Day at d'Orsay

 

Bonjour - Debbie's parents arrived a couple days ago and have been staying with us.  Today, we made our way to Gare du Nord with their 3 suitcases to put them on a train to Orry la Ville where they will join their Vantage Cruise tour and spend a couple nights in a hotel.  The train ride itself was probably the shortest segment of our excursion (only 18 minutes).  The walk up rue Mesnil and then the stairs up and down into and out of #2 metro took longer.  But - we made it!  Also, the #2 does connect to Gare du Nord, but it's a long walk to it.  Regardless, we were there before the posted the track, and in plenty of time!

Debbie and I decided to go to Musee d'Orsay for the day.  It has been one of our favorites since our first visit over a decade ago.  If you love impressionism, d'Orsay is your place - Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, Manet, Monet, Renior, Pissarro, Sisley, Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh.  I love that stuff!  Van Gogh's Starry Night over the Rhone is one of my favorites, but it is hard to choose. 

We wandered quite a while.  One thing in different this visit - in the past you could take pictures (and I have many).  Nowadays, there is no more picture-taking in the museum!  It's nice since you can just focus on seeing the art (as opposed to snapping everything).  And, since you can easily find the images on line, you don't really need to take the picture...  We rounded off the visit with some bread and cheese at the museum cafe.

We planned to return to the apartment on the #1 metro which we could pick up at Concorde - well, I don't know what was going on, but there was a huge police presence in the area.  And both Concorde and Clemenceau metro stop were closed, and we couldn't even cross over by the US Embassy.  We had to go up to Sainte-Honore all the way to Matignon before we could cut back to Franklin Roosevelt metro stop and go home.  We did get to see the Presidential Palace again, along with a dress guard I haven't seen before.  And along Matignon, we saw art gallaries that had some Marc Chagall paintings for sale.  One even had a Picasso!  That's just crazy isn't it?  (No prices).

Au revior!

Journées du Patrimoine

Hi fellow bloggers - this was Debbie's first week back in Paris.  This weekend marks Heritage Days (Journées du Patrimoine 2012) not only in Paris, but in all of France and many other European countries.  On these days many buildings open their doors to the general public for free.  In Paris, maybe about 200-300 buildings were open, ranging from schools and various offices and museums to the Presidential Palace (Palais Elysée), Sorbonne and Senate (at Palais du Luxembourg).  Debbie and I started with high hopes of seeing Palais Elysée, but decided the 4 hour wait was just a tad too long! 

Instead we went to some churches we haven't been to - St Marie Madeleine, which you can see directly from Concorde.  Madeleine is different than most other churches/cathedrals in Paris.  It has a classic Greek look.  No central dome, no flying buttresses, no side chapels, etc.  As it turns out, it took over 80 years in construction and plans changed many times.  In the end, it was completed as a "simple" parish church for the 8th arrondisement.  Our second church was St Eustache, which is similar to Notre Dame in size and style.  I don't recall any flying buttresses, but they were probably there.  When we were last in Paris, St Eustache was being refurbished.  Guess what - it's still being refurbished.  Outside seems complete, but inside is maybe 1/4 done at most.  The most impressive thing is just the size. 

We discovered Square Louis XVI as we walked between the churches - it commemorates the location where Louis' bones were originally interned (in an unmarked grave).  Recall, Louis XVI lost his head (along with queen wife Marie Antoinette) during the Revolution.  In later years, the bones were reclaimed and the square was created with a small park and chapel.  We enjoyed this small, unpretentious memorial.

Our main visit Saturday was Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall).  This is our old stomping grounds - right next to the metro station I would take to work.  Lines were reasonable, and we were entertained by music as we waited.  Inside, as we've learned to expect, the rooms are lavishly decorated in ornate French styles.  Walls are painted with murals, molding is gilded.  Statues, ornate clocks, stained glass, and chandeliers of Baccarat crystal abound.  We visited the mayor's office, which was strangely modern in style and furnishings.  The computer screens always seem a bit out of place near Louis XIV clocks on the mantels!  It was a great tour, complete with information cards in English!  Even had activities for kids (if we had little kids).  We made it back home after about 7 hours of touring, exhausted!

Sunday, we slept in a bit (trying to regain strength) and decided to take the metro over to the Sorbonne (instead of walking as we did Saturday).  We were surprised to find a short line to get in.  In general, the Sorbonne (one of the earliest universities in Europe, dating from mid 1100's) is fairly plain.  It's walls may be painted with murals, but the trim and ceilings are mostly white, even if they have sculpted patterns.  The architecture is plain, but classic. 
The Grand Amphitheater was impressive - hard to imagine making a presentation there!  Also, Cardinal Richelieu's chapel and tomb were interesting - his Cardinal's hat is suspended from the ceiling above his tomb.  Again, we were treated to information posters in English (seems like it shouldn't be a big deal, but we haven't found this to usually be the case...  more so now than in the past).


Our next stop was entirely different - the Senate at Luxembourg Gardens.  Where the Sorbonne was more classic, the Senate is actually in a Palace that was once occupied by Napoleon.  Administrative offices are in one wing, while the assembly and reception rooms are in a separate, fancier wing.  Some sections reminded me of Versailles. 
Highlights included the Grand Hall, the Senate Library and Archives, and the Senate assembly chamber.  Of course, there were also the views of the Gardens from Senate windows!  Now, that's a garden office!

After the Senate, we went to the Pantheon for a quick visit - mostly I wanted to see if you could go up in the dome (you couldn't).  Like the Sorbonne, the Pantheon is less gaudy and more classic.  To me, the dome itself and the statues are most impressive.  We stopped nearby at the Bombardier for a pint of Guinness and their roast beef and Yorkshire pudding Sunday dinner. (Just as I remember it - for 12 euros, impressive in itself!) 

Our final stop for Journées du Patrimoine was at Madame Curie's Museum, not too far away.  There wasn't much to it, but it was still interesting to see where the Curies (Pierre and Marie, and later their daughter and son in law) performed their pioneering research on radioactivity.  Currently, the Institut du Radium is one of the leading cancer research and treatment facilities in the world.
Once again, home around 5pm.  Had to return to work to get some rest! 
Au revoir.

Weekend in Paris

Hello fellow voyagers -
Just another quiet, sunny weekend in Paris by myself - Debbie returned Sunday afternoon.  I thought I would get up early to run on Saturday - that didn't quite work I'm afraid.  Instead I snoozed all morning and then headed for the city.  It was a beautiful day, so I decided to go to Luxembourg Gardens.  I took the #6 metro to #10 and then walked to St. Sulpice first.  It was just before noon when I got there - and immediately, hundreds of school kids came pouring out of the church.  Not sure what the occasion was, but kids of all ages came out wearing their school shirts.

After it cleared, I went into the church, still smoky and smelly from the incense.  The church is huge, but pretty plain compared with Chatres or Notre Dame.  It does have an impressive organ that started playing while I was inside.  It felt like Phantom of the Opera.

Next, I made my way to Luxembourg Gardens.  I walked the perimeter, dodging the runners, and found a nice chair in the shade near the pond.  I spent a half hour or so just watching the people - all shapes and sizes, looking good and not so good, all nationalities I expect.  When  the sun is out, the Parisians flock to the parks for either picnics or sun bathing or both).  It's nothing to see the grass covered with picnickers, or people stretched out on metal chairs that are provided throughout the park trying to keep their summer tan.  The pond is also popular with little kids who can rent sailboats and run after them as they sail from one side to another (no electronics required). 

After sufficient time watching, I moved on to the Pantheon.  More specifically, I moved on to the Bombardier, an English-style pub next to the Pantheon!  I had a pint of bitter ale there for lunch and read the London Times for a while.  I was there during the quiet time between lunch and happy hour - pretty relaxing - didn't require as much concentration as watching people in Luxembourg!

I worked my way to Place Constrescarpe, Ernest Hemingway's old stomping grounds.  There's a street, rue Mouffetard, that has bunches of shops and cafes along it.  I walked to the end, window shopping and people watching.  Listened to some jazz on the street and saw some interesting buildings.  There's a long section that is pedestrian only, so that is nice to walk.  Retraced my steps back to Cardinal Limoine and past Ernie and Jimmy Joyce's places.  I spotted a very nice little hotel in the area - Hotel des Grandes Ecoles.  I can't vouch for the place, but the location is great and it looks lovely and quiet.  Behind a nondescript entrance, there is a green, peaceful courtyard surrounded by the hotel rooms.  Overall, this is a great area of Paris - near left bank activity, the islands, and Luxembourg Gardens.  If you come to Paris and can find a quiet place in the area, I definitely recommend it.  I picked up the #10 again on St Germain and made my way back home.

Sunday, I managed to make my run thank goodness.  Afterwards I headed to church.  I am never sure what I might encounter.  Today it was some sort of run.  I'm not sure what it was for, but all the runners were women - hundreds of them.  Looked like they were coming from the Eiffel Tower.  Also, along the course, various music was playing.  As I approached Pres Wilson Ave, I heard the drums before I saw the runners.  There was a drum corp all pounding together - just the thing to motivate runners, I would say.  I was able to slip through the runners at a slow point to continue on to church.  Heard more music along the way, but I liked the drums the best. 

Once I got to church, I was treated to more excellent music.  This time it came from the Musical Ambassadors of the University of the Philippines.  More fantastic music.  Of course I had no idea of this before I showed up.  That is one thing I love about American Church in Paris - you never know what you might find there.  I've heard Jesse Jackson preach and countless excellent musical groups.  I've listened to artists discuss what inspires their creations.  It's amazing - It's hard to believe I'm actually there.  I have to pinch myself.  Oh well, just another Sunday in Paris.  Au revoire.

Den Haag

Hello friends, this week I had an opportunity to go to Holland for a couple days.  I took the Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord to Rotterdamn Central and then took a taxi to work.  I was with a couple colleagues, and we decided to stay in nearby Den Haag (The Hague).  Dutch public transit has easy local trains and trams to navigate the city to and from work in nearby Zoetermeer.  The view below is from my hotel room at a NH Den Haag - the white triangle thing is the tram line...

The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands (which is Amsterdam). Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lives and works at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.  The Hague is one of the major cities hosting the United Nations, along with New York, Vienna and Geneva.

We didn't have much time to explore the city, but we did walk all over the first night trying to find our host (who was waiting with a beer in one of the squares - just not the square we were heading for).  As a result, we did walk through the parliament building.  Overall, it was an attractive city with lots of charm (at least the areas we walked through).  Very quiet on a Tuesday night, I will say.  All the squares were full of empty tables.  We enjoyed a very nice dinner at an Italian restaurant - what is it about Italian food.  Anywhere you go in Europe, you can always find good Italian restaurants!

And, in walking to and from the train each day, we got a good feel for the area - cyclists dominate.  You must watch out as there are clear bike paths next to pedestrian sidewalks.  There are also stop/go signals specifically for the bikes.  It appears that many, many people ride their bikes and then take a train.  Or maybe just ride their bikes the whole way!  (Picture is Dutch version of Park-n-Ride)

My second night, our host invited us to her house for a barbecue.  She drove us via the scenic route - lots of canals, fields and cattle/sheep.  Everything is lush green as you can imagine.  I noticed the soil in some areas was very sandy - I'm not sure if that is typical, but the vegetation seems to be more than you usually find in coastal areas.  Also, very narrow roads - if someone is coming the other way, then one of you must pull to the side as the other passes.  Usually the shoulder falls off dramatically (as you are driving either on a dyke or next to a canal!).  We had a great time at dinner, which consisted of about 4 or 5 different barbecue courses (hamburgers, chicken, sausage, shish kabobs...), and some very good beer (Belgian, not Dutch!).

Thursday night, I got a ride to the Rotterdam Central station from our host in her Porsche!  Thalys is a Belgian train line, I believe.  Very nice and high speed - takes about 2 1/2 hours from Rotterdam to Paris.  Best of all, you just get to the train station 20 minutes before you need to leave (as opposed to an airport).  Seats were comfortable, wifi (if you want it), a snack or light meal.  I liked it.

Rentree

Hello fellow travelers - It's been a while since I've written.  We've been on the road...  Started with a flight on Air France to Atlanta for my niece's wedding.  Had a nice time seeing all my sisters and dad, as well as enjoying the warm southern sun!  Then off to Groton CT to visit Kimberly, and help her prepare for a move to Boston (she will work at the New England Aquarium).  Not such a relaxing visit (but did have some good food and see Dark Knight Rises - awesome!).  Finished with a thoroughly relaxing week in Camden, Maine on Lake Megunticook (my favorite spot is on the dock - see below).  Had great weather, ran about 4 of the days I was there and read half of Clash of Kings!  Back to Paris last Sunday while Debbie continues on for a couple more weeks in Maine.

So back to work again.  In Paris, they call it "Rentree" (actually the second "e" has the little apostrophe above it).  It is the time when all the vacationing Parisians return and kids go back to school).  While they don't celebrate Labor Day, it is similar to after Labor Day in the US.  Up until this point, many shops and restaurants have been closed all of August (this weekend also).  I expect they will all re-open this coming week.  In our area, I would say about half the restaurants have been closed at least part of the time, and most all of the stores.  The only thing that has been available consistently are the bakeries (boulangeries) - they all seem to have stayed open.  So, like the Parisians, I also am returning to work!

It was a busy week even though Debbie was gone.  A colleague from England, Lorenzo, was here most of the week, and he likes company and dinning out.  So I accompanied him 3 nights this week.  As usual, dinner in Paris takes about 3 hours if you are with someone, so each night was a bit late.  But it is nice to have companionship, I'm not complaining.  Friday, I had lunch with a colleague from our IFS office in Courbevoie and visited with my friend Marwan at his restaurant after work.  The weather took a turn for winter this week and dropped down to the 40's (F) overnight - it was chilly going to work!  Fortunately, the winter scare was premature and temperatures have warmed back up a bit.  Saturday was particularly nice, bright, sunny and warm in the afternoon - people sunbathing on the quay.

With Debbie not being here, I am free to take as much time as I like however I would like - so Saturday, I decided that I'd take a nice long tourist walk from Arc de Triomphe all the way to Jardin des Plantes.  On the way, I strolled the Champs Elysees, passed Place de la Concorde, through Tuileries Gardens, past the Palais du Louvre, and then went across to Ile de la Citi at Pont Neuf.  I didn't think it was actually too busy anywhere, which surprised me.  Didn't even see any lines for the Louvre.

I enjoyed an expensive salad, cafe and carafe of rose in Place Dauphine (one of my favorite places on the island).  It's a great place to relax and watch people...

Once fortified, I moved on to Notre Dame - I was surprised to find that it has been cleaned up quite a bit.  It is quite a bit brighter than I remember it 3 years ago.  As the afternoon got warmer, it got more crowded...  I went through the little park next to the cathedral past Square Jean XXIII and took in the Memorial to the Martyrs de la Deportation a the tip of the island.  Then I crossed over to Ile St Louis, which was pretty well jammed with people trying to get a scoop of Berthillon glace (ice cream which seems to be sold in every restaurant and cafe on Ile St Louis).  I think it was actually busier than Notre Dame.

After the islands, I crossed to the left bank and stayed on the river.  There's a nice park along the Seine that ends at Jardin des Plantes (site of the Museum of Natural History).  The Jardin is full of gardens and various flowers.  I guess the cool summer (and recent hot week) must have been good for the plants because the flowers were pretty spectacular.  I walked through the garden and decided I needed to head for home (after about 4 hours of walking).  I caught the metro at Jussieu and headed back to Victor Hugo.  Overall a lovely day.

But it wasn't over - Marwan had invited me to join him for dinner.  I had a bit of a rest, and then off again on the #6 to Cambronne.  I met Marwan and his girlfriend Andrea, and her friend Michelle, for a nice dinner at caffe Cambronne (which Marwan says he may go to 3 to 5 times a week).  Had best confit de canard I've had this visit.  We were an international group as Marwan is Lebanese, Andrea is English, and Michelle turned out to be from Luxembourg.  As usual, the meal took hours and I got home around midnight.

I think too many late nights finally caught up with me - Sunday I didn't feel like doing anything even though it was the first Sunday of the month (some of the museums are free).  I had had big plans for hitting the Louvre, but chose to go to church instead and then the nearby Guimet Museum of Asian Arts.  I was glad for my choice.  I don't think I could have handled the Louvre.  As it was, the Guimet was just right - I could navigate the whole thing in 3 hours.  It contained some nice items from various regions - Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet, Korea, and of course China and Japan.  I think I like the Nepal and Japanese sections best. 

All for now.  Bon voyage!