The run

Well, I finally went for a run - first time since moving to the apartment. I took rue du Temple to the river then went the left along the bank road to the end of Paris Beach (Plage). It was good as the road is closed to traffic right now. They take everything down each night and were just setting it back up at 8am. It seems pretty involved, chairs and tables are all cleaned. Food and equipment is brought in. There is no one in the area except some runners, cyclists, roller bladers and the workers. Everything is bright, clean and quiet on Sunday morning. There's almost no one even on the islands (which are just packed in the night with parties). There was one group in an elevated swimming pool above the road that was doing sit ups it appeared (they set up a swimming pool for the beach)! The entire stretch of Paris Plage is about a mile or so.

I came back up from the river just behind the Louvre and headed back towards the Pompidou along St Honore. Not much going on, but there are an occasional bakery and Tabac shop open (mostly to sell breakfast rolls or beer to derelicts respectively). I went by the park near Les Halles - also mostly empty. It is a different perspective - as it is usually crazy busy when I'm coming home from work. Ended up walking about a quarter of the total time (mostly at the end) - far from prime running shape!

The Sorbonne

Hello - while we've been down to the left bank a few times, we never checked out the Sorbonne (Paris's historic University). We decided to do that today. While at it, we recognized a few places from previous visits. I guess that is a sign of being here for a while. The university was really not much to see - one long building with a main entrance area (I couldn't even find the bookstore to buy a t-shirt!).

Since we were in the neighborhood, we swung over to Luxembourg Garden again. This time we explored some of the perimeter. We found many people and young families lounging in on the grass (only one area open for sitting - have to stay off the grass in others). We also found basketball games, tennis, pony rides, a children's play area, and chess matches. It is a pretty eclectic park, considering you usually only think of the lovely flower gardens and statues.

We stopped at a shop on our return along rue Bonaparte and picked up some nice linen items for wedding presents. Debbie now wants to return for ourselves also. The summer sales are drawing to a close, and we did get a good deal on these (for Paris!). I like this street, there were lots of shops and such, but not such a big boulevard as most.

We returned to our apartment with a walk along the Paris Beach. Every year, they close the street along the right bank of the Seine and set up beach houses, chairs, and various food and drink tents. For the next month, this will be the Paris Beach. They even bring in sand. It was a bit busy an warm - I think we need to find a shady spot to just watch the action. There are people in beach clothes having picnics in the chairs. Pretty interesting. We also scoped some spots to watch the Tour de France riders enter the city tomorrow. We know where we will go - we'll have to see if we'll actually be able to see anything!

We also stopped today at a bar for lunch in Place Dauphine (Le Bar du Caveau). Years ago we went there with the girls when we came to Paris. That day was hot and we arrived too late for any food. I also recall needing to go get cash as they didn't take any plastic. This time, we made a point of arriving earlier. It was not so hot, we got food, and I still had to pay cash! I like the ambiance of the place (dark wood beam rafters), the French bar food (cheeses, croquet Madam, eggs and open face sandwiches), and the area is quite peaceful and calm. It's hard to believe that Notre Dame is on the same islands.

Tapas in the rain

We have settled into a bit of routine of eating at home one night and then out the next. This week we had a very good meal at a little bistro near Place des Vogues - Le Petit Marche'. We arrived at about 7:30 and joined the one other non-Parisian couple inside. We sat with Debbie's back to the kitchen, and me looking in. The kitchen was open to the room, so you can watch the chef. I don't know if that is really good or not, but he was really into the work. I notice that he was constantly tasting whatever he prepared. And it was warm, so he was getting quite a workout. Debbie had salmon and I had steak. The salmon was great, and the acompaning cucumber salad was very refreshing. I always get my beef well done (since there is nothing in between very rare and well done here, I think). It was fine and the green beans and mashed potates were superior. On top of it all, the waitress spoke very good English (says she gets to practice every day). We will probably return here. By the time we left at 9 or so, many people were waiting for a table.

Yesterday, our eat-at-home day, I picked up a roasted chicken and potatos from the butcher shop, some green beans from a Lebonese deli, and cheesecake from a specialty store (all between the metro and home). We have enough for a couple meals from that! When you get home from work at 7pm, that is my kind of cooking! I also had a St Rieul beer I got from a specialty beer store near the metro (quite nice).

And tonight, we decided to try the San Paulo tapas bar near the St Paul metro stop. We passed it the other night and it looked cool. But when we arrived, we found it was "not possible" without reservations. So, one of the guys there asked if we were looking for tapas. We said yes, so he directed us to Bodegas, a few hundred yards down the street. He told us to tell them that Brutus sent us (and we would get a free sangria - didn't really work actually, but they did know who he was). We had a meal of 4 different tapas. Deb and I hadn't gone for tapas ever before, and I think we were expecting some sort of pastry (like empanadas). Well, that isn't what we got. I tried to order stuff we would recognize (ham, chicken, cheese), but it ended up a bit of a mystery. The one thing I know, the chorizo was sausage that tasted a bit like bacon. Debbie would not go for it, so I ate it all. So far, I'm surviving. We also had a ceasar salad - not much like what we have in the US. But this did have some very good parmesean cheese flakes along with chicken and tomatos. We were just outside the restaurant, and it started to pour. They had an electric awning that kept most rain off, but I drank my espresso especially slowly until the rain let up. The best part is the area we found was new to us, and we spotted some more interesting places to try in the future. Bon apetite!

Gospel music, Invalides and Loup Blanc

It was a pretty quiet day for us. We went to the American Church in Paris and were treated to some great Gospel Music courtesy of the Gospel Choir of the Charleston SC Symphony Orchestra. Amazing Grace and more. They had the congregation out of their seats and clapping along. In the last 2 weeks, there has been some amazing music at that church. And the congregation includes all kinds of people, so that is also pretty interesting. We have had a couple of people introduce themselves, and Debbie has gone on Fridays to help prepare a meal for the needy (the feeding is not open to all - you have to sign up ahead, and then you get to go. About 60 people are fed.)

After church, we went over to Hotel des Invalides (below). This is a multi-function facility. It was originally built as a veterans hospital before the revolution. Today, it is still a working hospital, but it also is the main military museum in Paris. There is also a church (St Louis des Invalides), with a golden dome that covers Napolean's tomb. You are able to walk around the place and church at no cost, and Debbie was not too interested in the military museum (as was also the case when we came with the girls years ago). It wasn't a very nice day, so we just headed home afterwards for the afternoon. It seems like you should fill whatever free time you have with sight-seeing, but today we just hung out in the apartment. It is a bit exhausting being a tourist for 2 months straight!

We picked up a thon crudite sandwich (tuna with fixings) on the way home and went out for dinner. Another strange thing is trying to figure out what you will do for each meal. We do cook in some, but it is a pain to get groceries more than a day or so ahead (and our refrigerator is too small to handle much). I would just as soon go out usually. But then you must determine where and what for each meal (also a pain). I know this sounds crazy, but we haven't developed any really regular favorite places (plus you feel like you need to keep trying more since there are so many options). When we are in Tucson, we probably have about half dozen places we frequent. We need to find these places in Paris. So far, all our favorites have not been in our neighborhood. Yes, I know that no one feels sorry for us. Tonight we returned to a place we went once before - Loup Blanc (white wolf). It is good, but not so good or such a variety that we need to continue to go. The picture below is why I don't let Debbie take many pictures - but she laughted so hard at it, I thought others might enjoy!

Republique and Pantheon

Today, we started on the right bank, and ended on the left. I wanted to go to the Le Marche' des Enfants Rouges (a covered market not far from us), but we never found it. I don't know how we could miss it as I had the street address, but there you go... Next I wanted to go to a long skinny park that runs from Place de Bastille up to Republic. So we walked up to Place de la Republique - well, I can tell you to skip this area. Although the place is important to Parisians, it is not a nice area. And the park was nothing to visit until you get near Bastille - then it got a bit nicer. So the morning didn't start so well, but it improved.

After Bastille, there is a canal - Bassin de l'Arsenal (which typically means it was once an area where they stored weapons). It is now a marina of sorts. As we were there, a boat taxied out through the locks into the Seine. We followed and crossed the river to Jardin de Plantes - a nice park that includes the museum of natural history and a zoo. There are also lots of different plants (as the name suggests). It is a nice park and not so crowded as Luxembourg and Tuilerie Gardens. From there we walked over to the Latin Quarter and visited the Pantheon (above). It is a pretty impressive building, and also not particularly crowded. It is right next to the University of Paris, and also close to the Sorbonne - maybe students are away. It was nice to be in areas not quite as busy our neighborhood. We stopped afterwards at a pub for lunch (complete with waitress that quickly switched from French to English with the accent and all). The fish and chips, and steak pie were also a nice change of pace from baguettes and formage... We also had an excellent cheesecake for desert! I think we shall return there on a Sunday for their roast beef or lamb dinner! (And the beers are cheaper than most Paris locations!)

If you already, looked at the last post for Bastille Day, check it again for a picture of the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. Cheers.

Bastille Day

Hi - Happy Bastille Day! I took my 4th of July holiday today. Last night Debbie and I went to Place de la Bastille for music and dancing (we didn't do too much dancing, and probably left around 11pm before the party really got going). A few fun things to know - first we arrived to the sound of drums. There was a band playing, but the show was stolen by a group that was dressed in colorful red and white outfits who played just drums. A crowd gathered round them and cheered them on for maybe 10 or 15 minutes while we were there. Then they stopped, took about an hour or so break before starting again. They were popular - the players were both men and women and various ages. I have to ask if there is some significance to it.

Then we hung and listened to the the Jay Murple Memorial band (I think) - a fun combo of jazz and reggae sounds. Some lyrics in English (which sounded strange). The crowed grew and became more animated. There were food and drink stands (and fresh churned ice cream). It was not so crowded that you didn't have any room, which was nice. Just before the band quit playing, we saw a little old man and lady dancing near us - I think they must have been around 80, but they still had it! The big thing tonight is dancing at the Fire Stations. As we returned along rue St Antoine towards our apartment, we encountered a huge line - maybe a few hundred people - I think they were waiting to get into one of the Fire Houses for dancing. I must admit that the firemen in the parade today (right across from us looked pretty tired). Considering all, it was a pretty quiet night in our neighborhood!

This morning, we met Jay and took the metro down to George V stop (which is along the Champs Elysees) to watch the big parade. It was quite crowded, especially getting out of the metro. We didn't have a great vantage point, and in the end we stepped back rather than jam into the front of the crowd. And we learned that most of the marching was done closer to Concorde than where we were. While that was disappointing, we did get to see President Sarkosy drive by us (followed by the horses you see below). We saw military vehicles, fire engines and police motorcycles. We also saw the airplane flyovers, which are always good. We walked back, stopping along the way for coffee and tea. We saw lots of the military who were in the parade - still in their fancy uniforms meeting family or friends. While having coffee, we saw the grand finale of helicopters and sky divers. A memorable time. Tonight, we go again this time to watch fireworks set off from the Eiffel Tower (a special display commemorating 120th anniversary of the tower, I think).

Water Lillies - Les Nympheas

Today we went to the American Church in Paris - took the #13 metro the wrong way so ended up a few minutes late. We liked the service (with a number of familiar hymns), and even met a few people. The last 2 Fridays, Debbie has gone to prepare meals with some of the people, so she knew a few. And, she has now learned of some activities that she may help with later this summer. Another rather amazing thing are the guest choirs they have each Sunday. Today's was a youth choir from St. George's College in Weybridge, Surrey UK (11 to 18 years old). Quite excellent! Next week is the Gospel Choir of Charleston (didn't say which Charleston).

Afterwards, we made our way to l'Orangerie. This museum is on the edge of the Tuilerie Gardens (on the far end from the Louvre). It is quite small and dedicated to Monet's Water Lilly paintings (from his gardens in Givirney). It was closed when we were last in Paris, so this was our first visit. The museum has been renovated to display the canvases in two oval rooms. You are surrounded! We saw pictures from Monet's studio, in which he presented them the same way. It was really fabulous! Not too many people are admitted at any one time, so you can really appreciate the works without huge crowds (unlike the Mona Lisa at the Louvre). Here are a couple shots. Unfortunately, it was an overcast day while we were there, so the natural lighting in the rooms was not as good as it might be. It was quite nice, regardless.

They also had a very impressive special collection from early 1900's (owned by the Paul Guillaume estate) that included Renior, Picasso, Cezanne, and others. Afterwards, we wandered back on the north side of the Louvre along St Honore', stopping for lunch and a Belgian beer in a cafe. Very pleasant day for us.

Fontainebleau

Hello from the popular "hunting lodge" of French royalty - Fontainebleau. We met some more friends from Tucson today (John and Linda, who had a car), and drove the 60 miles or so to Fontainebleau. We spent about 3-4 hours touring the chateau, and later the grounds. And finished off with a nice lunch nearby. The weather was overcast, but mild. The Chateau is MUCH less crowded than its famous cousin Versailles, which made for very nice wandering in and outside the chateau. Fontainebleau is also not nearly so overwhelming as Versailles - it seems to be less ornate and fancy. There were some sections that were in need of repair, and others that were very nice - but no Hall of Mirrors. Towards the end of the tour inside, we saw some exquisite tapestries and fabrics on beds, chairs, etc. These last rooms were the sitting rooms and working areas of Marie Antoinette (who, while the room was made for her, never got the chance to use it), or Napoleon and Josephine - pretty impressive.

Outside, the grounds were very nice, but once again not the same magnitude as Versailles. All, in all, I did like Fontainebleau equally as well just because it was so empty and calm seeing it. I could have spent more time on the grounds, as we only covered a small part of the gardens. But what we saw was great. Also, it was nice to escape Paris for the day and visit with friends again. So far, in the 3 weeks here, we've seen 3 sets of visitors, but John and Linda are the last on the schedule. So we are on our own now! The following are some shots from the chateau... Notice how empty in the long hall of Francios 1. Napoleon's throne room, ceiling shot and the library.

French Coffee Machine

You put your .30 Euro's in (.40 if you want fair trade coffee), or you can use a credit/ debit card. You press the + or - (you get 3 sugars, so minus if you don't want sweet coffee). Press the coffee selection (short, tall, cafe au lait, cappuccino, green tea, chocolate, etc.) It grinds away and makes a small cup of coffee in about 15 seconds. Then you stand around the machine with the others you came with and talk until you have finished (maybe 10 or so minutes). Throw your small plastic coffee cup into recycling and return to work. You do this about twice a day. When I explain in the US that you get your coffee and return to work, the French say that is why the US is so productive!

If this doesn't work for you, stop at Starbucks before work and get a Venti (just like in the US).

Left Bank Meanderings

Hi - we spent the weekend wandering around the left bank. We explored the haunts of famous writers - Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Orwell, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, James Joyce. Explored is a bit strong - mostly we walked around, read our guidebook and snapped pictures of non-descript buildings. We did see some interesting places, but they were mostly not on the tour! Visited a couple of churches - St Germain and St Sulpice (of de Vinci Code fame), and a fancy craft fair in front of St Sulpice. We also saw Pablo Picasso's residence (of some 19 years), and the location where England acknowledged America's Independence (Hotel d'York), witnessed by Ben Franklin and John Adams (seen on the 4th of July no less). What is shown in the guidebook as a 7km, 3 hour walking tour - we did about half in around 5 hours. I guess we aren't too efficient.

While in the area, we made the trip to the Luxembourg Gardens - quite beautiful. The Palace is now the home of the French Senate. The gardens were busy with people either out int the sun, or hiding in the shade (that would be me). There's a big pond that you can rent toy sailboats and send them out - who knows where it will come to port. We sat for a while before returning home. It was another hot day and we were worn out by evening. We met Jay at an Italian restaurant for dinner.

On Sunday, we had a lazy morning just hanging out and looking at the AZ Daily Star on line. We then met Debbie's cousin Eliza, her husband Nathan, and his mom for lunch. Eliza and Nathan live in England at Oxford where she has been in school. Nathan works with a company that consults to shipping operations. They are here for a few days to show Susan (his Mom) and her friend (also Susan) around Paris. We met for lunch on the left bank at Bar du Marche and wandered back to the Lourve and Tuileries Gardens. I was able to demonstrate my new-found knowledge about where Oscar Wilde was born & died (one of our stops on the previous day). Another warm day. The plan is to meet again for dinner tomorrow night. Debbie might also hang with them the next couple days as they leave on Wednesday. Quite interesting that we have been here 2 weeks and have already had 2 sets of visitors! And, although it has been only 2 weeks, it seems much longer!

RER and Football!

Just a short note tonight. My first day on the RER. While shorter, it is crowded with business people and takes a bit longer to walk to. More importantly, I must figure out how to get out when I return at night! The station is Les Halles/Chatelet, which exits into a big shopping mall in downtown Paris. I was a bit challenged finding the proper exit, and ended up in the middle of the mall in an outside courtyard. I will say the ride home was much less crowded than the ride to work! I am proud that I was able to get my own navigo card and use it for the RER.

But never mind that. The coolest thing today was going to an "urbanfootball" club. Work has a tournement going on right now, and our ERP project has a team. No, I am not on the team, although I think I could do ok (if I wouldn't hurt myself). We had a team of mostly young guys and there was a tournement. All the teams were from work. The "fields" are indoors and are about the size of a basketball court. There were 4 fields. You play off a wall that is about 3 feet high. If you kick above that, there's a net and it is out. There are 5 players on a side (including the goalie). You play 10 minute games and see who scores. You play 3 games. If you loose 2, you are out. (We lost our first one). The team name is "Let's be together", because that's what management says for the ERP project, I got a t-shirt out of the deal! One thing that was quite fun was the cheering. Most all the ERP group went to support the group. We all got t-shirts with "Let's be together" on them. When you cheer in France you say "AAH-li,li,li,li....". So if Thierry gets a good shot, everyone yells "Thierry aahh li,li,li,li". And some of the women in our group can really yell this loudly! Anyway, that was the best part. It is a fun group! I didn't have my camera for any pictures, but some were taken. If I get one, I'll post it.

The other fun thing was taking the Tram. Paris has some newer transport - trams. These are above ground and very new and clean. You just walk on and off. We only had to take it from Le Defense to the next town of Puteaux (a quiet, pretty, hilly area). Then we walked to the sports center. The trams cicumvent the city. They would be a nice way to commute, but not if you want to be in the middle of Paris!