BACK TO LUXEMBOURG

It rained heavily during the night and this morning we woke to a nice clear morning.  After breakfast we set off back to the Luxembourg Gardens and I went to a Cezzane Exhibition in the Museum.  I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to see some of these great artists' work.  Whilst I was in the Museum Ian went off to Saint Sulpice church and had a look through and arrived back just as I was walking out.  Good timing.   We then walked a few blocks to see Val-de-Grace which is a church and is supposedly the nicest in Paris.  I was keen to see it because my favourite is Saint Chapelle and it would take a lot to beat that.   After walking down a few side streets we came to a locked gate along with other people who were trying to visit it as well. No opening hours to be seen.  Later we discovered it is no longer open to the public every day only a few set times during the week.



There are little back lanes everywhere, this one is in Saint Germain.
I love the cobbled streets that seem to glisten in the wet.

 We then back tracked and found a little cafe for lunch.  It was right out of the way but must have been well known and popular judging by the prices.  We settled for a soup and small cup of coffee. It was starting to sprinkle with fine misty rain when we came out however we walk to Saint Germain and the rain seemed to get heavier as we went.  I was getting very cold so relented and bought a beanie in a bargain shop.  Certainly not the most stylish look but it kept my head warm.   We have been carting umbrellas with us for two weeks and haven't used them and, of course, today we didn't bother when it was such a nice morning.  We gave up the idea of walking home and caught the metro as by 3.30 we were feeling very cold. 

Tour Montparnasse

Ian was ready for a good fast walk this morning and I was ready to have a 'me' morning so he set off and thought he would find Roland Garros however didn't manage to find it.  In the meantime I went off for a walk around the neighbourhood and had a coffee.  I looked in a very luxurious linen shop and could have spent a fortune in there.  The lady spoke very good English and in the end I said I needed to go away and think about colours etc.  I had to get out somehow. 

After lunch we caught the metro out to Montparnasse and joined the queue to go to the top of the tower (tour).  It was freezing standing in the line and we were both glad to get into the building.  The lift takes you up to the 56th floor and then you walk up the next three levels to the viewing platform on the roof.  Again it was very cold however the view is spectacular - probably better than from the top of the Eiffel Tower.  Ian went here the other day and was happy to come again and point out the many places we've walked or been to around Paris.  My feet are starting to feel I have walked the lot.



Looking towards the Eiffel Tower from Tour Montparnasse. 
The gold dome building on right is The Invalides.



After we came back down we went for a wander through Lafayette, mainly to warm up.  This is not the main store however much easier to get around.  We then went and found a coffee shop before walking around Montparnasse and then on to Luxembourg Gardens.  By the time we reached there the gates were closing for the day so we walked around the perimeter and looked at some photos on display along the fence line.   We then walked to the metro and came on home.

Tonight is the first night we have been late (6.00pm) enough to photograph the Eiffel Tower with the lights on from the street we walk down between the metro station and our apartment.  It was easier to do it on the way home than go out again.   We bought some Italian food from the deli next door and an eclair each for dinner. 



Walking down Rue Saint Dominique



Designer Window Shopping

The cleaning lady comes on Wednesday to service the apartment so we tidied up and were out before she arrived as she is Columbian and only speaks Spanish and French which it makes it difficult to communicate. 

We walked up towards Champs Elysee along Avenue King George V.  This is the street with a store for every designer you can image and more 'bling' than I have ever seen.  I am still trying to come to terms with a pair of earrings for sale in one window for 77,000 euros.  Who would spend that?  Obviously some people do because there was plenty of items with price tags like that and many others without a price.  Ian kept telling me 'if you have to ask the price, you don't buy in places like that'.  I don't want to ask the price, it is outragous.   We finally made it to Champs Elysee and found the Monoprix store (the bargain shop) where I wanted to stock up on some things and further down the street found a Virgin Mega Store.  Ian found another book he has been looking for so we both came back to the apartment satisfied with our morning out and about.   As we walked back we past the Champs Elysee Palace where President Nicholas Sarkozy resides.   This is guarded on all sides and no one is allowed to walk on the footpath around the palace.  It is a full block with high fences and we watched the changing of the guards at 12.00.  One of the guards was a lady and I was watching her, not realising she was about finished her shift.  She must have been desperate to go to the loo, she was standing crossed legged and looking very awkward.



It doesn't matter what the shop sells the windows are always amazingly well dressed. 
This is a perfume shop but a plumbing supply shop would be just as well fitted out. 

Tonight we went downstairs to a little restuarant for dinner.  The front of the shop is a deli with a meals area at the back with bar high tables and stools.  The menu was puzzling so we picked dishes in the middle price range.   Both meals were interesting.  Mine was lots of Spanish ham (like proscuito) thin slices of cheese and a thick jelly and a side salad.  It was delicous.  Ian had an egg, the same ham, potato, chorizo and mushrooms.  The desserts were extravagantly rich and very yummy. 

A FOGGY DAY



Il de la Cite with Notre Dame fading into the mist or fog

 We have spent the day completely engulfed in a fog or mist today.  It was great for taking photos and we caught the metro out to Jardin des Plantes where there were lots of buildings housing various scientific and nature subjects.  There is also a zoo.   We just walked around and I took lots of photos making the most of the fog.  Later we walked along the Quay back towards Il de la Cite and had lunch at Saint Germain.  I was so cold that I just had to get home and get warm so we came back to the apartment on the metro (there is no heating on these either) and warmed up.  Neither of us felt like going out again.  Today is the coldest we have been and we probably should have come back home before going to far and put on more clothes.  We have been fine walking up until now.  We'll know tomorrow. 

Boxing Day

Today was not a public holiday in France.  Obviously, we Australians, manage a few more holidays than they do here.  A lot of the shops were open and people were just doing their normal things although the streets seemed quieter except for the multitude of tourists around the tourist prone areas.

Ian went off this morning to the top of Tour Montparnasse where he tells me there was a fantastic view from the top of the 59 floor building with a viewing platform on top giving a full 360 view, as good as the Eiffel Tower and only 7 euros, which is much cheaper than the Eiffel Tower and no standing for hours in the queue.   I spent a quiet morning at home playing around with my camera and trying a few of the art filters it has.   After lunch we went for a walk as it was a lovely sunny afternoon and walked along the Seine past the Louvre and I took some photos of the river looking towards Il de la Cite from Pont des Artes.  Some of these newer Ponts with mesh have become the place for people to put padlocks on with messages, some even engraved.  There are hundreds of them hanging and of course people sell new locks for people to add. 



Late afternoon sun (about 3.30) shining on Port Nerf and buildings behind

 As the sun went down it cooled down quickly.  We had a coffee and caught the metro back to the apartment.  There always seems to be a sneaky little breeze around.

Christmas Day

Last night the Church Bells started pealing and it was just lovely lying in bed listening to them as they seemed to move from church to church around the city and there are plenty of churches.  

We woke this morning to a call from Sean, Kathy and Marcel.  Great to hear their christmas day stories.
We just had our usual breakfast then Ian could not resist opening his chocalates and have just 'one'!!
It will take him a while to get through this box though.  Maybe we will have to give up the eclairs we have discovered from the patisseries (cake shops) around about us.  We have been doing a taste test each night after dinner.

We had Christmas Lunch on a Cruise Boat on the Seine which was just wonderful and very posh.
We arrived early and sat inside in the warm enjoying the people watching.   Whilst we ate we floated up around the Islands as far as the National Library and then back down past the Statue of Liberty and around back to where we started on the quay (two or so hours). We had a window table which gave us great views from this perceptive. We also saw some places we still haven't walked around so these will be places to visit during the next week.


Here we are midway through lunch just as we were turning around near the National Library.

 We had five courses followed by coffee and macaroons and appropriate wines served with each course.  Needless to say we did not need dinner tonight. 

When we went off this morning the streets were strangely quiet and deserted however after getting off the boat we walked back up under the Eiffel Tower and were just amazed at the crowds.  People were lined up for miles to go to the top of the tower and many others just wandering around. 

Thanks for all the sms messages.  It was lovely to get these.  




The Crowds around the Eiffel Tower after lunch



Christmas Eve

We woke to a sunny morning after heavy rain during the night.  We decided to make the most of a nice day and took a long metro ride out to Parc des Buttes Chaumont on the eastern outskirts of Paris.  This is a large parkland area that was once a rubbish dump and quarry with lots of pathways up and down hills to a man made lake and waterfall.  There were lots of people wandering through the different parks and it is also a favourite for bike riders and joggers.  We walked up to the highest point where there is a great view over Montmartre.   From here we walked back and found Parc de Bellville that we didn't find a few days ago.  Again this offered some great views back over the city.  
We had such a nice lunch in a Cafe after being at Pere Lachaise Cemetery that we went back to the same place for lunch today however discovered that they don't do the Plate of the day lunch at weekends so had to choose something from the menu.  
When we came out of the restaurant we discovered it had clouded over and there had been a shower of rain.   We caught the metro back to the apartment.   Lots of people were travelling, some with big parcels, obviously last minute Christmas shopping, others loaded with cases and many got off the metro at the major stations to catch trains out of town.   The feel of Christmas cheer was in the air.  



Montmarte dominated by Sacre Coeur from Parc de Buttes Chaumont 

Guy, Rae and the girls phoned tonight (their Christmas morning).  The girls were very excited about their Santa presents and still had others to open.  They were shaken by the quake but no damage to the house and no liquefaction to clean up this time.  

Festive Weekend Begins

We spent the main part of the day visiting the Il-de-la-Cite and Il-de-St Louis.  After spending the best part of two hours in the Conciergerie which was part of the Royal Palace and later used to hold prisoners during the revolution.  Nearly 3,000 were executed during this period.  There was also an exhibition of a variety of sculptures and other art forms in the basement.

We then had lunch in a nearby restaurant.  I had an egg dish which was two poached eggs cooked in a blue cheese sauce and Ian had a huge cheese pizza.  Both were very decadent and rich.
 
After lunch we walked up through Rue St. Louis looking in the shops along the way.  Later we went over to Notre Dame and shuffled through with the rest of the crowd.  Ian was determined to find the brass star that marks the spot where all the distances in France are measured from which we finally found in front of the main entrance to the Cathedral.  Very small marker.

The metro was packed as we came home today around 4.30.  Lots of people loaded with shopping and many dragging their cases up and down the metro stairs, obviously going off for the Christmas break.  It must be school holidays this week as we have seen many children out and about during the day with their parents.  Santa's are doing a roaring trade having their photos taken and we even saw one in a wheelchair begging.  Well, I guess with so many beggars around, you need a gimmick to get attention.
 
It has been much colder today.  Apparently snowing in Lyon so just maybe we will get some snow here.  It is very overcast.

We just read the news online and saw about the quakes again in Christchurch.  Haven't heard anything from Guy and Rae so just hoping that they are okay.  They have only just moved back into their house after repairs were completed.

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

I decided this morning we needed a bit of Christmas in the apartment so went off down to a little side street and found a Crazy Clark type shop, and after playing charades with the man who served me, I came away with some fairy lights.  Heavens knows what we will do with them after we finish here.  The apartment is in a block with a florist shop in front and on the way back in I bought some holly. Yes, the real stuff - it's prickly though.  We now have lights flickering across the mirror with a big bowl of holly on the mantle piece in front.  Ian went off on a long walk this morning.  He just loves it.  Don't know if he will leave me to go off shopping again by myself. 


The bare trees are perfect to cover with fairy lights and there are plenty of these all over the city.

 After dark, about 5.15 we walked up over the river to look at some of the lights in front of shops and on the streets.  It is really feeling like christmas.

Montmartre in the Rain

We really had to bring out the umbrellas today.  It wasn't heavy rain, just light and misty with very little visability over the city.  We caught the metro up to Montmarte and walked further up the hill to Dali's Museum.   I spent a couple of hours in there, it was warm and interesting.  Ian went off wandering as he does and found it dry in Sacre Cour.   When we met up again I was watching a man looking at a car that had completely blocked him in in a very narrow little road and I was interested to see what he would do.   He soon pulled out his mobile phone, spoke and the next thing down came a young lady who chattered and laughed with him and then got in her car, backed all the way down the hill, let him out, and then drove back up again and parked in the empty spot.  No one seems to get upset about things like this.  They happily queue up to go into things, wait patiently in shops till it's there turn etc.

Usually this Place du Tertre is full of artists working away and hoping
to sell there art.  Today there were only a few hopefuls with their work
covered in plastic and sitting under umbrellas. 

We then found a nice, warm and dry cafe for lunch before walking back down the hill through Montmartre past the various art shops and lots of other little what-not shops to the Metro almost completely disguised by lots of those little market huts.  They are literally everywhere.

Tuesday

After spending the morning wandering along the quay and looking at the boats and barges on the river we came back to the apartment for lunch, had a rest and then walked up to a Diane Arbus Photography Exhibition which was fantastic.  I didn't realise how versitile she was till I saw this great body of work. It was almost dark as we walked home and the Christmas lights are lovely. 

 This is Oscar Wilde's monument which has been cleaned up and the protective glass around it.  I wonder why women kiss this?  He was goaled in Ireland for his homosexual lifestyle and later came to Paris where he died.


There are lots of these 'market' huts around
Paris which sell all sorts of things from crafts,
clothing, kitchen ware and food.  Everything
is being marketed with the Christmas
theme.



This may well be the only snow we
see which is fake but looks great around
the lake in front of the Trocadero.  The rain has followed us although
it has only rained at night for the past few days.



Sunday Monday

The cloud cover is all but cleared and it was much colder than it has been.  We both rugged up with gloves, scarves and hats and walked up to Champs Elysees where lots of market stalls in little white huts line both sides of the road.  It was packed with people and the most popular stalls were the ones selling hot food, particularly if there was some sort of heating nearby.  We then wandered up the Tuileries Gardens.  People were making the most of the weak sun, sitting around or just strolling.  The plan was to continue up towards the Il De La Cite (old city on a small island on the Seine) however the sun disappeared behind a big cloud and I wanted to take some photos with sun on the buildings so decided on a coffee before walking back to the apartment. 

It rained most of last night however this morning was clear so we caught the metro up to Pere Lachaise Cemetery.  You could fill in a whole day here.  There are 70,000 people buried, many of them people of note.  The biggest attraction at present it Oscar Wilde's monument which has recently been cleaned of all the lipstick and a glass wall erected around it.  The glass now bears many lipstick marks.  We visited  Alfred de Musset's headstone, as we do, found Chopin's as we strolled around.  By the time we reached the top we were ready for lunch so found a great cafe which was full of locals.  The plate of the day meals are terrific and relatively cheap.  Today we had an entree and main, a glass of red and coffee which came to 23 euros or about $30.00.  There is a choice of three dishes for each course.  We then walked down looking for a park but missed the road and caught the metro back home.  The metro system is amazing.  Today we came from one side of the city to the other in less than half and hour. 

A Tick On The Bucket List

After, what seemed like a flight that took forever, we arrived in Paris on Wednesday and quickly settled into the apartment at Rue22 Jean Nicot where we have stayed several times before. It is only about a kilometre for the Eiffel Tower.  It was raining and cold.  As we know the area we did a quick shop for the essentials, found a favourite coffee shop and by 5.30 as darkness was coming over we were ready for an early tea and an early night.

The night seemed to go on forever as daylight didn't happen until 8.30am.  It was still overcast and showering.  We had a quiet day just wandering around the neighbourhood shops on Thursday. 
Yesterday we caught the Metro up to the big department stores, Printemps and Galleries Lafayette to have a look at the Christmas decorations which are just beautiful. There are lights everywhere and because the days are so short they seem to shine all day.  It was too wet to do much else but wander the shops. 

Saturday.  Today was fine, the sun shone weakly and we walked up to St. Germain Markets and then around the streets looking at various places of interest.  We had been to see 'Midnight in Paris' a few weeks ago and much of the filming was in this area but it all looks so different in reality.  We had a great lunch in a cafe.  The waiter kept telling us the fish was 'twit' however we finally worked out it was trout.  Yum.  Thankfully Ian was happy to catch the metro back to our side of town.  I'd walked enough streets for the day.