Reflections on "Two Chicks do Paris" Trip

I know - it has taken me 2 months to write my final blog entry! Life just gets away from me sometimes (usually) and I just need to organize myself. I am still catching up but it was worth it. I still have a cough (probably from the whiney guy sitting in the seat from the CDG to Miami leg). But I would do again and again and cannot wait for my next adventure!

This trip was as great as all our blogs have said. We each got to see everything that was on the must do list. There were a few minor things we did not see but that is another trip. My only regret is I did not eat enough chocolate, pastries and bread.

It also further reinforced the fact that the French people are really not rude, warm, and interesting. They do not hate Americans - just ignorant, loud, judgmental, close minded people who think that when in France, people should speak English, have American food and culture (Hmmmm.....). I have encountered more rudeness in Longview, Washington that I did in France. I love the food, the culture, the people, and the language. I cannot wait to go back. I will continue with my practice of my hideous French, continuing to laugh at myself and enjoy it all!There were moments of frustation (my shoes would not stayed tied, we got lost in Paris traffic with a map which lied, we missed the manager of the apartment so I had to figure out how to use the French public phone and find him) but there far and few. The laughter and fun far outweighed any negatives and problems.

So . . my next adventure? When? Where? Who knows! I am hoping to get back to France in the next year or so. But there are so many places I want to see. I am thinking . . . India? Thailand? Vietnam? Egypt? Turkey? Don't know, don't care - but wherever. I will return to France and I will always have these very fond memories of the Two Chicks do Paris!

Too Many Hrs in the Air

We got up early and headed for the Paris Airport (or as those in the know - CDG). Traffic was light according to Paris standard. We found rental return with only one extra turn around the airport. There was no shuttle so we shucked our bags (my bags were now heavier than Lori's) to the terminal which was right there.

There was a long line at the American Airlines counter but it was really fun watching all the people. There was a British couple in front of us fighting the entire time which was fun. After dropping the bags, Lori went to the exchange counter to exchange her Euros. Standing behind her was some guy trying to look like a rock star and some woman who had way too much plastic surgery and botox.

The flight home was very uneventful except that my earphone plug in had been jammed with something and I could not use it. Lori and I ended up using my double jack in her earphone jack so I could watch the movie. It was so memorable I don't even remember what it was. It was 9 hours to Miami (Ugh! remind me never to go this route again)

As we were landing in Miami, we heard that it was 92 degrees! Needless to say neither of us were very excited going from Paris to hot humid. We made it thru customs and grabbed a cab to the hotel.

The hotel was downtown and after checking in, Lori checked out! I decided to walk around so I put on my shorts and headed out. They told me at the front counter that the Hard Rock Cafe was only a ten minute walk and it was a safe neighborhood. So off I headed in the direction they told me.

As I was walking, I noticed a number of people talking to themselves, drooling, and wandering aimlessly. The drivers were rude and did not seem to know that the sidewalks were really for pedestrians. Everyone was on a cell phone and more than one time, I had to dodge a car that decided the red light and crosswalk did not apply to them.

I kept walking and the neighborhood was getting worse. I saw a FedEx truck and I figured he would know where the Hard Rock was. I started talking to him and the first thing he asked me was why I was walking in this area - it was not safe (Great - there goes the tip for the front desk). He gave me directions and off I headed. As I got a block, he pulled up and told him was going just a couple of blocks from where I was headed and offered me a ride. So I climbed into the FedEx truck and got a little tour of downtown Miami. His name was Alberto and he was from Argentina and he was about 25. He also was yelling Spanish at the lousy drivers and told me how rude they were in Miami. Very funny guy.

I found the Hard Rock Cafe after a few other questions to other pedestrians. As I was leaving the shop, the girls told me that I should not walk alone in that neighborhood. I walked around the shopping mall where the HRC was located, looking for a cab. Saw some of the fanciest boats I had ever seen in the marina. Found a place that serve Cuban food - quite good. I never did find a cab so I hustled back to the hotel before it got dark. I did have a run in with a BMW as I was in the crosswalk and she had a red light. She started to go through the light (of course, she was on her cell phone) with me standing right in front of her. She was very annoyed and did not seem to understand a red light. I did have a nice walk along the bay.

I made it back to the hotel and repacked my bags since we had an early flight tomorrow. I was anxious to get home.

Our final day in France

We left Chisseaux after a very nice breakfast and chat with our hostess. We were going to make a stop at Chaumont, then Fontainbleu and then if our luck held out with directions and traffic, Chantilly (which is north of Paris near where we were spending our final night).

Chaumont is a beautiful but small chateau in a small town on the Loire River. We had to hike up the a long but steady cement path to the chateau which sits on the bluff overlooking the river. The chateau itself is small and very intimate. There was no one there - we were able to look through it without a group of people in our pictures (which was really nice). Parts of the chateau were closed off but you could see a number of rooms - all furnished. It was very well preserved and we were able to see it inside an hour. We then went over and looked around at the stable. Chaumont is where Diane d'Poiters went after Catherine threw her out of Chennenceau. I did a Patricia - I tried all the doors to see if I could open them and I also tried a dark stairway - no luck.

We decided to take a country road instead of getting on a freeway. It was a nice relaxing drive but before we got to Orleans, we decided to get on the freeway. The day was getting away from us and we still had a lot we wanted to do.

We found Fontainbleu with very little trouble. The mappy directions were pretty good and we were clipping right along. Since it is a major site, it is well marked. We were able to find parking right across the street and since it was Monday, it was free (I love free especially with the value of the dollar against the euro right now!).

Fontainbleau is a much smaller and less crowded Versailles. We did the audio tour which we were able to do in a hour. It clearly needed some restoration and they were starting to work on it. It was nice that we did not have to wade through people to see everything and in fact, I even took some pictures where there are no people in it!

One of the coolest things was that this chateau had some original furniture and paintings in it. It was used by Napolean and was the sight of his abdication (or at least his first one) when he quit and left for St. Helena. The staircase in the front is curved and really great. We also took a "two chicks do Paris" picture in front of it. There were rooms of priceless artifacts.

I tried to get to the gardens but the directions the woman in the ticket booth told me were wrong. The gate was locked and I was not able to make her understand the problem. (I don't the french words for "the stupid gate is locked and I cannot get it opened"). So I only got to see the gardens from the inside of the chateau. Next time when I come back with Burns, I will see the grounds . They look pretty nice.

We left Fontainbleau and got lost almost immediately. The mappy directions were not so clear and I had trouble following them, especially since I had a map that well . . sucked! We were on the wrong roads but the next thing I knew we were on the right road (and we did not even make any turns - go figure). We headed towards Paris, hoping we would miss the traffic and make it before Chantilly closed.

Well, needless to say, we did not make it. We stopped at the French version of 7-11 and grabbed some lunch (bagette and cheese for me). Then we headed towards the big ugly city. Mappy got us very, very, very lost and we ended up in what we thought was the suburb of Paris. We turned around and retraced our steps only to be in the middle of the mess. The French drivers sure don't want to let people in to merge. Also, the signs did not match the mappy and directions and that map we had should have been tossed out the window!

After 90 minutes of frustration, we finally found the way out of the city traffic. But we were not going to make it to Chantilly before it closed, so we decided to head towards Senlis (pronounced Sonlees) to find out B&B. I had also read it is a great little medieval walled city. I also wanted to find our B&B before dark. I really hated hunting in the dark for these places.

We pulled into Senlis and tried following the directions from the B&B. We made a wrong turn down a very narrow, cobbled street and it appeared we were heading to a dead end. So we stopped and we asked these very cute little girls "Ou est Rue de Repulic?" All I heard was "a gauche, a droite" and they waived their arms. They were about 7 or 8. So we went "gauche and droite" more than 1 or 2 times and found our way (I think we just got really lucky and it was a really small town).

We drove down these very narrow streets. Thank goodness we had a small car because there were a few times I was doubting whether or not we would make the turns even in the small car. We parked the car and found our B&B with little problem. It was on a side street. The owners had a cute little dog with a cork screw tail who was very friendly. The wife ran the B&B and husband worked for a company in Seattle doing screens for private planes (the kind that you and I cannot even afford to look at let alone buy). They were very nice. Sylvaine showed us our room which was on the second floor. The only problem was the stairway (metal green stairs) did not have a railing to hang onto so it was a bit dicey get up and down. We managed. The room was large with old timbers running through the ceiling. The bathroom which was next door had a shower which was part of the bathroom. In other words, the shower, sink, and toilet were all open and together. The sink was interesting. It had an on/off switch which looked like an old shower faucet but the problem was it was on the side of the sink so it wasn't very obvious. It took a bit to figure it out.

After settling in, we walked around the city for a bit. It was dark so the pictures are not great. The walled part of the city is very obvious. We ate crepes at a little restaurant which appeared to be filled with locals. Then we headed back to the B&B. We had a long day tomorrow. Sylvaine's husband (I never did catch his name) gave us a map showing us how to get to the airport and a map showing us where the rental car return was

I am really sad to be leaving France but I am not anxious to get home. I know I have a lot of work to do and I miss Doug and "the kids". It will also be nice to not have to mess with the French showers and washers/dryers!

My Next House

Two chicks headed out of Paris early. We cabbed it over to the Air France bus in front of Invalides which took us to Orly Airport where we picked up our car.

Our first adventure was finding the car itself. The girl at the counter indicated the car was in S parking lot and all we had to do was walk 100 meters and we would find it. Wrong! We walked to the garage and there were a lot of cars but no attendant. So I walked all the way back to the terminal to find that I had not walked quite far enough. So I walked back. The taxi drivers are asking me if I want a ride. I get back to the garage and tell Lori. She waited with all the bags (we are up to 5 now) while I went to get the car.

The car attendant claimed he spoke English (but he really lied) and told me I could take the car back to pick up Lori. He lied. I drove against the arrow in the car rental garage and you would have thought I robbed a bank. It started with the Avis guy yelling (in English) I was going the wrong way. I knew that (it never stopped me before). He shook his finger at me. Then a bunch of guys who looked like they were rugby players had to go around me and they started telling me in their British accent I was going the wrong way. I became very irritated and told them in my American accent I could read and I could drive any way I wanted because the Brits drove the wrong way anyway. Then a second car of guys (I think they must have communicated by cell phone) told me I was going the wrong way. Thanks, buds. I just did the gallic shrug and kept going. I met Lori with the bags and they all fit. She drove because I was tired to getting yelled at. We heade down the highway looking for Amboise in the Loire Valley.

We got to Amboise about noon. Our next adventure was finding our little B&B in Chisseaux (which wasn't even on our map). The mappy directions gave us the turns but did not give us the street names (they were so small they were not named). Down the road we headed. It was a great country road. Our little car had very little pick up but it would work for a few days.

We got to our B&B and noticed check-in was after 4:30 pm so we decided to go and see Chennonceaux.

Talk about amazing - this chateau is unbelievable! You walk down a long avenue lined with trees which opens up onto a moat. You cross the moat and the chateau is in front with the gardens on both sides. The chateau is small in comparison to other chateaus we had seen but it was cozy. It spanned the Cher River. The gardens on the left side were created by Diane d'Poitiers and the gardens on the right were created by Catherine d'Medici. I like the left just because I like Diane. We did the tape tour of the chateau. It was crowded but not too bad.

At about 5:00, we went back to the B&B and checked in. It was run by a very gracious French woman and her husband. The room was very cool - a spacious atelier with a bathroom and dressing area. It was bigger than our whole apartment.

We asked our hostess at the B&B for a recommendation for a good local restaurant. She offered to make a reservation for us and told us the restaurant would not even open until 6:00. So we decided to take a drive thru the valley and then come back and get ready for dinner.

We only had time for a short drive thru the Loire and it was great fun. We drove over the next town, Montrichard. to try and find some Roman/Gallo ruins (never found them). We passed by houses built into the hillside and some wineries. We passed some very cool chateaus that looked either private or like they were hotels. We decided we were definitely coming back. Then we saw some balloons floating over the valley.

We went to dinner and had the best meal of our entire trip. It was a small restaurant in a very old building and very elegant. We were little under dressed but what an amazing meal and amazing (a word I am using a lot to describe this trip!) service. I had lamb and mushrooms and french onion soup (could not do the foie gras or pate), creme brulee and some great wine. What a wonderful way to end our day.

Tomorrow we head north to Fontainbleau and Senlis.

Nuit Blanche

While Lori was off cooking - I did my final day in Paris. I really do love Paris and am very sad to be leaving such a beautiful and great city. Those who say Parisians are rude are just flat wrong. Sure, there are rude people in Paris (the waitress at the Bar Pit Brasserie on the Rue Cler) but ther are rude people in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, New York. I have encountered less rude people here in the 11 days I have been here than I encountered in San Francisco in one weekend last October. So . . . the myth fails. I love Paris and cannot wait to return (hear that, Doug!) and I will.



I started my last day with a train ride over to the 16th A to do the Art Nouveau walk. I walked for several hours and passed some wonderful examples of Art Nouveau. The 16th A is a quiet and upscale neighborhood. There were not a lot of people out - it was early Saturday morning and there were almost no tourists out. I did meet some wonderful ladies from Palo Alto, CA who were doing the same walk. It was a very clean neighborhood - very few land mines.

At 11:30, it was time to quit the walk and begin looking for the Metro to get me to Musee Marmottan Monet. It is the best private collection of Monet's work. I walked and walked and walked and then finally realized I was lost. So I walked and got myself back on track and finally found the museum. It is in an old restored mansion.



The tickets were half-price because the upper floor of the museum was closed which was disappointing because it contained some Renoir and Degas I would have enjoyed seeing. The basement has a nice collection of Monet. I still think the best collection is at L'Orangerie near the Louvre but this was still nice. The problem was they would not let anyone take photos but they did not have a good selection of postcards. Oh well . . .



I had to be back at 2:00 for my final french lesson. I did find the Metro but then got on the train heading the wrong direction. Then I decided not to do the Metro but the RER (less transfering) but I ended up on the wrong track. I finally found my way around and got home with time to spare.



During my lesson, Lori came back from her cooking school (with dinner!). We had an wonderful meal after my lesson. She made a stuffed chicken leg with lentils. I can now say I have eaten at the Cordon Bleu (or at least had a meal cooked at the CB). It was wonderful. We had to go out after for dessert - I had been thinking about a crepe with chocolate or Nutella all day. We did clean up our little apartment. It was small and only took about 30 minutes to clean. To get our deposit back, we had to have it in good shape since the rental manager was coming at 9:00 in the morning to inspect and give us our deposit back. We packed up our bags. My suitcase now weighed more than Lori's and I had my little stuffed down duffel full. Hmm - shopping in Paris. I did hear some music on our street so I had to go and investigate. It turned out it was an umpah band dueling a bunch of guys playing french horns. Go figure.

We went in sat in a cafe for a couple of hours, eating and talking about our trip. We both agreed how much fun we had and how sad we were to leave Paris. It was so nice to be in a cafe and be able to talk without some surly waiter rushing us off. It was a nice warm night. We also drank some coffee to get ready for Nuit Blanch so we could stay awake.

After dinner, we did the Metro to downtown. It was really packed with all kinds of people - worse than Paris rush hour! We were heading to Nuit Blanche which happens once a year where all the museums and many of the shops are open for 24 hours. They light a bunch of candles and get the City of Light really lit up. There are also a number of activities going on throughout the city. The other thing that was occurring was Paris was celebrating the opening of a new Metro line (the purple line) and there was going to be various activities along that line.

Our first stop was the Madeleine which is a Greek style church. It was open and since it was such a cool church, I thought Lori might enjoy it. There was a line outside and it was all lite up on the outside. There were flowers decorating the front steps. Inside was very different. It was pitch black and New Age music was playing. There were people on ladders with blue lasers pointing all around. It was very cool but unfortunately, you could not see the church since it was pitch black.

Our next stop we walked down to the Opera hoping it was open but it was not. We got on the Metro and then decided to head towards the Gare Lazare. We got to the train station (it was on the purple line) and walked around but there was nothing going on. I did get to see the restaurant in the train station - Le Bleu Train which is very famous. Unfortunately, there is a dress code so I could not even get in the door (believe me, I tried). The waiter had absolutely no sense of humor. I did get a few pictures. The restaurant is reminisent of the heyday of train travel - very formal and ornate.

We did walk around the station. The TGV trains were parked. All that was going was that all the drunks were hanging around asking for money. This train station is not the major international station - it services mainly southern France.

We went outside to find the Metro and we heard all this cheering from a local bar. It looked packed and we kept hearing lots of yelling. Something big was going on. We figured it had something to do with the World Rugby Cup which was going on right now. I'll bet it was something to do with the French team.

We took the Metro back to the center of town. As we were leaving the Metro, there were hundreds of people going the opposite direction. Alot were cheering and yelling (but since it was mostly in French - it was hard to understand). We got up on the street and it was wild! Everyone was yelling, shooting and running around. We figured that France won. People was honking and screaming out their cars.

We walked over to the Louvre because we wanted to check out the Tulleries. We had seen the preparation for the event - it looked like it was going to be amazing. They had put out these large balls with what looked like was going to be filled with candles of some kind.

It truly was amazing! The balls were filled with candles and were in the middle of the path. There were candles in pots lining the walkways. There were people with fire in the middle and fire in the fountains. There was a large ball hanging from a crane which was filled with candles. We walked thru tons of people looking at all the lights. We lost each other 1 time but were able to connect back up a few minutes later.

We walked to the ferris wheel which is just outside the Tulleries. I could not get over the number of people. I wanted to see the lights on the Champs Elysees. The people were still celebrating (what we found out later was France who was the underdog beat New Zealand and is going to the next level). There was one point where there was almost a mob situation. I was just watching and Lori grabbed my arm and using good common sense indicated it was time to leave. We just walked around watching all the crazies.

We were tired so we went back to the apartment. We had an early day tomorrow and we were going to be headed to the Loire.

The Grittier Paris

Today Lori was cooking and I decided to look for the seedier, grittier Paris and I found it! Unfortunately, it also means less pictures. Since I was alone, I did not take my camera out as much.





I started my day with a Metro trip to the Bastille. There is a old railway which the city of Paris converted to a raised walkway. Underneath the walkway, there are trendy shops and art galleries. I enjoyed the walk up top because I got a birds eye view of the city (and a lot of the homeless which lived up there). I tried talking to several of the guys but no one spoke english. The raised walkway has very nice gardens and foliage.







I then ran into another strike going on - the doctors were protesting the proposed changes to the medical care from their current socialized medicine to a model closer to the one we have in the US. So I ended up talking with a bunch of the doctors and discussing the pros and cons of both systems. I spent about an hour talking with a whole group of them - very interesting exchange.






I then Metro'd over to the area where Canal St. Martin was. This certainly was not uptown. There were a lot of little restaurants - Indian, Greek, Ethiopian, Turkish - a very mixed neighborhood. I did have a great little picnic on the Canal St. Martin - a Greek sandwich. I walked over to the St. Louis Hospital which was a hospital set up for plague victims. A very nice (not crowded at all) square. I only went a short way on the Canal St. Martin - it did not look like it was doing much and I wanted to get to the Sentier/Beauburg districts.













I began walking toward the Sentier Metro. The neighborhood was much poorer and much more ethnically diverse. The houses were apartments - new and rundown. The streets were dirtier and more graffiti. Of course, I did not see any tourists. I did talk with a couple of people who told me if I wanted really different, to head to the eastern suburbs of Paris. This is where I would find a very diverse and struggling area. The French government has had lots of rioting in that area and lots of social issues. They really work at keeping the tourists out of that area.








I ended up at Les Halles (don't ask me how but I did). I did find the covered passage that Dad, Patricia, Doug and I found last year and then onto the Ile de la Cite. I stopped at the Shakespeare Book Co just to look and then walked thru a bit of the Latin Quarter. I then got on the train and returned to the apartment.











Lori and I had dinner and then headed to the motorcycle show. I have never seen so many motorcycles before in my life. When we came out of the Metro, there were hundreds (and these were not dealer's bikes - these were the folks in the show!).














On the Metro trip back, a jazz band got on on our car with a very cute little girl. They played some ragtime and the little girl just danced away. It was very cute and fun.

















Tomorrow - Lori is cooking and I am walking - Art Nouveau is on the list. It will be our last day in Paris - so sad!

Thursday - October ???

You can tell a good vacation when you forget the date or the day of the week. I know I am writing about Thursday but I am not sure of the date.

We started with breakfast with same surly waitress who was rude. I wish my French was good enough where I could tell her what I thought of her lousy service and rude attitude. I am planning on posting it so everyone beware of Bar Pit Brasserie in Rue Cler - bad, bad, bad.

Today we were going to finish Lori's list of stuff to do. We started our day by catching the bus to Pere Lachaise. I wasn't the one that researched it or had it on my list of things to do but it was a short sidetrip, not too far from our objective of Montmartre and was where Jim Morrison was buried (which was what Lori wanted to see).

The bus took us through some areas we had already been (St. Germain des-Pres, Marais, Bastille) and we saw some familiar sites. Half way to the cemetary, the bus driver told everyone in french to get off (this bus was supposed to go the entire way to the Pere Lachaise). We got off, looked around and tried to figure our next step when another bus pulled up. I asked the driver if he was going to Pierre Lachaise. He laughed, Lori laughed and so did everyone else. Now she is calling me Lucy. Hmmm . . . I guess she is Ethel.

Here was the best part about Morrison's grave - the cat really did not care - he was just hanging out on someone else's grave.

It was the bus and we got to cemetery. We saw Jim's grave - it is now fenced off due to vandalism. It was easy to find - follow anyone who looked like they came from the sixties or looked alternative and sure enough, we found it. We passed some very interesting crypts. On the way back to the bus, we found Chopin's grave. That was it.

How the heck did they get that grafitti up there???

Then we hopped the Metro to the Montmartre. At the bottom of the hill, is certainly the seedier side of Paris. We walked past a gauntlet of junky souvenier shops (with tons of other tourists) to the tram to take us the rest of the way up the hill. When we got to the top, there was a harp player and a juggler and tons of tourists.

The Basilica is beautiful - white stone with an incredible view of Paris. We went inside but there was a service going on. The nuns (in habits, mind you!) sang after the service and it was beautiful and a bit surreal. We walked around after the service and saw the mosiacs and small chapels. A very nice place but almost as crowded as Notre Dame. We only spent a short time. I tried buying post cards but all the Catholics were in the gift shop buying rosaries and statues. So we moved on to lunch.


We walked into the main part of the neighborhood and had lunch (omelettes) at a small cafe on the edge of a square. Then we walked around the main square where all the artists were either painting or just displaying their wares. There was some really nice stuff. The funniest thing I saw was some guy taking a video of his girlfriend or wife having her picture painting. How exciting is that???? He just stood there running his video camera. We finally just walked past him. What was that all about?




The main artist square

We walked around many of the streets and looked in the shops and alleys. It was really an adult Disneyland and I tried of it quickly. We then walked down so I could see the Moulin Rouge. It was in the sex shop strip neighborhood. Very sleezy. Again, lots of tourists but I would not be here at night. I also got to see the Abesses Metro stop which was classic Art Nouveau.

Pigalle Sex Shops - all shapes and sizes - 1/2 block from the famous Moulin Rouge

We then headed back to the apartment to get some warmer clothes for our evening walk down the Champs Elysees. Lori also wanted to do the big ferris wheel (Ugh!!!). We got to the Arc du Triomphe just as the sun was setting. It is amazing how big the thing is and how beautiful all the architecture. I was too tired to climb to the top but I might do it Friday. Again, there was lots of tourists. I went below the arch and took pictures but it was much more fun watching the cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses jockeying for position!

Jockeying for position or Driving Slots cars in Paris

We walked down the Champs Elysees which was just shopping, most of it high end and way out of my price range. It was amazing how many Parisians were out and about on a work night. Many of the shops were closing. There were also some car dealers which were having some type of reception with some very new fancy cars.

We had dinner in a great little restaurant off the strip which was wonderful - I had couscous. The waitress was very cute and funny. She did not speak much english and my french is . . . well, you know. Another patron helped us out. When I asked what one of the meats on my plate was, she told me in French but I could not understand. The other patron made a baaing noise which we all laughed at.

After dinner, we finished our walk and ended up at the ferris wheel at the end of the Champs Elysees. I told Lori I would go on the ferris wheel with her since I had dragged her hither and yon. Needless to say - I went with no complaints. There are no pictures because I was hanging on so tight - I hate heights and I hate ferris wheels. I also had my eyes closed most of the ride. So this is the only picture of the ride - from a distance. I really, really, really hate ferris wheels!

Two Chicks in Paris . . . Doing the Metro

Today was a Metro day. Now that Lori is comfortable, she can't get enough of the Paris Metro!

Metro trip 1 - Rue Cler (Ecole Militaire) to Ledrun-Rollin on 8 (purple line) towards Creteil

We started our day heading to the only Paris Flea Market we were going to make - it was the Marche d'Aligne in the 12th. It was mainly food but there was some clothing and used stuff. Very small with lots of local flavor. There was some guy selling underwear (new) and some other vendors selling some used junk. It was much smaller than the big one in St. Ouen and much less intimidating.

Metro trip 2- Ledrun- Rollin on 8 (purple line) towards Balard to Bonne Nouvelle (same line)

I took Lori to our "old neighborhood" (where I stayed with Dad, Patricia and Doug in Feb 2006). We stopped at Starbucks and then headed down Grand Boulevard, just looking around and checking out the covered shopping areas (no, not like our American shopping malls).

Metro trip 3 - Bonne Nouvelle line 8 towards Creteil (again - thank goodness for the Carte Orange we bought on Monday which is the unlimited Metro for the week) transfered at Republic to the 11 (brown line) toward Chatelet and got off at Rambuteau

Our next stop was the Pompideau. Lori wanted a picture from the outside. So we did the photo op and what do you know, we ended up inside (did I mention how much I like the Paris Museum Pass) which was covered by the museum pass. Museums have the cleanest bathrooms and we took the escalator up the funny tubes to the 5th floor which had the most amazing views of Paris. Forget the Eiffel Tower - you can see everything from the top of the Pompideau (and it is cheaper and cleaner and less crowded).

I really wasn't too thrill about the modern art until I realized there was Man Ray (a great photographer), Matisse, Picasso, and some other cool stuff so we did a short tour. The Pompideau was a great stop - not crowded, and very nicely done. Recommend it as an easy and nice stop. They also have some special exhibits for kids.

Metro trip 4 - 11 line at Rambutea towards Chatelet and transfered at Chatelet where we transfered to the 4 (magenta line) towards Porte d'Orleans then transfered at Odeon the to 10 (dark yellow) heading towards Gare d'Austerlitz and got off on at the Cluny

I wanted to see the tapestries and the Roman baths at the Musee Moyen Age (aka the Cluny) but Lori had already been there so she went to a cafe and I did a quick perusal of the museum.

The Cluny is one of those Paris Museums that is a do not miss. It is not crowded, small and has some amazing tapestries and medieval art. I wanted to see the Lady and the Unicorm tapestry which takes up an entire. I could not do any pictures because it was so dark (to preserve it). It consists of six full wall tapestries. Unbelievable the workmanship. This little museum had several rooms of beautiful tapestries, a room of old stained glass windows (recovered from a church in Amboise), the heads of some of the saints from Notre Dame (these had been beheaded during the Revolution and then buried in someone's backyard), and Roman baths with artifacts. It was quiet and just easy to navigate. I highly recommend doing the Cluny.

After the Cluny, I found Lori and we walke a few blocks to the Pantheon. It is a massive Roman style building in the middle of the Sorbonne area. I would not have paid to see it but we had the museum pass and it was free. A big building with a bunch of dead French famous people in the basement (crypt) - not worth a special trip but was pleasant.

Two chicks in Paris in front of the Pantheon

From the Pantheon, we headed to the Luxemburg Gardens which was very nice. The French really use their parks and keep them quite nice. There are still flowers in bloom but the leaves are starting to change. We watched some people playing some type of bolle ball and then we found the statue of Liberty as we were leaving the park - a small version with an oak tree that had been planted to commenrate the victims of 9/11.

We left the park and walked to St. Suplice (which is covered in scaffolding) and then to St. Germain de Pres where there was a restaurant that Lori wanted to eat at - Hemingway had eaten there. I was thinking of asking for Hemingway's table but my French isn't that good and I don't think anyone would have found it funny except me (maybe Lori).

Had a great meal and ended up talking to the girl sitting next to us. She was reading the famous Rick Steve's Paris. I had to tell about the museum pass and we started to talk. Turns out she is from Denver and was very nice. She was in Paris by herself and we told her some of the things we had been doing.

Metro trip 5: got on 4 line towards Porte d'Orleans at St. Germain des-Pres and transfered at the Montparnasse Bienvnue station to line 6 (light green) towards Charles de Gaulle Etoille and transfered at La Motte Picquet Grenelle to 8 heading towards Creteil and finally got off at Ecole Militaire

Our last adventure was getting home. We got on the Metro and did our first change fine. The second change we got off and then the Metro driver made an announcement and everyone got off and the train left empty. Everyone looked very puzzled and just stood around. We were lucky - we just climbed down into the bowels of Paris and got on our next train. We did not understand what happened - the PA system was cutting out. Imagine trying to translate half words!

Tomorrow is the Montmartre and Jim Morrison's grave . . . hmmm.