http://queerslo.com/xxl.php Not very much to write about today. Paula and Martin were up early to enjoy their last morning in Paris – for this trip, anyway. They surprised us with a beautiful hydrangea for the apartment to take away the blahs! of our apartment. Â Their thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.
A touch of class for our Parisian apartment
We slept in a little late – Paula and Martin attended Mass at Notre Dame and we agreed to meet them outside Notre Dame at 11:00 AM.
The beautiful facade of Notre Dame
Saturday was slated to be the Marais – but since it is the Jewish Quarter and the Sabbath, the falafel place is closed. So Plan B is in effect. We walked from the apartment, through Tuileries, past l’Orangerie, Place de Concorde, up the Champs Elysee to the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais. We crossed over the Seine on the Pont Alexandre III with its wonderful view of Les Invalides. On the Left Bank we walked up rue St-Dominque to check out the location of the apartment we didn’t buy. From there we headed to rue Cler and its market street. We wandered the street, paused at a restaurant for lunch. After lunch we headed to St Catherine Laboure garden, stopped in at Bon Marche and the Grand Epicurian, kept going until we found the stairs at rue de la Montagne de Set-Genevieve, near St-Etienne-du-Mont where Gil waited every midnight in Paris for the car to pick him up. We walked over to the Pont de Archeveche where we placed our locks on the bridge and threw the keys to the locks in the Seine. We walked back to the apartment, purchased a few ingredients for dinner and will get a poulet-roti later!
Since our plane from Geneva arrived late on Thursday evening, we slept in a bit. Martin, started the coffee and, then, went out to the bakery and came back to the apartment with croissants for all. Then, he slipped away for a haircut – French-style!
We started our day in Geneva with a breakfast at the hotel (included in the price of the room, naturally) and checked out, and left our backpacks with the hotel clerk. Transportation vouchers are issued to those who stay in hotels in Geneva, so we criss-crossed the city, making the most of our visit. We headed up into the hills and visited Geneva’s botanical gardens with its several conservatories. Leaving the park, we noticed the fountain jet in the lake was working, so we made our way down toward the lake to take advantage of the photo opportunity and to take the ferry boats across the lake included in our transportation voucher. Â As cold as it was, and the water was, we saw a man swimming in the lake and getting out, toweling off, and changing clothes – right on the jetty. BRRRRR! Before making our way back to the hotel to claim our bags, we stopped in at a delightful candlelit tea room for coffee, tea, and sweet treats. After getting our bags from the Hotel Lido, we climbed aboard the bus for the airport. Â Our flight left Geneva a little after 8 PM, arriving at Orly Airport after 9 Pm. We quickly caught a taxi and made our way back to the apartment (one way fare on the Metro/SCNF was over $10 per person – we figured a taxi would be about the same for 4 people and far more convenient.) Â We decided on a quick dinner and stopped in at Rustica Pizza just down the street for take-away pizza and bruschetta. Thanks Paula and Martin for a great treat!
 A desert in Geneva's Botanical Garden |
 Orchids in Geneva |
 Flowers against a steamy window |
Up early to get to the airport to make our early morning flight on EasyJet from Orly Airport to Geneva. Quick flight only 40 minutes or so. We retrieved a coupon for free transportation into town. Paula struck up a conversation with Dave, a doctor from Doctors Without Borders, staying in Geneva as a stopover between a trip to Ethopia and a tour in Africa. He told us what bus to get on and where we might get off and, in his view, the best pizza in the world. Â Another passenger on the bus told us to stay on one more stop and we would find our hotel about a block away.
We found our hotel a clean comfortable room right in the center of it all. Â Along with hotel room, each of us were given a pass to the public transportation system, buses, trams and boats for the days we were there. What a system! Even better, our room was ready and the wonderful desk clerk let us check in. Geneva is on the banks of a lake that empties and becomes the Rhone. It is obviously a shoppers’ paradise….watches. timepieces, and fine items everywhere! Even H&M’s for the more budget conscious shoppers…
The day dawned cloudy and humid, almost ready to rain, so we decided to spend the the morning at the Musee D’Orsay, stroll over to the Latin Quarter for lunch, visit the Shakespeare & Company, cross over the bridge of locks to get to the l’Hotel de Ville and check out the ice rink, shop along the rue de Rivoli. Yes, it is Valentine’s Day and our 11th anniversary and Paula and Martin’s anniversary.
The assortment of valentines and anniversary cards shared on Valentine's Day in Paris
Check out this bubble being made by a man at Hotel de Ville by the ice rink - pretty big! Wish I could make them this size for the grandkids!
Today’s walking tour covered the Passages of Paris, those arcades or covered shopping ways made from alleyways in the 1800’s – some of which are renovated and lively, others pretty much left alone. Along these passages you can find boutique shops, toy stores, brocante and antique shops, restaurants and tea rooms.
On the way to our first passage, we topped in at E. Dehilleran and checked out all the cooking utensils from “William Sonoma East.”
Yesterday we clocked in only three and three quarters hours on our brocante and food shopping tour. Â Today the morning was brisk and cold but we set off our walking tour beginning at Place Charles-De-Gaulle/Etoile. At the Arc de Triomphe, I pointed out to Martin and Paula the buildings of La Defense in the distance. Â We kept up a quick pace to keep warm and trying to stay on the sunny side of the street.
After a breakfast of French pastries and coffee, we set out for a special brocante and antiquities street fair in Place Madeleine. The vendors extended from the Metro at l’Opera down the avenue toward the church at Madeleine.
W found some beautiful vintage clothes, reproduction furniture, costume jewelry, and bric-a-brac. When we started out the temperature was 28 degrees – a very chilly day for the vendors to sit out on the sidewalk and hawk their wares. I discovered a gorgeous Chanel ring and the sweet vendor really tried to make a sale. But I behaved myself, thanked him, and walked away!
