What a whirlwind trip! Four days in Paris is obviously not enough, but it was wonderful nonetheless.
Day One
Arrived at Charles de Gaulle at 9:30 a.m. Very nice flight. We were in and out of there in 10 mins! I had heard such horror stories, but we had a very pleasant experience. Arrived in our Hotel which was outside the City Centre, in Arrondismonte 19, La Villette, and after a slight misunderstanding about the number of guests allowed to occupy one room, we were settled in and ready to explore the City.
The Metro was right outside our hotel, and we found it to be the most efficient public transpotation we've ever seen. Very easy to use and clean and, oh yea! Everyone wears black. Remember that if you dont want to look too touristy, in your bright red columbia parka. The area around our hotel was not touristy at all. One of our tour guides told us that is how real Parisians live. Indeed, there were no crowds, just normal people trying to get through their day. There was a museum of Science and Industry and a Music History museum and Parc de Buttes-Chaumont, which is like their Central Park. This is the district, according to him, where Parisians get away from the tourists.
We booked a bus tour, which took us past all the major areas of interest and gave us a overview of how to get to where we want to go. I hate bus tours, but after travelling for 20 hours, we were thankful for the chance to rest.
On our way back to the Metro from the tour, we stopped at a great little cafe and had the most exquisit baguettes with thin sliced ham, not so thin sliced brie and tomatos. Also wine, which is cheaper than water, and some yummy creme carmel for dessert.
We went to bed early, around 8:00 p.m.
Day Two
In an effort to not get dragged down from jet lag, we took a trip to Giverny, and then through the countryside to Versailles. Giverney was absolutely brilliant! Though many of the gardens were just beginning to come into bloom, the tranquility and dewey morning air was sublime. We had a private tour guide, Simon, who was unbelievable. (Private is somewhat relative. We had another couple with us, so 6 of us in all.) He tried to help us with our French, and dispensed his seemingly unlimited knowledge freely.
He allowed us to go along our own and pointed out a few places to eat, and we were not disappointed. After leaving Monet's Gardens, we visited the Museum of American Art, right down the street. Very small and intimate and wonderful. We also saw an artists studio, who had studios in Palm Beach, New York , Chicago and Detroit!
After leaving the Normandy region, we went down winding country roads, past incredible Chateaus, Castle Keeps, and soaring cliffs along the Seine, as it makes its way out to sea. Simon filled us with great history about how the German Army occupied many of the castles. Great history. On past homes that were built right into limestone cliffs. Not cave dwellings mind, but real homes with ordinary enough looking facades, but no real roofs or exterior walls.
Now to Versailles. Too big. Too big to see in a weekend, much less a few hours. Simon narrated his way through the King's private apartment, Le Grand Trianon, and the Queen's private residence, La Petit Trianon. We also had a chance to see Marie Antoinettes Hamlet. Unbelievable! For all the unabashed luxury, and despite the French Revolutin, the Parisians seem to have a special affinity for this "misunderstood" Queen. We then went through the gardens, past the Grand Canal, and into the Royal apartments. Unfortunately, when the French revolted and stormed Versailles, they destroyed, pilaged and plundered much of the contents. What is left is a huge "house" with nobody home. Very few furnishings remain, an what does is actually housed in the Louvre. The King and Queens bedroom furniture is still there, as well as some writing desks, and of course the incredible paintings. The Hall of Mirrors was disappointing as it is being restored. The floor is tore up, all the chandeliers are down, all the sculpture removed. It is in desperate need of repair though, and should be finished in June.
On our way home, Simon answered any questions we had, and was as pleasant as could be. He told us about his girlfriend, where they lived, how he became a tour guide, and on and on. The other couple that was with us got "Spanked", by what might be seen as Parisian rudeness. However, they were pretty obnoxious, themselves, bragging about where they have been in Europe, how they "just had dinner at such and such, you know Simone ( she kept calling him Simone
), it's the new trendy spot that serves only meat and potatos?" Barf! He let her have it. Never heard of it he says. And adds that it is funny, because he is usually up on all the hot spots, being that is his job and all. LOL! I'm glad they got dropped off first so we could have Simon all to ourselves for a while.
That night we ate in an Italian restaurant, run by an Egyptian
around the corner from our hotel. Food was very good, and the owner was absolutely charming. He gave us complimentary drinks after dessert, and told us all about his other restaurant ventures. One was in Orlando! We wre officially on Paris time and went to be around 10:30. The obnoxious lady on our tour told us we would be dead to the world the next day. Wrong!
Day Three
This was the day we went to the Louvre. Not too big, just incredibly beautiful. I could linger there for weeks. First we head straight for the Mona Lisa, as I had heard if you don't get there first thing, forget about it. Well, it was anti climactic. A long line with no reason nor rhyme as to how it wound its way up to the piece, confounded by every nationality and custom attempting to make their way through the crowd and fill in every spare cm of floorspace. I have never heard "Move along" in so many different languages. It was not like people were being rude. We all just wanted to have that moment of intense emotion flood over us, as we had heard happens. We did get to the front of the pack, but DD who is steadfast in her American personal space, would not fill in. This made DH crazy, as he knew she would have no shot at seeing it, if she didn't adjust to the flow. He pushed her into place, she fell, started crying, I chastised him for pushing her, he got mad and left the line. When it became apparent we were not going to get any closer (though we could have reached out and touched it), to get that incredible up front and center, (key being center, as it is behind glass and the glare is not conducive to a good view) we ducked out of line. Then it was time to heal the wounded.
I tried to explain that DD needed to be more flexible and DH needed to cop DD some slack. Boy that was the wrong thing to do. DH copped an attitude, said I will not parent him, said an "excuse my French", and told us he'd be back at the hotel! UGH! (Maybe the obnoxious lady was right!
)
Undeterred, I proceeded to take advantage of the rest of the museum. DS was mad that I didn't race after his dad, and DD was feeling very bad about the whole situation. They wanted me, after 30 mins of separation, to go look for their dad!
You must be kidding me! No Way says I. Anyway, we found some amazing art and after a while, I decided maybe we should find our way back to the hotel, as DH had all the $$, and all the Metro tickets. I did, however, have my bankcard, so I was off to find a cash machine. As we head down the main stairway, who do I see on his way up, but DH! He did not see us, and looked absolutely panic stricken. He must have been wondering how he would ever find us, how long should he continue the hunt, and all sorts of other what ifs. I enjoyed surveying his confusion for a moment, then gave him a brief "Pssst!" Funny how when two people have been together longer then they have been apart, you just know each others "Psst". He immidiately found the direction of the familiar whisper, and proceeded towards us. Teary eyed, he announces we need to have a talk about the rules and how we will proceed from now on. I agree. We spent the rest of the day in absolute Louvre bliss!
We did break for lunch at a highly recommended tea room, called Angelina's. I asked Simon about it, and he said that he didn't think it was us. More for the other party on our Versailles tour. A place to be seen. Well, we went anyway. OMG! Yes it is true. There were a great deal of "don't you know who I am's?" in the place, but the food was fantastic, and the hot chocolate was incomparable! It was like drinking a melted chocolate bar! DH said too thick, it coats your tongue and you lose the flavor after a while. That was why I alternated sips with champagne!
It was worth the trip, not terribly expensive, ant we also bought some of their chocloates home with us. Should have gotten more! Back to the Louvre for a trip through the royal funishings, sculpture and Egyptian art and the Midieval Fortress that sits under the Louvre.
For dinner, we went on a River Cruise, along the Seine. It was beautiful, the food was very good, entertainment was fine and the service was impeccable! We made it back to our room around midnight.
Day Four.
Our last day and it was simply chaos! We went first to the Eiffel Tower, where we waited to purchase tickets for an hour. Rode to the 2nd level where you must debark and wait in another line for over an hour to get to the top. We, of course, paid to go to the top, but never got there. DS and DH, being the manley men they are did not wear jackets. It was windy and very cold! Also, we had a lunch date with relatives at 12:30. (Yup! relatives we hardly get to see because they have been living in Hong Kong. They recently moved to Brussels, and took the TGV down for the day.) We were delighted to see them, but it did hose up our sight seeing for the day. We dined in le Grand Armee, which over looks the Arch de Triumph. The sevice was atrocious, the food only so so and the prices were reflective of it's jaguarferraribenzroyce driving clientele. But it was nice to see them.
We decided to try to see Notre Dame, though my stomach was in knots, food poisoning, I was convinced. After waking it off, we managed to see the beautigul Catheadral. Much like the Grand Canyon. Pictures just don't cut it. DH and I both had a real sense of renewed faith overwhelm us. Very emotional, and a must see. We also tried to see St. Chappelle's, but were turned away as we were about to enter. Fini. said the guard. Oh well. Next time. It was a bit gloomy that day anyway, and it may have been disappointing to be in the glass filled nave without the sun to illuminate it. Now I still have a fantasy and a reason to return.
That night we had our final Parisian dinner in a local cafe, and nobody there spoke anything other than very broken English, or French, but we managed, and had a wonderful meal.
Departure
Leaving was sad, but it soon changed to major irritation! What our arrival was in ease, our departure was in difficulty. The transferre we had arranged and pre-paid for, lost our ressie. Finally got a cab, and the cabbie spoke not an English word. He dropped us off in the farthest terminal from where we were to depart from! We had to walk with our bags the entire lentgh of the airport. After that, it all went smoothly, and we were soon on our way to Florence!
Reflections
The French get a bad rap. I found them to be as helpful, and charming a people as any I have encountered. I fell in love with the Parisians. While I missed many things by not staying closer to "it all", I really enjoyed being with regular people. I will go back and would probably do it again with my kids. It is a very family friendly place. I would love to see more of the Louvre, see the gardens and fountains at Versailles in the summer, and see more of the French countyside. I loved it there, and so did the rest of my family.
Keep the Faith!
Tracy
Day One
Arrived at Charles de Gaulle at 9:30 a.m. Very nice flight. We were in and out of there in 10 mins! I had heard such horror stories, but we had a very pleasant experience. Arrived in our Hotel which was outside the City Centre, in Arrondismonte 19, La Villette, and after a slight misunderstanding about the number of guests allowed to occupy one room, we were settled in and ready to explore the City.
The Metro was right outside our hotel, and we found it to be the most efficient public transpotation we've ever seen. Very easy to use and clean and, oh yea! Everyone wears black. Remember that if you dont want to look too touristy, in your bright red columbia parka. The area around our hotel was not touristy at all. One of our tour guides told us that is how real Parisians live. Indeed, there were no crowds, just normal people trying to get through their day. There was a museum of Science and Industry and a Music History museum and Parc de Buttes-Chaumont, which is like their Central Park. This is the district, according to him, where Parisians get away from the tourists.
We booked a bus tour, which took us past all the major areas of interest and gave us a overview of how to get to where we want to go. I hate bus tours, but after travelling for 20 hours, we were thankful for the chance to rest.
On our way back to the Metro from the tour, we stopped at a great little cafe and had the most exquisit baguettes with thin sliced ham, not so thin sliced brie and tomatos. Also wine, which is cheaper than water, and some yummy creme carmel for dessert.
We went to bed early, around 8:00 p.m.
Day Two
In an effort to not get dragged down from jet lag, we took a trip to Giverny, and then through the countryside to Versailles. Giverney was absolutely brilliant! Though many of the gardens were just beginning to come into bloom, the tranquility and dewey morning air was sublime. We had a private tour guide, Simon, who was unbelievable. (Private is somewhat relative. We had another couple with us, so 6 of us in all.) He tried to help us with our French, and dispensed his seemingly unlimited knowledge freely.
He allowed us to go along our own and pointed out a few places to eat, and we were not disappointed. After leaving Monet's Gardens, we visited the Museum of American Art, right down the street. Very small and intimate and wonderful. We also saw an artists studio, who had studios in Palm Beach, New York , Chicago and Detroit!
After leaving the Normandy region, we went down winding country roads, past incredible Chateaus, Castle Keeps, and soaring cliffs along the Seine, as it makes its way out to sea. Simon filled us with great history about how the German Army occupied many of the castles. Great history. On past homes that were built right into limestone cliffs. Not cave dwellings mind, but real homes with ordinary enough looking facades, but no real roofs or exterior walls.
Now to Versailles. Too big. Too big to see in a weekend, much less a few hours. Simon narrated his way through the King's private apartment, Le Grand Trianon, and the Queen's private residence, La Petit Trianon. We also had a chance to see Marie Antoinettes Hamlet. Unbelievable! For all the unabashed luxury, and despite the French Revolutin, the Parisians seem to have a special affinity for this "misunderstood" Queen. We then went through the gardens, past the Grand Canal, and into the Royal apartments. Unfortunately, when the French revolted and stormed Versailles, they destroyed, pilaged and plundered much of the contents. What is left is a huge "house" with nobody home. Very few furnishings remain, an what does is actually housed in the Louvre. The King and Queens bedroom furniture is still there, as well as some writing desks, and of course the incredible paintings. The Hall of Mirrors was disappointing as it is being restored. The floor is tore up, all the chandeliers are down, all the sculpture removed. It is in desperate need of repair though, and should be finished in June.
On our way home, Simon answered any questions we had, and was as pleasant as could be. He told us about his girlfriend, where they lived, how he became a tour guide, and on and on. The other couple that was with us got "Spanked", by what might be seen as Parisian rudeness. However, they were pretty obnoxious, themselves, bragging about where they have been in Europe, how they "just had dinner at such and such, you know Simone ( she kept calling him Simone
), it's the new trendy spot that serves only meat and potatos?" Barf! He let her have it. Never heard of it he says. And adds that it is funny, because he is usually up on all the hot spots, being that is his job and all. LOL! I'm glad they got dropped off first so we could have Simon all to ourselves for a while.That night we ate in an Italian restaurant, run by an Egyptian
around the corner from our hotel. Food was very good, and the owner was absolutely charming. He gave us complimentary drinks after dessert, and told us all about his other restaurant ventures. One was in Orlando! We wre officially on Paris time and went to be around 10:30. The obnoxious lady on our tour told us we would be dead to the world the next day. Wrong!Day Three
This was the day we went to the Louvre. Not too big, just incredibly beautiful. I could linger there for weeks. First we head straight for the Mona Lisa, as I had heard if you don't get there first thing, forget about it. Well, it was anti climactic. A long line with no reason nor rhyme as to how it wound its way up to the piece, confounded by every nationality and custom attempting to make their way through the crowd and fill in every spare cm of floorspace. I have never heard "Move along" in so many different languages. It was not like people were being rude. We all just wanted to have that moment of intense emotion flood over us, as we had heard happens. We did get to the front of the pack, but DD who is steadfast in her American personal space, would not fill in. This made DH crazy, as he knew she would have no shot at seeing it, if she didn't adjust to the flow. He pushed her into place, she fell, started crying, I chastised him for pushing her, he got mad and left the line. When it became apparent we were not going to get any closer (though we could have reached out and touched it), to get that incredible up front and center, (key being center, as it is behind glass and the glare is not conducive to a good view) we ducked out of line. Then it was time to heal the wounded.
I tried to explain that DD needed to be more flexible and DH needed to cop DD some slack. Boy that was the wrong thing to do. DH copped an attitude, said I will not parent him, said an "excuse my French", and told us he'd be back at the hotel! UGH! (Maybe the obnoxious lady was right!
)Undeterred, I proceeded to take advantage of the rest of the museum. DS was mad that I didn't race after his dad, and DD was feeling very bad about the whole situation. They wanted me, after 30 mins of separation, to go look for their dad!
You must be kidding me! No Way says I. Anyway, we found some amazing art and after a while, I decided maybe we should find our way back to the hotel, as DH had all the $$, and all the Metro tickets. I did, however, have my bankcard, so I was off to find a cash machine. As we head down the main stairway, who do I see on his way up, but DH! He did not see us, and looked absolutely panic stricken. He must have been wondering how he would ever find us, how long should he continue the hunt, and all sorts of other what ifs. I enjoyed surveying his confusion for a moment, then gave him a brief "Pssst!" Funny how when two people have been together longer then they have been apart, you just know each others "Psst". He immidiately found the direction of the familiar whisper, and proceeded towards us. Teary eyed, he announces we need to have a talk about the rules and how we will proceed from now on. I agree. We spent the rest of the day in absolute Louvre bliss!
We did break for lunch at a highly recommended tea room, called Angelina's. I asked Simon about it, and he said that he didn't think it was us. More for the other party on our Versailles tour. A place to be seen. Well, we went anyway. OMG! Yes it is true. There were a great deal of "don't you know who I am's?" in the place, but the food was fantastic, and the hot chocolate was incomparable! It was like drinking a melted chocolate bar! DH said too thick, it coats your tongue and you lose the flavor after a while. That was why I alternated sips with champagne!
It was worth the trip, not terribly expensive, ant we also bought some of their chocloates home with us. Should have gotten more! Back to the Louvre for a trip through the royal funishings, sculpture and Egyptian art and the Midieval Fortress that sits under the Louvre.For dinner, we went on a River Cruise, along the Seine. It was beautiful, the food was very good, entertainment was fine and the service was impeccable! We made it back to our room around midnight.
Day Four.
Our last day and it was simply chaos! We went first to the Eiffel Tower, where we waited to purchase tickets for an hour. Rode to the 2nd level where you must debark and wait in another line for over an hour to get to the top. We, of course, paid to go to the top, but never got there. DS and DH, being the manley men they are did not wear jackets. It was windy and very cold! Also, we had a lunch date with relatives at 12:30. (Yup! relatives we hardly get to see because they have been living in Hong Kong. They recently moved to Brussels, and took the TGV down for the day.) We were delighted to see them, but it did hose up our sight seeing for the day. We dined in le Grand Armee, which over looks the Arch de Triumph. The sevice was atrocious, the food only so so and the prices were reflective of it's jaguarferraribenzroyce driving clientele. But it was nice to see them.
We decided to try to see Notre Dame, though my stomach was in knots, food poisoning, I was convinced. After waking it off, we managed to see the beautigul Catheadral. Much like the Grand Canyon. Pictures just don't cut it. DH and I both had a real sense of renewed faith overwhelm us. Very emotional, and a must see. We also tried to see St. Chappelle's, but were turned away as we were about to enter. Fini. said the guard. Oh well. Next time. It was a bit gloomy that day anyway, and it may have been disappointing to be in the glass filled nave without the sun to illuminate it. Now I still have a fantasy and a reason to return.
That night we had our final Parisian dinner in a local cafe, and nobody there spoke anything other than very broken English, or French, but we managed, and had a wonderful meal.
Departure
Leaving was sad, but it soon changed to major irritation! What our arrival was in ease, our departure was in difficulty. The transferre we had arranged and pre-paid for, lost our ressie. Finally got a cab, and the cabbie spoke not an English word. He dropped us off in the farthest terminal from where we were to depart from! We had to walk with our bags the entire lentgh of the airport. After that, it all went smoothly, and we were soon on our way to Florence!
Reflections
The French get a bad rap. I found them to be as helpful, and charming a people as any I have encountered. I fell in love with the Parisians. While I missed many things by not staying closer to "it all", I really enjoyed being with regular people. I will go back and would probably do it again with my kids. It is a very family friendly place. I would love to see more of the Louvre, see the gardens and fountains at Versailles in the summer, and see more of the French countyside. I loved it there, and so did the rest of my family.
Keep the Faith!
Tracy
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