Paris, June 2012

If I don't make a really quick list, I won't remember what we did.

June 21 - depart on AF 0027,  Dulles Airport for Paris with Barbara, Debbie, Ashley
June 22 - Arrived Charles de Gaulle Aeroport, Paris; after baggage claim, customs & immigration, got euros from an ATM and bought Paris Museum Pass; and taxi into the city.
         Met property manager at the apt; apt. was cleaned and ready for us = yippee:  we could take possession and grab a nap, have tea/coffee/pastry at Bread & Roses, visit Lux. Gard. & grocery store, explore neighborhood.
         Dinner =  Chez Clement
June 23 -  Bread &  Roses not open; another one was; bought variety of pastries. 
         Figured out how to get RER via Metro (Solferino station); RER to Versailles, walk all over the gardens with fountains flowing, quiche at Angelina cafe, Petit Trianon, M/A's little village, lemon sorbet (v. sour) and walk up to Three Basins, then to Lantone for more fountains, then into the chateau and walked, walked, walked through throngs, ending at another Angelina's for something to drink; RER back to Paris.
         Dinner = ?? the place where B & A had vegan pasta??
June 24 - This morning = rain
         organic farmers market a few blocks down bvd Raspail - many photos
         Metro to Concorde, transfer to Louvre, entered through Carousel; museum pass saved time, if not $$
         The big three:  Winged Victory, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, with lots of other paintings and lots of crowds in between; look for cafe, another line but food was plentiful (beef & veg wok with green beans; wine).  Headed to the St. Anne exhibit (separate ticket) and was overwhelmed by the exhaustive scholarship.  Met Barb 4:30 at Info Dsk (1/2 hr. late!); note: PO was open and we each bought stamps for postcards.
         Dinner = Leon de Bruxelles; quiche?
June 25 = Paris skies change constantly
                sunny-cloudy-partly cloudy/partly-sunny.
        Time for a long walk down rue Bonaparte, pop into St. Sulpice, window shop at YSL, on down to the river, then walk along the quai to Pont Neuf, which we crossed to island.
        Notre Dame tower climb after sandwich & drinks in the park = long wait in line, then 400 steps up to enjoy to view and 400 more back down (claustrophobic spiral stairs that are 800 years old!)
        Walk around inside the cathedral; light candle.
        Visit to Ile St-Louis looking for ice cream (Bertillion closed); Pom' Cannelle = nice and tasty and cool.
         Home via Cite metro station to ?? and then ??
        Dinner =  LaMamma so Ashley could have pizza? Salade Caprese & Bruschetta for me. It's a nice place - must remember it on rue Vavin.
June 26 = Rain again
       More coffee and pastry for bkfst?
       Metro to Musee d'Orsay where HUGE crowd awaited; bare semblance of a line, pushers-in unsuccessful. Headed straight for "VanGogh & Gauguin in Arles" which had dozens of works by VG and fewer by G; managed to avoid the awful beaux arts sculptures; 5th level had wonderful Imp. & Post-Imp ptgs. Exh. on "Misia", an arts patron of last century. No photos allowed anywhere except in the cafe; corner table = quieter; c/n recall what I ate.
        Batobus = boat that makes 8 stops up and down the Seine; took it to Jardin des Plantes which is lovely, but all bldgs. closed on Tuesdays!!, so back to the boat to Louvre stop, bus to Opera, and walked around to Galeries Lafayette to see the stained glass dome, the cafe, the rooftop views, but we were too late for food and roof. Very nice boat trip down river to Eiffel, turn round, and back to Orsay & metro home.
         Dinner = Cafe Solferino - huge salade nicoise
June 27 =  Bright morning.
        Day for bus rides:  Musee Rodin closed for renovation except some rooms and garden and marbles in the chapel.  Such a beautiful garden, but so few sculptures on display there.  Tea in the garden cafe.
        Eiffel Tower:  long line for tickets because only one Pilier had working elevator; Barb et al got in line and I scouted places for lunch then waited in the shade for nearly 3 hours but they were in line for 2 in the heat and sun.  lunch very close by.
        bus to Arc de Triomphe just in time for the military ceremony for soldat inconnu; up all the stairs to the top and back down again.  Bus back to Montparnasse and sales at Monoprix (shirts for boys)
        Dinner = not, because lunch was around 4:30
June 28 = hot & hazy
        today was to be sort of unplanned & lazy - Metro to Abbesses for Sacre Coeur = MORE stairs to the surface.  Funiculare up the hill, and more stairs to the basilica.  Mass in progress so we sat in a pew til ended. No photos allowed inside. 
        Walked round to Place de Tertre and easel artists (wanted Ashley to see that), then down more stairs looking for cafe.  Nice one 1 block from Metro; had full meal:  onion soup, chicken & potatoes; choc. mousse.
       Into Lux. Gard. for a tour:  carousel, kiddy playground, petanque players, bee hives, espaliered fruit trees, long lawns near Obervatory, out to bvd. St-Michel for ice cream, Medici fountain, and exit to rue Vavin, window shopping here.
       Dinner = La Mamma again; she spoke english which startled everyone.  Tortelini or tagliatelli very good
       back at apt = time to pack everything and figure out how to get to CDG (taxi stand on rue Raspail)
June 29 = drizzly rain
       up at 6 am, eat everything that's left in fridge; head out and flag taxi; figure out how to navigate CDG for boarding pass,  check baggage, find gate, long wait, long plane ride, finally back in USA.
       Pick up by Joe; home and throw everything in the laundry basket, take long nap, talk with Joe, sleep through the tempest.

Have two sets of photos on flickr.com