Last evening in Paris

It is time to say au revoir to Paris.  We are ready to be back in the land of sunshine and big skies, but I always have mixed emotions when it is time to move on.  Granted, this stay in Paris seems quite different than my first one, mostly because the work changed completely and we were stuck with uncertainty for so long.  But one thing does not change - the  friends and relationships we established.  We will miss our new friends.  It is strange, since we've been in Tucson so long and have had a consistent group of friends most of that time. We don't make a lot of new friends in Tucson.  But, come to Paris, there is no choice - you must make new friends (or drive your wife crazy).  Like the last time, we found that we only really started to get to know people after the summer season... and now it is time to go.  Well, hopefully we can keep the acquaintances and will meet again!

We spent our last weeks productively - in spite of cold weather (we were lucky that there was little rain at least).  We were able to enjoy visitors from the UK a couple evenings (Hamish was here one week, and John another).  And Lorenzo has been here most weeks, so we get to visit with him most regularly.  We scheduled a dinner with Aurélie and Floriane, good friends from our first visit (Nanthasinh was unable to make it, unfortunately).  We had a very nice meal at Bouillon Racine in the 6th.  I tried foie gras for the first time - it was good, but very rich (and I ate too much)!  Lorenzo joined us for that also (I think he's going to miss us!).  And we met Pawel, Izabela and their son David downtown for lunch over the weekend!  The time flew by.

 

Besides eating, we spent our time walking through some areas we like - Ile St Louis and Ile de Citi, then over to Luxembourg Gardens.  We also strolled the Champs Elysees with Pawel & Izabela - lots of preparation for Christmas going on right now.  We are a bit sorry to be missing that, but it will be our first Christmas at home in Tucson in 3 years.  So that will also be nice.  Paris was decorated for Armistice Day last weekend (the 11th hour of the 11day of the 11 month) - to celebrate the end of WWI.  It seems very different around Hotel de Ville and Notre Dame on a cold, grey November day, as opposed to summertime!  November has its own grey beauty (provided you are dressed warmly enough!).  Only a few weeks after going off daylight savings time, daytime has gotten very short (like from about 8am to 5pm).  The crowds still come out around Notre Dame in the afternoon, but mornings are quiet, and Luxembourg Garden was positively peaceful.  Quite the contrast from the first week of September in the sunshine, with people everywhere.  Even the metro seems a bit more deserted.

Today, I made my rounds saying farewell to the friends on the 7th floor of the DiVinci building at our customer, then back to the IFS office for lunch and another round of goodbyes, and finally to l'Olivio to see Marwan and Catherine.  Last time I left, I was on my own (Debbie was already back in the states).  Fortunately, this time we had each other's company for our last dinner out at Le Victor Hugo (which was also the first place we ate when we moved in).  Actually, Debbie even had the same salad!  We cleaned and finished packing.  Put our earplugs in (the college kids sound a bit rowdy tonight).  Au revoir, Paris.

a week at work

Hi - so far this blog has been dedicated to my sight-seeing adventures while living in Paris.  Rightly so.  But I thought I'd focus on the more routine events of my week in this posting.  Be forewarned (in case you prefer to just skip it).  But I will say that without the people I work with, being in Paris would get old very quickly.

A little background.  When I arrived in June, there was a team of about 6 IFS consultants, mostly from the UK, whom I joined.  They all would come each Monday and leave Thursday night or Friday morning.  So I knew there would be others to dine and do things with.  Also, I had friends from the customer project team from my previous time here.  We would get together periodically also.  All of this changed when the project was re-organized.  IFS involvement was reduced, and I moved from the customer site to our nearby IFS office in Courbevoie.  As a result, my work on the project changed from actively working with a team to working on my own helping with modifications and testing.  Not so exciting, I must say.  However, the silver lining was getting to know the people in the IFS France office.  The group was very welcoming, and they take care of me (just like my French colleagues from the customer). 

My normal day starts with the commute: walk from the apartment up to Place Victor Hugo.  Take the #2 metro to Charles de Gaulle Etoile and switch to the #1 to la Defense.  Usually it is not too crowded because a leave around 8am.  If I left half an hour later, it would probably be a different story.  Since daylight savings went off, it's light in the morning if it isn't too cloudy.  If weather is OK, I walk by the Grand Arch, then down to Courbevoie, and then to the IFS office. 

The routine at the office typically includes a couple of coffee breaks where a number of people will break for coffee and chit-chat (in French).  Around noon, people will go different directions to get lunch, but they all rendezvous back in the office kitchen to eat together.  A nearby Japanese sushi place is most popular, but I also found a small Lebanese place to get a falafel sandwich to go.  I thoroughly enjoy the lunches, even if I can't understand much (or maybe anything).  There is always lots of animated talking (frequently multiple people at once).  Occasionally, one of the guys will set us up with Ti Punch (sugar cane syrup, lime slice and rum - from Martinique).  This past week, IFS France signed a new customer.  So I also got to help celebrate the deal with champagne and snacks.  And last month, I was on hand for their quarterly meeting, which featured a lunch of various appetizers and wine - quite nice.

Generally, I'll work on my own or with some of the IFS UK team over the phone.  Since I'm on my own I can set my own hours pretty much.  As mentioned, I come in a bit early so I also tend to leave a bit early.  General thought in France is that you MUST be at work from 9am to 6 pm.  It's OK to arrive early, but no leaving early (unless you are like me...).  France is not comfortable with the idea of flex time.  It's a bit more relaxed at the IFS office.  Also, I will typically have lunch with some of my friends from our customer once a week or so.  The flexibility I have is nice, but I'd prefer a more solid assignment working with other people.

As far as evenings go, Debbie and I typically eat at home.  Maybe there will be one night that we will go out with some colleagues from work if anyone is in town, and we may go out ourselves once or twice more a week.  At home, we'll either get something from the nearby Casino (grocery store), or pick up Chinese or Pizza for take away.  I stop on the way home to pick up a baguette and maybe dessert.  It's pretty routine.  With no daylight savings time, it's dark now when I'm coming home - I'm missing summer where it stays light until 10pm.  Dinner time for us is usually around 7:30 to 8pm (early by French standards).  Earlier in the year when it was light, we might go for a long walk after dinner. Now that it's cold and dark, we stay in. We have to wait until 8:50 to watch TV - at that time, you can find reruns of various American TV shows (NCIS, Without a Trace, Desperate Housewives, Bones, and others that we never heard of before).  The Freebox setup we have allows you to change the language (on some shows) to the original.  For every show you can do that with, there are more that you cannot.  Other interesting aspects of French TV include 1) commercials only about once or twice an hour; 2) multiple episodes of the shows are shown one right after another (but not at all consecutive - maybe even from different years).

We do stay up until maybe even 11pm before going to bed (late for AZ, but early in France).  There you have it - a normal day/week of my life in Paris.

Busy weekend in Paris

Our time draws to a close in Paris, so last weekend we attempted to handle some unfinished business.  We hoped to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night, but were disappointed to find that the top is not open at night very often outside the summer months.  We tried on Friday evening on our way to meet friends Marwan and Andrea for dinner in the 15th.  So, we just settled for dinner at Caffe Cambronne (good onion soup and confit de canard), and no Eiffel Tower.

On Saturday, we wanted to see Opera Garnier.  We were frustrated to learn that it was not open in the afternoons due to performances.  It's the third time we've been there without seeing the place (the other times, it was open, but we just decided to see it later).  Debbie may have to go herself in the morning!  The reason for going later was that it rained each morning of the weekend, but cleared in the afternoons.  We waited for the rain to stop before starting our site-seeing.  Instead of going to the opera, we walked back through Parc Monceau to Arc de Triomphe, and then paid to go to the top.

283 steps to the top and excellent views all directions!  We stayed for a while taking pictures.  Then went home for a quiet evening.

Sunday, we planned to go to church but woke again to rain.  Debbie's feet got wet as we walked to church, so she had to return home.  I ended up going to the City of Architecture and Heritage Museum in Trocadero on my own (instead of church).  Primarily, it features pieces from entrance ways and other structures from churches throughout France.  There were some secluded sections away from the main exhibits that included paper models and architectural artwork, and also ceiling frescoes.  I enjoyed the museum - the Trocadero was the perfect venue for large structures. 

By the time I was done, the skies had cleared so Debbie joined me.  We took the #6 metro to Edgar Quinet to see an arts and crafts open air market near Montparnasse.  As it turned out, it was primarily artwork, some quite nice - not many crafts.  This area is quite popular, but we really have never spent any time in it.  Its vocal point is Tour Montparnasse, the tallest building in Paris proper - you can't miss it!  It was the skyscraper that caused Paris to restrict future building heights.  You get a direct view of it below the Eiffel Tower if you look from Trocadero.  It stands all alone like a giant tombstone.  It does look out of place.  It has a rooftop restaurant with the reported best view of Paris - I'm sure it does, but have never tried it.

From there, we walked north past Bon Marche to Musee d'Orsay and stood in line for a while.  Stopped on the way at an Eric Kaiser for lunch of quiche, sandwich and hot tea.  It was free museum Sunday (first of the month), so d'Orsay was busy.  We passed time in line talking to a friendly man from Switzerland in front of us (wanted to know who would win our presidential election - a common question for us).  Once in the museum, we spent most of our time in the special Fashion Exhibition (which opened shortly after our last visit).  This showed the actual clothing, and then paintings that incorporated the clothing.  Paintings were from famous painters such as Manet, Monet, Renoir, and more.  Really enjoyed both the displays and the artwork.  The artists were some of our favorites.  We stayed until closing time, and then walked to Concord in twilight just as the city lights were coming on, a very nice time of the day in Paris.

Took the #1 metro up to Charles de Gaulle Etoile, and then climbed up the Arc de Triomphe again!  This time, it was night.  So we had our views of the city in both daylight and at night.  Although the night lights are nice, daytime was better for me.  Paris may be the city of light, but at night the recognizable sites are limited.  We did enjoy seeing the daily ceremony to attend the flame of the Unknown Soldier.  Every evening at 6:30 the flame of remembrance is rekindled by one of France's 900 veteran associations.  The flame was first lit beneath the Arc November 11, 1923 and has never gone out since.

All Saints Day

Hi - All Saints Day (November 1) is a holiday in France.  Offices are closed, so I worked from home this day.  In the afternoon, Debbie and I went to Pere Lachaise Cemetery, as the cemeteries are decorated with flowers that day.  There were quite a few people there, but the place is so big, you don't really notice unless you are at one of the famous graves.

You can take the metro directly from Victor Hugo to Pere Lachaise, which is what we did.  We entered a side gate and wandered until we reached the main entrance.  There we found maps of the cemetery, so we returned to the grave sites of Chopin, Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Baron Hausseman, and Eugene Delacroix.  We searched for Sarah Bernhardt, but could not find her (perhaps she moved!).

Our outing started rainy and ominous (we did get rained on for a short time).  But later, the skies cleared and it was sunny and crisp.  Good views all the way to the Eiffel Tower in some places (check in the picture between Debbie and me).  We had planned a late lunch at a bistro nearby, but found it was closed for the holiday.  Just returned home and dined at the old reliable - Cafe Victor Hugo, near our apartment.  Bon Voyage.

Weekend in Prague

I have been falling down on my blog updates the last couple weeks.  By the time I get around to writing, I'm at least a week behind.  Two weekends ago Debbie and I made a trip to Prague (Praha) in Czech Republic.  It was one of the places we wanted to visit, so we flew over for a couple days.

We were fortunate to have friends of Emilee currently working there at the US Embassy, and Ales (a Czech native) met us at the airport and gave us a tour for the day.  We had a great time, and saw lots.  The only problem with the weekend was the temperature - it was COLD!  It was snowing when we arrived, and below freezing all weekend.  Fortunately, no snow after the first day!  But it did make our tour with Ales a bit difficult - it's a bit harder to look around when you are under an umbrella and trying to avoid stepping in puddles!  Regardless, Ales escorted us to our Hotel Černý Slon, which is off Old Town Square, right next to the Church of Our Lady in front of Týn (which dominates the square).  Emilee had made arrangements for our stay in this historic hotel - very nice.

After dropping our bag, we headed out with umbrellas in hand.  Ales pointed out the various sites in Old Town Square, then we walked over to the Powder Tower.  We returned to follow the King's Way from Old Town across Charles Bridge, and then up to Prague Castle.  Along the way, Ales explained some of the city history.  Prague flourished in the 14th century under the reign of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.  Charles designed and built New Town, founded the Charles University (oldest U in central Europe), erected the Charles Bridge, and started construction of St. Vitas Cathedral in Prague Castle.  He was a busy guy!

We had lunch in a Czech cafeteria-style restaurant (and my first of many Czech beers).  Walked until Debbie's feet got wet, at which point we went to Ales and his partner Rolan's house to dry out.  Later we walked by Lennon Wall and then all went to dinner at an Italian restaurant on a boat in the Vltava River, with a nice view of the castle (Italian restaurants can be found anywhere in the world, I think).  It was all very nice, and the snow gave its own beauty to the city.

But, we were happy to find clear skies the following day (not so thrilled with the sub-freezing temperatures that went with it).  We did some serious site-seeing this day.  We started in the Jewish Quarter.  Next, we watched as the hour turned at the Astrological Clock, and then climbed the clock tower for great views.  Went to Wenceslaus Square, site of the Velvet Revolution in 1989, and strolled through a quiet Franciscan garden off the square.  We saw the Powder Tower again, one of the original city gates.  After lunch in a "cave", we walked back to the bridge and checked out the many statues (supposed to be 15 on each side, but some are missing).  The afternoon was a brilliant, sunny, winter day and I got some great pictures by the river. 

Most of all, we just enjoyed the beauty of the city.  While we have been to other medieval towns, I've never seen such a large city maintained in such a way.  It was lovely!  It was also a definite tourist destination.  Lots of languages being spoken (but, fortunately for us, most people also speak English).  We ended up with dinner at a nearby Czech pub, and had some good pancakes made from cabbage, ham, and potatoes - tasty (yes, had a beer also - only a few $ for 50 ml, compared to 10€ in Paris!).  In the evening, we walked along the river, and saw the "Dancing House".

On our last day, clouds returned, but no rain.  We returned to the Charles Bridge and crossed to Prague Castle.  We toured St. Vitus, and then St. George's Basilica, and the Golden Lane.  We were a bit disappointed that the Palace itself was not open that day.  We walked down from the end of the castle past Wenceslaus vineyards to the Senate building (in Valdstejn Palace), and toured the gardens (along with an interesting/strange "dripstone" wall).  We warmed up over lunch in a nice place near the Anglo-American University and walked along the canal before returning to get our bags and head back to the airport (took the metro, then bus - good way to go for less than $2 / person).  All in all, a successful weekend!

Doriss Girls and Féerie

Hi - it's been a busy week for us.  Our friends Pearl and Dave Miller arrived from Tucson last Saturday, and tonight is our first quiet evening since then.

We started right away, taking a walk through the mist and rain to the Eiffel Tower and then Invalides.  We picked up some ravioli, sauce and antipasti at a specialty store on Belles Feuilles that we have wanted to try, and made a meal of it at home that evening. 

Sunday, we were pleasantly surprised by warm, sunny weather.  Later, it was described as a "forced march", but at the time I just considered it a normal Paris weekend walkabout.  We started with a walk up to Arc de Triomphe and then along Champs Elysees.  Since the sun was out, it was quite a bit busier than most of our other walks.  When we got to Concord, we took a left to Madeleine and checked out the church.  We stopped at the Pinacothèque de Paris to see a special Van Gogh exhibit.  The idea behind the 40 or so paintings was to show the influence of Japanese art on Van Gogh.  There were some nice pieces, and the way they showed the influential Japanese work next to the Van Gogh was interesting.  You could see the similarities.  We stopped for lunch near Garnier Opera, and then headed down to the Louvre.  Tuileries Gardens was crowded due to a special weekend exhibit of artwork throughout the gardens and near the Grand Palais.  We returned home, walking along the river.  Along the way, we pointed things out and showed them how to get around for their return trips to the museums. 

For the rest of the week, the Millers would explore Paris on their own during the days and we would go out together each evening.  Our big night out was to Moulin Rouge.  I had purchased tickets for the 9:00pm show, with champagne (as opposed to the 11pm show).  We went to Montmartre early to walk up to Sacre-Coeur first.  While there, a group of nuns started singing (more like chanting).  It was quite lovely and soothing.  We had a restaurant recommendation (Le Relais de la Butte) which turned out to be perfect - quiet, inexpensive, and good food.  After dinner, we walked through the busy crowds on rue des Abbesses and rue Lepic (which made our restaurant choice even nicer), and queued for our entrance to Moulin Rouge. 

We were told that it didn't matter if you arrived earlier or later- seats are assigned ahead and you don't get to choose.  The floor was full - no empty seats that I could see.  And our table was off to the side, stage left, and had only one other table between us and the stage.  The only bad part was that we were crowded in, and Dave and my backs were to the stage.  The girls, on the other side of the table had great seats!  It was OK - we could sit sideways and see most everything.  The show "Féerie" featured some 20 or 30 beautiful "Doriss Girls" (dancers, sort of like Rockettes but with less clothes) and about 10 guys (they don't have a name as far as I could tell).  They all sing and dance.  There were about 4 or 5 segments to the show.  One was a circus, one was a North African harem sort of thing, one was "modern" times.  But the best was... the can-can (of course).  Also, in between segments, there were some individual acts - a juggler (that juggled ping pong balls with his mouth), a couple male gymnasts, and a mime.  These were all really good.  We really enjoyed the show!

Our last evening, we went for a nice meal at Le Bistrot d'Henri in the 6th. Debbie and I had been there once before, and liked it.  We had a great meal (bœuf bourguignon for me, salmon for the ladies, pork for Dave) and stopped at Trocadero on the way home to see the tower at night.  Overall, a great week (but tiring!). 

Rainy days in Paris

I think it has rained every day in October so far.  I'm told it has been like November - and that one can look forward to continued grey skies until spring.  Now when I go to work, it is dark (streetlights still on), an when I come home it is twilight. 

Debbie and I had to adjust our plans after last Saturday - we opted for more indoor activities.  Of course, you have to go outside to get to the indoor activities, but we thought chances of getting soaked would still be less.  Here's a quick review of activities.

Last Sunday, we skipped the open-air craft markets and went to the Louvre (along with everyone else who thought it would be a good rainy day activity).  We got their early enough that we didn't really wait very long to enter.  Once inside we went to the Islamic Art section right away.  This is a new section, just openned, and features a ceiling that is supposed to be like a flying carpet.  I liked it!  Then we saw some of the main attractions (Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, Winged Victory), after which we headed to the Sully and Richelieu wings which are less crowded overall.  In this way, we avoided the bulk of the crowds.  It was fine - other than retracing our steps a few times because part of the Sully was closed and you couldn't get to the next wing without returning.  At the Louvre, one of the main attractions is just the building itself anyway.

Sunday evening, we had made reservations at La Fontaine de Mars, not far from the Eiffel Tower.  We met a coworker and had a nice French dinner (Debbie had a good confit de canard, and I tried cassoulet - traditional south France stew of white beans, duck, sausages and tomato - very tasty).  While there, we noticed a plaque on the wall near our upstairs table that indicated that President Obama and his wife ate there in 2009.  That helps explains the popularity (and many American voices)!  The rain had stopped so we walked home past the tower, all lit up and as empty as I've seen it.  The rain had even kept the tourists away!

Debbie had a busy week.  She had her usual activities of knitting group, yoga and homeless feeding.  But she was also invited to a charity event outside Paris.  An acquaintance from feeding owns a B&B in a small town on the RER A line, and hosted the event.  Debbie took the train out to Le Vésinet, and spent the day there.  She thought the town was nice (found a good store for purses!), and enjoyed the company.  Similar to our first visit to Paris in 2009, it seems that you start to make connections and get into the swing of things after summertime. (And then it's time to leave!)

Meanwhile, my routine has been stable.  I either work from the apartment or go into the IFS office in Courbevoie.  Mostly, I prefer to go to the office as it is fun to get to know the people there.  I also can make a point of touching base with people on the project periodically.  I usually try to have lunch with some of them once a week.  And this week, we even got together for Thai food one evening.  It's strange for me to basically be working on my own here - a big part of the fun of being here is being with a group and doing things together.  It does sound like at least one of the IFS UK team will be returning in a couple weeks, but I think we'll be working separately.  Either way, it will be nice to have someone around to have a beer with! 

Au revior!