the top of each hour.

After dinner, we took more pictures of the Eiffel Tower on the terrace and then headed back home via the metro.

May 13th, Sunday: When I was planning my trip, I wanted to find new places to visit. I read up on St. Germain-en-laye, which is on the outskirts of Paris, or a short RER A train ride. On Sundays the town has a fabulous outdoor market. In addition to a huge indoor market, there were vendors along the streets around the building. One of the first things I spotted was a vendor selling ceramic bowls, plates, cups, etc, all with Provencale designs. Not thinking about the weight, I purchased a large bowl and matching smaller bowl. Louisa picked up a lovely wine (or water) pitcher. On the negative side of my purchase was I had to carry the heavy bag all day long! What was I thinking? I could have bought my ceramics later on in the day, but I stuck to my shopping rule, “If you see and like it, buy it! Don’t wait till later, as it will be gone by then.”

We walked up and down each row at the market passing beautiful displays of breads, seafood, patés and terrines, huge artichokes, even a vendor who was selling Provencal soaps (we each bought two). One woman was busy caning a chair.

After spending some time at the market and drooling over the wonderful displays of foods, we made up a picnic lunch. We bought fresh baked French bread, some Morbier cheese, a small portion house terrine, and in a food store pickled cucumber salad, a small quiche, and two individual bottles of red wine (screw off cap!) and sat at a bench for lunch. Several people walked by saying, "Bon appetit!" Nearby in the market square is a McDonalds, which we took turns using the bathroom. I was amazed to see so many people eating there while outside and literally 15 feet away was a fabulous market with such wonderful varieties of foods. While I waited for Louisa, I chatted with two older French women. They didn't speak English, but I got by with the little bit of French that I know. They were very friendly, as I have found everyone I met to be friendly.

After lunch, we headed to the Chateau and toured the archeological museum. We were able to get in for free. While inside the museum, it rained. It stopped raining by the time we walked out the building. It was great timing. Next to the Chateau is a beautiful park, which we walked around for a while (still lugging my heavy ceramics). The air was cool and turned quite breezy but we managed fine. In the distance we could see the modern city of Paris, La Defense and a very tiny Eiffel Tower, as we were probably 15 miles west of Paris.

With all our walking, I was ready to go back to the apartment and relax. We originally planned to visit the Basilica St. Denis in the afternoon but that would have been too much in one day. We took the RER back to Paris and then back to our apartment. I spent the next 20 minutes sitting on top of the washing machine in the bathroom with my pants rolled up and feet soaking in hot water in the sink. It felt soooo good as I drank my glass of wine.

We headed out to walk in our neighborhood before dinner and came across a wonderful shop, Olive & Co. We sampled some of the olive oil out for customers. We both purchased a small jar of tomatoe "power," which is mixed with olive oil and served with bread for dipping. We both had Pastis for an aperitif at a cafe down the street from our apt: Les Philosophies. It was great to be outdoors enjoying a drink and watching people walk along in the early evening.

For dinner we dined at Robert et Louise. Located just two blocks up on our street, it’s a tiny restaurant. We made reservations on a previous day and after a short time in the restaurant, the place quickly filled up. The owner then started turning away customers. This place seats about 26 and has for their stove a fireplace along the back wall. Out back they have a Turkish squat toilet. Louisa and I ordered the cote de boeuf for two for 40€. It was well worth the price, as it was a huge cut of meat. Along with the steak we could order potatoes or a salad, so we got one of each to share. The steak was cooked perfectly rare, the only way to eat red meat in my opinion! We also enjoyed some house red wine and shared an apple tart for dessert. At our table were three young college students. One was studying at the Sorbonne, while the other two were visiting from Germany. I really enjoy restaurants where I can share a table with other travelers or locals. It makes for a fun and enjoyable evening.

After dinner, we took a nice long walk up to Notre Dame to take some night shots, as well as the Hotel de Veille with its fountains lit up and running. Back in our area, we decided to have a drink in one of the bars. Being in the Marais, it was a gay bar. We chatted with a very nice gay couple, one from Paris and the other from Serbia. They asked how long we had been together! We laughed and I told them I was married, while Louisa told them she had a boyfriend. They thought it was funny that we were having drinks in a gay bar. It was late by the time we got back to the apartment.

May 14th, Monday: Today Louisa and I went our separate ways for the day. Louisa headed to Montmartre and I returned to the left bank. I headed to Notre Dame first visiting the park behind the Cathedral and then the Memorial de la Deportation. Many roses were in bloom and it was a beautiful sunny day. I didn't go into Notre Dame, as the line at the entrance was long. I've been there several times, and in any case, Saint Chapelle is my favorite Cathedral in Paris! I wandered over to the left bank and stopped inside Eglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, one of the oldest churches in Paris. I walked over to rue Saint Andres des Arts towards rue de Buci. I found an internet café on 10 rue Git-Le-Coeur, which has cheap internet service! It was my first chance to stop and send out an email. I couldn't access my blog page, so I sent out an email.

Continuing on, I walked along rue de Buci (one of my favorite market streets) to check out the food shops before metro-ing over to rue Cler for lunch. I missed most of the market street action, as it was about 1:30pm, so I found a bistro to have a croque monsieur and a small salad for lunch. It lightly rained while I was inside. La Terrasse du 7eme is located on a great corner, place de l'Ecole Militaire. There's a metro there too and I watched people come and go as I sat at my window seat. After lunch, I walked to La Tour Maubourg métro station and met up with Louisa about 2:45pm for our 3pm French revolution walking tour with Classic Walks (12 Euros) www.classicwalksparis.com. Jason was our tour guide and there were eight women in the group. He told us he was happy about having an all-women group and we chuckled at his comment. It started to rain and Louisa and I ended up sharing Jason's poncho as an umbrella for a while. We usually carried our umbrellas, but not this day! The weather report on t.v. called for sunny skies. It did stop after a while. The tour began at Les Invalides and ended near the Conciergerie. Jason talked about the events leading up to the French revolution (and afterwards), King Louis VXI and Marie Antoinette and their beheadings, the guillotine, the Bastille (only seven prisoners were released), etc. It was a very informative tour and Jason seemed to enjoy his job of guiding tourists in Paris. The walk was about 2.5 miles and quite comfortable since we stopped along at various points.

After our walk back to our apartment (maybe another half mile or so) and some time relaxing with our feet up and a drink in hand, we went to dinner at Chez Janou. This was a very lively restaurant near the Place des Vosges and was packed to the gills by the time we started our second course. We sat on the terrace with their standing heaters and plastic covering, as it was a much cooler evening. Everything was delicious: Moules gratines provencale and a risotto with scallops. Louisa had the same starter and a pasta dish with escargots and we shared a bottle of white wine. We were glad to be on the terrace, as the dining room was filled with cigarette smoke and was very noisy. We both felt this was a great place and a very good value for dinner.

May 15th, Tuesday: Louisa and I had an early wake up call (5:30-6:00am) so we could take the train from Gare du Nord to Amiens. The bakery downstairs was not open yet, so we grabbed a bite at the station. Gare du Nord is huge and quite confusing with its many signs, levels, and doorways to the various tracks. I couldn’t access our pre-paid tickets from the ticket machine, so I stood in line for about 10 minutes at the ticket office. It wasn't a big deal, although one couple was in line complaining how slow things were in Europe and that they couldn’t wait to go home and never return to Europe. Good, they can stay home! Travelers like me don't need people like them to give us a bad name.

The train ride was about 1 hour 10 minutes and it was a lovely sunny day, although in the low to mid 50s - probably our coolest day on this trip. Amiens is a lovely town and has the largest Cathedral in France. Construction began around 1220 and after going through several phases of construction, was completed in the 1500s. Amiens was bombed in both WW’s but the Cathedral was untouched. We enjoyed the Picardie museum after our visit to the Cathedral. This museum has fine arts (I saw one painting by El Greco), sculptures, and archeological artifacts. There was a special exhibit on paintings by Clovis Trouille, a Surrealist. Lots of sex involved in his paintings and quite colorful. On display was a “confessional,” which we were each given a token by a man working at the museum that had a grin on his face. Inserting the token and peeking through the small hole, one could see a woman ….er…. giving a very personal “oral” confession to the priest. We warned a sweet older couple not to look through the peephole. Fortunately they told us their eyesights were very poor and couldn’t see anything inside.

The Saint-leu-quarter is quite lovely, which is called the “little Venice” for its many canals. It’s quite picturesque. After our lunch of crepes, we took a walk along Hortillonnages, or gardens. Tourists were taking boat tours along the waterway. Two beautiful swans were along the waters edge, while ducks and their chicks swam in the water. I had some bread in my bag, so I fed the chicks.

Amiens has other sights, including the Jules Vern museum but was closed when we were there. Our train back to Paris was delayed by about 10 minutes. Upon arrival back at Gare du Nord, we hit the rush hour on the metro. Wow, we were packed in the metro like sardines in a can! We had to make one change, and as we got closer to our stop, it became less crowded.

Louisa packed most of her suitcase before dinner, as she was heading home the next day. We met up with fellow Fodorites/Slow Travelers (Sam, Anne and Jim, and Jan) at Bistro de L’Oulette (previously named Baracane) located one block east of Place des Vosges. We had a great time and we all really enjoyed the food at this place. We all started with an aperitif followed by a few bottles of house wine to go along with our meals. I had their house pate w/mushrooms and a wonderful Cassoulet, which is a heavy kind of stew with beans, sausage, gizzards, and duck. It was just wonderful and I couldn’t eat it all, as it was indeed quite heavy to eat at this time of year. It's definitely a winter dish. Now I need to find a recipe! Louisa had duck with a side of potatoes au gratin. I had a taste and it was delicious! With dessert, we each paid 50 Euros, which was well worth the price for the quality and portions of the food, the service, and especially the company. Josie, the young waiter, took care of the entire room, including the bar, while two chefs cooked the meals in the tiny kitchen.

After we went our separate ways, Louisa and I walked back via rue Rivoli and then up to rue des Rosiers. We met a young couple along the way; Clinton and Julien had been looking for someone to translate a note that was written in French, which someone gave to them at a bar. It seemed a lesbian couple propositioned them. We overheard their conversation and he looked towards us saying, "Oh, I bet they understood everything we just said," and I turned to him and said, "Yes we did." They broke out laughing in total embarrassment, as they thought we were French. After talking to them for about 10 minutes, we headed on and were stopped by two women who were looking for directions to the nearest metro.

May 16th, 2007, Wednesday: I slept in a little while Louisa got ready to leave to go to the airport. We both went to “our” bakery for breakfast. I took mine on the run after saying goodbye to Louisa, as I was heading to Montmartre for a 10:30am walking tour with Paris Walks (12 Euros). The tour started at metro Abbesses. Malcolm, a British man, was our guide for the 2-hour walking tour. There were probably about 28 people in the group, including Anne and Jim! I was very surprised to see them. The tour was very informative, as Malcolm talked about the various artists (Picasso, Van Gogh, Utrillo, Lautrec) who lived in the area. We walked along the various streets of Montmartre while Malcolm pointed out various sights, including the working houses; rue de la Mire (0 meridian line), etc.

Anne, Jim and I had lunch at Bistro Lepicurien, a lovely small place that seats about 25 people, located on rue Lepic. My Salad Perigourdine was fabulous: mixed greens topped with a nice thick slice of foie gras terrine, thinly sliced duck and gizzard. I had a filet of Rouget a la Provencale, which is red mullet, on top of an eggplant puree. I wasn’t thrilled with the flavor of the fish but eating it with the pureé was fine. I could have just eaten the salad and been happy with that. I think the salad was one of my best entrées on this trip.

I said my goodbyes to Anne and Jim and I walked around the Sacre Coeur and Place du Teatre with all the artists working the tourist crowd. Young girls were having their portraits made. I even saw the same Asian man that did my silhouette portrait back in 1999! He was still cutting out portraits with his black paper and scissors. I headed out on the east side of the Sacre Coeur and down some stairs and ended up in the fabric district. Shop after shop was filled with any type of fabric you could think of. There were even shops selling belly-dancing outfits. Along Boulevard Clichy, men were trying to sell belts and sunglasses. I took a few shots of the Moulin Rouge before getting on the metro and heading back to the apartment. I wanted to go to the Musee Carnavalet, but I spent more time than planned at Montmartre. At least I was at the museum on one of my previous trips. Too much to see and do in Paris and always never enough time!

Before dinner at Le Caveau de L’Isle, I had a kir at the café/bar next to my apartment building. Sitting at a table nearby was a woman and her small longhaired daschund was sitting on the chair next to her. She fed him some of her snacks and fed him water that she poured into the coffee cup saucer. I talked to her for a few minutes and she told me she used to live in New Orleans but now lives in Paris and loving life.

I walked over to the Ile St. Louis and window shopped before dinner. At the restaurant I sat next to a woman who was traveling alone. We chatted for a few minutes before she left - she must have arrived when the place opened. There were 3-4 other couples in the small dining room. For dinner, I started with their terrine de foie gras de canard, confiture de figue, duck pâté which was served with three slices of crusty bread and decorated with thinly sliced carrots. The fig purée on top of the foie gras made for a very nice combination of flavors. Next I had Cotes d’agneau grilles, ail en chemise, gratin Dauphinois (two lamb chops served with potatoes au gratin) – delicious! I ordered a small bottle of red wine. Although the food was very good and beautifully presented, the terrine foie gras salad at Bistro Lepicurien was much better and with a larger portion of foie gras. Also, one disappointing thing was that all of the diners were tourists. All other places I dined in had a good mixture of locals and tourists. Very good dinner, but I might not return here because of the tourist-only atmosphere. During dinner, a woman asked me if I'd like my picture taken, so just as her son was getting ready to take the picture, one of the waiters jumped in. We all laughed. Overall, it was a nice night. I walked back to the apartment taking some night shots of the Seine and boats along the way.

May 17th, Thursday: My last full day in Paris! It was drizzly all day long, so I was glad to have my umbrella with me. I focused on a few markets, to include the one at Bastille, which had a special food and arts/crafts market, the Marché d’Aligre (12th arrondissement) with its outdoor food and flea market and indoor market, as well as Asian and North African shops located around the area, and then back to Place Maubert Market on the left bank. Louisa had purchased a necklace in St. Germain-en-laye, which after we got back to Paris I kicked myself for not buying one. The latest fashions in Paris are silver necklaces that are a jumble of designs. I had seen some at this market last week and I was lucky and found two that I liked. They were very inexpensive! I bought two necklaces (one came with earrings) and paid 17 Euros! I never did see any Herbs de Provence at any of the markets, so I'll have to plan a trip to France in the next few years.

I had lunch at Crémerie-Restaurant Polidor, which I had enjoyed on my previous trips for dinner. I was glad to arrive early (about 11:30am), as the main dining room filled up quickly. The main room seats about 80 people and there's another room in the back. Lunch was good, but the prices have gone up at this old establishment (from the mid 1800's).

For the afternoon I wanted to walk along the St. Martin Canal, so I took the metro up to the Stalingrad stop. Well, I must have started too far north because I saw many campers or homeless people, and drunks hanging out along the canal. I was uncomfortable and at one point a man walked towards me with his bottle in hand and was weaving as he walked, so I quickly made a turn and headed to the nearest metro (Republic). It was not an enjoyable walk and with the all-day drizzle it put a damper on my afternoon so I decided it was time to head home. Maybe the canal area closer to the Bastille is better, so I'll give it another shot on my next trip to Paris.

Back in the apartment, I packed my bags while enjoying a glass of wine. I had dinner plans with Susan (a fodorite), who lives in Switzerland and arrived this day to spend time with her mother (arriving the next day). I took the metro over to the left bank and walked in Bon Marché, an upscale department store. It was just about to close for the evening, so I headed out and found a café across the street and enjoyed a Kir. Unfortunately, the group of German tourists next to my table was smoking up a storm and the breeze was blowing towards me. I quickly finished my Kir and walked to L'epi Dupin where I found Susan waiting outside for me. Susan had arrived earlier and noticed the place had started to fill when it opened at 7pm. We had dinner reservations for 7:30pm. We both had a very nice time together talking about what I did in Paris and her life in Switzerland. Dinner was very good. I enjoyed the asparagus starter with cabbage and a cream sauce followed by the filet canette (duck with vegetables - peas, carrots, shallots). For dessert I had a baked peach, vanilla ice cream and a cookie wafer. L'epi Dupin has a 32 euro menu, with several choices to choose from in each category. There were two waves of diners that filled the restaurant: the tourists and later, around 9pm, the locals. It’s a non-smoking restaurant and I was glad for that. I was quite impressed with our waiter who spoke Japanese to the tourists sitting behind me. If he spoke Japanese, a difficult language to master, I'm sure he knew at least five or six other languages.

After dinner and saying goodbye to Susan, I took the metro over to the 5th arr. and shopped around rue de la Harpe and the St. Michele area, as I wanted to purchase a few souvenirs. The area was crowded and all the tourist restaurants were filled. I took some final night photos of Notre Dame. While in the area, a young French man asked me for directions to the Place St. Michele on the left bank. I smiled and directed him. I loved it! Twice now on this trip I was asked for directions. I walked back to the right bank. My street, rue Vieille du Temple was hopping. People were walking on the sidewalks and in the streets. I wanted to have one last drink at one of the cafes, but since I needed to get up early to head out, I went back to the room.

May 18th, Friday: I woke up about 8am and got ready to head out to the airport. After a quick clean up of the apartment, I lugged my two bags down three flights of stairs. That was not fun, as the staircase curves and the steps are narrow on one side. However, I managed well.

I stopped by the bakery where there was a line of customers. This was my last chance to enjoy the bakery aroma. I wanted to catch a taxi by 9am and was getting a little worried, as the line was moving slowly. I finally got to the front and ordered my breakfast (my cheese bread). Nadia was so sweet, as she added some goodies to my bag (olive bread, fig bread, and high fiber type of bread with raisins) and didn’t charge me for the extras. With a kiss on each cheek, Nadia wished me well and I quickly walked off to rue Rivoli to hail a cab. I only waited a minute or two when one pulled up.

The ride was quick and inexpensive (7.80 euros). The driver kept telling me he could take me to the airport for 30 euros (I read it was closer to 50-60 euros) and I could tell he was angry I only wanted a ride to the train station. In any case, I told him I already had my pre-paid bus ticket. We arrived at Gare de Lyon just as the Air France bus pulled up for its 9:30am departure. I could have taken the 10am or even the 10:30am bus, but because the ride into Paris was very slow and it took over an hour to get in because of the morning traffic, I wanted to have extra time to get to the airport. I ended up getting to CDG 3 hours early, although the time went by quickly.

The flight to Philadelphia was quite smooth and uneventful. Lousy food again! I did purchase two small bottles of wine for the flight home. There’s a small café in the airport past security. I noticed a couple that did the same thing. Tony picked me up and we headed into Wilmington for dinner along the waterfront (Iron Hill Brewery http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/), as it would have been too late for dinner after we got home (just over a 2 hour drive). For dinner I had moules et frites, a nice selection to end my Paris trip.

I really had a great time in Paris. Nine days was not enough for me, but I was able to see a lot of new places on this trip. I didn't get the chance to do a night Seine boat cruise, nor did I get to any of the fashion shows. I certainly got my fill of street markets, food dining experiences, and wine.

Everyone that Louisa and I met were friendly and helpful. We didn’t feel or see any animosity towards Americans.

I was glad that I rented the apartment in the Marais. Although Louisa and I didn’t cook anything, it was nice to have the refrigerator to store our snacks and wine. With the wonderful bakery in our building, there was no need to make our own breakfasts. We also didn’t use the washer/dryer. The price per night was excellent and was less than any inexpensive hotel that I found. For my return trip to Paris, I’ll probably rent an apartment. I just need to decide whether to rent the same one (or one in the same area) or one on the left bank.

Now that I'm back, I need to finish organizing for my trip to Rome in October for my Mediterranean/Black sea cruise. And in October 2008 my cousin Reenie and I will head to China.

Au revoir!

Monique

Web sites:

http://www.paris.org/ Paris Pages

http://www.rentparis.com/details.php?l=en&id=25 This is the apartment I rented in the Marais

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvHomePage?_CMD=cmdHomepageUK SNCF for train schedules

http://en.parisinfo.com/ Paris Information

http://www.paris-update.com/index.htm Paris Update - A weekly guide

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/ Paris walking tours

http://www.parismarkets.net/ Paris Markets

http://www.v1.paris.fr/EN/Living/markets/markets.asp Extensive Paris market schedules

http://www.paris.org/Metro/ Paris Metro