Paris 30 September 2009

What a GREAT place!!

We have a great apartment, large and comfortable. Within a 2 block radius we have a Metro station, a market, a boulangerie (bakery), le Place de Voges and numerous cafes.

Last night after we got in we went to the local market and bought some basic groceries. We went for a FANTASTIC dinner at an outdoor cafe in the Place de Voges. BAV had the steak and Meg had the salmon. With great Bordeau wine.

This morning we got up and had our old folks North American breakfast in the apartment (Bran Flakes, fruit aka fibre, fiber, fiber!) We then had stand-up coffee at the local cafe on the way to the Metro. Took the Metro (a great experience for BAV) to Les Invalides (the military museum). Saw Napoleon's tomb there and the inumerable carved reliefs of Napoleon as Caeser saving the world. Geez, give the French 1 war hero and they do him to death!! Magnificent museum. We toured Napoleon's Tomb, and the Modern period (Louis XIV to Napoleon III). Saw Napoleon's uniforms, camp bed, etc. They were small guys in those days.

We then walked up to the Champs de Mars via the Ecole Militaire. Took pictures and had our pictures taken with le Tour Eiffel in the background. We stopped for another fantastic meal, lunch at a local cafe. Our plan is to eat the big lunch with the French (fine quisine - it's not just a myth) and then Metro'ed home. We hung around in the afternoon to finish the laundry (2 weeks in Scotland kind of used it all up). We also shopped for picnic dinner in the apt (cheese, fresh baguette at the local boulangerie, soup, cold meat and the ubiquitous vin ordinaire). BAV left his Metro pass and Museum pass in a shirt and they were totally destroyed in the laundry.

So we had (twist our rubber arms) to take the Metro (2 lines this time) to Champs Elysess to the Tourist Office (it's no longer there as indicated by the guide book) to try and get another museum pass for BAV. No luck but we did have a nice stroll on the Champs Elysee and BAV still thinks the Metro is a positive experience. There was a guy playing classical violin on the Metro. Not in the station. On the train. Standing up. While it was moving. In rush hour crowd. Bravo, Monseiur!! Came home to a great "picnic" dinner of cheese, bread, soup and vin ordinaire at the apt. Meg also had "une religieuse" - a multi-layere dcream puff with coffee cream/hazlenut filling which was something she had enjoyed here 30 years ago.

We made contact with Meg's cousin Rebecca. We will meet up with her tomorrow at Sainte Chapelle for a tour, and hopefully lunch on the Ilse de Cite.

BAV is in seventh heaven. He is fond of saying "Je suis avec elle" (I am with her). BAV is remembering his high school French and is really enjoying reading the signs and speaking with Parisians. Their mythical rudeness is overrated.