Paris 2008 - 29-30 Juillet

Samedi - It appears I am going to finish this trip the same as I started - sick.

Mercredi - This will be the last entry from Paris. By this time tomorrow, we will be midway across the Big Pond on our way to exotic Newark, New Jersey.

Today for the first time since last Friday, I left the apartment for a couple of hours. In hindsight, I'm not certain how smart that was of me, but it's done now. I don't feel my best, but I've been worse.

We walked down to rue de la Roquette and caught the 61 bus, ostensibly to ride up to Place Gambetta because the other day I thought I saw an area from where one could view the entire city below. I must have a really, really good imagination, because there was no such place where I thought I had seen it. So we stayed on the bus. We were going to ride to the end of the line again, but we got to a stop where you could see a good bit of the city below you. We were in a totally new part of the city to us. I'm not really sure where we were, but if anyone who lives here reads this, the bus stop was Jean Jaurès in the XXé.

We caught the next bus back to our area where we stopped at La Grande Roquette for a café.

Speaking of buses, I think it would only be fair to say some nice words about the bus drivers in Paris. I told you about the one bad experience when the guy lied to me. That was kind of equalled out by the story of the driver who let us off between stops. But that doesn't tell the overall story. Time and time again, I have seen drivers wait for someone who was at least a half block away running to catch it. I have seen drivers open the door and let someone in who came and knocked on the door while the bus was stopped at a light. So, let it be known that the bus drivers in Paris are another much maligned group who in no way deserve a bad reputation.

A few moments ago, Geoff called to inform me that my car had been towed because the local police who are never around when they're needed, drove through and noticed my tag had expired. I'm sure I re-newed the tag, but I don't think I put it on yet because my insurance expired while I was here and I couldn't see paying for three months of insurance that would be useless. Oh well, time enough to sort that out when we get back.

We are, hopefully, going to have our last dinner in Paris at l'Angella in a few hours. We made it to the restaurant, but after eating very little, I had to leave and go back to the apartment. I was getting sicker by the minute and felt if I had stayed any longer, what little I did eat would have ended up on the table. What a perfect ending for this trip.

À bientôt, mes amis.

Paris 2008 - 19-20 Juillet

19 Juillet (Samedi) - Another new adventure for us today. We bused over to Place de la République, walked up rue du Faubourg du Temple to the Canal Saint-Martin. I've been reading how it has become the latest "in" area of Paris with trendy bistros and restaurants where all the hip people like to be seen. I was kind of disappointed, although it looks kind of cool in this video.. We walked quite a way along the canal, where we did get to see a tour boat that had to wait at each lock before it could advance in its journey. We passed a few restaurants, but certainly nothing that looked the least bit trendy. Even Hôtel du Nord didn't look all that famous. It is, you know. It was the title and the feature of a romantic movie made in 1938. It has since become a pretty well-known comedy club.

During our walk, we saw this colorful, rather artistic sign for summer festivals throughout the city. Now, if summer would only arrive. I can't believe we have to wear jackets and scarves with only a few days left in July.

We walked as far as Place du Colonel Fabien, where we got the 46 bus to Nation. We then boarded the 57 and rode to Italie2. It is the last day of the soldes and Robb was hoping to find something he liked on sale.

As we were walking through the mall, he became aware that the gold chain he had bought during our first Parisian vacation, had broken. He luckily, found his ankh and his Aries pendant inside his shirt, but the chain itself was gone. We found a jewelry store and he bought a new chain. Then, for some reason, he was feeling dizzy, so we stopped at the Brioche Dorée for a sandwich and a café. When he was feeling a bit better, we bused back to the apartment.

Dinner at L'Angella.

20 Juillet (Dimanche) - Today we made good on our resolve to visit the Petit Palais. It was a much better experience than the Grand Palais, and it is free. You do need to go to the reception desk to get a ticket, but there is no cost for it. Another example of French logic. Both the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais were built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900. If you decide to visit, be forewarned that there is a lot to see and several floors on which to see it. Although most of the art and artifacts are clearly labled, some are not, this was at the bottom of the staircase going downstairs (according to Wikimedia, it is Ugolino by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux) and Sur les Ailes de la Victoire greets you when you first enter the building. Robb stated, and I agree, the building itself is worth the visit without all the fantastic art and artifacts. Even the garden in the center is worth a visit. There are some nice views from the garden. If your visit wears you out, there is a nice, though expensive, snack shop just off the garden.

There are some interesting things to see outside, also. I'm not sure if this was part of the grounds or something entirely separate. This, of course, is on the top of the Grand Palais. Another surprise, was this vintage Citroën driving past on the street in front of the palais.

After, we walked across the Pont Alexander III and boarded the 63 bus. The 63 is one of the best for seeing some of the sites of Paris on both sides of the Seine, and you'll remember, it was the one I thought we were getting on when we were returning from the Grand Palais. We rode it to the end of the line, stayed on and rode it back to Le Jardin des Plantes, where we got the 61 home.

Dinner at Au Cadran Voltaire.

Plus à venir, mes amis.

Paris 2008 - 11-12 Juillet

11 Juillet (Vendredi) - I got up early today (before noon) and we decided we would go to MK2 on Avenue de France in the 13'eme to see Sex and the City, Le Film. Does anyone hear the annoying buzzer? We caught the 61 to the end of the line where we saw beaucoup des Gendarmes. They started appearing just before the bus made the turn to cross the pont. They seemed to concentrated on the pont, and then there were a few on the other side. While we were waiting to cross the street to get the next bus, several police vehicles drove past with sirens wailing. Shortly thereafter, the gendarmes disappeared and we still don't really know what was going on, but we suspect it has something to do with le Quatorze on Monday.

We got our bus, the 89, to the MK2. As we walked to the entrance it began to rain very lightly. Once inside, we were greeted by this anatomically correct gentleman. We checked the movie schedule only to find that Sex and the City was no longer being shown.

We walked over to L'Avenue, got a table on the café terrasse, in the shade, and had a café. It was then decided to take a walk several blocks down the street, where we came upon what we think is an attempt at art. Either that, or they're bringing in blocks to construct another building. Robb stopped into a Monoprix and bought himself another pair of sunglasses, then we caught the 89 bus, but didn't get off until it got to Le Panthéon.

We walked around it, taking pictures of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont and the Mairie du Véme. We walked down rue Soufflot and for the very first time ever, entered a Quick, because Robb needed a pit-stop and I wanted an ice cream. Then it was off to the Jardin du Luxembourg. We strolled around the grounds taking several pictures: Pan, the Medici fontaine, a general view of the gardens and back towards the Panthéon.

Our bus stop was just outside the entrance and we rode back to the Jardin des Plantes to get the 61 back to the apartment.

We were trying to decide where to go for dinner. I suggested we should give L'Angella another shot. We're glad we did, because the dinner tonight was excellent. Also, it was the most people we've seen there since it opened a month or so ago. I speculated that they might have hired a designer to do the interior because it really is very nice and looks like it would be a lot more expensive then it actually is.

12 Juillet (Samedi) - While I was waiting outside for Robb, I happened to see, parked just across the street, a cool Ford (another you will unfortunately never see in the US) of which I've been trying to get a daytime shot for over a month. If Ford would offer this car in the US, I guarantee it sell thousands within a week of its debut. It's called the Ford Streetka according to this article about it.

We caught the 61 bus to the Pére Lachaise métro area. We were going to walk back to the apartment, but I decided to take a detour down rue de la République. It was an interesting walk during which we noted there were no buses at all. I thought that was kind of odd for a major street, but there you have that Parisian logic again. When we reached Avenue Parmentier, it started to rain and Robb had not brought his umbrella. There was a nice bistro right on the corner, Les Anemones, so we went in, ordered a café and observed the comings and goings around us.

While we were in the bistro, I noticed the 46 and 56 buses going past. After leaving, we walked across the street and caught the 46 to Place Léon Blum.

When we got off the bus, we noticed a restaurant named Candide, We walked down there and had a very nice dinner around nine-ish. We would like to return before our trip is over.

Plus à venir, mes amis.