12/17/05
Well, I can%26#39;t believe it, but we are on our way to Paris again after just being there 1 year ago--except this time we%26#39;re going a bit longer~ To save money, we are flying from L.A. to Houston w/a short layover--then on to Paris. Our L.A. to Houston leg is uneventful--especially the food, which is some sort of wrapped sandwich(which Al and I always think is %26quot;pre-chewed%26quot; by weasels beforehand). I am sitting next to a very glamourous blond woman who has a large bag w/her. I offer to put it up in the overhead for her, but she confesses she has her little dog in the bag--a cute little Brussels Gryphon. When we arrive in Houston, I remark how quiet her dog has been--not once poking his head out or barking! She admists that she travels w/him everywhere and that she tranquilizes him. I, myself, confess that I%26#39;m not a very good flyer and she actually offers me one of her %26quot;doggy pills%26quot;!I decline--only because I have my own Ambien w/me!
On the Houston to Paris leg, I am sitting next to a French student who is studying in Denver, CO. and is on his way home to the Brittany coast for winter break. I%26#39;m glad I%26#39;ve stocked up on %26quot;Airborne%26quot; because he has a bad cough. We arrive in Paris on a clear, crisp day and after claiming our baggage, we head out to Montmartre by taxi. We are excited to be staying in apartments again this trip and our first one is in the %26quot;Jules Joffrin%26quot; area of Montmartre. We have located a small apt. through the internet--Yoshodi@feelslikehomeinparis.com We have chosen this area for several reasons. We have stayed in both apts. and hotels, but like the convenience of spreading out in our own apt. and having snacks %26amp; meals when we want them. My diabetic husband like making his own breakfast and coffee each morning. Montmartre is also a good place to save some money %26amp; since we will be moving to the Marais later in the week, we want to economize before our kids arrive. We have also chosen this area for a different experience--it has a nice blend of cultures in it and is a true working-class neighborhodd.
I am glad I have printed out a map to the apt.
as our diver is not exactly sure where our street is. We arrive finally at our destination and follow the directions to the apt. The inner courtyard of our building is peaceful %26amp; a tenant has decorated one side of it w/lots of Christmas decorations. We are greeted by our hostess %26amp; Al and I immediately like her. She is a French version of our niece and speaks fluent English. Our apt. is all white and has a separate bedroom, a living room, a very small kitchen %26amp; a bath w/shower. But, it is perfect for us %26amp; we have lots of room for our things. Our hostess has made us feel welcome w/a bottle of wine %26amp; has put of some Christmas lights, which we really appreciated! The apt. looks out on some social service bldg. and is extremely quiet. It is fun to see the people coming to work each day %26amp; watch the neighbors park their cars on the very small street outside our window. We check what they are wearing each day--giving us a little clue to what the weather will be like!
After we are settled in and our hostess has given us her %26quot;Bible%26quot; of Montmartre tips and neighborhood maps, we are anxious to find out about her and enjoy chatting w/her. After she leaves, we decide to find our local Monoprix and metro staion which is several blocks away. Near Rue de Poteau we find all we need and stock up w/more wine, fresh baquette, cheese, milk, cereal and oj. We are happy to see the seasonal %26quot;clementines%26quot; and just like about everyone else in the store, we pick out a nice bag of these fruits to take home w/us. Even Hemmingway wrote about these in his book %26quot;The Moveable Feast%26quot;.
We are exhausted and stay up only until it gets dark. Our bed is calling us and so, we call
it a night. The next day we sleep in late %26amp; we appreciated the long, uninterrupted sleep.
It does not get light until very late in the AM and throughout the week, we are often fooled about what time it is.
We have made contact w/our French friends, Karine and Gweltas, and they arrive at the apt. about 11:00 to spend the day w/us. They are young and enthusiastuc %26amp; we are excited to be w/ them again! Of course we decide to walk up to the top of the hill to Sacre Coeur. It turns out to be one of our best days weatherwise and the view out over the city is breathtaking!
Even though it is cold, the blue skies are spectacular %26amp; the church really stands out against this beautiful backdrop. We decide to try one of our hostess%26#39; recommendations for lunch %26quot;Le Relais Gascon%26quot;, at the bottom of the hill. We are the lst to come in for lunch, but by the time we leave, there is a good line of people waiting to get in. Everyone here is taking advantage of the huge salads that come in a bowl--the favorites being the Gascon and Bernaise salads--both having cooked potatoes on top. We also try the tapas plate and I have onion soup too--way too much for me to eat! My eyes, of course, are bigger than my stomach. I remember Gweltas having the %26quot;piperade%26quot; and whatever kind of meat Karine had, her portion was too big for her and she shared it w/Gweltas.
Later, we have fun walking around in Montmartre %26amp; we find a very friendly %26quot;Pere Noel%26quot; near the Abbesses metro %26amp; have our picture taken w/him. We visit the Place de Tertre for the lst time and meander down to the Pigalle area. Just like all the other tourists, Karine %26amp; I take our picture in front of the Moulin Rouge. I am getting my frist %26quot;stairmaster%26quot; workout as we walk up and down the hills! Our friends reutrn home late in the afternoon to have dinner with friends from Bordeaux, so we decide to climb back up the hill %26amp; go to a Christmas concert in the little abbey near S. Coeur. Most tourists haven%26#39;t even noticed the little sign posted near the Place de Tertre so we are excited to be sitting w/mostly French people in this old church. It claims to be the oldest in Paris, dating back to ll34, and built on some Roman foundations. It still has 2 pillars that are from Roman times. This church or abbey is called St. Pierre de Montmartre.
The concert is a combination of choir, organ, and strings %26amp; it a magical mixture of Bach and European Christmas folksongs. We hear Ave Maria and my favorite carol, Silent Night,
sung in French. I am also taken w/the song called %26quot;Noel et Amour%26quot;. The church grows dark and colder as the night comes upon us. What a way to start off our trip! After the concert, chruch bells ring as we amble up the little street by the abbey where we can catch my first nighttime glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. We see it clear as a bell as we reach the crest of the best vantage point. The sky is no longer pink, but the view is breathtaking as the last rays of sun light up the clouds behind the Eiffel Tower. Les Invalides is dazzling as well.
We try, alongside everyone else, to capture this image w/our cameras. Still full from a late lunch, we wander back home to our little apt. Fortified w/some more wine, we have fun
watching one of bob Hope%26#39;s road shows with French subtitles--a great way to improve our
French! A WONDERFUL day overall!
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Wow, what a great review, I can taste the wine , hear the French Christmas Carols and see the sunset!
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Bonjour MClavel and thank you for the nice report. It is always great to read others posters%26#39; version of Paris and I always make note for my next trip. I was in la ville lumière last month and wrote a report for each of the ten days. It really help me to get over the PPD (Post-Paris-Depression)and it was fun sharing with others. So please keep the others day reports coming.
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