Last day in Paris ...

It is Tuesday, October 4.  My flight is first thing tomorrow morning so I spent the day getting organized and just walking around.

I returned my bike to the shop on the Quay de la Tournelle just opposite to Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was really great having it.  Despite walking being the best way to see the city and window shop, it was a great way to get some exercise and still see all the beautiful scenery with some speed to cover the distances.  Biking here is not for the faint of heart, given the crazy drivers of cars and scooters who buzz by you in very close quarters at great speeds.  But if you have your wits about you - and take advantage of the numerous bike lanes around - it is not too bad.  I survived - and with only the one incident where my bike seat was stolen.  I really do think that it is a better option rather than renting a scooter - less dangerous and better for the environment!

On my last day, I thought that I would try out a gastromical treat that I have been eyeing for some time now.  Rue Rosiers is just at the end of my block and I think I mentioned before is the heart of the Jewish section of town.  The street is full of fallafel take-out places, the most famous being L'as du Fallafel. 

The place is always jammed with people and they are usually lined up 50 deep on the weekend with both tourists and Parisiens.  You can always tell when you are getting close to rue Rosiers by the smell of fallafels and the fact that most people are walking around with these huge pita pockets in their hands and trying to eat them with a fork.

The fallafel was delicious - and so big that even though I had it for lunch, I'm still wasn't hungry until about 9:00 pm!

It was also a great day just to walk around.  The crowds seemed to have thinned somewhat from before so that was good.  I visited Ile St. Louis, a favourite of mine, and actually managed to avoid the ice cream stands (being too full from the fallafel!).  Also, I wandered around the Marais - including having a nice stroll around the Place des Vosges, which is fitting since that was the first place that Alan and I visited when we arrived in Paris some three weeks ago.

I loved the side of this building in the Marais with the vines covering most of the wall - with the pretty colours which reminds me of the fall, my favourite season.  The weather here has been spectacular for the last couple of weeks - hot and sunny - which usually meant a light shirt only from morning to late evening.  However, I understand that it will be fall weather when I return to Vancouver.



As I reflect on this holiday, it really has been an unusual one for me - this is the first time I have ever taken 5 weeks for a holiday and it has only been possible with my new position.  This is also the first time that I was on my own for a substantial part of the holiday. 

Visiting Normandy and Paris has been wonderful - in particular, the WWI and WWII history that I learned on this trip has been amazing.  I continue to be in awe of the enormity of the D-Day endeavour and really enjoyed learning other aspects of the world wars that I did not really know before - which came not only from Normandy but from Vimy and the various museums in Paris. 

Of course, enjoying Paris has been a treat - the wonderful wine, cheese, food in general, museums, churches, etc.  And even though I had been here before and seen many of the sites, it never really seems old.

There have been a few things that I have not enjoyed so much - like the traffic, noise (did I mention that I am awake all night with the traffic and get to sleep just in time for the garbage trucks at 6 am!), litter and smoking.  It might just be me, but it seems like a lot of people smoke here - or maybe its just that smoking here seems to cut across all stratum of society, whereas I think most people in my personal and professional life do not smoke.  The motto from the women here is "I'd rather be dead, than fat!".  They have made some progress here in France - smoking is not allowed in restaurants - but it is allowed on the patios so depending on where you are in the restaurant, its like banning peeing only in the shallow end of the pool.  Plus non-smokers have to retreat inside which is not fair when it is so much cooler to be right next to the sidewalk!

However, for all that I enjoyed myself, I am looking forward to getting home - to my family (husband, children, mother, my puppy Murphy, and my cat Max), friends and life in general (and yes, including work).  I'm also anxious to see how our many renovation projects are going.  Our deck at home is being replaced - since the old one is leaking.  And Alan and I are just starting renovations to our Whistler townhouse which should make a big difference in the layout and our enjoyment of the place.  And of course, ski season is coming up fast - and I have to get in shape for that!!

Thanks to everyone who followed this blog.  I enjoyed creating the blog (with Morgan's help) and also, of course, doing the posting my comings and goings.  And thanks to Alan, Conor, Ben and Kathy for being my (un)willing subjects of pictures and stories for the blog.  I also want to thank Bob Kwong, Alan's old friend who is professional photographer, who recommended my new camera to me - the Canon G12.  I have never been so pleased with a camera - and have been really pleased with the pictures, many of which have been posted on the blog (all errors in the pictures have been those of the photographer, not of the camera!)

Speaking of pictures, here is the last one.  This one was taken in the Marais just outside of the restaurant where I had dinner tonight.  It is part of the National Archives building and is the site of President Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial museum dedicated to the history of France, due to open in 2015.  It looks quite "nationalistic" even now with the stately building and the flags.  Viva la France!!

Well, my packing is done - and the apartment is cleaned up.  Charles de Gaulle Airport awaits in the morning.  So, I am signing off now.  I will see everyone on the other side of the pond.  Au revoir et à bientôt!

Monday, October 3

Not much to report on today.  I did some last minute shopping at Galleries Lafayette and then walked back home.

Another stroll past the fabulous Opera house - and another photo!

I did pass by the Pompidou Centre and discovered this delightful fountain - full of odd things ...  No doubt it would be lovely in front of Roddy and Kathy's house when that new couch arrives from the Pompidou (see earlier blog).





And back to the Marais - my neighbourhood. 

One thing that has always amazed me is the parking situation here in Paris.  Not much space for all these people and cars.  And the parallel parking is unbelievable - in many cases a person can't even squeeze between the cars.  I am always in awe of these situations - since I'm not much of a parallel parker myself - and always require extra room to get in.  Anyway, here is an example of a Smart Car parked on rue Elziver - god knows how he gets it out!!!

Tonight, I tried a new restaurant in the St. Germain area - called Ze Kitchen Gallery on rue Grand Augustins.  It was recommended to me by one of my cooking classmates from Seattle.  The food and presentation was quite wonderful.

And of course - more pictures of Paris from my walk both to and from the restaurant.  Just can't get enough of Notre Dame and those fabulous gargoyles!

 

And finally, what may be one of my better pictures of the trip (IMHO), the Paris skyline at dusk from the Pont Neuf with the sun behind Hotel Invalides and the Eiffel Tower off to the right - voila!

Sunday, October 2

Well, I woke up thinking that I might have been dreaming last night about the crowds, etc.  Turns out I wasn't.  Paris hosts its "Nuit Blanche" at this time - a contemporary art festival which translates into "White Night" but in reality means "All-nighter".  It runs from Saturday into early - or should I say late Sunday morning.  So, the hordes of people who were still streaming by my window at 5 am were really there for a reason!  And they left just in time for the garbage truck to arrive around 6:30 am.

So I was off early for more sightseeing of Paris, whether I wanted to or not!

First stop, the Shoah or Holocaust Museum which is located just a couple of blocks from my apartment in the Marais.  The memorial is quite compelling and is a tribute to the 76,000 Jewish men, women and children deported from France in WWII to the Nazi concentration and death camps - with only a small fraction to survive. 

There is an alley on the way to the memorial - which was renamed as the Allee des Justes.  On one side it commemorates the people who helped the Jews (see plaque) and the other side is to memorialize the actions of the many who not only did not, but who actively supported the victimization of them.

There is extremely tight security around the memorial.  For example, you have to exit into an antechamber and only after the door is closed behind everyone is the outside door opened to the street.

And if you think the sensitivities from 65 years ago are forgotten, think again. Just today, there were denouncements of an IPhone app developed by a Jewish guy to name whether celebrities were Jewish or not - http://www.france24.com/en/20110915-why-calling-jew-still-taboo-france-apple-iphone-remove-app-jewish-database.  It has been said to be in violation of a French law which prohibits classifying people by race or religion.




Another expedition down rue Rivoli to the Champs Elysees, where again I survived the roundabout at the Place de la Concorde.  As per usual, the crowds were everywhere - and as usual, lined up to get inside the Louis Vuitton boutique!

I stopped to admire the Grand Palais and Petit Palais that are both just before the Champs Elysees - both of which were built in 1900 to house various art exhibits.  They are truly magnificent pieces of architecture.

Entrance to Petit Palais

Petit Palais

 

Grand Palais



Quadriga statue on Grand Palais

The Eiffel Tower still beckoned - so I went further along the right bank to the Trocadero.  I saw a picture of the statutes on the square of the Palais de Chaillot that I wanted to try to replicate.  Here it is my meagre attempt.

I have finally figured how to bike back to the east on the right bank - along various bike corridors.

Along the way, right next to the Grand and and Petit Palais, is the Pont Alexandre III - which leads over the Seine to Invalides. It has been called one of the prettiest bridges in Paris, with good reason since it has four of these magnificent structures on each end and each side.

Final stop - a museum which is located just a few blocks from me - called the Musee Cognacq-Jay.  This museum houses the collection of the couple who founded Paris' largest department store, La Samaritaine, which has now been closed down and is being developed I think into a hotel. In any event, a lovely collection - including a Rembrandt and a Rubens.



A concert ....

Today,  was a lot of walking - along Boulevard St. Germain, which is always a good people watching exercise.

In any event, tonight I went to a concert at Saine Chapelle - the wonderful church on Ile de la Cite that I described before.  It was a wonderful collage of baroque music - with the harpsichord (not my favourite instrument) and a violin and clarinet.   It was a wonderful setting in the old church, after a entry through the Palais de la Justice, as described in my earlier blogs.



Walking through the Palais de Justice


 
















I was expecting to walk home tonight and have a lovely dinner at some cafe. Unfortunately, it didn't out that way - by the time I got to the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) there were so many crowds that you could hardly get down the street.   I don't know what is happening but it is frightfully busy and crowded.  I couldn't even get into a neighbourhood restaurant that I wanted to try out.

Even now, the crowds have spread to my neighbourhood and there is lot of noise, etc.    I really don't know if this is normal (although I didn't seen to notice last Friday) or if I'm just getting old and stuffy!!  Maybe the young people are storming the Bastille and I haven't been told!!!

In any event, I have three more days en Paris - will report in due course....

Friday, September 30

Yesterday, I was shopping at the La Vallee outlet just to the east of Paris - and just before Disneyland.  It was amazing shopping - all the labels were very high end - and it was one of the most "normal" outlet shopping places I have ever seen.  I managed to keep my VISA somewhat in check.

Last night, I tasted the ice cream that my cooking classmate had told me about - framboise a la rose - and it was wonderful - it really did taste like a rose.  My ice cream addiction is in full flight.

This morning, I discovered that I had been the victim of a crime .....  some ___________ stole my bicycle seat!  The fellow at the bicycle shop has assured me that it could not be taken off - and when I went to see him with this problem it appears that he neglected to add that this was so unless the thief had an allen key!!!  Anyway, I am back in the saddle, so to speak, after having paid to replace the seat - with hopefully a more secure locking system than before.

So, today was another day for exploring the city - it was hot and sunny today - I think a high of 29C.

First off - back to the park that I had earlier visited without my camera. 

It is called the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and is located in the northeast - and hilly - sector of the city.  It is a former quarry and now is a great green space with lakes, waterfalls, footbridges and a Roman temple.  A lovely morning spent reading by the lake - with Canada geese near so it felt just like home!!

 

Off then to the Opera House - which Alan and I had visited some years ago - but I think we just had a peek inside.   I did the self guided tour and wow, is this building something else - Eyewitness Travel Guides are correct when they say that sometimes this building is compared to a giant wedding cake.  Apparently, there is a lake beneath the building. 

Below is a picture of the ceiling of the auditorium (painted by Chagall in 1964) and the Grand Foyer.  The interior of the building , for all its 1,900 seats, seemed like a fairly intimate setting.

After the Opera House, it was time for lunch.  This time, I took the recommendation of my friend, Kelly and went to the Cafe de la Paix, a grand looking cafe fitting to be next to the opera since it was designed by the same guy!

Also on my list for today was a visit to La Madeleine, which is something new for me.
This was built by Napoleon in the style of a Greco-Roman temple and was originally meant to be dedicated to military glory.  Anyway, it is now a church dedicated to, you guessed it, Mary Magdalene.

 
Last stop, Place Vendome which is a lovely square just to the north of the ritzy shopping areas on rue Rivoli and rue Saint-Honore near the Tuileries gardens further along the right bank.   Napoleon has a statue in this square - this guy is everywhere in this city!!

The famous Ritz Hotel is located in this square - and is the place from which Princess Diana got into the car which later crashed near the Pont D'Alma which killed her and Dodi Fayed.

It was a brutal commute home after Place Vendome.  No matter how I plan it, I always seem to need to go in the opposite direction of all these one way streets.  Rue Saint-Honore was wall to wall traffic - I suspect from people and goods being delivered for Paris Fashion week, which is starting around this time.   Lots of fashion shows in town - but impossible to get tickets unless you know someone or unless you are in the fashion industry.  I will just have to pick up some fashion tips from the numerous tall and skinny women who seem to everywhere now.  Only unfortunate thing - it seems like most of them smoke (like a lot of other people in this city) - which is too bad since beauty is already fleeting - assuming that they survive the lung cancer to see the results!!  

Wednesday, September 28

Today, I went to court - but in French style, at the Palais de Justice.  This is a massive building on Ile de la Cite which surrounds Sainte Chapelle (see previous blog).  It is a tribute to our old friend, Napoleon, who established - you guessed it, the Napoleonic Code - which still lives and breathes in our Quebec to this day.

The building is a large one - and I might add, makes Arthur Erickson's creation seems somewhat ... small and "new"!  I tried, with my poor French translation skills, to see some courtrooms in action.  I did succeed, after some poor gendarme took pity on me, in sitting in a couple of sessions - which were somewhat interesting given that I didn't understand 98% of what they were saying!!!  In one courtroom, two women were fighting over something in a typical "Judge Judy" style - and then an advocate spoke for one of them - and then the judge gave his decision.

In any event, the building is beautiful.  Here are some photos.

 

Cour d'Appel

The Court of Appeal - I couldn't get into the courtroom since it wasn't open, but the room looked amazing from the little I could see from the outside.

After a quick lunch in front of the wonderful statue in front of St. Eustache church, I was off to see the Edvard Munch exhibit at the Pompidou Centre - which wasn't yet up and running when Kathy and I had earlier visited the museum.  It was very interesting.  Below are two of the favourites pieces that I saw.



"Starry Night"




Equivalent of "Death Watch", which I believe was to refer to the death of his sister



Edvard was not what you would call a "cheery" guy - lots of his paintings had vampires, sick people, murders, fighting men, dead bodies, etc.  He suffered from depression and was hospitalized and apparently underwent there some sort of electrical therapy.

Unfortunately, his most famous paintings, The Scream from the early 1890s, (consistent with the less than happy approach) was not part of the exhibition - they are permanently on display in Oslo (where a number of the versions of this painting have been stolen and then recovered).

Another beautiful day in Paris - with temperatures in the high 20s.

Wine, cheese, etc.

No pictures to post today since I was busy cooking, eating and drinking.  This was my second cooking class with Paule Caillat - this time I skipped the market visit and just went directly to her home for the cooking for 10:30 am.

And more Americans to meet as my classmates - a mother/daughter and a fellow, all from Seattle, and a woman from L.A.  Again, we had a wonderful cheese tasting - with some two goat cheeses and three cow cheeses from various regions of France - with white wine, of course!!

Then followed by two mushroom dishes - a salad and a pate - and then lamb shanks with a citrus crust and carmelized carrots and then finished with an apple tart - with red wine, of course!!  Needless to say, it was all delicious.

I think these recipes, like the others, have the makings of another dinner party ....

Also, a bonus for my classmates from Seattle - with some restaurant recommendations for my next visit there - and also some restaurants here to try. 

It seems that my classmates have also discovered the beautiful ice cream on Ile St. Louis - the fellow from Seattle talked about a rose flavoured one which sounds interesting. And Paule recommended another ice cream place just by my apartment.  It seems that I am destined to enjoy the Parisien ice cream!
Home after to relax after my "gruelling" day - and time to plan for tomorrow. 

Post Kathy

After depositing Kathy at the Metro station on Sunday, Sept 25 - the question remained - what would I do with myself for the next 13 days?  I looked at my "to do" list and there are lots of things on it.

First up - another bike ride around the city.  This time to a wonderful park in the northeast - and I won't say the name - or post any pictures - because I forgot my camera!!!! ARGGGH!!!!  Anyway, I will be back to this park and report with pictures in hand.

In any event, I quiet evening at home after my bike ride - although I did sneak off to Ile St. Louis for some ice cream - I fear that it will beckon every night - and that I will succumb to my i/c addiction (it does run in the family!!)

Today, Monday Sept 27, a wondeful day in Paris - high of 25 and sunny and gorgeous.  I had another long bike ride - I must have covered about 20 miles or so.  Another visit to the department stores, Printemps and Lafayette - without success!  It just amazes me that even at 11 am, there are countless lineups - yes, I said lineups - at the little boutiques in these stores, for Prada, Louis Vuitton, Longchamps, etc.  Seems to be mostly visitors from the Asian countries.

After, I was on my fruitless journey to the BMW dealers of Paris to see if they had a model of my beloved M3 - alas, they did not!  Turns out that some guy on eBay has it for sale so that will probably be my next move - perhaps my birthday wish for next month.  If nothing else, the exercise was good.

I did stop at the Musee de l'Armee for another visit - with more time to enjoy the exhibits relating to WWII and in particular, the Normandy invasion. 


It was really informative - and made a great addition to our time in Normandy in early September.  Here is a brass eagle of the Third Reich which was part of the exhibit.






Another quiet evening at home - relaxing from my day.  I am off for my second cooking class tomorrow - so should be well fed with wonderful French food after that.

Just in case you are missing pictures of all those marvelous Parisien scenes, here is a picture of the Eiffel Tower shot some days ago in "nostalgia" mode.  Very fitting I think.

Saturday, September 24

Today, we split up - I toured around on my bike to do a little shopping - and Kathy visited the Opera which is a beautiful building.


And then we were off - to a show called Paradis Latin, which was located on the left bank just across the river in a gorgeous theatre which apparently was partially designed by Mr. Eiffel. 

We didn't manage to get tickets to see Moulin Rouge, but this show was rated a better by Trip Advisor in any event.

Here is Kathy enjoying her last Cuba Libre in France before the show - which she is now ordering without any difficulty and with true Parisien style!






It is hard to describe this show – part strip tease (lots of topless girls, which seems de riguer for these late night Paris shows), part burlesque, part Barnham & Bailey circus, part can-can dancers, some singing, lots of dancing, etc.  I have to note, however, that the shirtless men seemed to draw the most reaction from the (female) crowd.  We were seated with a Russian group to one side and, you guessed it, a couple from Toronto on the other.  Small world.

Anyway, it was an experience to be sure.  No pictures were allowed for the show but this is a picture of the theatre before the show began.

 

As at the time of the posting of this blog, Kathy had left the following day, September 25.  So, further posts will be me reporting on solo expeditions.

We walked home - across Ile St. Louis - envying all the ice cream being consumed but too full to partake. 

It was a lovely night - particularly with Notre Dame lit in the background.

Friday, September 23

Not much to report today - Kathy and I decided to take it somewhat easy.

First up - we arrived at the Place de la Concorde, where the picture below was taken (note the Eiffel Tower in the background).   Then, a morning stroll through the Tuileries, which is the wonderful garden just to the west of the Louvre - which was designed by the same fellow who did Versailles.  Again, very "French" gardens with some very different modern sculptures along the path.

My cooking teacher Paule had told me that the Palais Royal was fabulous - this is the former royal palace - which I believe now houses government offices.  The gardens are open to the public - which are lovely.

 

Next up - shopping - but not just any old shopping - this is shopping at Galleries Lafayette on rue Haussmann.  Anyway, the place was a zoo - I've never seen more people in a department store in my life - and I've been in quite a few.  Not much luck though - except for a scarf (more on that later).  The big fashion tip from Paris - FUR.  It appears that the sensibilities of North America have not reached these shores, or if they have, they don't care.  Lots of it.

We tried to also visit another department store, Samaritaine - but it appears to have closed permanently to build a hotel.  Too bad, because I liked to shop there.

Then on to BHV, another department store which doesn't specialize in fashion but has some - including the same scarf I just purchased from Lafayette - for less than the normal price and also 40% off!!!! I hate when that happens .....

Another great dinner in Paris - this time at a favourite Italian restaurant, Fuxia - where Alan and I went and also took Conor and Ben.  Wondeful food and great Italian wine.   Also another short visit to our now favourite Scottish bar, Auld Alliance where we did not have any Guinness, but enjoyed ourselves non the less!

After a lazy morning for me (Kathy went to the Aquarium, which for me is like selling ice to the Eskimos!), we commenced our assault on the most iconic of all Paris sites - the Eiffel Tower, or as the locals say, la Tour Eiffel.

It is hard to imagine that when it was constructed in 1889 it was only supposed to be a temporary structure for the World Fair.  It was also the world's tallest structure until 1931 when the Empire State Building was erected.  Another side story - the next world fair in Chicago in 1893 resulted in the Americans trying to "out-Eiffel Eiffel" which in turn led to another wonderful creation, a wheel of unimaginable proportions to carry people, engineered by Mr. Ferris!

Anyway, I digress ....   The Tower did not disappoint.  It is a thing of beauty - the steel structure, for all its strength, seems light and airy - and even elegant.  After dinner, we wandered back for some night scenes, which were beautiful.

To top it off, it seems that every hour, the lights on the Tower flicker - which is very Vegas style - but seemed to delight the crowds.  Below is a shot from the Trocadero, across the Seine on the west side.

We topped the night off with a drink at a Scottish pub that is only one block from my apartment - The Auld Alliance Scottish Pub - which seems to be very authentic given the haggis on the menu, the inebriated rugby players and the very extensive scotch available (around 100 types by my count!).  I can only guess that this is the type of pub which Alan, Conor and Ben encountered in Dublin and perhaps London.