Gay Paris
The Mrs. and I took a well-needed vacation to Paris this past weekend. With her job winding to an end and school drawing near its finish, we cashed in a chunk of miles and headed across the pond. I had never been to Paris and was a little nervous about how we would be received. The French in general and Parisians in particular have a reputation for not holidng Americans in the highest esteem. Nevertheless, I try not to judge anyone or anything until I have some experience of my own.
We had a wonderful time. I dare say it was the most pleasant travel experience I've had. From the transportation to lodging to ease of getting around and friendliness, we couldn't have been more pleased.
Our old friend Larry Milner is in the midst of a three-month soul-searching journey through Europe. Having just jumped out of a plane in Interlaken, Switzerland, the day before, he met us in Paris on Friday afternoon, posing as our Cousin Larry (the hotels keep close tabs on who is entering each room).
Stationed in the Latin Quarter, we maneuvered through Paris with ease, walking nearly everywhere. The few places we wanted to go that were beyond our ability to walk were easily reached via the subway system (which, incidentally, was simple to use and relatively clean). We started out at the Notre Dame and walked to the nearby Jewish area called the Mareis. After a lovely Shabbat dinner we retired to our room and had a needed night's rest.
Saturday was spent at the Louvre, which was fantastic because I was in the middle of reading The Da Vinci Code (which I finished on the plane ride home). It's an overwhelmingly humongous museum, not easily navigated I might add, but breathtaking. We then walked around a bit and came back to the hotel for a nap. Waking up in time for dinner at a lovely cafe a few streets from the Eiffel Tower, we then stood in line for about an hour until we could make it up the quintessential French edifice. It stays light until 9:45 or 10 at night so we were able to see the Paris nightfall atop the Tower -- what a magnificent view!
We left and headed back to the Latin Quarter where we met up with Larry and a few of his friends. I don't have enough room to explain how he knew everyone, but suffice it to say it was a motley crew. We spent the better part of the evening at a terrific jazz club, where we enjoyed great wine and better company. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday night. Most of the tunes were American (jazz, after all, is an American genre) so we sang along with Mario, this wonderful and young Italian baritone.
Since we didn't get to bed until 3:30 or 4 in the morning we decided to sleep in a little on Sunday. When we awoke, we headed to the Musee D'orsay, housing among other items, a premier pre-impressionist and impressionist collection. Mrs. E's favorite artist is Degas (especially his famous ballerinas) so we got our fill of him and Van Gogh, Monet, and others. It was great and luckily Mrs. E had to go to the bathroom while we were waiting to get in so we avoided the really long entrance line. (Helpful hint #1: If you're ever in a really long line, approach the security guard and inform him of your about-to-explode blatter. Helpful hint #2: You should be of the female persuasion for helpful hint #1 to work.) We went to the world famous Moulin Rouge for the "Vegas Show" part of our trip. It was maddeningly expensive and exceedingly cheesy, but fun nonetheless.
Monday we decided would be our shopping day. We took the subway to the Arc de Triomphe, which serves as the center of Paris and the top of the Champs Elysees, where some of the finest (and most expensive) shops in the world are. We had a good time just going in and not buying anything, although Mrs. E did get a new Longchamp bag for her new job when we got back to the Latin Quarter. It was one of the few things in France less expensive than in America. We spent the evening sitting at a cafe, drinking wine (coke for the Mrs.) and reading our respective novels. It's something that is classically European and not done in the US, unfortunately.
Tuesday morning we took off bright and early for the airport. Paul, a lovely Parisian who picked us up from Charles De Gaulle, offered to bring us back. He firmly believes that the French citizenry dislikes Jacque Chirac more than Americans hate George Bush. We got a good chuckle out of that.
Anway, it was a perfect little vacation and I would recommend Paris to anyone.
We had a wonderful time. I dare say it was the most pleasant travel experience I've had. From the transportation to lodging to ease of getting around and friendliness, we couldn't have been more pleased.
Our old friend Larry Milner is in the midst of a three-month soul-searching journey through Europe. Having just jumped out of a plane in Interlaken, Switzerland, the day before, he met us in Paris on Friday afternoon, posing as our Cousin Larry (the hotels keep close tabs on who is entering each room).
Stationed in the Latin Quarter, we maneuvered through Paris with ease, walking nearly everywhere. The few places we wanted to go that were beyond our ability to walk were easily reached via the subway system (which, incidentally, was simple to use and relatively clean). We started out at the Notre Dame and walked to the nearby Jewish area called the Mareis. After a lovely Shabbat dinner we retired to our room and had a needed night's rest.
Saturday was spent at the Louvre, which was fantastic because I was in the middle of reading The Da Vinci Code (which I finished on the plane ride home). It's an overwhelmingly humongous museum, not easily navigated I might add, but breathtaking. We then walked around a bit and came back to the hotel for a nap. Waking up in time for dinner at a lovely cafe a few streets from the Eiffel Tower, we then stood in line for about an hour until we could make it up the quintessential French edifice. It stays light until 9:45 or 10 at night so we were able to see the Paris nightfall atop the Tower -- what a magnificent view!
We left and headed back to the Latin Quarter where we met up with Larry and a few of his friends. I don't have enough room to explain how he knew everyone, but suffice it to say it was a motley crew. We spent the better part of the evening at a terrific jazz club, where we enjoyed great wine and better company. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday night. Most of the tunes were American (jazz, after all, is an American genre) so we sang along with Mario, this wonderful and young Italian baritone.
Since we didn't get to bed until 3:30 or 4 in the morning we decided to sleep in a little on Sunday. When we awoke, we headed to the Musee D'orsay, housing among other items, a premier pre-impressionist and impressionist collection. Mrs. E's favorite artist is Degas (especially his famous ballerinas) so we got our fill of him and Van Gogh, Monet, and others. It was great and luckily Mrs. E had to go to the bathroom while we were waiting to get in so we avoided the really long entrance line. (Helpful hint #1: If you're ever in a really long line, approach the security guard and inform him of your about-to-explode blatter. Helpful hint #2: You should be of the female persuasion for helpful hint #1 to work.) We went to the world famous Moulin Rouge for the "Vegas Show" part of our trip. It was maddeningly expensive and exceedingly cheesy, but fun nonetheless.
Monday we decided would be our shopping day. We took the subway to the Arc de Triomphe, which serves as the center of Paris and the top of the Champs Elysees, where some of the finest (and most expensive) shops in the world are. We had a good time just going in and not buying anything, although Mrs. E did get a new Longchamp bag for her new job when we got back to the Latin Quarter. It was one of the few things in France less expensive than in America. We spent the evening sitting at a cafe, drinking wine (coke for the Mrs.) and reading our respective novels. It's something that is classically European and not done in the US, unfortunately.
Tuesday morning we took off bright and early for the airport. Paul, a lovely Parisian who picked us up from Charles De Gaulle, offered to bring us back. He firmly believes that the French citizenry dislikes Jacque Chirac more than Americans hate George Bush. We got a good chuckle out of that.
Anway, it was a perfect little vacation and I would recommend Paris to anyone.
Labels: Vacation
posted by gwheathie | 11:16 AM
1 Comments:
That really does sound exactly right. I think I may have to start calling your wife Mrs. E. It reminds me of Mrs. C (Happy Days).
Has it really been three or four weeks since you returned from Paris? How does New York seem as compared to Paris? Is it noisier or faster or just about comprable?
Much love.
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