Home

We've been home a few days and the jet lag is starting to recede. We sleep almost until 4:30 a.m. (Brian) or 5:30 a.m. (Meg) now!! *sigh* Staying up past 10 pm is still pretty hard.

The trip home was unadventurous, except for the part where the French customs agent would not believe that my Hermes scarf was in fact an Hermes scarf. I had the scarf, the receipt, the document from Hermes telling me to apply for the luxury tax rebate - but alas, my scarf does not have "Hermes" written on it, and I had only packed the scarf in my carry-on, not the box. (you need to have your boarding card -- so have your luggage already checked -- when you apply for the rebate).


Frustrating, with a pretty little customs agent scouring the Hermes website looking for my scarf. Finally she called her supervisor who looked at the scarf, touched it briefly, and said, Ca va.

Huge sigh of relief! Anyway, my scarf is in their little catalogue, so *I* know it is Hermes, even if nobody else does.

We had pods home to Toronto and regular seats home to Edmonton. Crappy crowded little Maple Leaf lounge in Charles de Gaulle, but a really nice one in Toronto.

Brian spent an hour or so on the plane making the list of items to declare for Canada Customs, and we were a bit over our combined limit of $1,500.00 duty free. The Customs agent wished us a good trip and did not ask us to pay any duty, nor were we told where to go to pay any. Meg had to restrain Brian from repeatedly asking where we should go to pay the duty.

For a few days after we got back we were drinking wine and hanging out at cheese shops to ease the transition.

Great trip but it is good to be home.

Monday 5 October -- final day in Paris

Today was pretty rainy -- good opportunity to use those umbrellas we bought. It is the only rainy day we've had here. A lot of things are closed on Monday, but the Pantheon was open, so we headed there.

We got a bit lost and found the Arenes de Lutece first --- very cool! A Roman arena! I'd heard about this but never seen it. Then on to the Pantheon.

It is a breathtaking building. Just huge. It must have been a gorgeous church -- there are paintings on all the walls detailing the life of Ste. Genevieve (in whose name it was originally built) and St. Louis, among others. See the photo of the painting of St. Denis. Also tapestries. Now of course, it is a "secular temple" to recognize the great men of France (and Marie Curie too). We understand the desire to praise one's own, but have to admit we find the French habit of worshipping themselves a bit much. Especially when they take a church away from the Church to do it. We really liked the upstairs and of course Foucault's pendulum (see the photo). The crypt is where some of the great non-military people of France are entombed, like Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Rousseau, Alexandre Dumas, the Curies, etc.

Then we splashed our way past the faculty of law and headed to the Musee de Cluny. GORGEOUS!! I wish my feet were not hurting so badly -- I could have spent twice as long in this museum of medieval life. The tapestries, the gold, the art, the dishes -- just wonderful. I can't say enough about it -- Mum, I remember you recommended it -- you were so right. The famous tapestry of the Lady with the Unicorn seems to be the most popular exhibit, but I could have looked at just about everything.

Outside there are Roman ruins, right there on Boul' Mich! Gotta love this city.

And what can we say about the Metro system? Brian is totally taken by it. So efficient. Multiple lines that connect, trains every 3 minutes during the week and every 5 minutes on weekends. No need to consult a schedule. Between our feet and the Metro we have gone ALL OVER Paris at minimal cost. Faster than driving or cabs. We only have to cab it from and to the airport. Brian is going to be a big fan of expanding the LRT in Edmonton and plans to use it more to support it.

We ate lunch at Nectarine on the Place des Vosges -- a croque for Brian and an omelette for me. A glass of wine with lunch is so civilized and welcome when we do not have to work in the afternoon. And a final slice of Tarte Tatin with creme fraiche. Mayo was served with the frites (*shudder*).

We have done our last little trip to the market and the boulangerie for the baguette for tonight's dinner. It has been great to "picnic" with baguette (much different than at home), cheese, soup and a little wine each night.

We have packed up now and are tidying the apartment -- bags are pretty heavy on the way home -- sorry girls, it's mostly guide books from all the sites we've visited.

See you tomorrow!!

xoxoxo

4 October 2009 Paris with Rebecca

Today, being Sunday, means a lot of things are closed, like our favourite morning cafe place, our favourite boulangerie (bakery), our favourite news stand, etc. However, we walked around to find an open cafe (still great coffee) and a Daily Observer.

We then got on the Metro and went North to the English language Catholic Church for the 11 am Mass - St. Joseph's Church. It was built in the '70's and is in the basement of a building. Meg calls it Our Lady of the Bunker. Heard Mass in English.

We then, by prearrangement, met Meg's cousin Rebecca and went wandering. A GREAT day of doing so, the three of us.

First, we went to the Arc de Triumph in the Place de Charles de Gaulle. It really spoke to BAV - it was not just the "tourist must see" memorial. We explored that a bit (Meg and Rebecca were patient). We could see NW up the Blvd de Grande Armee to see another arch, La Defence, built very recently under Mitterand. It is 35 stories high. We could also see SE down the justifiably famous Champs Elysee. This time we had lots of time, unlike the other night when Meg and I were a bit rushed. And Rebecca was such good company.

We stopped for fabulous lunch (they all are here) at the famous Cafe Georges V, run by and in front of the Georges V Hotel, out on the street, and watched the world walk by as we ate. BAV thought of his Uncle Art who had his great Paris adventure staying at that hotel. He could just imagine Art walking out the door and into the street. Exquisite Boeuf Bourginion with a nice vin maison. We then wandered further SE looking in all the shops (for rich folks).

We ended up wandering SW along Avenue Montaigne with more exclusive shops such as Dior, Chanel, Nina Ricci, Valentino, Roberto Cavallee and others that seem to mean something to Meg and Rebecca. And, of course, the Canadian Embassy. Very unprepossessing. Not surrounded by a high wall, in a courtyard guarded by Canadian Forces. Just a classy building right on the street.

We arrived at the Place de l'Alma and the Avenue de New York which runs along the river with the Eiffel Tower on the other side. Dozens of tour busses. Meg and I had long planned not to stand in line for a half day (minimum) to go up it. We ended up at the Trocadero which is a beautiful park and a large museum right directly across the river from the Eiffel Tower. Enjoyed the view and the company. Stopped for a coffee and snack at the museum.

We then got on the Metro (changing lines) to go back to the Isle de Cite and Sainte Chapelle so BAV could buy a replica of one of the Notre Dame gargoyles he had seen when we toured Sainte Chapelle the other day. We then parted with Rebecca and Metro'ed home. We stopped at the one (busy) boulangerie open on Sunday for our dinner bagette. As usual, we walked home carrying it under the arm. BAV likes doing that almost as much as eating it.

3 October 2009 Another Good Day in Paris

This morning we started with coffee at the local cafe with the International Herald Tribune again.

Then we set out for Meg's old haunts. First we got on the Metro and went out to the school where she taught, the Lycee Turgot. See photo. We then got back on the Metro and went to the Place Gambetta neighbourhood where she lived in Paris. Much has changed since she lived in the area.

We Metro'ed home and had a great lunch at the Cafe Victor Hugo on the Place de Voges, just down from our place. The French quisine is fantastic.

We then went on a long Metro ride (45 minutes each way) to the far NE end of Paris to see the St. Denis Cathedral. It is a church where the remains of most (if not all) the kings and queens of France have been collected and entombed. It was amazingly bright inside, compared with the other old churches we have been in here and in Scotland. At the back of the church, beyond the nave, is a necropolis with their tombs (and statue likenesses with most of them). There is also a large crypt that is part of the necropolis.

We Metro'ed home again and went to the local market to pick up picnic dinner for the apartment tonight.

Tomorrow the plan is to go to Mass at the English speaking Church up by the Arc de Triumph, to meet up with Meg's cousin Rebecca again and tour the area. Doubtless there will be another great French lunch in there somewhere.

2 October 2009 Paris - Long Day Walking

Today we went out for a long day of walking, or that's the way it turned out.

We started by going out to the local cafe for a shot of coffee and to read the International Herald Tribune.

Then we set out for the Louvre Museum. Rather than have to change Metro lines we walked a few blocks up the street to Place de la Bastille. The infamous prison is no longer there but there is a pillar to memorialize it. Also, the new opera house is there.

We spent the morning in the Louvres. It is a HUGE place. One cannot possibly begin to see it all in one day, let alone a morning. So we prioritized. We saw the ancient Roman exhibits, some ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian. Very interesting to see the statues of the likenesses of Romans BAV recognizes from his Roman history - Pompeii, Agrippa, Caligula, Claudius, Caeser, Augustus Caeser, Tiberius, Nero, etc. We then went to see the Dutch masters. Very cool. By lunchtime we were beat.

We walked across the river to the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter where we wandered around and had lunch in a cafe on Blvd. St. Germain, after seeing the Church of St. Germain (the oldest church in Paris). We had a pleasant lunch outside, while the Parisiens huddled inside. It was a "chilly" 18 degrees. (Some places had heaters going.) We were in our short sleeves.

We then wandered over to see the Church at St. Sulpice, the one that is supposedly in the DaVinci Code book/movie. The details in the book/movie about the church are bogus, mostly and the church exhibits went to some length to point out where. Large and impressive. By the time we finished there it was about 1:45 - not enough time to Metro back to the apartment before going back to Notre Dame at 3:00 for the veneration of the Crown of Thorns. So we wandered around the Latin Quarter and Isle de Cite until it was time for that. Exhausted by the time it came to go into Notre Dame.

In Notre Dame we were part of a large crowd that participated in a service to venerate the Crown of Thorns, as it was the first Friday of the Month. In 1239 King Louis (now St. Louis) acquired 3 relics from the Byzantine Emperor - a piece of the True Cross, one of the nails and the Crown of Thorns. Of course, no one can be dead sure that it is THE Crown of Thorns, as the records only start referring to it around 400 AD. It was an interesting service.

We then walked to the Metro station on the Isle de Cite and Metro'ed home, stopping along the way to buy some grocs and, of course, fresh bread at the local bakery for our picnic tonight. We are beat!!

Paris 1 October 2009

Today we went out to Isle de Cite and met Meg's cousin Rebecca. Together we toured the impressive Sainte Chapelle Church. We then walked down the street and toured Notre Dame. Wow. People glorified God big time back then. We hope to return on Friday as, being the first Friday of the month, the Crown of Thorns acquired by St. Louis is to be venerated.

We then crossed over to the Left Bank, after Meg saved BAV from a gypsy, and had a nice, long French lunch at a boulangerie - Quiche Lorraine avec vin ordinaire. We walked a bit on the Left Bank and ended up in front of the famous English bookstore, Shakespeare & Company. We browsed inside but did not acquire anything.

We then walked and Metro'ed back to the Right Bank to the Place du Concorde area, specifically to No. 24 Rue du Faubourg St. Honore - the Hermes store. There Meg picked up her dream scarf.

We Metro'd home and will have another picnic dinner tonight on fresh baguette (it is really incredible here - puts the baguette at home to shame), cheese, cold cuts, fresh harticots vert fine, eggs, la soupe and, of course, le vin. We love these laid back fresh dinners in the apt after day out, a good French lunch at a cafe or boulangerie. There are so many here and the food has all been good.

Having a great time.

Paris 30 September 2009 (Reprise)

Forgot to post the big picture . . .

This is us yesterday on the Champs de Mars looking North towards the Tour Eiffel.

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