L'Institut Vatel

My last week in Paris was eventful in the sense that I think I went out every night - it was exhausting! My colleagues took very good care of me! I have never had a send off like this. I started the week with friends at Livio (my favorite Italian in Nueilly), then at Chez Janouz in the Marais. But the ultimate meal was mid-week at L'Institut Vatel - this is a culinary school. It is named after the person that managed the kitchen and events for King Louis (I forget which one). He had such passion for his work that he killed himself when the fish was not delivered for a big event. (Now, I was told this story - it's just hearsay, you know).


But I can vouch for the institute and the meal! We had a group of 14 or so from both my company and the client. There was a special menu - "Chris Farewell", with starter of Ceviche or Foie Gras, and plates of Ris de Veau (veal), Fricassee de Homard (lobster), or Filet de Boeuf (steak). After the meal, there was an assortment of formages (cheese), and finally le chariot des desserts (about 15-20 dessert choices). It was excellent food, and also nice to be with the group I've worked with. Yes, I took all the deserts (and no, I didn't eat all of them completely - just tried a bite of each). It was a memorable night!


Then on Thursday, the "Order to Cash" team I've been working most closely with took me to lunch! Friday, the office had breakfast pastries and juice for me! It was all a bit overwhelming. I can say that I've never had such hospitality from a customer before. I was tempted not to leave, and see if I could get the treatment again a month later or so!


I spent my last Saturday in Paris taking a long walk through the most famous sights of the city. I left in the morning, followed the river to the Louvre, through Tuiliries, Place de Concorde, Champs Elysees to Arc de Triomphe, then to the Trocadero and Eiffel Tower. I got home in the evening to finish what was left of food in the apartment and reminisce on the last 6 months. It was an amazing experience - once in a lifetime opportunity that I was lucky to have.

It's a bit sad to wander Paris on your own on your las day - definately an experience best shared. But I'll close with quotation from Hemingway (I recommend A Movable Feast - read it while you're in Paris): "That was the end of the first part of Paris. Paris was never to be the same again although it was always Paris and you changed as it changed... There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it."

Au revoir.

Old and New

In case you've been following, you may have noticed no updates in the last couple weeks. Well, my computer crashed on Tuesday night 10/23 a week and a half before I returned to the US. So no updates. Still unsure if I'll be able to recover anything on it (which means I may loose one weekend of pictures - oh, and some work stuff!)

Just to catch us all up a bit, I had just 2 weeks left in Paris after returning from the US. I tried to do as much as possible during the time. But I found that I just couldn't sustain the pace (you can only go to so many museums, and eat out so many times!).

I wanted to get back to the Louvre, and also see the Pompidou. Saturday was rainy - a perfect day for the Louvre. It was a bit crowded, but I chose to skip the most popular wings and spend more time in the Sully looking at French masters - Hubert Robert, Jean-Honore' Fragonard, Decamps, and Eugene Delacroix. Took lunch in a cafe in the Richelieu wing, overlooking the courtyard. Once again, I closed the place down after about 6 hours wandering around. It is easy to spend lots of time, and even see new things. (I did swing by Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo - just seemed like the right thing to do.) After spending the day, I walked around Palais Royale and Comedie Francaise a bit and then took the #1 metro back to the Marais - it was crushed. Just did what I always do - cram in there shoulder to shoulder (or whatever). You know, before coming to Paris, the guide books suggest taking a money belt and beware of pick-pockets. After more tight metro rides than I can remember, I never saw or encountered anything like that. I don't think it's any different than anywhere else.

I decided to return to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner - Le Petit Marche'. I arrived at about 7:30 and was told that the kitchen didn't open until 7:45. So I occupied myself with a kir outside while I waited. Had the same waitress as on Debbie and my original visit (who spoke good English - so I could talk to her a bit). I had another good meal there, but it's not quite the same when you're alone. One thing I noticed is that there are not many single diners out there in Paris. It's not like in the US where you see business people out eating alone. Most everyone in the cafe, bistro, brassiere, etc. are in couples or groups. You can have a nice dinner, but I recommend you find a place with an interesting view if you're alone!

On Sunday I went to church (and learned that they set the clocks back an hour on Oct 25 - a week earlier than the US). While I waited for church, I strolled through a display of photos across from the Branly Museum. As you walk around Paris, you never know where you will see some cool public display of art or amusements. These photos were really interesting, indigenous photographers - I ended up late for church! I tried a different route back afterwards - took the RER C line (which goes along the river and drop you off at Notre Dame - just a change of pace). I noticed there was no line at the cathedral, so I went in (since I hadn't during my whole stay). So I got to experience Mass at Notre Dame, complete with incense and Latin (at least I think that was what it was).

I spent the afternoon and evening at the Pompidou - quite a change from the Louvre! I must say I prefer the older stuff. But, if you're in Paris for 6 months, and walk by the place almost every day, you have to go see it! There are some interesting things, but the best part of the Pompidou is the view from the top floor - especially as the sun sets. You can see the whole city. There's some Picasso and Chagall paintings that I like, but I can't get into the abstract stuff. There was a big display of Pierre Soulages, a French artist. Well, most of his work was different textures of black paint on huge canvases. I will say that there were lots of people there - I think it is quite popular. There was also a display of female artists that had all kinds of bizarre stuff! I'm glad I went, but I wouldn't go twice (at least not in 6 months!).

Sunny stroll on the Seine

Welcome back fellow travelers. I returned yesterday after a couple weeks in sunny Tucson AZ - to an overcast, drizzly Paris. I don't seem too jet lagged, but time will tell. I kept moving yesterday most of the time (did take a couple hour nap mid-afternoon). I managed to get a full night's sleep (with the aid of Excedrin PM) and was ready for Sunday.

Sunday was absolutely gorgeous! Paris seems a bit quieter in October (I guess I will learn for sure tomorrow when I take the RER). It was sunny and brisk. I wore my leather jacket for the first time going to church this morning. After church, there was a tour of the church, so I went on that. Learned this is the first American Church on foreign soil - established in 1814. I think the current location is the 3rd for the church, and was built in the late 1920's. There are 2 Tiffany windows (that were originally commissioned for a previous church site). They are the only 2 Tiffany windows outside the USA. The organ is from Beckerath in Hamburg, Germany, has 3,328 pipes, and weights 18 tons. Crazy, huh. In the evening, they were having a music program put on by the various church music groups (which include 4 choirs - adult, young adult, youth and kids choirs; and 2 different handbell groups). So I returned for that also.

In between, it was such an excellent day, I just walked. I decided to head for the Bombardier next to the Pantheon (British pub that has Sunday roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding). It is a bit of a haul, but the walk is nice along Invalides and Babylone. I was disappointed when I got there, though. The place was closed (and it's only supposed to be closed on Christmas!). They had some sort of water problem (which I could smell from outside). I didn't really have a backup plan, but I did just finish Hemingway's Movable Feast on the flight back. So I headed up rue Cardinal Lemoine to Place Contrescarpe, his old stomping grounds. There are cafes surrounding the plaza, so I just picked one and settled for croque madam (no roast beef dinner, that's for sure). There was a flea market in the square, so I just ate and watched the crowd (pictured below). Nothing of interest at the market that I could tell.

I walked back down to the river afterwards and headed back towards the church. I followed Ile de Citi on the shady north side until it ended, then crossed over to the sunny right bank. The road along the river was closed to cars, so you had lots of Parisians walking, rollerblading, cycling along. I joined the group - got a bit sun burned! By the end of the day, I think I probably put in about 8 or so miles. My legs feel like it too. Au revoir.

Back in the US of A

I left my apartment at about 8:30am on Saturday and 21 hours later emerged from the car in the driveway in Tucson - a bit groggy and worn. The initial flight from Paris was delayed about 2 hours because the radar system in Scotland that monitors our flight path was down. This cause me to miss my connection in Dallas, but I did make a later flight (just barely - last one to board). And my bags caught up with me the next night.

Well - I'm glad I don't have to do that too often. I do make the trip 2 more times in the next month, which doesn't sound great. When I consider that one of the original ideas on this project was 3 weeks in Paris, 1 week home - that would not have been good for anything except frequent flier miles! It was quite different my last trip when I flew to Boston (less than 10 hours for that - easy). I conclude that you want to live on the east coast if you plan frequent trips to Europe.

Now that I'm home, I have spent most of the week 1) in front of my computer completing my Solution Definition Documents (which I submitted yesterday - yeah!), 2) going to doctors, dentist, barber, and 3) trying to get into a sleep routine. So far, the only night I have managed to sleep past about 3 am was one with the aid of Excedrin PM and half a pitcher of margaritas. Oh yes, I have also had 2 dinners out at Leo's for Mexican food and barbecued 3 times! That was also good.

The first thing I noticed on Sunday is how wide all the streets are here - not just the main streets. Even the neighborhood streets are wider than the big streets in the Marais. Then, of course, there are mountains and a sky that goes on forever. I find that I miss the walking quite a bit. Sure it's possible to walk places, but it's not the same. First, most everyone is driving - the pedestrians are the minority by far. And as you walk, you won't pass any boulangeries, no assortment of stores for food, wine or deserts, and there are few if any outdoor cafes to take an espresso or beer. I guess that is what I noticed and missed right off. On the other hand, I have not noticed the smell of urine anywhere here!

I'm back to France a week from today - probably just as I get into proper sleeping habits again. Then 2 more weeks until I leave. I've determined that I will do something every night / day during those last weeks. No days off. I'll see how that goes for me. Stay tuned!

Beers of France

Well, fellow voyagers - I feel my time in Paris draws to a close. I packed to return to Tucson on Saturday. I will return to Paris for a few more weeks at the end of October, but then this phase of the project ends. Who knows what will happen after that. I also cleaned the apartment, washed some clothes and made my own dinner (hamburgers and canned corn!) - it's been rough since Debbie left!

As part of my cleaning, I disbanded my beer bottle collection. It was sad, but recorded for posterity. I guess it doesn't seem like so many choices for 3 months in the apartment, but I seldom bought the same beer twice. I had some good beers, and some not so good! I'd say in general that French specialty beers are a bit too fruity and carbonated for my taste, but you can get a few that are more in a Belgian tradition. I guess those were my favorite. If you're interested, Sainte Columbe, Page 24, Thomas Becket and St Rieul were all quite consistently good (especially Sainte Columbe). Hercule Stout (Belgian) and Trappistes Rochefort 10 were probably the best - but you need to take a nap after either one! Perhaps I should try to take one before my trip on Saturday! But even the bad beers had some very cool labels and bottles (one of my main selection criterion). One thing I can tell you, if you like fruit flavored beer, the French styles taste more like soda or very fermenty (if that's a word). Stay away... only one of about 8 or so was good (my professional opinion). Au revoir.

Religions of the world

Hello - today I sampled ethnic aspects of 3 of the world's major religions. Granted, it doesn't mean I indulged in theological or intellectual aspects, but I consider it a positive step all the same. I spent the morning at the American Church in Paris, getting my normal Christian dose on Sunday morning. I have enjoyed attending - it is interesting to see how a church that must draw from an audience so diverse has to work. First, they welcome everyone - I mean everyone. While it is a multi-denominational Protestant church, they want anyone who is a Christian and can speak English. Sort of adds a new meaning to "Open and Affirming".


My next experience was slightly different - the Grande Mosquee du Paris has a hammam (a Turkish bathhouse). Sunday is for men, so I went. It was a bit of a challenge since I didn't know what I was doing, but I managed. I also was lucky that one of the masseuses spoke English well. You enter through the tea house (entrance pictured above). You step through a door to the left and pay your money. You get a towel, some rubber pool sandals, and some soap and head back to a locker room. You need a Euro to put in the locker to use the key (but you get it back). You change into whatever you have (running shorts for me), then head into the steam rooms. There are 3 (sort of like the old Roman baths) - the first is warm and has some showers. The second is hot and has a high dark-blue dome ceiling. You take a plastic bucket, fill it, and dump it over the area to plan to use. There's a central area and others surrounding the room. Of course, you start to sweat immediately. Then theres the 3rd room - you can see the steam about eye level in this room. It is really hot - I went in but the drops falling from the ceiling burned a bit, so I went back to the second room.

After however long you want to go with this, you shower off and then the masseuse rubs you down with some sort of rough cloth. Makes you all pink like a new-born baby! Then you go back into the steam room for as long as you like. When you come out next, you get a massage, which was quite nice. Some sort of scented oil is used – I know the smell, but couldn’t quite place it. That lasts for 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much you pay. When it was all done, I felt quit relaxed. At this point, I returned to the showers to clean up with some sort of soap gel I received. After this, I returned to the locker room to change. I was given a cup of hot tea (in a glass) on my way out and sat in yet another little tea room while drinking the tea. I think it all went ok, except the end – I recommend you take the tea before showering and changing. Then you can cool off a bit. As it was, I needed to go outside before I could cool down. That’s my Muslim experience for the day.

My final religious experience was with Judaism. It wasn’t so theological as the ACP (that’s what they call American Church in Paris), nor so new or unusual as a hammam. It was more biological – I walked to rue du Rosiers and had a Maccabee beer and falafel special at L’As du Falafel in the heart of the Jewish quarter. I did pass the Temple on the way also! It’s what I think of as a well-rounded experience overall!

Me and Jim Morrison

Today I went to Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise to mingle with the rich and famous (dead, but rich and famous). That's me next to Jim Morrison's grave (lead singer of the Doors if you didn't know - one of my all time favorite groups, even if they weren't around very long). There were perhaps about 5 or 10 people who came over to the grave while I was there. There were 2 young girls (maybe 20 years old, but maybe not also) - one was actually singing a Doors song! I thought of a few myself (Crystal Ship for some reason - "Before you slip into unconsciousness, I'd like to have another kiss..."), but refrained from singing. My "Light my Fire" probably sounds more like Jose Feliciano anyway.

It was a very nice sunny day. A touch of fall in the air. I have wanted to get to Pere Lachaise, so I did it. I got the free map and circled the names I recognized - Balzac, Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, Delacroix, Max Ernst, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, (Jim Morrison, of course)... Then I located where the graves should be and spent a few hours walking around finding most of them. The cemetery overall was quite impressive, with a chapel, crematorium, various memorials and monuments. In particular, there were a number of memorials for Jewish deportees, and those who died in various French wars, and calamities. It was nice because it wasn't so busy as most places - quite peaceful.

I had thought of maybe going to Montparnasse Cemetery also, but was done in by Lachaise. Instead I opted for Jardin du Luxembourg and seeing the special exhibit of Tiffany glass at the Musee du Luxembourg. The park was quite full due to the nice weather. And the exhibit was very nice, but I was surprised it was basically two rooms, so not too much. You could see it all in about 20 minutes - and it was expensive (more than the Louvre). Well, I wanted to go. But there are 2 Tiffany windows in the American Church in Paris, and I can see them for free.

On my journey back to the apartment, I stopped at 3 different cafes - once in Luxembourg (I was going to eat, but the waiter didn't really wait on me so I had a glass of wine and left). Once on the way down to the river where I had an omelet and beer. And finally in Place Dauphine for a coffee (that was the best). Au revior.

Smells of Paris

Bonsoir - a week without Debbie now. And the only night I've gone out for dinner was one night with co-workers from IFS. I went with my hat in my hand in the morning and asked if I could join them! We did go to my favorite Italian place (Livio in Neully) - so that was good!

Otherwise, it continues to cool off. Nights are in the high 40's now and it is usually in the low-mid 70's during the day. But skies have been clear, and it has been very nice. On Thursday, I did go out a second time. I attended a dinner / study thing at the American Church in Paris. It was a nice meal, but the discussion was VERY intellectual! That after a week of running workshops at work! It was all about science, evolution and religion! Ouch. Well, it was interesting to listen to, and also fun to sit with 3 flight attendants from United Airlines who were here overnight, walking around, and just decided to come in for dinner and check it out! You never know who you might encounter...

So, I have been thinking a while about what sort of experience it is here. It is a sensory circus for sure - the sights, of course. But actually, you cannot overlook the sounds and smells also. I tend to take those things for granted usually, but even if you don't hear things (that others tell you - I've been accused of that) or don't have a keen sense of smell, you cannot help but notice the sounds and smells of Paris.

Smells - first thing in the morning, it is damp, something you don't often get in Tucson - sort of a basement smell. You walk along to towards the train and will probably notice a urine smell (and hope it was a dog). This is usually aggravated by the cleaners who are spraying down the roads. The garbage containers by the road (similar to those in Tucson), usually are not too bad unless the neighbors have been having fish the night before. I walk by a boulangerie and enjoy the smell of fresh bread and rolls (frequently stopping for pain au raisin). As you get closer to Les Halles, it opens up until you step onto the escalator down to the RER. Suddenly, it gets much warmer and the damp turns to moist (think Florida). By the time you reach the train, it's a bit like before the coolness of a monsoon in Tucson. As you gather with the crowd to file onto the train, it gets tight. You hope for perfume, but sometimes that doesn't quite work out. Then you just hope for cleanliness and deodorant. While you are on the train, it is almost always quite crowded (I was told it is the busiest metro line in the world). So you can just imagine what that can be like. And it has always been warm enough to make me sweat! Once you get to La Defense, one of the best smells is just getting back out into the fresh air. Of course, you must first break through the second hand smoke as everyone lights up when they leave the metro (same thing outside any restaurant you may walk by). It is hard to continue to exhale long enough to get away! Later, after returning to the apartment, sometimes, the Taxi Juane restaurant across the street provides some mouth-watering smells. Those can be off-set by the probably-traditional Chinese cooking coming from the back windows of the apartment. I can take care of that by opening a bottle of rouge from Nicolas and heating some quiche in the oven! Of course, as you pass the various stores on Rue Rambitou, you get the roasting chickens, the cheeses, the pastries, and the cafes. And after a nice meal, there is nothing like the smell of the espresso (which is worth it even if it cost $2 for about 3oz)!

I don't know if that gives an idea, but I know that I will recall the smells of Paris (both good and bad). They have made a impression! Au revoir.

Fall in Paris

Bonsoir - the weather is changing and days are getting shorter. It is now dark when I rise and by 8pm or so. We've had some days that required coats with highs below 70F. But this last weekend was Indian Summer - sunny and perfect t-shirt weather. Debbie and I had a final day before she returned to Tucson on Sunday. We had both lunch and dinner out!

It is also a special weekend in Paris - not sure what the proper name is, but many government buildings are open to the public (ones that usually are not). Also, many museums are free - we took advantage going to the Musee de Cluny (museum of medieval art) on Saturday. This was different, as the building used to be a Roman bath house. It is supposed to be the northern-most remaining bath house. I did feel a bit like I was back in Rome - it is much more open and airy than most historic buildings here. There were also some good tapestries (the "Lady and the Unicorn" is the theme). There were pleasant gardens around the museum also. We joined a colleague from work and his girlfriend for lunch. Olivier lives in the same area as us (the Marais) and we have met him and Joelle once before. Originally, Olivier provided us with info about where to eat and shop. Now, he is asking for our list! We went to a Salon de The' (tea) L'Ebouillante for lunch and had some North African crepe-like things filled with vegetables and cheese. Pretty good stuff.

Sunday, I took Debbie to the airport (about my 4th trip there in the last few weeks). Basically, you must leave our apartment about 3 hours before the plane departs to get through everything. It really makes me miss the 1 hour I needed to plan on in Tucson. I had also made a short trip to London Luton airport last Thursday to get my passport stamped. Deb and my 3 months "tourist" period in France ended this weekend - hence Debbie's departure and my trip. You must leave France and return if you go beyond the 3 months (provided you don't have paperwork to allow you to stay longer). My trip was on EasyJet (a British discount airline). I have now flown on Ryan Air, EasyJet and Southwest - I must say that Southwest has their act together best of the 3 (of course limited experience on the other 2).

Anyway, after Debbie leaving, I was a bit depressed, so I kept busy with activities. Went to service at the American Church of Paris ("Praise and Glory" style at the late service). Then off to the Musee de la Marine at the Trocadero. I wasn't so impressed with the museum (unless you like models of ships - which are pretty elaborate), but the Trocadero is interesting. You have an excellent view of the Eiffel Tower from across the river. And there are fountains and gardens that are picturesque. Most interesting is the people-watching. I saw 3 different protests going on (against nuclear weapons, for the Tamil Tigers - which is interesting by itself, and against China for some human rights issue). I recommend going just to sit and watch. I hope to return in the evening to watch the tower light up!

From there, I went to Invalides to the Musee de L'Armee (Army). I have been before, and what I really wanted to see again was Napoleon's tomb. There was something new that I enjoyed also - a section on Charles de Gaule that covered his history (very modern with lots of special effects). And who doesn't get tired of seeing army stuff - guns, tanks, etc.? I do get a bit tired of the swords and uniforms from the olden days! In the end, I didn't get home until about 7pm, stopping at the boulangerie Vincent for a hot dog mutard (with mustard - this has 2 hot dogs inside a baked roll with mustard - a little different than at the ballpark), a pomme (apple) crumble, a half baguette, and an Orangina (orange soda that taste more like OJ than normal orange soda - a good thirst-quencher). I think my meals will be a bit different without a dinner partner!

All for now. Cheers.

St Michael, Crosses and Lilies

Bonjour - it is time to catch up a bit. Emilee has just left on the RER for the airport and returns to DC. It has been a busy and quick week. On Monday, we picked up a rental car in La Defense from Avis (and a Tom-Tom GPS) and headed for Normandy. We took the "motorway" (can't call it a freeway, as overall we paid about 20 euros in tolls), and then some back roads all the way to the far side of Normandy to Le Mont St Michel (above). Our pilgrimage to this ancient 8th century abbey took us along a causeway, surrounded on all sides by mud flats at low tide. We were instructed that our parking space would be under water by 20:00 (8pm) - tide rises 50 ft in this area! Good thing we arrived by 2pm. There is a town below the abbey with hotels, restaurants and tourist traps. After a quick lunch, we headed to the abbey, built in 708A.D. and dedicated the Archangel Michael. It is quite an extensive abbey with spectacular views. It's hard to imagine it being a working abbey for over 1000 years, even to this day. After the revolution, it was converted into a prison (mostly for religious authorities that wouldn't renounce their religion - doesn't that seem a bit ironic to put clergy in a place like Mont St Michel?). And today, I didn't see any monks, just tourists like us.

While the town and abbey were extremely cool, it was probably cooler to be outside and just looking at it. Debbie and Emilee pulled their shoes off and hiked out into the mud. As I had brought only my one pair of shoes, I didn't (but probably should have). Em got some fine pictures - stay tuned for the monthly web upload. We left as the shadows extended in the evening, and enjoyed the affects on the abbey. The ideal situation would be to actually spend the night on the island to see it at sunrise and set. But our hotel room was about an hour or so back east in the small town of Bayeux. We arrived before dark and spent the night in the centrally located Hotel le Bayeux. We walked for a late dinner to l'assiette Normande (a sample of Normandy). The next morning, we took a couple hours to visit the Bayeux Cathedral and the famous Bayeux Tapestry. The tapestry was created to depict the story of William conquering the English under Harold at Hastings in 1066. It is an 11th century newsreel! It was in very good condition, and again hard to comprehend how something can be so old and survive.

We didn't want to spend too much time in Bayeux as our real objective for the day was to take Omaha Beach. We piled into our black Opel Corsa (which I liked quite a bit - rode smoothly on the motorway, handled well on small roads, diesel fuel, 5-speed stick shift, and not too uncomfortably small - for the driver at least). We headed for Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument. This is a point on a cliff that 300 Rangers assaulted on D-Day. Less than a third survived only to find that the big guns they were attacking had been moved and replaced with decoys. The area has the remains of bunkers and a monument to the Rangers.

We continued on to Vierville-Sur-Mer. Had lunch at Hotel du Casino overlooking some of the Omaha beachhead and then on to the American Cemetery and Memorial. The Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach - it's what you see at the end of Saving Private Ryan with all the white marble crosses and Stars of David. It is a beautiful and peaceful place. But it marks the final resting place of almost 10,000 Americans. On the hour, there are chimes that play military anthems and American anthems. The beach itself is wide and sandy - a perfect resort-type beach. There was a fly by of a couple British jets, perhaps on their way over to Gold or Sword Beach. And finally, at 6pm the Flag is lowered as taps were chimed. It was all quite moving - hard to relate to a time when people pulled together and sacrificed so much (at least that's how it seems to me). After seeing things that are thousands of years old, this is only 65 years removed.

Stay with me now... We left the Memorial as it closed and made another long drive east across Normandy to Honfluer - a picturesque seaside town at the mouth of the Siene across from Le Harve. Along the way, we got some bum information from Tom-Tom - he kept trying to direct us onto a motorway using an entrance that didn't exist! No worries though, we made it to our Hotel Monet once again before dark. We had dinner in a cafe next to the Vieux Bassin (old harbor), were attacked by mosquitoes, and walked around the town as the moon rose. Quite pretty. The next morning, we explored just a bit and checked out Ste. Catherine's (an unusual church made entirely of wood - only one I've seen like it). When you walk inside, it looks like a couple of large overturned wooden ships.

We didn't spend much time there as our goal for the last day was Monet's Gardens in Giverny. This was our shortest driving day - only about an hour to Giverny, and less than an hour back to Le Defense. We got to Giverny at lunch time. Skies were grey, but not dark, and the gardens were fantastic. While the flowers were a bit past their prime, it was still impressive. And the Japanese Garden, willow and water lilies look a lot like his paintings! Imagine that! We spent about 3 hours strolling and taking pictures before returning to Paris, worn out and trying to digest all we had seen during the 3 days!

In retrospect, this week of September was a perfect week to see Normandy. We didn't hit any crowds (not even at Monet's or Mont St Michel). The weather was fine. Traffic was light. Hotel rooms were available at good rates. It was all excellent. I think it would have been good to have one more day for D-Day beaches and museums. We only saw a small part of this. But certainly no complaints! Au revoir.

Monet on Sunday

We are back in tourist mode this weekend. Emilee arrived yesterday and it is the first Sunday of the month. That means museums are free - well at least some museums.

Yesterday, we went over to the left bank and through some areas new to us. Some near St Michel were new for us, even though we've been there a number of times. We found a number of small streets that have lots of Greek restaurants (where we had our lunch/dinner at about 4pm). Then we went to another new area southeast of the Pantheon - where Hemingway and Joyce first lived in Paris. Place de la Contrascarpe is a small, busy plaza with lots of cafes and restaurants nearby. In Hemingway's A Movable Feast, he described the area as a "cesspool" - clearly no longer that way. It seems like school is back in session - lots of college age people back on the left bank. And the Bombardier (a British Pub we've been to a couple times, next to the Pantheon) was too busy to stop for a beer! Seems like you could spend many weeks just exploring different areas of town. For every interesting area I've seen, there are probably 10 or 100 that I've never heard of or seen!

Today, we did some museums. We learned of the Musee Marmottan a week or so ago, with its collection of Monet and more. It's in the 16th Arrondissement, all the way over by the forest (Bois de Boulongne). Quite a nice and peaceful area! Much different than our neighborhood! We knew when we left the metro, walked down rue de Passy past older people sipping their coffee - we were not in the Marais or les Halles any longer. Large, stately buildings and wide boulevards. So that is how some Parisians live!

The museum was very nice. But not one of the free ones on the first Sunday of the month! Ouch. One thing that was most impressive was the inside itself - a beautiful high-ceiling estate. There were also some special exhibitions that had photography. One of them had aerial shots of things like sidewalks or other common areas of Paris. Some were from La Defense. The photographer is Yann Arthus Bertrand - it was pretty interesting. After the museum, we were somewhat close to Roland Garros, so we went over to see it. You couldn't really enter the stadium, but we did get to go into the gift shop and entrance area. So we took care of another thing on Debbie's list.

Afterward we took the metro back to Concorde and had lunch at Cafe Renard in Tuileries. Then we went to l' Orangerie for just a bit more impressionism and Monet! We were museumed out! Walked home past les Halles. Once again missed our chance to shop for groceries at the Franprix of Monoplex (grocery stores) as they were all closed. This seems to happen to us quite often! So we chose quiche and tarts at Victor's Boulangerie, and tomatoes at the produce store for dinner. Tomorrow we leave for Normandy - driving from Le Defense where I've rented a car. Bon voyage!

Rentree

Bonsoir - the days are getting shorter. When I first arrived in May, it didn't get dark until after 10pm - now around 8. It doesn't help that it has been cloudy and rainy the last couple of days. Today was the first day it rained the whole way from apartment to RER and RER to the office. Fortunately, I have my trusty IFS umbrella (never got much use before I came here).

This week is "rentree" in Paris. That means that everyone returns from summer vacation and school starts. There is definitely a change. Suddenly, there are many more people on the train. The office is full. Notably, the homeless people have returned. Before August, I would see the same people in the same spots - one guy around the corner always in the same place, another guy in the subway at Les Halles who just stands at the exit doors with a cup for coins. He never moves or even blinks (like the guard at Buckingham Palace). He sort of scares me. I have not see the guy who was always at the top of the escalator in the morning when I go down to the RER. I wonder if they also go on summer holiday? Maybe move closer to the tourist sites. I don't know, but it is strange that the homeless people also disappear during August!

In addition, many of the nearby shops (butcher, boulangerie, brasserie...) were closed and have now reopened. Now I can buy a roasted chicken again or Chinese food to go. Debbie and I have settled into more of a habit of eating at home now - that doesn't necessarily mean we fix too much. So far it has been limited to pasta, hamburgers, and chicken breasts. For the most part, if we can't cook it in a frying pan or microwave, we don't do it. But, there is a pretty good selection of take out choices from ethnic places, bakeries (for quiche or pizza), and charcuteries (sort of like a French deli). This week, our dinning-in meals included lasagna, Lebanese pies, Chinese, quiche and pizza. Our going out has gradually reduced so we probably only go out a few times for dinner, and frequently someone from my work will make the trip and join us. This weekend our daughter Emilee comes, and I expect we will go out a lot more while she's here.

But don't worry - we are still trying new restaurants each week! I have a comprehensive list (along with how well we liked them). We've also been trying to collect the cards from the restaurants, and have a good collection. I wish I would have taken a picture of them also.

Our exploring has also tapered off a bit. I know our time is limited, but some weekends you just don't feel like going to another amazing and famous sight or museum! This past weekend, we did go to Sainte Chapelle, but otherwise just did some walking around. And it was nice not to have anything really planned for a change. It was Jay's last weekend here in Paris. He and I came over here together and our apartments are about a 10 minute walk apart, so it will be a bit strange to have him gone. We got together for a final meal in Paris together. He has a friend Janie visiting and now they are off to Italy before returning to the US. Au revoir, Jay.

Escalators of Paris and stained glass

Hi - today Debbie and I went to San Chapelle, and then to Printemps department store. On our way to Printemps, we took the RER from Les Halles to Auber (which is how I go to work, but never get off at Auber). So Debbie got to see the interesting les Halles area on mid-Saturday. I must say, it isn't as busy as when I come home. But the suprise was Auber - now that is a big station! We followed the signs and ended up exactly where we wanted to be on Blvd Haussmann at Printemps department store. But first we ascended perhaps 3 long escalators to leave the station. Then, once in Printemps, we took escalator after escalator to the top floor to the cafe. Paris is full of escalators - but don't always count on them. On Friday, I had to climb the stalled escalator out of les Halles (probably about 4 floors worth).

The point of this trip was because we heard that there was a stained glass ceiling in the store. We found it over the cafe on the top floor and stopped for lunch. We also took about 20 pictures trying to get an interesting and good shot of the stained glass above our image in the mirrored table top. I don't think we were so successful, but it was a bit funny anyway.

And we also started our day with stained glass at Sainte Chapelle. This was originally built by Louis IX to house the crown of thorns and pieces of the cross. It has the most spectacular stained glass of anywhere (I think). The entire south side of the chapel had had the glass refurbished, and is very impressive. Our day had some spotty clouds, and I'm not sure which is better, the clear sun or clouds. The glass looks great in both, but you can see the detail better in the clouds. The north side of the chapel has not been refurbished yet, and the difference is striking. We sat and soaked it in for quite a while.

In our journey from Sainte Chapelle to Printemps and home, we covered the full gammet of shopping experiences in Paris. Les Halles is like a mall that attracts teenagers and kids wanting to be seen. If you ask me, lots of the people there look like gang members or something. Then there's Blvd Haussmann - this is the fancy department store aread. The cafe at Printemps looks like the kind of place a grandparent would take their granddaughters to. Fancy names and high prices. As we headed home, Haussmann becomes Montemarte and leaves the high rent to become Hard Rock Cafe and movie houses. If you take a right on St Denis, you find yourself in a red light district (se passed on this). All this in about a 30-60 minute walk.
Au revoir...

Mont Blanc

Hello from the Alps. Debbie and I took a little vacation to Chamonix in the French Alps. Here's some notes I took during the trip... (I apologize in advance for the length).

Thursday: Paris to Chamonix
Up early and took #1 metro to Gare de Lyon to catch TGV to Geneva. Hot day. Used previous experience to know to validate tickets and find train track. But, when we took our seats, we found that someone else came and said we were in their reserved seats. We didn’t see where our assigned seats were marked, so thought we may not have gotten reserved seats. When a second person came to claim his seat, I checked with the conductor who was very friendly and showed where the car and seat were marked on our ticket - car 5, seats 52 and 51. No problems after that. The train started fast, but slowed as we got closer to Switzerland. Near Paris, we mostly passed open fields, maybe wheat. Then, as we got further south, the fields grew smaller and more rural looking. By the time got to Geneva, there were mostly hills, water (the Rhone, I think) and woods. Our trip to Geneva took about 3 hours. Once there, we went through a customs area, but no passport control.

We had almost 5 hours in Geneva before our bus for Chamonix left! We first found the bus station and got our tickets. Then we went back to the train station to leave our luggage in a locker. Then back to the lake and a walk along it. It was scorching, so we found some shade and food and drink and hung out. We decided to take a boat tour of the lake for an hour or so. Lots of people swimming in the lake - there’s a big area just for swimming with lifeguards and diving platforms. On the far side of the lake, there’s a big man-made “geyser” that sprays people and cools you off a bit. Our bus finally left around 5:30 pm. We took city streets out of Geneva to a freeway. If we had gone directly to Chamonix, it probably would have taken about an hour. But, we had to make some stops along the way in some pretty Alpine-like towns. So we arrived at about 7:30 pm. Found the hotel easily enough a short walk from the bus stop / train station. Checked into our Spartan room (raw wood beds and dresser - a bunk bed and a queen - biggest bed we’ve slept on in Europe!). We were recommended to an Italian restaurant Casa Valeria and had a good pizza there. Back to the room and to bed early as we planned an early rise to ascend the mountains!

Friday: Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Midi and Helbronner
We got up early to try to get to the mountain before clouds roll in (that’s what we read). Weather forecast in the hotel lobby was “Sunny and Cloudy”. It was true! We got to the lift around 7 or so and were immediately able to get on the gondola up to Plan de L’Aiguille, which is about half way up to du Midi. Plan is above the tree line and a drop off for Alpine hikers. The area is barren rock and moss / lichen. We wanted to go as far as quickly as possible, so we didn’t stop. Continued up to du Midi. This is a very cool area - supposed to be the highest place of its kind. Lots of connecting tunnels to different areas. But we still didn’t stop for longer than a coffee and roll for breakfast. Pressed on to Helbronner - you take a separate cable car to Helbronner. There are 3 4-person cars close together. When we went, there was only one other couple, so Deb and I had our own car. The cars take a 30 minute ride across glaciers into Italy (only 2 or 3 supports in all that way). We saw hikers and climbers making their way across the glacier toward Mont Blanc. However, could not see Mont Blanc due to clouds. Up to this point, weather had been sunny - now we got to cloudy. As we went over the last support, we descended into the clouds and Helbronner. When we first arrived, we could see NOTHING! Even the other end of the viewing platform was foggy. We just hung out awhile, and soon we were rewarded with some sun and clearing. The combinations of clouds and sun made for some spectacular views even if we couldn’t see Switzerland and everything. The longer we waited, the clearer and better the views. We managed to spend some time just sitting in the sun there.

Finally, we headed back to du Midi, enjoying the views over the glacier. How you can risk a hike on it with all the cracks, I don’t know. Later I learned that they ski on it in the winter (and, yes, every year a dozen or so people die in cracks). Back at du Midi, we spent lots of time just looking into the horizon - clouds and mountain peaks as far as you can see. We probably spend about a half hour or so just waiting to see if the clouds would clear from Mont Blanc (they never really did completely, but we saw it clearly the next day). It was early afternoon when we headed back to Plan de L’Aiguille. We got off for a look around, had a hot dog in a café on the mountainside, then took a short hike to Lac Bleu (blue lake). It was just a pool in the hillside, but the water was Lake Tahoe-like blue (maybe not quite so clear). A fun little excursion over Alpine hillside.

While at du Midi and Helbronner, the temperature was about freezing. We took all layers of our warm clothes to stay warm. At Plan, it was not so cold. You could manage with just some long sleeves considering the sun might be out. Meanwhile, back in Chamonix, it was toasty (maybe in the high 80’s or so). We returned to our hotel to change out of long pants and drop off coats. All this was before lunch time! We had our lunch in town at a place called Midnight Express (funny French name, huh). We read about it in our guide book, and it had good sandwiches for cheap, and Kronenburg beer for 3 euros (50ml)! It may be our cheapest meal since coming to France. We checked out stores and returned to our hotel room for a rest at about 4 or 5 pm. That evolved into a long nap for me!

When I finally got up, it was getting dark and time to go to dinner. We opted for a café in the main square of town where we saw people eating cheese fondue. We order the same. What I always realize about cheese fondue is that it tastes good at first, but soon it just overwhelms you. And if you press on for too long, it will just make you sick! We didn’t press on that long, and it did taste good. I probably won’t need it again for about 5 more years. My stomach still felt it a day later.

Saturday: hiking
We didn’t have anything really planned, so we actually slept in! We took advantage of our hotel breakfast and had coffee, tea, juice and croissants / rolls in the dinning room. One thing about the hotel is that they have a tea room from noon to 7pm, and you are not supposed to use the lobby at that time. If you are at the hotel, then you are stuck in the room. That part is not so good, but we didn’t spend so much time there. We decided to do a bit if hiking in the nearby woods. There are many trails you can hike (or mountain bike) that don’t require ascending the mountains (at least not too much). We took a trail on the opposite side of the town. Chamonix is in a valley with ranges on both side. Mont Blanc is on the south side. The ridge on the other side also has lifts and ski runs. In the summer, para-sailing is popular on this side. We hiked up from the Le Brevent ski lift to Le Petit Balcon Sud and walked along it for maybe an hour or so. The last bit was all uphill to small fantastic place called La Floria chalet (house of flowers). It is a way-station that provides views and refreshments above the valley. But, most spectacularly, it is full of flowers. The owners said they live there in the summer and each year start all new flowers again. It was a great find, and well worth the effort (even Debbie says so).

We returned from La Floria along a trail to Les Praz. All the trails are very well marked. Great hiking area! From Les Praz, we were able to hike along the Arve river (no changes in elevation!) back to Chamonix. The whole trip took us about 2 or 3 hours. We spent the rest of the day in town shopping for t-shirts and such. Came away with a new running shirt, hat for Debbie to use in the Grand Canyon, and a Chamonix t-shirt for me. Forgot to mention my new shorts which I got yesterday and wore today hiking! Lunch at a nice place - salad for me and omelet for Debbie (as we are still recovering from cheese fondue).

On Sunday, we reversed our trip, taking the bus back to Geneva, spending about 3 much cooler hours in the city and by the lake. We caught the 1:17 back to Gare de Lyon (reaching 300 kph top speed - pretty impressive!). We were home by 4:30 and eating dinner by 6! Spent the rest of the evening organizing the pictures! Wait until you see this months album!