Wednesday, Sept 12, 2018
Today was another day of walking the streets of Paris, punctuated by visits to cool places. (We’ve averaged about 5 miles a day, with the occasional cab ride.
We started by walking across the river through the high-rent residential neighborhood on the little Ile just west of Ile de la Cite, then through the Marias neighborhood in the 4th Arrondisiment, to the Musée Picasso. It was located in a very old hotel that was renovated and converted to a museum in the 1980s.
From there we went to Place du Voges, the first park in old Paris, and the Bastille monument which is not located at the site of the prison that it commemorates but instead in the middle of the busiest roundabout we’ve seen in Paris at the convergence of ten major streets. After lunch in a little cafe, we caught a taxi to Pere Lachhaise, the very old cemetery were many notable historical people are buried. Being shallow Americans, however, we went straight to the grave of Jim Morrison, lead singer for The Doors. But the real experience was just walking through this beautiful old cemetery. Stacy looked up when it was opened and we learned we had just seen the grave of a little girl on that day in 1804.
We took the long walk back to our flat, trudged up the four flights os stairs, and relaxed for a couple of hours. Then I went out and brought hope Thai food for dinner... a emporter as we French say. :)
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
D’Orsay, Rodin and Napoleon
Tuesday Sept 11, 2018
Today was my (Jack’s) favorite museum day so far.
The Cluny Museum of natural history and archaeology is just a couple of blocks from our apartment, so we started our day going there. But, oddly, it is closed on Tuesday. So we proceeded to walk the mile and a half or so to the Musée d’Orsay, which is a beautiful and old railroad station, converted in 1970 into a stunning new museum intended to bridge the gap between the Louvre and the National Modern Art Museum. What a beautiful and accessible museum. It had the most interesting art (to us) and it managed the crowds to make viewing easy and unhurried. We saw many examples of works by, most notably, the great impressionists.
Along the way, we passed a museum of the history of medicine, located in a Parisian medical school. We went into the building to check it out. Honestly, it felt like a scene from an old WWII movie. Old. Echoing. We climbed a few flights of stairs, followed signs, but there was a note on the door that it was closed until afternoon. We vowed to go back, but it looks like we will run out of time this trip.
After Musée d’Orsay we walked over to the Musée Rodin. I had accidentally seen his famous sculpture The Thinker looking over a garden wall from the top of a sightseeing bus 10 years ago in my only brief visit to Paris. I’d always wanted to come back. It was far better than expected. Honestly, I never realized just how much motion and emotion could b captured in marble, plaster or bronze. The man was a genius. Most notably, his Gates of Hell, a massive sculpture that he worked on until his death, portrayed Dante’s vision of the final layer into hell. (A copy of this and The Thinker had also been in the Musée D’Orsay.)
One of the advantages of staying in an apartment instead of a hotel is having the option not to have to eat out. So we stopped at the poissonerie and produce market right down the street and bought a gorgeous filet of swordfish (espadon) and enjoyed a delicious home-cooked dinner on the deck of our flat.
Today was my (Jack’s) favorite museum day so far.
The Cluny Museum of natural history and archaeology is just a couple of blocks from our apartment, so we started our day going there. But, oddly, it is closed on Tuesday. So we proceeded to walk the mile and a half or so to the Musée d’Orsay, which is a beautiful and old railroad station, converted in 1970 into a stunning new museum intended to bridge the gap between the Louvre and the National Modern Art Museum. What a beautiful and accessible museum. It had the most interesting art (to us) and it managed the crowds to make viewing easy and unhurried. We saw many examples of works by, most notably, the great impressionists.
Along the way, we passed a museum of the history of medicine, located in a Parisian medical school. We went into the building to check it out. Honestly, it felt like a scene from an old WWII movie. Old. Echoing. We climbed a few flights of stairs, followed signs, but there was a note on the door that it was closed until afternoon. We vowed to go back, but it looks like we will run out of time this trip.
After Musée d’Orsay we walked over to the Musée Rodin. I had accidentally seen his famous sculpture The Thinker looking over a garden wall from the top of a sightseeing bus 10 years ago in my only brief visit to Paris. I’d always wanted to come back. It was far better than expected. Honestly, I never realized just how much motion and emotion could b captured in marble, plaster or bronze. The man was a genius. Most notably, his Gates of Hell, a massive sculpture that he worked on until his death, portrayed Dante’s vision of the final layer into hell. (A copy of this and The Thinker had also been in the Musée D’Orsay.)
One of the advantages of staying in an apartment instead of a hotel is having the option not to have to eat out. So we stopped at the poissonerie and produce market right down the street and bought a gorgeous filet of swordfish (espadon) and enjoyed a delicious home-cooked dinner on the deck of our flat.
Monday, September 10, 2018
Tuesday morning, Sept 11, 2018
First, a moment of ememberance for those who died in the cowardly attack on our country seventeen years ago today.
Yesterday was Le Louvre Museum day. And what a place the Louvre is! First, it’s massive. Five full floors in two giant wings. Entering through the pyramid takes you into a huge, modern light-filled space. Then up an escalator into the actual museum space. Once there, where on earth do you go first.
We started in the Art of Islam section, which was impressive and somewhat relevant since Stacy’s parents and younger sister lived in Teheran in the 1970s and have wonderful memories of the culture and warm acceptance by the Irani people.
As we made our way through some of the more classical sections, it struck me that most of the art created in the last 2,000 years depicts either religious themes or scenes of war.
Like Versailles the Louvre was packed with tourists of all nationalities. But, exiting the museum we walked down the street to the Tuileries Garden which was gorgeous, relaxing and huge. Looking down the central sidewalk you can see the obelisk in the Place d’Concorde at least a mile away. We sat by a beautiful fountain admiring the beautiful architecture all around us and just good old people watching.
When we got home, we went to the super marche for a few provisions, and then stopped at a British pub called The Long Hop near our flat. We’d been hearing cheers from here every evening since we arrived. Apparently it is the soccer and cricket pub of Paris.
So today our plan is to visit the Cluny Museun, Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum. What a place this is.
First, a moment of ememberance for those who died in the cowardly attack on our country seventeen years ago today.
Yesterday was Le Louvre Museum day. And what a place the Louvre is! First, it’s massive. Five full floors in two giant wings. Entering through the pyramid takes you into a huge, modern light-filled space. Then up an escalator into the actual museum space. Once there, where on earth do you go first.
We started in the Art of Islam section, which was impressive and somewhat relevant since Stacy’s parents and younger sister lived in Teheran in the 1970s and have wonderful memories of the culture and warm acceptance by the Irani people.
As we made our way through some of the more classical sections, it struck me that most of the art created in the last 2,000 years depicts either religious themes or scenes of war.
Like Versailles the Louvre was packed with tourists of all nationalities. But, exiting the museum we walked down the street to the Tuileries Garden which was gorgeous, relaxing and huge. Looking down the central sidewalk you can see the obelisk in the Place d’Concorde at least a mile away. We sat by a beautiful fountain admiring the beautiful architecture all around us and just good old people watching.
When we got home, we went to the super marche for a few provisions, and then stopped at a British pub called The Long Hop near our flat. We’d been hearing cheers from here every evening since we arrived. Apparently it is the soccer and cricket pub of Paris.
So today our plan is to visit the Cluny Museun, Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum. What a place this is.
Monday morning, September 10, 2018
Yesterday we started our day with a trip to Versailles. It was our first guided tour. Our French guide Laurent picked us up at our flat at 8 am in a van with a few other folks. Very nice company. It was extremely convenient to be picked up and taken there rather than navigating trains and buses, etc. but we didn’t think there was much value other than that.
There were a zillion tourists toting selfie sticks, and we were herded through a certain path. Stacy said it was much different than when she was there 15 years ago, when they were allowed to linger and wander. The three different styles of architecture and decor under three different King Hentrys was interesting. But what really struck me was the room after room of opulent excess, and the elaborate art portraying the kings as gods.
We had an hour or so to walk through the gardens, which were gorgeous. It’s easy to see how it took the 10,000 people who lived and worked at Versailles to keep building and maintaining what was actually a city in itself.
After Versailles our guide dropped us off at the Arc de Triomphe where we caught a taxi to Sacre Couer. That is a very beautiful church situated atop the hill overlooking all of Paris. The weather was perfect. Going inside all these gorgeous cathedrals I’m in awe that they were even able to build them using the technology available hundreds of years ago. Construction of Notre Dame took place over three centuries. Amazing.
We took a very modern funicular down the hill to the streets of Montmartre. I had always heard of Montmartre as a little art district with painters working in the plazas and sidewalks. Today though it was crowded with shops selling T-shirts. We were hungry, and decided to split a burger and fries at a Steak and Shake that had opened there. It wasn’t French, but it was great.
We came home, relaxed a bit and set out for dinner and a sunset cruise on the Seine. We enjoyed an excellent meal at a little very French cafe, then Cruised around Ile de la Cite up past the Eiffel Tower and back. Our timing was perfect. Just as we passed in front of it the lights on the Eiffel went on. Spectacular.
We slept in this morning, and are now off for our next adventure,
Yesterday we started our day with a trip to Versailles. It was our first guided tour. Our French guide Laurent picked us up at our flat at 8 am in a van with a few other folks. Very nice company. It was extremely convenient to be picked up and taken there rather than navigating trains and buses, etc. but we didn’t think there was much value other than that.
There were a zillion tourists toting selfie sticks, and we were herded through a certain path. Stacy said it was much different than when she was there 15 years ago, when they were allowed to linger and wander. The three different styles of architecture and decor under three different King Hentrys was interesting. But what really struck me was the room after room of opulent excess, and the elaborate art portraying the kings as gods.
We had an hour or so to walk through the gardens, which were gorgeous. It’s easy to see how it took the 10,000 people who lived and worked at Versailles to keep building and maintaining what was actually a city in itself.
After Versailles our guide dropped us off at the Arc de Triomphe where we caught a taxi to Sacre Couer. That is a very beautiful church situated atop the hill overlooking all of Paris. The weather was perfect. Going inside all these gorgeous cathedrals I’m in awe that they were even able to build them using the technology available hundreds of years ago. Construction of Notre Dame took place over three centuries. Amazing.
We took a very modern funicular down the hill to the streets of Montmartre. I had always heard of Montmartre as a little art district with painters working in the plazas and sidewalks. Today though it was crowded with shops selling T-shirts. We were hungry, and decided to split a burger and fries at a Steak and Shake that had opened there. It wasn’t French, but it was great.
We came home, relaxed a bit and set out for dinner and a sunset cruise on the Seine. We enjoyed an excellent meal at a little very French cafe, then Cruised around Ile de la Cite up past the Eiffel Tower and back. Our timing was perfect. Just as we passed in front of it the lights on the Eiffel went on. Spectacular.
We slept in this morning, and are now off for our next adventure,
Friday, September 7, 2018
Still Friday, and I still haven’t figured out how to get photos from the camera into this iPad. But I’ll continue to work on it.
Today we are both still struggling with jet lag. Slept until after 9 am, so we decided to do things close to home. We walked across the bridge to Ile de la Cite, home of Notre Dame and the cathedral Saint Chapelle. It was a beautiful sunny day. After touring Notre Dame and the catacombs of medieval Paris located adjacent to the cathedral, we sat in the sun outside and enjoyed lunch from a street vendor.
Saint Chapelle, which houses Christ’s crown of thorns, is also beautiful. It’s located within the walls of the palace of justice, a gorgeous and huge old facility itself. Above the entrance are inscribed the words, “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite”... words I wish our current president could embrace.
We walked up to the northern end of the Ile,considered a Seine River boat cruise, but decided to just stroll back home. Along the way we wandered into a fantastic pedestrian area filled with shops and cafes of every ethnicity. Hopefully we’ll find time to go back there, but we have so much on our list to see in and around Paris.
On the way home, we stopped at the Boulangerie, Fromagerie and super marche, and got home in time to enjoy a glass of wine with cheese and crackers outside on our deck, before heading out for dinner. It’s tough being on vacation in Paris, but somebody’s got to do it!
Today we are both still struggling with jet lag. Slept until after 9 am, so we decided to do things close to home. We walked across the bridge to Ile de la Cite, home of Notre Dame and the cathedral Saint Chapelle. It was a beautiful sunny day. After touring Notre Dame and the catacombs of medieval Paris located adjacent to the cathedral, we sat in the sun outside and enjoyed lunch from a street vendor.
Saint Chapelle, which houses Christ’s crown of thorns, is also beautiful. It’s located within the walls of the palace of justice, a gorgeous and huge old facility itself. Above the entrance are inscribed the words, “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite”... words I wish our current president could embrace.
We walked up to the northern end of the Ile,considered a Seine River boat cruise, but decided to just stroll back home. Along the way we wandered into a fantastic pedestrian area filled with shops and cafes of every ethnicity. Hopefully we’ll find time to go back there, but we have so much on our list to see in and around Paris.
On the way home, we stopped at the Boulangerie, Fromagerie and super marche, and got home in time to enjoy a glass of wine with cheese and crackers outside on our deck, before heading out for dinner. It’s tough being on vacation in Paris, but somebody’s got to do it!
Friday morning, 9/7/2018
We had a great flight over, arriving about noon yesterday. Our flat was a little underwhelming (a fifth-floor walkup, and a bit smaller and more worn than we had anticipated) but the location is perfect. After briefly considering finding a hotel, we decided to stick it out. And after a night’s sleep, I think we made a good decision.
After getting unpacked, we took a walk, shopped for a few kitchen basics, and then joined a wine reception hosted by our landlord at a little cafe on Ile de la Cite. The wine was fantastic, as were the cheeses and pate. (That definitely helped.) Then we stopped on the way home for soup and salad. It was hard getting to sleep, I Slept until 9:00 am, and let Stacy sleep until 10:00. It’s cloudy and cool outside. We’re thinking we might visit Notre Dame and Ile de la Cite today, and just see what else we feel like.
Note: Blogging on this iPad is different. Hopefully I’ll figure out how to add photos.
We had a great flight over, arriving about noon yesterday. Our flat was a little underwhelming (a fifth-floor walkup, and a bit smaller and more worn than we had anticipated) but the location is perfect. After briefly considering finding a hotel, we decided to stick it out. And after a night’s sleep, I think we made a good decision.
After getting unpacked, we took a walk, shopped for a few kitchen basics, and then joined a wine reception hosted by our landlord at a little cafe on Ile de la Cite. The wine was fantastic, as were the cheeses and pate. (That definitely helped.) Then we stopped on the way home for soup and salad. It was hard getting to sleep, I Slept until 9:00 am, and let Stacy sleep until 10:00. It’s cloudy and cool outside. We’re thinking we might visit Notre Dame and Ile de la Cite today, and just see what else we feel like.
Note: Blogging on this iPad is different. Hopefully I’ll figure out how to add photos.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
L'adventure continue...
When Stacy retired in February 2018 from a long and storied career as a nurse, we decided we needed to take another significant trip to mark the occasion. At first we thought we'd take a two-month long trip to Europe, spending a month in France where we have both been at least once, and a month to explore Italy for the first time. Then reason set in and we realized that two months is a very long time to be away from our home, family, friends and pets.
So we are leaving Sept 5 for a one-month vacation in France. We will spend ten days in Paris, then the remaining time visiting Normandy, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux, the Dordogne, Lyon and the French Riviera by train and car. We then fly home from Amsterdam after a couple of days there.
We are almost ready. We have a great guy to stay in our house, watch the dog and cat, water, and generally keep the place safe and lived in. We worked with an amazing travel agent at AAA in Lake Oswego. And now all that's left is the going.
We created this blog when we took our year-long RV trip around America in 2013-14, primarily as a journal for us to remember the specifics day by day. And we have referenced it countless times. So here we go again.
The great adventure continues!
So we are leaving Sept 5 for a one-month vacation in France. We will spend ten days in Paris, then the remaining time visiting Normandy, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux, the Dordogne, Lyon and the French Riviera by train and car. We then fly home from Amsterdam after a couple of days there.
We are almost ready. We have a great guy to stay in our house, watch the dog and cat, water, and generally keep the place safe and lived in. We worked with an amazing travel agent at AAA in Lake Oswego. And now all that's left is the going.
We created this blog when we took our year-long RV trip around America in 2013-14, primarily as a journal for us to remember the specifics day by day. And we have referenced it countless times. So here we go again.
The great adventure continues!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)