Trip to France October 2000 Journal

 
France October 2000
 
14 October 2000, Saturday.  Here we are at the Philadelphia airport waiting for our flight to Paris.  This is my second trip to Europe this year.  Tony and I enjoyed Germany in June and I had decided over the summer that with the amount of vacation time I get, I'm going to start traveling twice a year to Europe.  Judy, my friend, is traveling with me to Paris.  This is her first trip to Europe and is very excited.  My original plans were to go alone.  I chose Paris because I had been there twice before and felt it to be a very safe city to visit alone.  I know of several other travelers who felt the same about Paris.  When I mentioned to Judy that I was going to Paris, I asked her if she wanted to go with me.  After a few days, she called me up and said yes!  Tony was very happy that I had a travel partner.  My original plans were to have 6 full days in Paris, flying out on a Monday.  However, I checked the flights for a Saturday departure, and we ended up having 2 extra days on our trip.
 
Judy and I are flying stand-by on USAirways.  We should have no problem getting on board and are hoping for the upgrade to the Envoy (business) class.  There are 5 seats available and only the two of us listed, so I don't see any problem! 
 
Well damn, here we are in coach class!  For some reason, those seats disappeared just prior to boarding.  We got called and were told, "no more Envoy seats."  Are we disappointed!  Well, at least we're sitting together and on our way to Paris!  Our flight is direct from Philadelphia to Paris.  I didn't sleep well the night before and am hoping for a good night sleep in Envoy class.  I'll enjoy some wine.  Maybe that will help me to relax and get some sleep. 
 
The food on board was okay.  Nothing special.  The service was good and the flight attendants are pretty nice.  We're on an Air Bus 330, which is a very nice airplane.  Comfortable seats and I don't feel cramped in coach.  Envoy would have been much better! 
 
15 October 2000, Sunday evening.  We are enjoying drinks at Cafe Comti on the corner of Buci and rue Mazarine.  My white wine is expensive!  52FF.  I'll have to remember to ask or the wine cart from now on.  I must be spoiled from the inexpensive German wines I enjoyed in June.  It's almost 8:30pm and I'm tired. 
 
We landed this morning about 7am.  We missed having breakfast.  It was a very nice, smooth flight.  I didn't sleep well at all, even after having some wine.  Judy slept pretty well.  I watched one movie.  The video system is pretty neat.  TVs are on the backs of the chairs and there is a remote control where you can choose between movies, comedy, and music in various languages. 
 
Getting out of the airport was pretty easy.  We went through customs, found an ATM machine to get some French Francs, and hit the bathroom before heading to the RER.  We took the free shuttle bus to the RER station and bought our tickets for Paris.  It took about 40 minutes and the train was pretty empty being a Sunday.  Our tickets were $6.22 each.  It was a very overcast day and it was drizzling when arrived.  We took the RER to the St. Michel stop, and then walked along Blvd. St. Germaine to our hotel near the Odeon metro.  We stayed at Grand Hotel des Balcons in the 6th Arr.  My Mom and I enjoyed Balcons in 1999.  We loved the location.  It's just a few minutes walk to the Odeon metro and it's near the Odeon theater, the Luxembourg gardens and about a 10-minute walk to the Seine.  The Buci market is also nearby and Notre Dame is about a 15-minute walk away.
 
We dropped off our luggage in the storage room since our room was not ready yet.  We didn't have breakfast on the airplane, so we headed out and had coffee, tea, and delicious croissants at Le Danton, just next to the Odeon metro.  We walked to the Buci market, one of my favorite Paris spots.  Not all of the shops were open yet, but many were being set up for the day.  What lovely fruits and vegetables.  And the pastry window displays!  Just as I remembered last year.  We walked over to the Seine, across Pont des Arts to the Louvre. We didn't go in since we wanted to get the 3-day museum pass and start using them the next day.  Today was a day of wandering around and getting Judy familiar in our "home" area. 
 
We headed back to our hotel and still had to wait 45 minutes for our room.  At one point the power went out.  One couple was in the tiny elevator when that happened.  Fortunately that lasted only 5 minutes.  I'd hate to be stuck in that elevator for any amount of time!  Finally we were given our room key.  We got our luggage and squeezed ourselves into the elevator and went to the top floor.  Our room, #601, is a corner room with a full size bed and twin bed, and angled ceiling.  The ends of the beds were close to each other, so it was a tight fit to get around the room.  The room faces the front street and has a tiny balcony.  There was just enough room for two people to stand on.  We had great roof top views including a view of the EiffelTower!  (We didn't notice it until the evening after the rain had stopped and the skies had cleared up somewhat).  What a great surprise!  There was a small closet, tv, and counter top area.  The bathroom had a tub, no curtain of course, and a small window facing the back. 
 
Judy wanted to take a nap, so I set the alarm clock and rested for a while.  I didn't sleep because I was afraid I would not get up and I wanted to get into the Paris time zone as quickly as possible.  Plus, I was in Paris!  I got up and left Judy in the room telling her I'd return in 45 minutes.  I took a walk to the Luxembourg gardens and found a great surprise.  Along the fence of the gardens was an exhibit of photographs by YannArthusBetrand.  They were fabulous arial photographs from around the world.  The photographs must have been 6 feet x 5 feet or larger!  Many people were walking from one photograph to the next.  Just amazing.  There were photographs of glaciers, deserts, farmland, ocean scenes, and villages and many others.  I was impressed.  I headed back to the hotel to wake Judy who was still sound asleep.  It took a few minutes to get her up.  I hope she wasn't mad a me, but I didn't want her to sleep any longer otherwise she would have trouble adjusting to the time change.  I wanted her to see the photographs, so we headed to the gardens.  We also walked through the gardens.   There were many people out with their children and dogs on this Sunday afternoon.  It started to sprinkle a little and was glad to have my umbrella with me.  We took a walk to the Seine and to Notre Dame.  Along the way we heard some musicians playing near the Sorbonne.  Mass was in session when we entered Notre Dame.  We stayed just for a few minutes deciding to return when the sun was out.  We walked around the area, including the touristy Greek street, rue de la Huchette.  We walked back to our hotel via Saint Andres des Arts and rue Mazarine.
 
12:01 am:  We're back in our room getting ready for bed.  We had gone out for dinner at Pizza Pepone.  I was there last year with my mom.  We sat upstairs and it was crowded.  We had a late dinner, which we enjoyed.  I really enjoyed dessert: profiteroles!  Tomorrow we'll buy our 3-day museum pass and visit a couple of museums.  We'll probably split up because I've been to the Louvre and D'Orsay twice.  I have a list of museums to see.  Bon nuit! 
 
16 October 2000 Monday.  I woke up at 8:30am and showered.  Judy slept and we didn't get leave the hotel until 10:30!  It rained all day long.  We headed to the St. Michel RER stop to purchase our museum pass.  They were sold out.  We walked to the Seine and stopped at the St Michel Cafe for breakfast. We stood at the bar enjoying our croissants while watching people walk along the Seine.  We headed over to the Marias area to visit the Picasso museum, where we also purchased our museum pass.  In this area I wanted to visit two other museums (museum of French History and museum of Paris), but I could not locate one of them, and the other was closed on Mondays.  I enjoyed the Picasso museum, but not all of his work.  He was a crazy man. When he was in his "I hate women" moods he really showed it in his paintings. 
 
We had lunch at a nearby cafe.  I had a croquette - a toasted sandwich of ham, cheese, tomato, along with a salad and red wine.  After lunch we walked to the Georges Pompidou center.  It's just as ugly as I remembered.  Some things just don't belong in Paris.  We walked along some of the side streets, which were lovely and quaint. There were lots of small cafes and restaurants.  We ended up at the Louvre again.  I wanted to walk to the Arc de Triomphe but my feet were starting to hurt.  So we headed to the Samaratine department store where I could buy a hair dryer.  Mine didn't work in the hotel.  At least I can use this for all my future European trips.  When purchasing items in a Paris department store, you pick out what you want and the sales person writes up a ticket.  You then head to the cash register area and pay for your goods.  Then you go back and pick up your purchases.  There was an older gentleman who noticed my Bank of America ATM card.  My photograph is on it for protection.  He complimented me on my photo and we chatted for a few minutes.  He's from Naples, like my Mother in law.  He was a very nice man.  Earlier in the day we stopped in another department store to buy a scarf, as it was a cold day.  Outside this store (BHV) where there are several stands with people selling a variety of items, one young man was cooking various foods in pots and pans.  He called us over and wanted to have his picture taken with us.  We squeezed into the booth with him and his friend took our photo.  He gave me 20FF and his address to send him a copy. 
 
I had Judy take us home with her map so she could get used to the area alone.  On the way back to our hotel we stopped in a wine shop and purchased a couple bottles of wine for the room.  I picked up an inexpensive 1996 red wine.  It was pretty good.  We headed out to dinner around 8:30pm and stopped at a few shops along the way.  We had dinner at Aux Gourmets des Arts, another restaurant I enjoyed last year.  We had a good meal and the owner was very nice.  It's now just after midnight and I'm very tired.  While writing in my journal on my bed, I am enjoying the view of the EiffelTower all lit up.  And for about 10 minutes on the hour, it lights up with flashing lights.  How neat to have this view!  It certainly makes up for the small room. 
 
17 October 2000 Tuesday.    What a great day!  I woke up at 8:00am.  It wasn't quite light out yet, but I could tell it was going to be a beautiful clear sky day.  It was lovely: Lots of sunshine and cool temps (mid 50s).  We packed our bags so the hotel staff could move them to our next room.  Since my original plans were for 6 nights, then I changed them to 8 nights, the hotel could not give us a room for all 8 nights.  So we had to split it up.  We headed out for the day at 9am and had our usual breakfast at Le Danton.  Judy said their cappuccino is the best in Paris.  We stood at the bar, as it is less expensive than sitting at a table.  Plus sitting at a table takes longer to get through a meal. 
 
We walked over to Notre Dame.  It was a perfect day for picture taking from the top of the towers.  We climbed up the top via many, many stairs.  We certainly got a good morning workout.  We had fabulous views from above.  I loved being so close to the gargoyles.  They've always fascinated me ever since I first saw some in Barcelona.  I think I used a whole roll of film at Notre Dame. 
 
We headed back down the stairs and then walked over to Place Maubert to visit the roving market and to catch the metro to the EiffelTower.  The market was in full swing.  I bought my packets of Herbs de Provence and some French soaps.  After enjoying the various sights and wonder smells of the market (great cheese shops), we went to the metro.  We got off at the BirHakeim metro stop and walked to the EiffelTower.  The lines were very long, at least a 2 hour wait to take the elevator to the top.  We decided to take the stairs to the second level.  More exercise!  More great views of the city!  We had sandwiches for lunch and sat outside enjoying the views.  It was cold, so we moved our seats into the sun, which helped.  I had a beer with my sandwich.  It was cheaper than buying a soda. 
 
We walked to the nearby RER station to get to the 16th Arr. to visit the Museum Marmottan Monet.  There were several RER "attendants" who directed people to the right train.  I thought that was good service that the RER had attendant to assist people.  I knew in general where we had to get off, but wasn't sure which RER to take. We were told to take the next short train.  What ever that meant.   Well, one went by, which we didn't take.  It didn't have the right name on it.  A second one went by as well.  Then a third one sped past us.  Yes, it was a short train with the correct name on it.  We were standing in wrong area (for a short train) and had to run fast or else miss it.  Two other people ran with us.  We were never told where to stand.  The 16th Arr. is a lovely residential area.  I'm sure not many tourists visit this area except to see this particular museum.  After a round about way, we got to the museum.  I really enjoyed this museum.  There were many of Monet's paintings that I had not seen before.  My favorite was Nympheas.  I purchased a few postcards of the exhibit.
 
We took the metro back to our hotel and unpacked our bags.  Our room, #305 had twin beds and was more roomy than the other room.  But no EiffelTower view.  The balcony was bigger.  We wrote in our journals, wrote a few postcards, freshened up, then headed out to dinner.  We were to meet Denny and Vennette, friends of mine.  Mom and I had dinner with them last year.  We took the metro to SeveresBabylone and walked 1 block down rue de Sevres to rue Dupin.  We all had a great meal at restaurant L'EpiDupin.  The restaurant was filled with Parisians.  The restaurant is small, but comfortable.  We had very good service and even the waiter was kind to split our bill.  Denny and Vennette bought our wine, which was very good.  It's definitely a restaurant I'll return to. 
 
We decided to walk home since I figured it would be a 15-20 minute leisurely walk and we wanted to walk off dinner.  It was a very nice evening.  Back near our hotel we stopped in Le Danton for drinks.  The tables were very close to each other and the place was packed with people talking, drinking, and smoking.   We chatted with two men at the table next to us.  They bought our drinks too.  One was from Holland and the other from Tunisia. Both spoke several languages.  The man from Tunisia is a taxi driver.  He offered to drive us to our hotel, but we politely declined telling him our hotel was only 2 blocks away.  The other man works in pharmaceuticals. 
 
18 October 2000 Wednesday.  We're in a bar across the street from the train station in Chantilly.  It's very cold today, probably in the low to mid 40s and rainy.  We got up at 7am so we could get to Gare du Nord to catch the train to Chantilly at 9:35am.  It was only a 25-minute train ride.   Upon arrival, we had to figure out how to get to the Chateau.  I didn't have any town map with me.  Across the street next to this bar is a Tobac.  We asked this young, absolutely handsome man for directions.  We ended up walking about 20 minutes after waiting almost 1-1/2 hours for the local bus!  We were so mad.  Five busses had gone by and all of them said they didn't go to the Chateau.  It was very uncomfortable waiting outside in the cold weather for the bus.  I had left my scarf and gloves back at the room.  Chantilly is a lovely town, so we enjoyed our walk to the Chateau.  The Chateau is quite lovely.  It reminded me of some of the Chateaux in the LoireValley.  Inside, there were many beautiful artifacts, paintings, and a fabulous library holding approximately 13,000 old books.  We visited many rooms, which had many paintings on the walls.  After purchasing our tour book, we took the local bus ($0) back to the train station.  We had to wait just over 2 hours for our train to return to Paris.  We were definitely not happy about the train schedule and the bus situation.  So, we're here in the bar, writing in our journals and drinking coffee to keep warm. 
 
Back in Paris, we shopped a little and ended up on rue de Seine to buy drinks at the local grocery store for our room.  After freshening up in our room, we headed out to dinner.  I wanted to go to Chez Maitre Paul around the corner of our hotel, but we didn't have reservations.  So I made them for the next night.  We walked in the area and ended up at Cremerie Restaurant Polidor on rue Monsieur Le Prince.  It's been around for 150 years.  The place was packed with people, elbow to elbow, mostly locals and a few tourists.  Our waitress was very busy as she took care of the many tables. Judy thought the waitress was very rude because she didn't bring us any water or bread.  It turned out that we were supposed to share the water pitcher and bread that was already on the table with the other customers.    At the end when I asked for the check, she just tossed it on the table.  Judy said she wouldn't recommend this place, but I would.  I had read about this place and knew up front that the waiters can be very brusque and the atmosphere hectic.  We walked around for a bit before heading to our room. 
 
19 October 2000 Thursday.  I had a great morning.  I wanted to explore the rue Mouffetard area, so I got up and went out alone.  Judy slept in.  We decided to meet back at the hotel at 11:30am.  I walked along rue Ecoles, then to rue Mouffetard.  The first part of the walk was pretty quiet.  Not many places were open yet.  I picked up a mini quiche lorraine for breakfast and ate it as I walked along.  One man said "bon appetit" to me.  How French!  He was sweet and made my day.  I also stopped in a local grocery store and purchased a bottle of water.  Further down the street, rue Mouffetard woke up.  The markets!  The food!  This is such a great area.  I also notice a lot of restaurants and cafes.  I'm sure this place is lively in the evenings.  I can see why Rick Steves recommends this area of Paris to visit.  I enjoyed seeing the different foods, including pheasants hanging in a poultry shop.  I took several photographs of the area.  I also purchased 2 glass containers of foiegras (whole) for Tony and my Dad.  Still a little hungry, I picked up a pork spring roll at one of the Chinese cafes.  Towards the end of rue Mouffetard, some event was going on.  There were several booths with people selling bottles of wine, foiegras, bottles of honey, and other fancy foods.  Music was playing nearby.  It was some event, but I couldn't tell what it was for. 
 
I wanted to hang around the area, but needed to get back to the hotel.  I walked back via the Pantheon.  I really enjoyed my time alone.  I've been to Paris before and enjoyed this morning's walk without having to have my map with me.  It's a great feeling to know that I can be comfortable in a foreign city and get around as if it were my home.  I met Judy in the lobby and we headed out for the day.  We stopped at Le Danton so Judy could have her cappuccino.  I wanted her to see the Memorial de la Deportation, but it was closed when we got there.   It turned out to be a nice day weatherwise.  We took our umbrellas with us because we heard on the news it would rain all day.  It didn't rain at all until about 9:30pm. 
 
We walked around the Ile St-Louis, one area that I had never really visited before.  My Mom and I would just walk across the bridge closest to that area, but never wandered on the Ile.  It is a pretty area.  I'd be interested in finding a hotel there for a future trip, but it doesn't seem easy to get to from the RER.  Across on the right bank, we took the metro to Bvd. Haussmann.  We split up to do some shopping and met 1-1/2 hours later.  I went to the gourmet section of Galleria Lafayette (basement of the Homes building).  It looked just as wonderful as my last visit there.  I purchased some cans of pates and chocolates for gifts.  I went outside and walked around the area.  There are lots of little shops and cafes, bars and creperies.  I found one shop that sold scarves.  I bought a lovely one in purple.  I met Judy back at the department store and we headed towards Le Madeline.  We stopped for lunch at Cafe de L'Olympia on the corner of due Caumaratin and Blvd. Haussmann.  We sat outside having our lunch and enjoying people walking by.  Next to us was a couple from Holland.  They had just arrived for a short visit to Paris.  We chatted with them while having our lunch.  I had a delicious salad with salmon and shrimp.  After lunch, I took Judy to see Fauchons and the other wonderful gourmet store.  We walked to Place de la Concorde on rue Royale.  It was definitely Royale' with expensive shops (Cartier), restaurants and hotels.  At Concorde, there is a hughferris wheel in the center.  It's not a pretty sight, especially being so to the Louvre and other buildings.  We headed over to the left bank and took the metro to our hotel.
 
At 6pm, I had plans to meet Joy, a fellow Fodorite in Paris, for drinks.  I was hoping a few others would show up, but they didn't.  Joy and I had met last year at my first Fodorite get together in Paris.  We enjoyed talking and having wine at the Horses Tavern near my hotel.  Judy stayed in the room and got caught up on her writing.  After I left Joy, I met Judy back at the hotel and we headed out to dinner at Chez Maitre Paul.  It's a very nice, upscale restaurant, but not too expensive.  No one smoked in the restaurant.  We were quite surprised.  We had a delicious meal and great service. 
 
We took a walk after dropping off our purses in the room.  We walked to the Seine and back via the Notre Dame area.  We stopped at a souvenir shop and I bought a few items: my Paris sweatshirt and 2 mini Eiffel towers.  It rained a little as we walked home. 
 
20 October 2000 Friday.  It's 8:47am and we're on the train to Provins.  It's a very cloudy, cold day, and we hope it warms up.  I didn't bring my scarf nor did I wear my other sweater.  We had to get up at 5:30am to catch the 7:43am train from GareL'Est.  We had no other choice in train times, unless we wanted to get Provins late in the day. 
 
1:03pm.  We are sitting outside in a plaza.  The sun is out and it feels very nice.  There are children playing in the plaza (Place du Chatel).  We had a slight scare this morning on the train.  Our train arrived in Longueville and after a few minutes stop at the station, the train proceeded to head back towards Paris!  We panicked!  What should we do?  Get off at the next train station and hope there is another train to Provins or head back to Paris?  I asked a woman in the same car, who I saw get on in Paris, if we should get off the next stop.  She said no, we were okay, "direct train to Provins."  Well, the train was going in the right direction, just on a different track to Provins.  Thank goodness. 
 
When we arrived, we walked around the town, window shopped, then headed to the medieval part of the town.  This is a lovely town with stone and wood buildings.  Moss grows on top of roofs.  I've hardly seen any other tourists.  There was a large group of German and French children at the tower we visited.  The tower was very interesting with its narrow, steep stairs.  We had lunch at a creperie (delicious Spanish style crepe with chorizo, tomato, cheese, and tomato sauce).  Since the rest of the museums do not open until 2pm (we purchased their monument  pass) we're sitting at Place due Chatel.  We did take a walk to the ramparts and walked along the top.  We had great views from above.  The sun is out and is nice and warm. 
 
5:58pm.  We are on the train heading back to Paris.  We enjoyed the various sights in Provins.  After our rest' in the Place due Chatel, we headed to the 3 museums/sights.  The first one was a museum depicting the Fairs of Champagne, which showed how merchants (Italian merchant, Provins cloth merchant, the money-changer, the Flemish merchant, the letter-writer, and the wool, potter, and stone cutter merchants) sold their goods.   It's a very small museum, which we visited in only 10 minutes.  Next we visited the main Provins museum, which had interesting Provins artifacts.  One in particular, from what I could tell, was a wooden baby incubator!  A toy doll was inside on the front end, and there was straw on the other end.  The note, in French, said something about abandoned babies.  I believe it was from the 1800s.  Next we visited the underground tunnels.  A guide, who spoke no English, told us about the tunnels, as well as the markings on the wall.  With my limited French and some sign language, I was able to translate what the guide said to Judy.  I couldn't get all of it, but enough to understand.   No one really knows how long the tunnels have been around or their purpose.  There are about 150 rooms within the tunnels.  We met another tour guide who did speak some English.  Pretty much what she said I understood.  We walked around town, stopped at a pastry shop, then went into a bar for drinks while waiting for our train.  Our train, only choice to get back to Paris at a decent hour, was at 5:55pm.
 
For dinner, since we arrived back in Paris in the evening, we headed straight to the Marais area.  We didn't have time to go to our hotel to freshen up like I usually like to do.  We walked around a little, and then found a restaurant, which we enjoyed.  There was a large group of German tourists that took up most of the tables.  They left about 30 minutes after we arrived and the place quieted down.  The restaurant is quite colorful and there was a piano player who entertained everyone, including a couple of waiters who sang some songs.  I had their delicious escargot for an appetizer and a steak with béarnaise sauce for my entree.  We walked home to our hotel.  It was a long day but very nice.
 
21 October 2000 Saturday.  I decided to stay in Paris instead of going to Rouen.  I was tired from the day before.  We had our usual breakfast at Le Danton.  I had wanted to try a different cafe each morning, but Le Danton was very good and close to our hotel and I like the fact that the waiters recognized us as if we were their local customers.  We headed to Ile St- Louis so Judy could purchase her Venetian mask that she had seen the other day.  We had also stopped back at Notre Dame since the sun was out and so Judy could see the beautiful stained glass windows.  After our shopping on Ile St-Louis, we walked to the market at Maubert where I picked up a couple cans of pate and 2 scarfs'. 
 
We headed back to our room to drop off our purchases, and then took the metro to Sacre Coeur.  We walked along the main boulevard where the tacky Tati shops are located.  Those stores were filled with junk but many people were buying like crazy.  We walked up to the Sacre Coeur after picking up sandwiches for lunch.  Many people were out for the day.  We visited inside the church and then walked around the Place Tetre.  It was very crowded, a lot more crowded than when I was there last year.  We saw some very nice paintings, but out of my price range.  I suppose I could have bargained.  We walked to the Mouin Rouge, which is no longer a nice area.  There are many live peep shows.  One guy at one place was trying to get us to come in.  I said firmly, "No!" with my French accent.  He responded, "Lesbian show!!!"  We both laughed as we quickly walked on.  We took the metro back to our hotel. 
 
For dinner I had made reservations at Le Bistrot de Breteuil, where Mom and I met Denny and Vennette last year.  This time I made reservations and we met Miriam and Oliver from Frankfurt.  Tony and I had met them this past June in Germany while in Assmannshausen on the Rhine.  Miriam and Oliver were supposed to arrive in Paris that day, but I had not heard from them.  Finally around 7:15pm, Miriam called from her cell phone saying they were lost in Paris in their car.  I told her I would leave the restaurant information with the hotel receptionist.  I then asked the receptionist, Nice, to call the restaurant and change our reservations to 8:30pm.  Miriam called again while we were in the lobby and I gave her the restaurant's phone number and she got directions from them. We took the metro and met them just after 8pm.  We had a great evening with them and a great dinner too.  The restaurant was just as nice as last year.  The decor had been changed to a more romantic atmosphere with soft yellow colors.  I complimented the owner before we left telling him I had dined at his restaurant last year.  He appreciated it.  We dined until about 11pm before Judy and I walked home.  It was only a 20-minute walk and not that far from L'EpiDupin.  It's one of my favorite restaurants in Paris. 
 
22 October 2000 Sunday.  Our last day in Paris was a very nice day.  We separated in the morning.  After breakfast, we walked to the Seine where we split up. Judy headed to the Louvre while I took the metro to the Pere Lachaise cemetery.   I had purchased a roll of black and white film and wanted to try it out at the cemetery.  (A few came out okay).  It was a beautiful sunny day and warmer than the other days.  I met a young man with his 6-month-old kitten, who was out for the first time exploring the area.  The kitten climbed up a tree and had a hard time getting down.  He finally came down after climbing to the end of a very small branch and falling to his feet after hitting a couple of branches along the way down.  Eight lives left!  I took the metro to the Sentier stop to visit the outdoor market area, which is near Les Halles.  It's a great area with the same typical food shops. 
 
After, I headed to the Samarataine department store to shop for a short while, then headed to the front of the Louvre to meet Judy at 2:30pm.  She had gotten lost getting from the Louvre to Bvd. Haussamann.  She had purchaed a jacket the other day and didn't get her tax refund slip.  But no luck, she couldn't find the store.  We walked down the Champs Elysees and had sandwiches along the way.  We shopped at Sephoras, then walked to the Arc de Triomphe.  I had a woman take our picture.  As it was getting late, we skipped going to the top of the Arc and headed towards the Seine to take a boat cruise.  We passed by the French memorial that is now "considered" the memorial for Princess Diana.  I think it is disgusting that people have ruined this French memorial instead of building one for specifically for her.  We enjoyed the 1 hour 15 minute boat ride on the Seine.  It was a lovely afternoon and comfortable being outside on the boat. 
 
After our ride, we took the metro at Alma to get to the restaurant where I had made reservations for our last night in Paris.  It was at NosAncetres Les Gaulois on Ile St-Louis.  We had 7pm reservations (didn't want the 10:30pm seating).  This restaurant is listed in the Cheap Eats in Paris book, which I have used many times now.  This restaurant is a fun place to dine.  A beautiful basket of vegetables is placed on your table, where you proceed to make your own salad.  In addition to the vegetables in the basket (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, purple cabbage) there is a vegetable and a cold meat board.  There is a variety of meats to include dried sausages and homemade pates.  Next to this table is a wooden wine cask, where you pour your own wine - all you can drink!  Bread is served at the table.  For the entree, there are several selections, including beef kabobs and steaks.  A cheese platter with about 6 differnent varieties is served prior to dessert.  Their creme caramel is delicious.  The waiters were very friendly and so cute!  We had our pictures taken with two of the guys. Oh la la!  Throughout the evening, there are singers who go from room to room singing and playing their guitar.  It was a very intertaining and fun evening.  Along the way home, we stopped for some last minute shopping at the souviner shops near the Greek quarter on rue de la Huchette.
 
Back in our area near the Odeon metro, we had one last round of drinks (not that we needed them after our 2-3 carafs of wine at Les Gaulois) to say goodbye to Paris.  We had drinks at Le Relais Odeon, across the street from Le Danton.  Finally, a new cafe to add to my list.  We walked to our hotel, where I tried to call Tony to make sure we were listed for our flight home.  I couldn't get through with my calling card number.  This is the second time that there has been a problem calling home.  I ended up calling direct and left a very short message on the recorder.  I paid close to $6 for this 20-30 second message!  I organized a few things, and then went to bed. 
 
23 October 2000 Monday.  We are on our way home.  We have been in the air for about 6 hours now and have 2.5 hours to go.  We got up at 7:30am and left just after 9am, ½ hour later than I wanted to leave.  Our suitcases and carry-on bags were very heavy to carry.  I had my cans of pate and jars of foiegras, a small ceramic terrine (now I can make my terrines properly) and all the chocolate bars I bought).  We walked to the St. Michel RER stopping every so often to change hands.  The RER was pretty filled with people when we got on.  However, at the next stop, many more got on board.  One man who thought it was funny to squeeze in more people than what the capacity should have been was pushing me.  I pushed him back telling him he was making me fall over and pushed my suitcase over and onto my foot.  He rudely replied, "What, do you expect me to take a taxi?"  I should have responded that he takes the next damn train.  Almost everyone on board was taking the train to the exposition center for some hugh food event.  Unfortunately, it was one stop before ours and it was terribly hot inside.  No air was moving and the windows were steaming up.  Judy almost passed out because she still had her jacket and scarf on.  I was fortunate that I took my jacket off just before that large group came on board.  When we finally got off the train, we stood there for several minutes to cool off while Judy had a cigarette.  We headed to the shuttle bus and were lucky to get on board last, so were the first off.  Had we flown on Air France (CDG2), we could have taken the RER all the way to the terminal without taking any shuttle bus.  But we were on USAirways and had to go to terminal 1. 
 
It took a while to check in, which we listed ourselves for Envoy class, and then I had to go to the tax refund desk.  That took almost an hour, which I was very uncomfortable.  I was afraid that I would never get through the tax place in time for my flight.  We still had to go upstairs and check in again to see if we got Envoy class.  There must have been 15-20 other stand-by passengers, which several were also listed for Envoy class.  None of us got the upgrades, but all made it on board.  I wanted to do my last, last minute shopping at the duty free store, but was unable to do so.  We just left the hotel later than we should have.  I think we need at least 4 to 4.5 hours to get from the hotel to the RER to the shuttle bus, checking in, going through tax refund line (give yourself an hour!), and getting to the gate.  There was no time to spare this time. 
 
24 October 2000 Tuesday.  I'm home now.  It always feels good to be home, but I'm always ready for my next trip!  We had a good flight home, although it took almost 8.5 hours because of head winds.  Tony picked us up and we told him all about our trip. 
 
Overall, I had a great time.  I wish the weather had been better, but hey, it was October.  I enjoyed being back in Paris.  It's such a beautiful city.  We met a lot of friendly people, and yes, they were French!  Don't believe what people tell you that the French are rude.  They can be, but if you make an effort to learn the language, they'll appreciate it and warm up to you.
 
Traveling with Judy was a lot of fun.  It was wonderful to see Paris again through her eyes.  Spending time together, and then apart allowed us both to see things at our own pace and level of interest.  It allowed her the time to experience a little of Paris on her own, and me the time to wander and explore a bit.  I truly enjoyed the couple of mornings I had to myself exploring rue Mouffetard (I love those outdoor markets!) and Pere Lachaise cemetery.  When traveling with someone who has never been to that place, it is important for both people to understand that each person's level of interest will be different, and time spent alone is a perfect solution.   Plus, I like the anticipation of meeting later for dinner to share each other's experiences of the day.  We had a few late dinners, but my ideal time to dine is around 7:30pm.  I like having enough time to relax and enjoy my dinner meal, take a walk around the area after dinner before heading back to my room or having time for a glass of wine at a cafe.  I also like having time to write in my journal before turning in and getting a good nights rest for the next day of sightseeing, especially if it means getting up very early to catch a train someplace. 
 
Next year Tony and I plan to travel to Greece in May.  For my second trip in 2001, I'm thinking of Rome and the Amalfi coast for 8-9 days in November.  Alone?  I'm not sure yet.  I do enjoy having a travel partner!  I might take a friend with me as long as we both know there are times to be together and times to be apart from each other. 
 
Au revoir!
 
Monica