There’s something special about Paris. We’ve been here a bunch of times, and so far at least, we’ve never tired of returning. But in the past year or two, it seems that all the news about Paris has been bad. Riots. Poverty. And of course, the disastrous fire at Notre Dame. Will it be the same Paris today that we used to know? This is our first visit to Paris after the fire. We shall see. Continue reading “Paris After the Fire”
Category: Paris
Paris, Normandy, Dublin – Here’s the Plan
I’ve always wanted to go to Normandy, France. It’s supposed to be a cheese-lover’s paradise. Dairy, in general, in fact. Butter! As I understand it, just about everything that comes out of a Norman kitchen is made with butter. Cooks in Normandy have no use for olive oil. For them, it’s butter all the way. Continue reading “Paris, Normandy, Dublin – Here’s the Plan”
Time to Go Home — Waaaaaaaaaaaah!
It’s the last day of our trip. Waaaaaaaaaaaah! We’ve arrived at gigantic Charles de Gaulle airport via train from Lyon. Our hotel for the night is inside the airport complex, which makes everything convenient. We had quite a time figuring out which shuttle to take from the train station, through the airport, and to the hotel, but we made it without too much difficulty. Everything considered, it was a pretty easy travel day. Continue reading “Time to Go Home — Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Last Night in Paris, Continued
It’s our last night in Paris. We’re down in a wine “cave” at O Chateau, being guided though the wine-producing regions of France, taste, by taste. From here we’ll go to dinner at another restaurant on our list. Then it’ll be time to pack, because in the morning we’re taking a train to Dijon. Continue reading “Last Night in Paris, Continued”
Last Night in Paris – A Visit to O Chateau
Today we went on our boat ride on the Seine. That was fun. Then we had lunch at a little restaurant near city hall, and now we’re going to walk back to the apartment. Our plan is to get back to the apartment, then take it easy for awhile. Tonight we’re going wine tasting at a place called O Chateau. Should be interesting! Continue reading “Last Night in Paris – A Visit to O Chateau”
Boat Ride on the Seine, Part 2
It’s a beautiful day for a boat ride on the Seine river. We’re cruising along on a “Batobus” boat – the boat version of a hop-on/hop-off tourist bus. We boarded at a dock near the Louvre Museum, then set off toward the Eiffel Tower, passing under Pont Alexandre III along the way. Pont Alexandre III is the fanciest bridge in Paris. Really nice. Continue reading “Boat Ride on the Seine, Part 2”
Boat Ride on the Seine, Part 1
Today we’re going to go on a boat ride on the river Seine that runs through Paris. We’re ready to go, so without any further ado, out the door, down the stairs, through the courtyard, and out the front door we went.
There’s a shop next door to our apartment building that sells only one thing: éclairs. Can you believe it? — A store that sells nothing but éclairs. I’ve seen ‘em in the window every day since we’ve been here, but it seems like we’ve always just eaten, so I haven’t done a taste test yet. Continue reading “Boat Ride on the Seine, Part 1”
Parisian Debate: To Work, or Not to Work on Sundays
It has been another fun day – Montmartre for lunch, the area around Les Halles and Saint Eustache in the afternoon, refreshments on Rue Montorgueil in the evening, and dinner at a great little Italian restaurant to cap things off. We made the short walk back to the apartment and settled in for the night.
We were too stuffed from dinner to go to bed, so we turned on television. The big story on the local news was a debate about stores in Paris being either allowed or prohibited from opening for business on Sundays. Continue reading “Parisian Debate: To Work, or Not to Work on Sundays”
Les Halles and Le Ventre de Paris
We’ve had quite a day, visiting Place du Tertre at Montmartre with throngs of other tourists, taking a break in the afternoon, then walking over to where Les Halles used to be. To get ourselves in the proper mood, we were thinking about Emile Zola’s book that takes place in Les Halles, Le Ventre de Paris. (The Belly of Paris). The main character, a fellow named Florent, had been found, barely alive, by a lady at the head of an early morning procession of vegetable carts heading to market at Les Halles. Continue reading “Les Halles and Le Ventre de Paris”
Montmartre and Les Halles
We’re in the central square, Place du Tertre, in Montmartre, outside under the canopy of trees here. Restaurants line the square. Big canvas sunshades are set up in the center of the square so people can eat outside and be protected from the elements. The atmosphere has a circus-like quality to it. Everyone seems to be having a good time, including the servers at Au Cadet de Gaston.
We’ve just finished lunch with a whole bunch of people who must have had the same idea today as us. The place was packed. Even though this place is unquestionably touristy, everyone sitting around us had been speaking French. Interesting, eh? Continue reading “Montmartre and Les Halles”
