On the hill in Paris and a new museum 7-23-15

Peter mentioned that he had never been to Montmartre and wanted to go there to see it.  On their first trip many years ago Gail and he had been to a street somewhere below and seen it but never actually been up to the summit.  So today we sortied at about a quarter to 9:00 this morning, on our way to one of the breakfast places that was written up in a blog post on Paris.  I plotted a course to get us there and we boarded our regular bus down towards town, but today we got off very early in the route and walked several blocks to get to the street where the restaurant was located.  That was the easy part as we ended up walking the entire length of the street and never did identify the place. But luckily when we got down to the end of the street we spotted 'Pancake Sisters', a little cafe that specializes in pancakes (surprise, surprise).  This being Paris, one views something like pancakes with a somewhat jaded view but this ended up being a very enjoyable place for breakfast.  Each of us had a different dish based on pancakes and all of them were quite delicious.

After breaky we walked up the Boulevard Magenta towards Gare du Nord and caught the bus taking us to the base of Montmartre.  And as per usual it was teeming with tourists, and sharks.  Peter and I stopped to watch a shell game and winced as an Asian tourist parted company with about 150 euros after which the man running it packed up and high-tailed it with his assistants (all of whom miraculously were winning).   The tourist looked stunned and I hope somewhat wiser for the encounter.   We continued up to Sacre Coeur where Peter and Gail toured the cathedral while Deb and I waited outside in the shade.  Our goal for today was the Espace Dali, a museum dedicated to the works of Salvador Dali.  It was quite interesting to see the originals of so many of his works and like our visit to the Miro museum in Barcelona, we came away with a much greater appreciation for his artistic vision and creativity.

Next up on the agenda was lunch which we enjoyed at the Maison Rose, a restaurant that figures in some of Utrillo's paintings.  It was very enjoyable to sit outside and have a pleasant lunch.   After lunch we moved on to the Museum of Montmartre, where once again Gail and Peter went in while Deb and I sat outside in a shady little park.

After they came out we had a bit of a walk down the backside of Montmartre to see various buildings where artists and composers like Renoir and Satie lived and worked.  We also saw the Moulin de la Galette which is one of the last two remaining windmills on the hillside and also the Bateau Lavoir where Picasso, Braque, Modigliani, and Gris lived when they were young poor and starving artists.

We took the bus back to the apartment quite a while after 5:00pm when we thought the elevators would be available for the evening before being shut down tomorrow for more work.  But alas we were faced with an 8 story stair climb.  I'm betting that we will have an 8 story descent tomorrow morning as well.   We still had a fun day and a very nice dinner at home this evening.

We get a bit side tracked 7-22-15

Today we were going to shop a bit and then spend the day in the park.  However we seemed to get a bit side tracked and didn't manage to get out before noon.   Our cheese shop was closed for the mid-day break but we managed to get everything else and had a nice lunch on the terrace.   Of course by the time that was over a decisive day on the tour was taking place (Van Garderen abandons) and we got glued to the TV.   So after that we managed to get over to the cheese shop before their closing time and pick up a few days provisions.   So around 8:00 this evening we managed to get out for our walk in the park after which we had dinner on a barge that has been converted into a restaurant and enjoyed a mild evening.   Back from dinner around 10:30 and headed for bed.   A new announcement in our elevator tells us that the elevator will be serviced for the next two days between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm so we will be out all day, as we live on the 8th floor and stairs become more serious when they are stacked up like that.  You can only imagine what trama getting out so early is going to cause.

Our day out at Paris Plage and Musee D'Orsay 7-21-15

Today is our first full day with Gail and Peter and it's forecast for hot so we have decided to go to the Musee D'Orsay to be out of the sun a bit.   After a nice walk through the Parc de la Villette we caught our bus for the ride downtown.  Taking the bus from it's terminal point has one great advantage, being able to select our seats.   Since it's their first bus ride I figured it would allow Peter and Gail to see the city without having to be really pressed by the crowded bus, and I was right.  By the time we got to our normal stop the bus was standing room only.  When we got down to the Pompidou Center we got off to look at the Stravinsky fountain with all the colorful moving waterspouts that sits just next to it.  Then we walked across the plaza in front of the Hotel de Ville down to the Seine.

At that point we remembered that the Paris Plage was now in full swing so we walked down to the quai. The first food concession we came across turned out to be 'Lobster and Co', the food truck we discovered last week at the guinguette at the end of the tramline in the southwest corner of the city.  So immediately lunch became the order of the day. Stephan and Lena worked their magic again with our lobster and vegetable wraps and we sat quai side for a great bit of fast food.  After eating we walked the length of the plage then up the stairs to the street level to cross the Seine and finally over to the museum.

Each visit just reinforces our decision to buy a membership as we bypassed what looked to be a 30 to 45 minute wait just to buy tickets.  Once in, we headed off to see early Degas works and some by Toulouse-Lautrec and works influenced by him.  Peter remembered seeing many pastel works by Degas on an earlier visit, but we were unable to locate any traces today.  So we took ourselves up to the fifth floor to visit the main impressionist rooms, which are a visual feast.   It was very crowded as one might expect for a July visit, with people rushing from one work to another taking pictures.  I'm sure they have to go home to see what they visited because they're so busy taking picture that they spend less than 10 seconds on each painting.  One young woman almost elbowed me out of the way in her haste to take a photo, so I just reached up and put my hand in front of her Ipad and smiled at her whereupon she got shy and smiled back. I then got out of the way and she took the shot and then hustled off to another.  I commiserate with people who have only a short time to visit, but good manners don't have to suffer and unfortunately at this time they do.
There are signs all over the museum showing prohibitions such as no food, no flash photography, no cell phones and now this refreshing addition as well, hooray.  People still take selfies but at least there in no more dueling.

The July Reunion 7-19 & 7-20-15

Saturday -
In preparation for my sister & brother-in-law's visit we did a last minute shopping and decided to try the proposed route for getting back to the apartment once we get back to Gare du Nord from the airport tomorrow.  Our metro line (#5) is closed for three days and they have busses running along the route, to a spot somewhere between our apartment and the station.  (In truth I can't understand the logic of dropping people off somewhere without multiple connecting points into the city, like Gare du Nord or Gare de l'Est but then I'm not Parisian or a transportation expert.)  We were able to connect down to the station on the single bus line that serves this stop. Next order of business was to find the bus stop near the station which would get us back to the apartment.  So of course I go to the one closest and it turns out to not be serviced on the weekends, and our return with our visitors will be Sunday afternoon.  We go to the next closest stop and it's packed with people who would normally be taking the Metro.  It doesn't look promising for the trip back.

Sunday -

We get out early since we have to retrace our bus trip down to Gare du Nord to get out to the airport to meet Gail and Peter.  It is very crowded on the bus, we had hoped that people might stay home on Sunday but no luck, but we get to the station within 30 minutes and have another crowded 30 minute ride out to airport but all in all not too bad.  This is the first time we've seen conductors actually checking tickets in the nearly five months we've been here. This is a bit of a joke as well since virtually every day we see people getting on buses and the metro without paying.  I guess it's because they have all the tourists trapped on the train out to the airport and it must be a reasonable source of additional revenue, catching scofflaws.
Once we get there we have a bit of a wait, but the flight was actually a bit early and very soon Gail and Peter come waltzing out of the baggage claim area and we have an affectionate reunion.  We get them Navigo passes and then were off to the city.  Once we get to Gare du Nord we decide that a taxi is the easiest way back to the apartment (good choice) and we get back in about 15 minutes.   We have a celebratory late lunch on the deck, with olives, wine, and cheese in the sunshine and do our catching up.  I've not seen them since our bike trip together last fall and it's been even longer for Deb. We get them a bit situated in the guest room and then sit down to watch the Tour for a while.

After the end of the day's racing we all head out for a walk along the canal to stave off some of the jet lag. Paris in the last few years have converted long spaces along the Seine into a beach, called Paris Plage, by trucking in sand so that people can sunbathe and play in the sand.  It has also migrated up here along the canal, much to our surprise and delight, with the additional bonus of having small boats and floats available for rent.  There is a zip line across the canal, beach chairs, a concession where one can play foosball, and a dance floor where there was a tango session going on.  Also concessions where one can purchase food and drinks to sit out and picnic.   We walked along down to the head of the basin then around and back on the other side, finishing up in the evening around 9:30 with the sun still on the tops of the apartment buildings.  All in all another enjoyable day in Paris.

Summer Doldrums 7-18-15

As it's been so hot lately we've been in a bit of doldrums, not wanting to get out when the temps are high, but also wanting to keep track of the Tour de France (a rite of summer).   In Denver I can bring it up on my computer and follow it live, and it's generally over by about 10:30am, here it starts around noon and usually finishes about 5:30pm which is really the heat of the day so it works out well for us to be inside.
Since there was a brocante fair up at Place des Fetes (15 minute walk) we headed up there to see what treasures may be available (slim pickings) before everyone exits Paris for the August migration to the countryside.   After our stroll through we walked back to one of our favorite restaurants, Art et Science Reunis, for lunch; they will be closing very soon and won't reopen until mid-August.  We found that our boulangerie will be closed beginning July 31st and won't reopen until September, so we're scrambling to find a place that will be able to fill our needs.  Our butcher will be open the whole time so no problems for meat-eaters, we'll have to see what August brings in terms of fruit and vegetable offerings.
Gail and Peter will be arriving tomorrow mid-day so our adventures as city interpreters will begin again for about a week, it should great fun.  We had such fun with Terry and Gina (and the Jeffersons) that we hope to be able to equal it with Gail and Peter.   Shopping tomorrow to be ready for the next visit.

Deb has an Eye Opening day 7-17-15

Today is another hot day so we decided to get out early and go down to the Musee D'Orsay.  My description of the Bonnard exhibition, which closes this Sunday, piqued her interest.   I jumped at the chance to see it again before it leaves.
Her comments during and after the exhibition pretty much summed up the experience.  "I had no idea of how colorful and interesting he was, it changed my entire view of him".  It begins in a kind of subdued manner with almost pastel palettes, but one can see his exploration of composition with nods to the Japanese design rage that was prevalent in the late 1800's, and as you move from one room to the next his palette just gets more and more exuberant.

He also started looking more at interiors and putting together swathes of color and pattern, a bit like Matisse in composition.  There were rooms dedicated to interiors, bathrooms, portraits, and landscapes, finally ending with two rooms of monumental mural paintings done on commission for wealthy patrons of the time.  The range of his painting is very impressive, and a revelation to us both.  
We headed back to the apartment to catch the last of the day's stage in the Tour de France.

A Hot Day calls for early shopping 7-16-15

Today was a hot day, above 90deg f, so being low on groceries we headed out early for our shopping. Since we've never done other than talking about where we shop I thought you might enjoy seeing the shops and people with whom we developed relationships.  Today I'll show our Cheese shop, our butcher, and where we buy much of our fruit and vegetables.

Our Cheese shop

Our Butcher shop

Our Fruit and Vegetable shop

 I'll include pics of our wine shop and flower shop in another post.