Back home to Paris

Friday, September 16, 2011

Back "home" to Paris

Flew "home" (to Paris) from Florence yesterday into Charles de Gaulle Airport.  We are beginning to find our way around out there, but got caught in a HUGE traffic jam at about 7:40 PM that lasted until 8:15.  I don't think we went more than 300 feet during that time.  The French people on the bus were fit to be tied.

Arrived to a wonderful dinner prepared by Don and some great wine to go with it.  Chicken with Endive and wild mushrooms.  Outstanding.  Took a shower and fell into bed.  Did little or nothing today.  Got laundry caught up, unpacked, did a little walking around.  Donald was busy with business meetings, but took us to a fabulous little Belgian restaurant by the Arc du Triomphe.  Had (get this) herring, eel with herbs, some sort of fowl with stuffing, 3 cheeses, and a chocolate mousse with prailines and coffee.  I can hardly move, but it was great.  Walked back the 6 or 7 blocks in nice cool weather.

Our three days in Paris was very restful and nice.  We did get the laundry done, by washing the clothes at the apartment and going to the local Lavage in the next street over.  It took us a while to figure out how to use the dryer but after we did our clothes were ready to go.

On Saturday we went to find the train station that we would be taking off from on Sunday, and it wasn’t easy.  We found the station alright but we couldn’t find where to pick up our tickets that we had bought on line the day before.  Finally, after trying many machines, asking many people, and walking endlessly around the station we found a young woman who was a ticket agent and spoke great English.  She explained that we couldn’t access the tickets with our credit card because American cards don’t have the extra security chip that is required by the European machines.  Note to self:  Check out new cards when we get home.

After getting our tickets in our hot little hands we took the Metro to the Tulleries which is Louis XVI’s garden and park and is now public space.  Beautiful sculpture, flowers, lots of people enjoying a nice cool Saturday.  Our destination was Musse de Orangerie, which holds a large and impressive collection of Impressionist paintings; Monet, Renoir, Matise, Piccasso (early work) and Gaugain, plus a lot of others that I didn’t know.  Amazing!  We spent most of the rest of the afternoon there, just soaking in the art.  Good for the soul.  We walked down the Champs de Ellysse for several blocks.  Stopped for a crepe (amazing little crepe stands that you can buy a 12” crepe with butter and sugar for E2, Yummy and hot) and then took the bus back to the apartment.  Fun day.  I took a nap and then Donald had a business associate that had us for dinner at their home in the 9^th arroindsement. Phillipe and Marie Cristina – she is Brazilian and he is French.  Lovely people and we had such fun. They had another guest who worked for Doctors without Borders as an administrator.  It was fun hearing about all the places she has been, Haiti, Congo, Darfour, and Southern Soudan.  So interesting. Took a cab back.

morning.  

At the Tulleries

Monet's room sized waterlillies

Renoir

The Kiss by Rodin

The Champs d'Ellysee

Train to Amsterdam

 Sunday we get on the fast train at 10:30 AM and go see Kristine Galiher in Amsterdam.  We will stay there until Tuesday.  Can't wait to see her.  We will stay in her apartment.  :-)