Post by denise on Mar 22, 2009 7:32:06 GMT -5
:)Bonjour from Denise and Vicky in Paris. (apologies for spelling as my time is limited)
What a wonderful day we had yesterday. The sun was shining and everything looks so wonderful. A lovely contrast from the depths of winter when I was last here. Vicky got very excited when I mentioned as we passed Place des Voges that the Pompiers excercise there in the mornings and resoved to get up early
After a good flight we arraived at "my" Centreparis apartment on Rue Francs Bourgeois. It's like coming home. Great sense of relief and happiness.
It was my birthday yesterday, also my son-in-laws 30th and mothers day so I was still high from a big party the night before. Vicks friend Clare also had a birthday and she had been taken on a surprise trip to paris by her husband , so we had arranged to meet up with them for lunch. After a good penne arabiata at a small restaurant in the 1st ( they are vegetarians) we sat and had coffee at a cafe in front of the comedie francaise listening to an orchestra busking on the street in front of us. It cost 20euros for 4 drinks but was well worth the ambiance.
After lots of laughter,and then kisses goodbye Vicky and I decided to try the velib experience to get back to the Marias.. Getting the bikes out of the bank was not difficult, helped by a very nice Frenchman, but perhaps saturday afternoon is not the best time to try Velibs for the first time!
I knew the way walking, but negoitiating the one way system on an unfamiliar bike is another thing. The cycles are very easy to ride
but we kept finding ourselves going in the wrong direction and in the side streets pedestrians kept stepping out in front of us.
Still it was good fun and I will do it again. The only problem was finding a bank to return the cycles to when we eventually got back home. they were all full and we had to wait a while for someone to come and take one out before we could put ours back.
Next I was on a mission to visit La Chocolatrie de Jaque Genin before they closed at 133 Rue de Turenne nearby.
Goodness!! we thought we had died and gone to heaven! we had the selection of seven chocolates and coffee in the very pleasant contemporary tea room..... Vicky decided that never mind about the Pompiers, she wants to marry a man who can make chocolate like that! ;D Is Mr Genin single?
He walked through the shop and up the spiral staircase, said bonjour to us and seems like a very modest man.
Then it was up to the 18th to walk down from the Clingancourt Limark metro (thanks Gitte and Laidback) we called in place du Tetre for Vicky to see the artists and then Sacre Couer.
In the evening we went to Au Limonaire, 8 cite Bergere in the 9th. for traditional French fare and Chansons. This place has become very popular now as a result of being mentioned in Lonely planet guide book and it was packed.
I had an excellent meal of petit sale aux lentilles, (puy lentils with chunks of ham and sausauge) and Vicky had the quiche with salad, followed by a deicious tarte tatin, tasted toffeish with the caramelisation of the apples and Vicky had chocolate gateaux and resberry coulis.
We were fascinated by the performance of the elegant french singer/ accordianist, who told a story in song , of which we didn't understand a word!
Next came a clown comedienne, but by this time we were both very tired and uncomfortable, squashed into the wooden chairs so we decided to make our escape between artists. They take the performances very seriously and nobody is allowed to talk or be served during the performance. Vicky enjoyed the ambiance and this slice of French culture.
So we both slept like logs ready for today.
Denise and Vicky
Love from Paris
What a wonderful day we had yesterday. The sun was shining and everything looks so wonderful. A lovely contrast from the depths of winter when I was last here. Vicky got very excited when I mentioned as we passed Place des Voges that the Pompiers excercise there in the mornings and resoved to get up early
After a good flight we arraived at "my" Centreparis apartment on Rue Francs Bourgeois. It's like coming home. Great sense of relief and happiness.
It was my birthday yesterday, also my son-in-laws 30th and mothers day so I was still high from a big party the night before. Vicks friend Clare also had a birthday and she had been taken on a surprise trip to paris by her husband , so we had arranged to meet up with them for lunch. After a good penne arabiata at a small restaurant in the 1st ( they are vegetarians) we sat and had coffee at a cafe in front of the comedie francaise listening to an orchestra busking on the street in front of us. It cost 20euros for 4 drinks but was well worth the ambiance.
After lots of laughter,and then kisses goodbye Vicky and I decided to try the velib experience to get back to the Marias.. Getting the bikes out of the bank was not difficult, helped by a very nice Frenchman, but perhaps saturday afternoon is not the best time to try Velibs for the first time!
I knew the way walking, but negoitiating the one way system on an unfamiliar bike is another thing. The cycles are very easy to ride
but we kept finding ourselves going in the wrong direction and in the side streets pedestrians kept stepping out in front of us.
Still it was good fun and I will do it again. The only problem was finding a bank to return the cycles to when we eventually got back home. they were all full and we had to wait a while for someone to come and take one out before we could put ours back.
Next I was on a mission to visit La Chocolatrie de Jaque Genin before they closed at 133 Rue de Turenne nearby.
Goodness!! we thought we had died and gone to heaven! we had the selection of seven chocolates and coffee in the very pleasant contemporary tea room..... Vicky decided that never mind about the Pompiers, she wants to marry a man who can make chocolate like that! ;D Is Mr Genin single?
He walked through the shop and up the spiral staircase, said bonjour to us and seems like a very modest man.
Then it was up to the 18th to walk down from the Clingancourt Limark metro (thanks Gitte and Laidback) we called in place du Tetre for Vicky to see the artists and then Sacre Couer.
In the evening we went to Au Limonaire, 8 cite Bergere in the 9th. for traditional French fare and Chansons. This place has become very popular now as a result of being mentioned in Lonely planet guide book and it was packed.
I had an excellent meal of petit sale aux lentilles, (puy lentils with chunks of ham and sausauge) and Vicky had the quiche with salad, followed by a deicious tarte tatin, tasted toffeish with the caramelisation of the apples and Vicky had chocolate gateaux and resberry coulis.
We were fascinated by the performance of the elegant french singer/ accordianist, who told a story in song , of which we didn't understand a word!
Next came a clown comedienne, but by this time we were both very tired and uncomfortable, squashed into the wooden chairs so we decided to make our escape between artists. They take the performances very seriously and nobody is allowed to talk or be served during the performance. Vicky enjoyed the ambiance and this slice of French culture.
So we both slept like logs ready for today.
Denise and Vicky
Love from Paris