Des Egouts de Paris

The Sewer Tour - today we took a walking tour with a guide through Paris's Sewer Museum.  Yes - you go down into the top level of the sewers.  And, yes - it is stinky.  But I have wanted to do it for a while, and going with the guide was nice to hear all about it.  We started above ground near the Seine and discussed how the river originally was the sewer.  How it was used for various commercial ventures such as washing and tanning.  How it was so polluted during medieval times.  And how it was also the source of drinking water for Parisians!

It all changed with Napoleon III and Haussmann.  They not only developed the large boulevards above the surface, but also the network of sewers below - about 600 kilometers by 1878.  Our guide told us how Paris's celebrated sewers became such a showplace that they hosted visitors in small barges to view the works.  We learned how the person actually responsible for creating the network, Eugene Belgrand, took advantage of the natural slope of Paris and gravity to drain to the Northwest.  He also determined how to use oval shaped viaducts for maximum flow.  Our guide, Chris, told us of the roll the sewers played in literature and history - they had important rolls during the revolution and wars as passages and also means of communication.  Noblemen with swords would ditch them in a sewer if they encountered revolutionary police, and then try to recover them later from the sewer workers.  Nowadays, if you loose your keys down a sewer, the French have a special group that will retrieve them for you within 1/2 hour (so Chris says - don't think I'll test it).

Chris explained how separate channels can be used for heavy rainfall run-off, separate from actual sewage.  And, he indicated that there is a 4 year waiting list to become a sewer worker - who works 6 hours/day for a premium wage and is eligible to retire after 20 years with a 60% pension  Today, the Seine is once again fairly pristine.  It is monitored constantly, and even salmon have once again appeared in the river.  A portion of the city gets its drinking water from the Seine today.  All in all, pretty interesting.  But, unlike the Louvre and D'Orsay, I don't think I'll need to visit des Egouts Museum again!

Cheers.

Saturday in Chartres

Bonjour - Debbie and I took the train from Gare Montparnasse to Chartres on Saturday to visit the medieval Cathedral of our Lady of Chartres.  It was about a 1hour train ride to the south west, stopping at maybe 5 or 6 places along the way.  Once there, it was a short walk from the train station to the cathedral - which you can easily see from anywhere in town.

The cathedral is renown for a number of reasons - it was rebuilt after being destroyed in a fire in 1194.  The rebuilding took a relatively short 30 years, which resulted in uniformity and architectural consistency not usually found - a great example of Gothic architecture.  It is also famous for its 172 large stained glass windows, and especially for the rich blues (known as Chartres Blue) - most all are 13th century originals.  The use of flying buttresses allows for the large number of windows, which in turn provides more light inside.  Many of the windows have been refurbished and have brilliant colors. 

Also famous is the Chartres Labyrinth - which provides a 260 meter walk toward enlightenment.  Unfortunately, it was covered with chairs!  We learned that Friday is the only day that you can actually walk the labyrinth.  Still a cool thing to see. 

There are also many statues and stone carvings - the entrances and choir area has many intricate figures.  While we found it all great, our timing could have been better.  The choir area and entire east end of the cathedral was closed off for restoration - we could see a single person high on scaffolding doing some work.  (It's gonna take a long time!)  We also were unable to get into the chapel at that end of the church.  Finally, all the guide books mention the sainte voile (holy veil of Mary, from Constantinople imperial treasury to Chartres in 876AD) - guess what, it's in the east end, and not available for viewing.  Regardless, we had a great time.  I thought that it was better than Notre Dame in Paris since 1) it was not at all crowded and 2) it wasn't nearly as dim inside.  In fact, the refurbished parts are bright.  Very nice.

We finished off our cathedral experience by climbing the 300 steps in the north bell tower (the newer tower).  The New tower is the more elaborate Gothic tower, as opposed to the south, plain Romanesque tower.  We had great views of both the church and surrounding town and country.  Well worth the steps!

After seeing the church, we wandered around the old section of the town.  There were lovely narrow streets and medieval buildings.  We had a nice lunch at a small restaurant called Le Pichet (complete with a pot of cider).  The town had lots of charm - very clean, easy to get around, many picturesque gardens and buildings.  All in all, highly recommended.

We made our way back to the train station and Debbie bought a pair of shoes at a flea market - all in all an excellent day!

Chateau de Malmaison

It's been a pleasant weekend - mostly sunny skies and no rain!  Temperatures are cool (when I went for my run Saturday morning, the iPhone said it was 55⁰ F!).  As the day progressed, it warmed up to around 70, which felt fine in the sun.  Sort of like San Diego...

Our plan for the day was to meet our friends Pawel and Isabella at La Defense and take a bus to Chateau de Malmaison which is about 12K outside Paris (in other words, in the suburbs).  The Chateau was built by Napoleon for Josephine, and was her residence after they divorced.  Debbie and I decided to walk from our apartment to La Defense instead of taking the metro - just to see the area between.  We walked up Av Raymond Poincare past Foch to Av de la Grande Armee' (which is the continuation of Champs Elysee's), and followed it directly to La Defense.  We won't need to make that walk again - nothing special between Porte Maillot and Port d' Neuilly.  We did stop in Neuilly at a boulangerie I remembered and bought sandwiches and orangina for later.  We met Pawel and Isabella on the back side of the CNIT building - they bought some small bottles of wine and snacks at the Monoprix in CNIT.  We had a pamphlet with directions to the Chateau - take the 258 bus from La Defense to "Le Chateau" stop.  We found it without any problem.  This was really our first ride on a Paris bus - actually very nice.  It wasn't too crowded.  The bus was in very good condition.  The route and each stop were clearly shown as you approached them - so you knew exactly where you were and when to get off.  There were a few other foreigners also going to the Chateau, so we all got off at the same place.

The chateau is really more of a mansion - not really the equivalent of others we've seen in Loire (which were more like castles).  But it was still interesting - I learned a lot about Josephine.  Napoleon was her second husband.  Her first husband was Count Beauharnais, with whom she had 2 children (Eugene and Hortense).  The Count was introduced to Madam Guillotine during the Revolution.  Josephine survived with her children and married Napoleon in 1796.  They separated in 1809 because Josephine (who was 6 years older) was unable to provide an heir. 

After the separation, Josephine moved into the chateau full time, where she remained until her death in 1814.  Her daughter Hortense ended up marrying the King of Holland, and her descendants are found throughout European royal families.  One of Josephine's passions was roses, so there were various rose gardens.

After looking around, we had a little picnic with our sandwiches and wine.  There was a nearby park, but it didn't really have any nice spots for a picnic.  We ended up just sitting on some benches outside the chateau grounds.  It was fine - we drank all the wine so we wouldn't have to carry any bottles home with us.  Then walked back to the bus stop, took the 258 back to La Defense, and caught the metro home.  All in all, a very pleasant afternoon.

Hamburger in Paris

Hi - it's been a quiet week for us.  No colleagues from England coming into town, so no big evenings out.  Debbie and I did have an evening out on Wednesday.  Previously we noticed a very popular restaurant on the way to Trocadero.  It's called Schwartz's, and is patterned after a NYC deli / dinner.  The main feature is hamburger (also pastrami, but we didn't try that yet).  For 13 € you can get humongous burger and fries or salad.  We determined that we should order one burger and salad, and the other person get a side of fries or onion rings.  That would be plenty to split between 2 people.  It was very good - best burger I've had in France.  Just had a hard time eating the whole thing! 

The place opens at 7:30 for dinner, and we arrived right at that time - had no trouble getting a seat (I doubt there are reservations).  By the time we left an hour later, there was a line waiting.  The waiters all speak English, and the place seems to strive for an "American" feel (all the way down to the larger-than-you-can-eat portions).  Additionally, when you are done, they bring the bill straight away - very unlike the norm in Paris where you can sit as long as you like without getting the bill.  It's a small place, so I think they really do try to turn the tables over.  Also, it doesn't expand into the sidewalk, so seating is limited.  They also specialize in cheesecake (real NY type cheesecake, too).  You can get the normal selection of wines, but if you want a beer, you can choose from Samuel Adams, Budweiser, "Bud" (not sure what the difference is there), Corona or Carlsberg (not sure how that one slipped in).  All in all, a successful experience for us (and many French people wanting that good American dinning experience!).

Eiffel Tower Fireworks

Bonjour - a quck post today. We were a bit tired today after 2 late nights in a row. We stayed up late last night to see fireworks over the Eiffel Tower. Had a couple of co-workers over for eggplant Parmesean (also known as aubergine, I have learned). Afterwards we had a short walk to Av d'Eylau where we had a straight view of the tower. It got a bit crowded, but not completely jammed. Great fireworks! Maybe the best I've seen, and lasted about half an hour. Home again after midnight.

Sunday was a bit subdued. We went to church and met friends from Tucson. The Elliotts are visiting France, and are in Paris this week. We had fun visiting, first at our apartment and then nearby at Le Pain Quotidien ("Daily Bread") - a fun place Debbie and I had been before. We all walked up to Champs Elysees where we left them to window shop their way back to downtown. Very fun!

Bastille Day 2012

Hi - it has been some rainy weather here in Paris the last couple weeks.  For that matter, it's been rainy since we arrived in June.  Only a few days have passed with no rain.  I'm told it is very unusual.  Fortunately, it is typically isolated and spotty, but yesterday it rained all day.  Not very good for the eve of Bastille day.  When here in 2009, we went to Place de la Bastile to listed to bands.  On the way home we passed lines of girls waiting to dance with firemen.  It was a busy evening!  This year, we went to dinner with a French friend from work and his girlfriend near Saint Sulpice in the 6e.  On the way there and back, we heard no music, saw no queues for dances.  In fact, we got home around midnight and the fire station near by was closed down tight. 

Fortunately, today, Bastille Day, the sun has been out quite a bit.  The forecast was for more rain, but it was nice for the parade.  We did not go to the parade route until after it had finished (did see helicopter fly-overs, but that was all).  I went for a run earlier in the Bois, picked up some croissants (and a blueberry muffin) on the way back for breakfast.  We had to go to the grocery store as we invited Trevor over for dinner.  We will try to make eggplant Parmesan - but no breadcrumb were found.  We will be trying to make our own - stay tuned for how this works out! 

It's been a pretty quiet week since July 4th.  As mentioned, lots of rain.  We have had a few meals with various friends - always fun.  Last weekend, we went out with Pawel, a former co-worker, and his wife Isabella.  They have been in France for over a year now and live out by la Defense.  We had our usual dinner with some current co-workers on Wednesday.  In both of these cases, we tried some restaurants near our apartment.  Sorry to say that they were not great.  They weren't bad - just nothing to make me want to return to them.  But it is always fun to be out with friends in Paris!  Last night's restaurant Le Petite Cour was very nice.  I'd return to it - but it's just not in our neighborhood.  The building itself was nondescript.  You could walk by and never realize there was even a restaurant there.  It was especially well disguised as the street was full of bars and cafes.  But up close, it had a very nice courtyard below street level.  It would have been great on a nice day.  We chose to eat inside, away from the cold, damp air.  It featured a 36€ formula - with selections of swordfish, veal, pork, and more.  The food itself was tasty and good portions.  Very nice.

Last weekend, I ran on Saturday morning also - went a slightly different direction.  Once I got to the edge of the park, I couldn't tell if I needed to go right or left.  First I went right, then decided I needed to go left.  Then I decided I needed to head to where I thought Av Victor Hugo was.  Well, my half hour run became an hour run and I ended up all the way by Trocadero before getting my bearings - no mountains to focus on, but I did spot the Eiffel tower a few times.  Afterwards, Debbie and I went to the American Library (they were having a book sale - we bought 4). 

On the way, we discovered there was a triathlon going on.  They were staging bikes near the Eiffel Tour.  We checked later and found they swim in the Seine!  I wouldn't want to open my mouth!  I guess they swim in the Potomac in the DC triathlon!  Yuck. 

4th of July with the Boss

Hi and happy Independence Day USA.  I took the day off (it is a national holiday for me, and I don't get to take the French or British holidays off...  so why shouldn't I take my own holiday off?).

We spent a relaxing morning just hanging around and reading.  At mid-day we took the #6 metro over to the 13e - Place d'Italie, then down the #7 to Les Gobelins.  First order was to try lunch at a small bistro Le Petit Pascal (recommendation from Chotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris).  It was a nice neighborhood joint, off the big streets.  In fact, you must take stairs down from Blvd de Port Royal to get to rue Pascal.  We enjoyed some salads (Debbie's with chicken, mine with duck) and wine before heading back to Gallery Gobelins.  The Gobelins Factory has been making tapestries, high and low relief, since the 18th century.  The gallery had a number of impressive tapestries, along with some sketches and paintings (some done before tapestry, some afterwards).  It was nice, quiet. 

After the gallery, we walked back to Place d'Italie and headed east towards the 12e.  We wanted to see the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, opened in 1998 and attributed to French President Fransois Mitterand.  It is an impressive sight - four tall buildings at each corner, with a forested courtyard.  Mature pines were brought from the countryside to fill the courtyard - it looks a bit like a jungle.  The lower levels of the building are all connected, and used for presentations, research and meetings.  The books are stored in the upper floors.  Like La Defense, lots of the stuff is below the surface of the walking areas.  Debbie and I went inside, found some chairs to relax and read in for a while.

After the library, we continued east across the river to the 12e and the area of Bercy.  There's a nice park right across the river.  We wandered around for about an hour and then over to Bercy Village, an area adjacent to the park and full of shops and cafes.  We bought a proper 4th of July dinner of hot dogs and soda to take away eat back at the park.  After dinner, we made our way to Palais Omnisports for the grand finale - Bruce Springsteen concert.  It was excellent. 

But first, I should provide some insight.  I don't want to stereotype, but it was pretty French.  There was a long line of people waiting to enter the arena when we first crossed to the park earlier.  We didn't really understand why as it is reserved seating.  So we got something to eat, walked around and returned later - the line was much shorter when we joined it.  We got to the front of the line and were told we needed to go to another line at the end of the arena.  So we went there (and more people joined us afterwards).  We noticed that our line wasn't moving.  It appeared that anyone that was coming from a different direction was not joining our line, but just creating a mass of people at the end of the stadium (no line).  No one was moving - then all of a sudden we were moving.  Then we weren't again.  This went on for about half an hour.  Finally, we got to one of about 2 gates that all of us were entering through - maybe about 6 people scanning tickets for the whole crowd.  Once past there, we jammed again while another 6 people checked everyone's bags.  Interesting technique!  None of the other gates were open to enter around the entire perimeter of the place!

I chalk it up to experiences in France.  When we finally got in it was around 8:20 (concert to start at 8:00pm, but each Springsteen concert I've attended, he always starts promptly one hour AFTER it's supposed to start).  No worries.  We found our seats, which were excellent!  They were discounted because they were behind the stage.  In reality, they were to the side and a bit behind.  But, best of all, they were in the first row of an upper deck - so no one directly in front of us.  We could sit, stand, put our legs up, whatever.  And Springsteen moves all over, so we saw him better than the people at the far end of the stadium. 
Another interesting thing - it was ROASTING inside!  Outside, it was a very comfortable day in the 70's.  In the arena, it felt like NYC in July.  We completely pitted out our clothes.  There seemed to be not only no AC, but no ventilation at all.  I don't care - it was a great concert, and a great crowd - I've never hear so much singing along in any of the previous concerts.  After playing the E-Street Shuffle, the crowd continued to sing and finally the band resumed the song! 
Very cool.  At one point, he went out into the crowd and up onto a platform - looked like he was standing on people's shoulders.  It was the usual 3hour-plus  Springsteen concert, and we heard some old songs I hadn't heard before at his concerts as well as all the most popular favorites.  He managed to work the holiday into his selection for the night - Independence Day, 4th of July Asbury Park (Sandy), Darlington County, This American Land , and Born in the USA (of course).  Great time!  Happy 4th of July!

Museum Sunday

The first Sunday of each month, national museums are free. The catch is that not all museums are National, and special exhibitions are also not free. Debbie and I planned to go to some of the less popular ones just to check them out. We learned why they are less popular!

Musee d'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris is the Modern Art museum of the city of Paris. It is housed in half of what was the Electricity Pavilion during the 1937 World Exposition. It is an impressive building both inside and out. And it had some nice art, but not nearly as impressive as the d'Orsay or Louvre.  The most interesting pieces we saw were by Henri Matisse, specifically some murals he was commissioned to paint for a private party in Philadelphia (USA).  These were large paintings of “dance Parisian”, and were to be displayed above three large window in alcoves.  What we saw were the preliminary renditions.  Otherwise, I can only recommend the museum if you’ve been to the others and want to see a new building.

 Afterwards we went next door to the Palais de Tokyo.  It is in the other half of the same building.  The Palais has no standing exhibitions.  Instead, it opened in 2002 as a “site for contemporary art”.  I think they moved some of the overflow from Pompidou Musee of Modern Art to the Palais!  First, the building is pretty big – lots of space, and not much there – lots of vacant rooms.  What was there was some strange stuff!  We decided that best use of the building would be for a fantastic nightclub!  Actually, because there were not many people there, inside it was a bit scary!  I’m glad to have gone, but mostly glad I went on a free day!

Outside is another story – the building is pretty impressive.  It has classic architecture, statues, a tranquil pool, and a nice cafe that looks across to the Eiffel Tower.  It’s a pleasant spot on a sunny afternoon.  Across the street from this is another impressive looking building and nice garden.  When we checked further, we found it’s called Square Brignole-Galliera, and sometimes has exhibits.  Currently, it is closed for renovations.

 Our next plan was to check out the Grand Palais, a well-known site as it dominates the right bank directly across from Invalides.  For some reason, I guess we thought its museums and huge exhibition hall were National museums – we were wrong.  Both the Grand and Petite Palais had entrance fees, so we decided to move on.  We went to Tulieries and were rewarded.  There’s a free photo display on exhibit.  An artist named AHAE had a display called “Through my Window”.  He spent over a year in South Korea taking pictures out the same window.  It was very good.  You may think this sounds boring – same thing over and over.  Not at all – different times of day, different seasons, different weather conditions, zoom in, zoom out.  It was great.  Check it out at AHAE.com if you want to see.

As usual, we barely made it home before passing out from lack of nourishment!  The problem was exasperated by me discovering that my Navigo pass expired (end of June) and we didn’t have enough metro tickets for me to get to work Monday!  I can’t buy them at a machine because US credit cards won’t work in them (we need a chip that European credit and debit cards have).  We did have enough tickets to get back to the apartment.  Then I went to find a Tobac store – these are stores you find in most areas that sell lottery tickets and cigarettes.  They also sell metro tickets – finally found one near the apartment (noted for future reference).  We did learn that Victor Hugo isn’t exactly your normal Tobac neighborhood!  Cheers.

Chez Janou

We met one of my co-workers and her husband for dinner at Chez Janou.  We enjoyed a long meal with entertaining waiter, multiple courses, and all you can eat chocolate mousse!  At the end of the meal, the waiter coerced us from the table with after dinner drinks at the bar.  All in all, a fine evening.  We met Martin and Caroline at Place Delphine on Il de Citi, one of my favorite spots.  We sat at one of the cafes and had a beer, talked and watched the activity in the small park.  It was as busy as I've ever seen it - usually its pretty quiet.

After the drinks, we set off for the Marais and the restaurant.  It was very busy in the city this night - Gay Pride parade and festivities.  We stayed on the islands as long as possible, but once off we were in the thick of it!  We saw some pretty interesting things!  One in particular outfit (a man wearing a cardboard leaf strategically placed instead of pants) brought a fit of laughter to a passing woman.  I don't know which was funnier - the outfit or her reaction!  As long as we were on the main streets, we were with the crowds, but once we turned up into Place de Vosges, all became quiet.  The road Chez Janou was on was positively peaceful... until you got inside.  Inside it is a lively place and always jammed.  We had made a reservation - but for some reason, the bartender didn't want me to look at the list and show him my name.  We waited briefly but were seated at exactly the same table we sat at 3 years ago with Debbie's cousin Eliza.  I ordered what I thought were fried smelt for the entre' - turned out to be fried calamari (which I wouldn't have gotten, but was excellent).  The waiter teased Debbie about not finishing her goat cheese that came with the salad - very friendly guy - talked to us as though we could understand what he said!  No Confit de Canard on the menu tonight - desolay!  Had a few bottles of house red and 3 hours later were ready to go. 

We walked Martin and Caroline to their room near Les Halles, which took us back into the festivities.  They are staying in a small apartment directly above the Banana Cafe, a gay bar.  I'll be curious if they got any sleep!  The Les Halles area is always one of the busiest areas - and also seems pretty sketchy.  I used to walk through it every day returning from work in 2009.  But I didn't usually go through it at night.  After saying good night, Deb and I returned home on the #1, getting in about midnight (late for us!).