France 2022 - We Arrive In Paris

 

We left Tuesday March 30th by ferry and had some local friends who swam along beside us, waving goodbye.  You can see a whale breaching in front, left of the whale watching boat. 

We had supper in the  Cactus Club in Richmond with Camille, and Uber'ed to the hotel, and shuttle to the airport, in the morning. 

Thursday

The Air France flight was comfortable. Supper with 2 bottles of wine, and a breakfast sandwich and fruit in the morning.  The flight crew were friendly, and were frequently washing down the doors and interior of the washrooms.  

The mask AF provided was actually quite comfortable, although wearing it for 10 hours was not something you really wanted to do.  

We had not terminated a flight in Paris CDG for a few years, we've been just transferring through to Nice.  But  it all came back and we navigated the corridors, baggage, found the train station and bought our tickets to the RER train to Paris, without much hassle. 

We switched to the Metro, and I had forgotten how unfriendly it is to old people, and tourists with suitcases. Worse if you are both.   No escalators, just up and down and up and down and up and down stairs, straining. A young guy helped Lynda at one point and a young  lady at another.  Forget the idea that parisiens are unhelpful, and hate tourists, we've had help all along the way in Paris this weekend  

We found our apt up a cobblestone street, not ideal with wheely luggage   

Paris was...COLD! about zero, and a strong wind. Nevertheless we went for a walk in the neighbourhood found  the Monoprix and bought ham, cheese and wine, then crashed. In the afternoon there was some sort of Revolution happening outside, explosions (likely fireworks) cars honking, people chanting but we slept through it because we were so tired and trying to catch up in time zones 

Friday 

It snowed.  Well, flurried. Took the  metro into the arc de triomphe, walked down the champs Élysée.  Despite the cold weather, we expected to see some people in the terrasses. However yesterday was the day that France banned all outdoor patio heaters So not the usual view of parisians enjoying coffee outside. 

Walked passed the presidents palace  for the first time, but it was surrounded by high walls, soldiers, barriers and large palace gates.  Went on to the Shopping district, and had a quick meal if Chinese food. 

Our apartment, from the Airbnb website  

A shop selling memorabilia from the last commune revolution. 

Street art around us 

Arc de Triomphe in the cold. 

Champs Élysée in the rain 

Presidential palace 

Our street...

Supper! 

Saturday 

Had a long sleep overnight  

We walked into Paris from the apartment, cold, but bright sun.. to find a photography museum. Got pleasantly lost, and stumbled on a street we had stayed on about six years ago Rue Mouffetard, and it was lunch time so stopped into a restaurant we'd enjoyed before.  Nothing  had changed since the last time  other than scaffolding on the outside for renovations of the building. We remembered the same owner, and the food was fine. 

We toured the photography museum and then found the RER station that we needed to go to St Germain  en Laye  for supper with my new friend Ndiaye and his wife Maylea. They took us to an English pub where he always watches soccer, for a pint.  And then drove us to Versailles, to a north African restaurant for a unique cuisine experience. Lots of meat and  different sauces. Spent a Long evening getting to know each other and they drove us back to our apartment at about 1am. late to be up for me!

Our friends 

We met them in front of this palace at the RER station.  Every French king from the 12th century lived here until one king went and built the Palace of Versailles and moved there and the peasants said, ok, that's enough if this, and cut off his head and said let's have no more kings spending our hard earned money.  Until, later they allowed kings. That's 600 years of French history and the French Revolution in one sentence.

This is normal again, Parisians enjoying the cold outdoors. 

Paris City Hall.  

The Seine and Notre Dame 

Left bank booksellers 

The square where we stayed a few years ago. 

The french, especially young students, love their crepes. This is quality fast food

Rue Mouffetard, as we remembered it. Historical note, this is an original Roman road, so, straight 

Our favourite restaurant on Mouffetard 

The door on the left is the staff door to the basement. Wait staff kept crouching, turning around and walking backwards down the steps. Would not meet Canadian health and safety standards.

Cassoulet (cheese and ham)

Cheese sandwich (a croque) 

Sunday

We took the metro into Paris for the Musée de orangerie for an exhibition of French impressionists, and Monet, including his large water lily murals.  Lunch in the museum snack bar and then walked to the meeting point for our guided walking tour of the French Revolution.  The guide was entertaining and knowledgeable and we had two hours seeing some of the key locations. 

Pleasant, quiet supper at an Italian restaurant at the corner of our street, window seat to watch the people going by, veal Lemoine and pasta with the house wine and tiramisu for desert. 

Updating this on Monday, on the TGV to Nice, because they have free wifi that actually works.  BC Ferries take note! Next update in a few days. 

Marble Arch in the distance, from the Place Concorde.  A huge plaza, which was busy during the Revolution with all the gouillitinin. 

More of Concorde. 

Statue of Napoleon posing as a Roman Empire on a pedestal made from melted down cannons form one of his successful wars. He invented recycling. 

Place Royale 

A somewhat different  metro station entrance 

Tuileries 

Monet would have been amused 

Lynda studying a Monet. 

Our metro stop.