Posts from the ‘best time of my life’ Category

DAY FOUR – Grands visit Paris!!

WEDNESDAY PLAN – (If it’s Wednesday, it must be VERSAILLES!)

Versailles (Closed Monday 18 euros, kids free) Garden 8 m – 6pm, Palace 9am – 5:30pm (Paris Pass)  –  David goes to teach his class in Versailles so goes with us on RER –

REX CLUB  (Famous Rex Theatre from the 30’s)  10-7pm – 8:50 Euro kids – and me

– CREPE PLACE NEXT DOOR!!

(Ian & B’s  dinner out) -CAFE CONSTANT-139 RUE ST DOMINIQUE- While they’re at HOTEL on Poncaire  they could take:– Bus 82  dir of Neuilly – goes around Eiffle Tower in TROCODERO – & Poncaire,Iena stops etc – Lovely views upclose with the bus and they already have the navigo for it.

WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID:

Relaxing morning- then headed out to VERSAILLES on the RER-C-Papa’O went there to teach his class and left us at the Cafe.  While drinking expressos and snacking I picked up our tour tickets next door at Tourist Information for private tour.

We headed to the huge lake next to Versailles and stretched out for a big picnic, baguette sandwiches, drinks, wine, nuts, chips,  desserts, and dangled feet over the water. (Or in J’s case rolled down the hill!) The kids stretched out and either sketched or wrote postcards!   Glorious day!   (See slideshow – coming up)

Headed  back from the LAKE – to the front of Versailles to meet guide – – again no lines SO – pays to come to Paris EARLY in the springtime as the 17,000 visitors a day isn’t something to relish and the lines to each room are very long! She said sometimes over one hour to move through those rooms.  No thanks.

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There were a lot of other tours going on in other languages, but just our family went through as our own group! Guide was French and she was knowledgeable.  It moved fast & was a great tour.  We met Papa’O afterwards at the station and headed back on the train.

Ian & B left us at RER Eiffel where they went to their hotel and for their special dinner at CAFE CONSTANT on Rue Dominque.

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cafeconstant.com%2F1.aspx&act=url

We stayed on the train for the trip back home and for dinner. (Picardi’s famous 4 cheese pizza with salad!!) Dessert cookies – Kids and I thought up more fun questions for the French/Am family –  for tomorrow’s game!    CAFE CONSTANT was a “private occasion” thus, I have no pictures.  But make no mistake about it – Cafe Constant is a great place for a French Dinner that won’t entirely break the bank!   Also, Chef Constant came out and introduced himself, so that was a HUGE HUGE deal!!!

THURSDAY PLAN

(If it’s Thursday in the 19th Arrondisment; it must be Christmas in MARCH !!!!)

Notre Dame (English Tour Thurs 2pm) Towers 10am – 5:30 (last access 4:45) (Paris Pass) –

Do the Ile de France – walk to Centre Pompidou

Centre Pompidou (Closed Tuesday 13 euros, kids free) 11:00 – 9:00pm (Paris Pass)

BUTTES CHAMONT PARK – around 4:30 – to see my friend’s apartment in the 19th – meet my friends – a  French/Amer couple, see the cutest baby ever and have real BRITTANY CREPES !!!

Stay tuned for the fifth day !!! Tomorrow!!! See what we did!!!   (Are we having fun yet?  Are we having leg cramps?  Are we READY to do this again today?- )

YOU BET WE ARE!!!!!  IT’S   P   A   R    I    S   Baby  !!!!!

DAY THREE – Grands Visit Paris!!

TUESDAY PLAN

Musee D’Orsay (Closed Monday 9 euro, kids free) 9:30 – 6:00 (Paris Pass)

Solferino M – or Bus _63__Jardin de Luxembourg – Pantheon – maybe  (Catacombs – 7 euros, kids free) 10:00 – 5:00

Do the “Latin – Laura tour” can use  –  BUS 95 if tired out – 

Crepes a go go – on Rue Soufflot (near the Pantheon) 

Eiffel Tower (Tues 8pm)-RESERVED   

Ian and B to a special stay at a lovely

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/parsp-renaissance-paris-le-parc-trocadero-hotel/

in Trocodero area by Eiffel Tower!   

WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID:

Musee D’Orsay in a.m. – LOVELY day!!! The impressionist works and Degas were the favorites!!  

Bus to Latin Quarter after – – Walked to Luxembourg Jardin – ate in Garden –  – walked towards Catacombs, and past OBSERVATOIRE,  past Closerie des Lillas Cafe (in Hemingway’s writings).   Arriving at the Catacombs it had just closed as they stop giving tickets at 4P!! -Did see the “model” of the Catacombs and it’s pretty impressive in that if you can make it down the winding stairs to what seems like the center of the earth, not only do you get many skulls/skeletons  greeting you, but  this is actually BELOW the metro!  Got some shoe inserts for G’s shoes  (it was a marathon walk there, ouch!) – and had I known the BUSES like I do the METRO, we might have been able to take a bus!

Went to famous “Village Voice”English Bookstore  in the heart of the Latin quarter J got a book.  Continued on to LADURIE   where we got fresh beautiful succulent macaroons to have later after Eiffel Tower.

We passed the Delacroix musee – He painted the famous huge LIBERTE  – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People

(Musee Pass would have got us into this one as well) BUT passed it up – pretty tired. Missed Pantheon – as we had far to go in the other direction for Catacombs.  ;-(

Tuesday night – Eiffel Tower special EVENING tour – which I & B got  3 months in advance. There were no lines for us. Of all my visits here from the last 40 years – this  was a first (for the Eiffel Tower – ever!)  It was awesome!!!  The “twinkling” came on while they were up there. WOW!  J did his “Mr Bean dance” while it was flashing. Too funny!!!      This is the way to see the Eiffel Tower!!      

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After the Eiffel, walked past through TROCADERO to get particular fantastic view , then to Le Wilson Cafe  on the square where we all ate a great dinner – and had some good drinks.   Had the Ladurie Macaroons for dessert!!!  I owe B a CASSIS!!!

SO the kids mom and dad went to their awesome hotel (Renaissance) on Poncaire

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/parsp-renaissance-paris-le-parc-trocadero-hotel/

and we took kids back to apartment.

Took a trip to the “Moroccan Grocery” around the corner from us for fun candies. (Euros that you could eat!)   Papa’O had a movie for them as they slept in their parents bed.  (Grommet & Wallace)
visions of Eiffel and Paintings all in their heads ……………..

DAY TWO – Grands visit Paris

MONDAY PLAN

Leave Apartment for train at Enghien by 9:15.

Can get bus 48 – at Gare du Nord to Louvre or

Can take BUS back – if  taken Metro there

Louvre (Closed Tuesday -10 euros, kids free) 9:00 – 6:00 (Paris Pass)

(Louve tour at 11:00am on Monday 3/19/2012.  Be there at 10:15am

MONDAY – Eat- SANDWICHES IN PARK near Tuleries – or next to LOUVRE

then to

L’Orangerie at the end of Tuleries Gardens)

WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID:

Got to Louvre early actually – and no line for getting the special tour.  I was so hoping the female violinist would be playing in the metro when we arrived and she was!!!  Had the kids put some coins in her case.  Got to the main Ticket Window and we got  the special tour for all of us with absolutely NO ONE in LINE (unheard of)  and then after I turned around –  a huge line had formed behind me.  Good timing!  Tour was 1 1/2 hours, excellent, and not a minute too short.  It was a LOT of information!!! But ofcourse! It’s the LOUVRE!!! Our guide was really good. Saw, ofcourse, the Mona Lisa, Venus d’ Milo, (Has anyone ever really looked at the BACK of her?!?), Winged Victory and a lot of other wonders, Renaissance paintings, Egyptian statues. Let me insert here, that I cannot stress enough how overwhelming and huge the Louvre is and that a guide (for an extra 9 euros) is by far the best & greatest thing to do.  It’s a synopsis of many of the great masterpieces & just to follow this guide and not get turned around or lost is worth it’s weight in gold.  We  then hit the famous basement Louvre shopping ( Carousel)  where there is every store imaginable,  beautiful boutiques (expensive ) and many places to eat, even a McDonalds, Starbucks (2), Tie and hat shops, Nature shops, Designer handbag boutiques, Apple, Gap,Children’s Louvre shop, Postcard and art shops, and a wonderful POST OFFICE where they will stamp your cards right there and give you beautiful stamps if you request them, plus put a huge LOUVRE POSTMARK on your cards.  (I go to this postoffice a LOT, because I love their stamps, and they speak English and are very friendly. )  I went to APPLE to re-charge my iPhone and Graham played on some iPads as he needed a “tech fix”,

– while the rest  browsed around.  Had coffee at Starbucks – free internet there, Also at Apple if you have your iPhone with you  – – – –

Walked into the lovely sunny  Tuleries Gardens and had our homemade French Baguette with goodies ( lunch)  by a fountain and sat on the comfortable green chairs. BEAUTIFUL DAY!!!!  So relaxing – everyone was out!  After lunch trekked to the L’ORANGERIE down by the end of those gardens -we were the first ones in! – (AGAIN) no lines – and then boom, they started forming!! (did GOD work this out – seriously?) You betcha!    BEAUTIFUL l’ORANGERIE with those water lilys inside —  Monet’s famous paintings – and the children gazed at them  intently !! Other  paintings as well, and and a surprise – Munch paintings!   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Munch

Then – walked back through the Tuleries Gardens to Palais Royal where the MONARCHY moved to (one of many places) to avoid the masses trying to get rid of them…then  to Rue Vivienne, very famous lovely area and saw one of the first enclosed shopping areas ever (Mall) – Also on Rue Vivienne is  where VIDOCQ had lived in  (famous Fr. detective- 1823-  who started the fingerprints Identification method.)  Saw  & browsed the oldest bookshop in that enclosed “mall”  (see pic) and then once outside the enclosure saw  the Colbert Cafe where Jack Nicholson woos Diane Keaton. Still in the Palais Royal area now and a  Great photo opportunity on  the black and white round controversial “step columns”  that President Mitterand had installed during his Presidency along with the Pyramid at the Louvre – The coin toss on the column in the “moat” was difficult but  Olivia got it on there twice. Her wishes are sure to come true!  Saw where COLLETTE hung out (1873-1954) – her apartment. She is best known for her novel GIGI. Her history and life and writings were controversial, but weren’t a lot at that time?

We trekked to Gare du Nord – got to Enghien-les-Bains- with still energy that- I’m not sure where it came from –  and took the bus to our large market (Auchun) via Bus 14  into the suburbs of Montmorency.  Many good deals, & unusual food stuffs, i.e. Lavender honeys, special chocolates,biscuits, etc  with prices  not found in shops in Paris. Had pasta and meat sauce  either this night or night before with salad & dessert.  Crashed.

TUESDAY PLAN

Musee D’Orsay (Closed Monday 9 euro, kids free) 9:30 – 6:00 (Paris Pass)

Solferino M – or Bus _63__

Jardin de Luxembourg – 

Pantheon – maybe

(Catacombs – 7 euros, kids free) 10:00 – 5:00

Do the “Latin – Laura tour” can use  –  BUS 95 if tired out – 

Crepes a go go – on Rue Soufflot (near the Pantheon) 

Eiffel Tower (Tues 8pm)-RESERVED

Ian and B to a special stay at a lovely Renaissance Hotel in Trocodero area by Eiffel Tower!

Salmon with Ginger, Lavender Honey & Cuban Rum

I dreamt this recipe up on the way home tonight via train.  (THE BEAUTY of PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!! – You can actually READ, or THINK of what you want to do  without putting drivers at risk!!)

Had all the ingredients and it worked PERFECTLY!  SO YUMMY!!!!!

It also has a bit of orange marmalade on the top to really help it glaze when you saute it for ever so under a few minutes……

Salmon  for Two – 

Mix fresh grated ginger (2 thumbs worth) with 2 T Olive Oil, 2 T Lavender Honey, Squeeze of half lemon and a jigger or two of Cuban Rum* (or any golden rum)(melt the lavender honey for only 7 seconds in microwave to get it into liquid form – as the lavender honey is often solid ) and put all of this over the salmon for atleast 1/2 hour before sauteing it.

It will glaze beautifully from he sugars in the honey and marmelade –

It has a lovely creamy subtle sweet ginger taste.
I think you will so enjoy it!!!!

From:   Marti Cooks in Paris

*I’m in France – Cuban Rum is legal here

as are cigars…….

I know,

Smell me

CHOCOLATE from FRANCE POISONS AMERICANS!!!

Okay, it’s a bit dramatic, but that’s  what the postal clerk said in so many words to David today as he tried to post a gift of French chocolates. 

Peering over her glasses – she looked absolutely shocked to the response David gave her when asked what was in the package.  “CHOCOLATE?? – Mais NON!  ”  She replies.    And my husband ofcourse says, “Porquoi?” (WHY?) and she peers at him with slits for eyes and says, “Mais AMERICANS – ETATS UNIS – THEY DO NOT ALLOW FRENCH CHOCOLATE!!”   Well he was utterly shocked himself, and thought, I just shouldn’t have said anything, but ofcourse he answered truthfully WHAT was IN the package.  He could have just said, “A little soft plastic marmaduke dog that holds a toothbrush, little tiny colored clothespins for my granddaughter’s art work, some marzipan in the shape of apples, a notebook, etc, but no, he says “CHOCOLATE!!! ” Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in your life?  No.  Well, me neither. 

We’re going to pursue this thing, I’ll start to google it for sure to find out what the heck THIS is all about, and then I’ll come back and share with you the final outcome.  But I think it won’t be much different than what I’ve already discovered.  CHOCOLATE, is probably a lot like TRUFFLES (and I don’t mean the chocolate kind,) and it probably has to do with our very rich and very PURE ingredients and the fact that there is NOTHING in them with a long un- pronounceable word that is part of its consistency.  In other words – the purity scares the FDA?…..????   

To be continued…………..

Sometimes, people are just not so nice………

The taxi driver that gave me an attitude today so that I didn’t make it to church in time really ticked me off.  I had learned a new expression in French, “tu es un con!!”, but since I’m a Christian and want to do the “right thing” – instead said to him, “Merci Monsieur, BONJOURNEE!!! “   (Thank you Monsieur, have a nice day”. )

What he did before all this happened was to tell me that  1) he didn’t know the American Church, 2) didn’t know where it was located 3) when I showed him where it was on my map he gave me “the shrug” 4) and when I asked combien es ce que cuit? he replies 5) it’s on the meter, could be 10 – could be 20 (euros) 6) if I found a taxi who would take me for 8 euros, then go back to that taxi!!

When I asked other taxis to take me to the church (on time), I got similar responses.
So, As I walked back into the GARE du NORD to get my trusty METRO to INVALIDES, I said the above (Thank you sir  – have a nice day) and got a laugh from BOTH of the taxi drivers and a SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS as I walked back into the Gare.

I thought, ‘ You know, THESE guys need some church……they are really unacceptably RUDE!)

This all occurred AFTER the first taxi driver said, “Sure, it’ll be 8 euros and then after I got in his taxi, it wouldn’t start !!  He told me to “go around the corner” which I did and that’s when I encountered the difficulty……..

It’s all okay.  I made it to the church (not on time) but still time enough to get a blessing.

The tour of the Latin Quarter afterwards with my friend was so incredible and made the taxi debacle well worth the effort to go through a hassle.  Thank God for FRIENDS!!!!

Snow is lovely in Paris, but you can’t find the doggy poop

Yes, the snow was the most exciting thing to happen in Paris this winter – weather-wise – but while doing my usual trek to the train station and then from Invalides to Quai d’Orsay where my Church is – I noticed I had a difficult time doing my usual “dance in the streets” because the doggy doo doo was camouflaged.  Imagine that!!

Where's the dog poop?

Recipes – (in the Montmorency Apartment of M&D) on limited funds, no (English) recipes but a heart full of creativity!

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP – from just market leeks and little golden  Yukon type potatoes

(Go with whatever potatoes you have)

3 bunches of leeks with most of the tops cut off

Clean them and chop up in big chunks

1/2 bag of 5 pound  sack potatoes

crème fraîche

butter

Salt

Saute leeks first in some olive oil and butter

Then add about 2 quarts of water and the potatoes (cut up)

When potatoes and leeks have cooked for about an hour( to hour and a half )- cut off heat.  Use immersion blender to blend all together to make a smooth consistency.  Add crème fraîche and butter and salt.  I had to guess on the salt and do not have the exact amount I threw in there, but tasted several times to get it right.  We do not overly salt our soups because we have to watch salt.   Serve hot in individual bowls and place a bit of crème fraîche on the top of the soup with a sprig of thyme, if you have it, or some rosemary, or  parsley

Note:  (for the crème fraîche – if you don’t have that, you can use sour cream, or you can make your own crème fraîche very easily – google “how to make your own crème fraîche”)

Rice  & Chicken with a crème fraîche and cheese sauce

served alone, as a side dish or in a crêpe

LEFTOVER chinese rice with bits of ham and peas and egg – 2 cups

(Can be wild rice, any rice you have leftover!!)

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

Creme Fraiche – 3/4 cup

Brie – few pieces

and soft organic goat cheese -3  large tablespoons

Saute 2 chicken breasts (mine from the Auchun) – cut them up in tiny pieces.  Add chicken pieces to  sautéed mushrooms in

( 1 teas olive oil and  one teas of butter)

Then add crème fraîche to the chicken and mushrooms and let it bubble up.

Throw in the leftover chinese rice and mix all together.

I placed about 1/4 cup mixture of the rice/mushroom/chicken in a crêpe, rolled up and heated on 200 c in my oven.  It only took about 10 minutes, but they came out nice and hot and tasty.

The rice dish is very good just by itself.

 Rotisserie Chicken Breasts stuffed with ham, scalloped potatoes, cheese

Take  2 medium-sized rotisserie chicken breasts and slice in half

Put a tablespoon of left over scalloped potatoes  on one side add ham and some blue cheese and or brie cheese ( the blue cheese or gorgonzola adds a bit of a kick)

Wrap chicken breast in individual foil packages and place in oven on high for about 10 minutes (400 degrees) or in my case – whatever I guess is “high” with this french oven.

Serve with small roasted potatoes and sautéed mushrooms and a green salad or green vegetable. Otherwise it’s an all white dish, not so appetizing.

It was even better the 2nd day!!

The woman who screamed at me from the balcony apartment below…….

I’ve done it now.  I clean too much, or the wrong way, or maybe at all.   The balcony needed

a cleaning and it was nice weather so that is what I did.  I mopped it then filled the big watering

can out there with clean water and washed all the suds away.   It looked really nice.

And then I heard trickle trickle louder and louder as the water gained momentum and landed neatly and squarely somewhere below me.  I thought  “Uh Oh.  I hope she’s not home.”

She was.

And 5 minutes later as I was assessing the “damage” from my other bedroom balcony, thinking – it’s not bad – it ran off the ledge – I hear the doorbell.  I thought it was my imagination.  That it was my cell phone.  Then it went again and it was indeed the doorbell.

I thought, “I don’t have to answer it. I don’t speak french.”  Then, I said to myself, “Face it – just answer the damn door.”

Well, there, in all my anticipation was the crazed French woman,  wild blond hair and all berating me with a string of french obscenities from what I can gather.  She said something in a question, and I said, “Oui, “ cause What else was I gonna say – I was standing there with huge green gloves on and a mop in my right hand while she was pointing towards my balcony………

She kept going on with words.  I’m thinking -”How many French words does it really take to say, ‘You’ve ruined my balcony/plants/life and I think you’re stupid?!?!”   Really?  I could do it 11 or less, but she’s still standing there and I’m still listening to her go on and on.  I just say “Oui” again as she points to my balcony and my mop and I say “Je suis desole”  – and then she sarcasticly repeats my “Je suis desole” like what the hell is that going to do?  So she leaves in

a huff with me still standing there dumbfounded.

Then I brush my hair back into a ponytail, get out of my pj’s , grab slacks,top,  check my face – put some eyeliner on cause I’m not going down there to face her LOOKING like the cleaning lady I’m really not, and go to my computer. I put in “google translate: How to say,  “I do not know what I did exactly –

but whatever it was – I will clean it up.  “Je ne sais pas ce que j’ai fait!  MAIS, je vais le nettoyer!”

So, I go down the flight of stairs in the dark, with my mop and translation and ring her doorbell.  Her dog would have woken up the entire village.  No one answers.   I ring again.  And again. The dog is louder now.

After 6 rings I left.  I could have sworn I heard her say something to that dog!

Then I went down the elevator this time to talk to the Guardien (landlord) to tell him my plight.

I still had the mop in my hand.  But the elevator went to the basement and I met someone getting on the elevator and he asked me a question in French and I said to him, I”M sorry but I do not speak French. “ He continues  to ask me something so since he wasn’t understanding me I just blurted out – “THIS WOMAN- from below just chewed my ass because apparently my cleaning the balcony bothered her and I’m trying to find out how to apologise and clean up whatever it is that I did……”   and then my floor opened and I went out and I’m sure he thought………I’m not sure what he thought……but if you’re gonna keep talking to me in your French language after I’ve already told you (IN FRENCH) that I do not speak French, then you’re gonna get a whole lot of my language.

Anyway, the GUARDIAN helped – very sweet that little Vietnamese is……..and he saw my paper where I wrote down the words that I DON’T KNOW WHAT I DID (EXACTLY) BUT WHATEVER – I’M HERE TO CLEAN IT UP…….

He did some motions  indicating “the woman below you” and I did motions of “she was FURIOUS”  and then he smiled from ear to ear and  said – “not to worry” that he would take care of it.

Great!
Now I’m tempted to go back to my balcony and throw another bucket of water right over the last!

But

I

Won’t.