Seesea Travel Blog

     

Travel Location: Paris,France

The flight to Paris was quick and uneventful. Thank God. We landed in Paris at 6:25 AM local time. It looked like it had been raining through out the night. The sun hadn’t risen making it seem much earlier. Easy through customs and up the plexiglass tubes (that now seem so dated) to get our luggage. Up and out onto the train tracks after a very nice policeman helped us get through a special gate (given the enormity of our bags…and our suitcases!) On the train, we befriended a very nice, beautiful young lady, Fatima, who on her own, used her cellphone to call the hotel-the Melia Alexander Boutique Hotel on Victor Hugo Ave., to find the best Metro stop for us. We got her e-mail (hi, Fatima-thank you again!) and said we would put her on the blog. She was also on our flight-just finished a Miami Beach junket and loved it-her first time in the US.

Getting older and wiser in Paris…

We changed trains, got on the blue line (#2) and with the snarles of a few, stood smooshed with the rush-hour commuters. Out at Victor Hugo and up-ah, Paris! The great architecture. We just missed the rain! To the hotel, our room wasn’t yet ready so they secured our bags, we had a complimentary coffee (praise be!) and out into Paris.

We were two very long blocks from the Arc de Triomphe. It took us long minute to figure out therewas no humanly possible way to traverse the Arc de Triomphe roundabout traffic. We finally figured out we had to go under the crazy traffic, and Steven treated us for the 286 stairs to the top, after a walk around the base and the Eternal Flame. Up above, views of the Eiffel Tower, down the Champs Elysses-the whole city (view only rivaled…surpassed by that from the top of the Eiffel Tower. We were definately running on empty and adrenaline. From there to the Eiffel Tower (walking past incredible history, block after block). We stood on line for quite awhile under the Tower in a strong cold wind. Second level, then the top, and up to the unenclosed viewing area. The wind whisted around the corners. This as great to do as a “bonjour au Paris”!

En route back to the hotel, we had a really fun food shop down the Rue de Feueille; one shop for fruit and tomoatos, anothert for an incredible, if not a bit smelly goat cheese in a big ball, croissants and pain au chocolate and fresh sandwiches, Back to our room-really nice-very swank, if not (if only we could have put our NYC bed in that room) we had a kings’ picnic (le manger du Roi? No…) Our room has a little balcony overlooking the Rue de Victor Hugo, great bathroom et al.

After a much-needed long (2 hr.) nap, showers and a great night walk to the Arc de Triomphe, and all the way down the Champs Elysses, the trees dripping (literally) with lights. All the strollers/shoppers rivalled Time Square in new York. As the boulevard flattened out, lots of little “cottages”/shops with Christmas goods from chocolates, vin chaud and pizzas to Santa hats and flying neon helicopters. At the end, near the Place de la Concorde is the new “Ferris” wheel all lit up with the Eiffel Tower doing san amazing light show with it’s new double search light and glitter strobes. Back up the C.E. to the room, Steven downloaded all our photos (114 – Larry gets a little crazy with the camera – don’t worry we did not include them all…) and my new “All Paris” book purchased at the top of the Arc. d. T. Sleep @ 1:00 AM.

11/25/09

Up @ 9:00 and right away (sans cafe’!) to the Arc and down the Champs Elysses to the Tullerie Gardens and the Louvre! No line (yet) and magic beoing inside and down in the main hallway. We got our tickets, had a much-needed cafe (I, au lait) and pan avec frommage and here we go!

We did almost all of the Richlieu but only half of the Denon before we could no more! (*visual dispepsia was setting in). We won’t begin to tell you of the wonders in there, but for those who have been, you know. For the others…go!

Nice nap (art is so tiring), showers, dressed up and the Metro to the Chatalet Les Halles stop. Up, lost (it can be fun to not know where one is!), we found a Thai restaurant and had a nice relaxed meal. Wlaked past the Chatalet theater and a wonderful 17th Century tower. But it was time to get back. Dorme vu? Oui. Bon nuit (again @ 1:00-can’t help ! This is the last night I will be in his forties Many (I included) are surprised to see I made it this far (hence this trip).

11/26/09

O.K., being 8 hrs ahead of Denver, I won’t officially turn 50 until 10:15 p.m-almost made it to tomorrow…I didn’t sleep much, somehow not unlike waiting for Santa or the Easter Bunny.

Downstairs for a great petit dejeaner (better be for 28 Eoros each-thanks Bears and Stern et al for helping devalue the dollar now at $1.50/euro. Icky.

But really, dressed up and the petit d. was a great start to the day as well as writting some post cards. Metro to Chatelet Les Halles, up and walk across the Seine-we couldn’t look anywhere without seeing greatness and Incresinly to Steven’s chagrin) I had to take a photo. To Notre Dame! You see it in the disatnce and think it is just another Hollywood image. But the closer you get, the bigger it becomes, it’s history leaning down on you.

A few women beggars were having at it in a screaming match. Sometimes not speaking a language is peaceful. We went inside and the world slowed way down (save the school kids who couldn’t manage to respect the “silence” sign. “Shhh” to them. Oh God! I am my mother). I felt bad for those wanting to reflect and pray, seeing a woman weeping in a side nave.

Steven had a silent reflective moment as I wandered around and photographed. Since I was here the last time (1971 with my mom and brother David) I have created my own “Hunchback of Notre Dame” ballet, combining both the Victor Hugo novel and the 1937 Charles Laughton classic. The novel, movie and book came flooding back in around every corner, reminding me of Hugo’s writiing of finding in a secluded corner, an inscription for “fate” carved into the stone.

Later, we stood in a long motionless line in the sharp wind for over an hour to climb to the top, and as we started, knew the wait was so worth it. Of course, first they pour you out into the gift shop (while you still have your electrolites about you-I would have had them do it afterwards. The inspiration and excitement would have made them snap items up!). The next flight of stairs (400+ on total) took us out above the front, over the 20+ carved figures of the Judaic…(Steven-help!), a bright clear midday sun washed everything clean and vibrant.

There to the side was a waist-high entrance through a set of wooden doors. I crawled in, say what waited ahead, went back out and called to Steven. We ascended a long quadrangle of wooden stairs that led to “Emmanuel”, the biggest of the four main belss that is rung only on Christmas and Easter. By the time we had done our photo op. the rest of our group were ascending and we had to fight like lost springtime salmon to get down.

The last leg of the tour took us to the top of the south tower. What views and history! There is no way that Quasimodo took Esmeralda all the way there on his back. Even if he were strong enough, they narrowed to a claustrophobic wedge of which many Americans would need to be pried out.

Back down, an incredible walk along the Seine (the bridges, architecture, and little book/LP/French memorabilia kiosks and stands) to the Musee d’Orsay ( a converted turn-of-the-20th-century train station that Victor Hugo and others helped finance-(Steven is that true?). This museum is a perfect extension of the Louvre in that the Musee d’Orsay picks up chronologically where the Louvre leaves off-mid-19th century (Neo-classical) to mid-20th century (pre-cubist). Our friend Summer put it well, “It’s like you would want to design your living room if you had the means and the art.” Yep. We did the main floor side galleries on each side before coming down the center filled with sculptures, Steven took me up to the 5th floor cafe for a wonderful lunch below the “train station’s” main exterior clock. We then wandered the Impressionist galleries, moved down to the object d’art and finished with the American works and the art noveau areas.

Another 6 hours anything but wasted! Up the Left Bank to the Grande Palais (and our camera got some great night time photos). Another speedwalk up the Champs Ellysses, a brief nap, showers, got dressed up and with the info from our concierge, to Place Victor Hugo, drinks at Dabar (two-weeks new), a very swank two-floor establishment after Steven called his mom from the Haagen-Daz on his Skype for Thanksgiving. The French make a very sweet martini…Steven, a cosmopolitan.

To Convivium for an Italian dinner, I prawns and pasta, Steven, lasagna. He was so sweet, he ordered us some champange. It was refreshing for me to be able to speak some Italian with the waiter. Both Steven’s and my attempts at French were met with…English.

Back to the room for special mousse (sp?) cakes Steven got from the incredible Pastisserie (sp?) next to Haagen-Daz. We packed and sleep (none for me) @ 1:00.

11/27/09

I fianally fell asleep @ 7:15 in time to get up for a big moving day. So far, 50 is looking a little…groggy. All packed, we decided to leave our bags, get the car rental and return to pick them up, knowing nothing about all of this would be easy. Thank God we didn’t take our bags with us! What seemed like an easy two-stop Metro jaunt turned out to be a two-hour lost-in-the-Metro-streets-of-Paris debacle. Hertz? Right here. Driving in Paris? Uh, sure.

We were actually very close to our hotel and could have walked in half the time. The first test was the Arc de Triomphe round-about. Mised our street, found it going the wrong way and we finally made it. Steven had to jump out to run in to get the bags and the cars wouldn’t let me double park. back (eventually), I went up to get the rest, down, in with all the bags and it was my turn to step in the poop. But I don’t think it was from a dog…Lots of cardboard later, I had to go into wash my hands and found I’d left all my socks and underwear. God works in mysterious ways.

Steven drove out of Paris while I navigated-another testiment to our resolve. But soon the traffic was lessening, the buildings fell away and we were headed south though the picturesque countryside. The forests, open fields-very green (some I think were planted with winter wheat), the occasional chateau and the more frequent campanile surrounded by the homes and shops of the towns-all varying degrees of old.

We made our halfway stop in a wonderful little town, Beaunue, the old section cobble streets, winding alleys and ancient store fronts.

Continuing on, the most impressive sight was near Dijon, the Chateauneuf-a monstrous foreboding structure designed to protect and intimidate. It must have worked as it still stands to this day. It was dark by the time we got to the Swiss border, Basel, and headed into Zurich.