PARIS SCENES

Just a few pics to finish off our Paris trip.

Been a busy weekend with bike (Velo) racing at the Australian Masters Track Championships. Picked up a bronze medal but I'm afraid that 3 weeks in France before a National competition is not the best preparation however we enjoyed our trip and friendships while in Paris.

So I thought I would just do a few last memories of Paris before returning to Melbourne - Our Home.

Looking from Les Halles across to Saint Eustace.

A water colour of the covered hallway at the end of the street. The water colour was in one of the shops at the entrance with many others.

Could be in any city but no, it was truly in Paris. To my mind, most of the dogs in Paris are well socialised, very well behaved and part of the fabric of French life.

Why doesn't Melbourne have such an efficient system as the Metro??

OK! It woudn't be Paris without this scene, and I still haven't been to the top, YET.

Some great tile work.

Parking at a premium in Paris.

Unless you own a bike.................

Would we return, yes but we might need an IOU to get the finance.

Last Paris Walk

Saturday morning with Paris offering us clear skies and although a little chilly on the morning’s walk, people were shedding their jackets and scarves by mid-day. Now there's a thing with scarves here - they seem to be the big fashion item here compared to Melbourne. Scarves and man bags. Maybe even I can be a trendsetter this winter after Paris.

The morning walk actually lasted to mid-arvo. Although we walked several new streets, we also retraced some of the old familiar streets from past visits. So what’s wrong with a bit of nostalgia? As much as we know we will once again return to France, we don’t know when. Maybe Sue’s 60th in a couple of years.

Rembember the "On the Street where You Live" post, well this has been our home for the last two weeks. As you can tell from the shadows the morning promised another day of sunshine.  Rue Marie Stuart is tucked away around the corner from a Rue Montorgueil, a street full of food and wine shops, bars and restaurants, and a colorful range of pedestrian traffic.

Our apartment was very comfortable and quite economical for its size and location. The secret to renting is Paris is to be aware of the AUS$ exchange rate. At the time our $ was strong against the US$ so we booked through an American company.

Our morning coffee and the change we were trying to spend before leaving.

A morning walk will usually start off with a Cafe Creme at a local Cafe to watch the workers on their way to a day of drudgery - poor things. Did I say that, I'm back at work in 4 days at the time this was taken. Coffee is not just coffee here - a word of advice, don't ask for a Latte or you will get hot milk. I saw this happen on the Champs. Horrified look from the patron.

Prices of coffee - Hmmm, another horrified look. Sit at the bar and prices are OK. Sit out side to geek at the passing traffic, and prepare to pay up to 4.50 euro on the Champs, that's about $6.00AUS. Motto is to be aware where you buy coffee. Our experience has been that you pay more for Cafe Creme and less for espresso.

Part of the walk was a quest for birthday presents for my two daughters on the Gold Coast Queensland. It dawned on us that we were looking at winter presents until we realised that the Gold Coast doesn’t actually have a real winter to speak of. Poor things.

During the morning we could hear a brass band playing and amongst the tunes was the wedding theme from the Godfather so we decided to investigate where the sound was coming from. Just down from our street, Rue Marie Stuart there is a little square or “Place” where there is the local “hotel de ville” or town hall.
A wedding was being held and this zany brass band had attracted a reasonable size crowd amongst the wedding guests. After taking this scene in for a while we took off down Rue Montorgueil. Over the last two weeks we had met several of the local shop keepers. The boulangerie where each morning I would run down and get our baguette and crossiants, The poissoniere selling all manners of seafood would be starting his day as were the boucherie and the fruit and veggie stores. We’ll miss their familiar faces.

We were woken by the sound of a brass band on our last full day in Paris. The sound of the Godfather's wedding song wafted down the street to our bedroom window. We heard it again as we emerged from the downstairs door. We followed the direction that the sound was coming from to discover this zany French brass band playing to the wedding party and guests. Oh yes, plus us and other non-descript spectators. A bit like "hire a wedding crowd" in a way.

At the other end  of our street is this covered walkway - I've mentioned it in a previous blog. The square in the pic above this one is between our street and the covered hallway. Sue needed to visit a shop in the hallway to say hello to one of the shopkeepers. This person had been to OZ and mentioned she liked Vegemite so we needed to deliver our last tube to her.

These trees look bare but looking closely and you can see spring appearing as they bud and bare small green leaves. Previously our visits to France have been a little later, around late April or early May when the trees are greener. Autumn is also a great time to visit.

We disccovered a new "Place" or square where people congregate and buskers offer their talent for coins. I'm happy to chuck a euro or two into a busker's hat but I'm saddened when seeing beggars on the street with a plastic cup held out for a coin or two. I'm not sure how my emotions sit with this. Should I be concerned that the Government is not doing more, or are the beggars at fault. I can't answer these questions but I guess that all big cities are faced with the same dilemma.

I just love these Gazelle bikes, they are allover Paris, ridden by businessmen, mothers and dandies.

Jazz and blues clubs are big in Paris, and they get some great artists.

Down along the Seine there is a stretch full of florists and pet shops. It's always very crowded but worth a look. The French love their chiens, almost like their children. Dogs travel everywhere with them. On the Metro, in restaurants, dogs there are mostly very well behaved as are the children.

I did say dogs are "mostly well behaved", that is until they meet a "Chat" cat.

Is this an altercation?????

One of the flower stalls on the right bank of the Seine. I sometimes wonder what my readers think of our photos. Flowers, Food, Wine, Architecture, Museums, and of course Bikes. What can I say, these are the things that we enjoy. (Well, OK, I enjoy the bike part)

After leaving our little shopping street we took off towards to Rue Saint Denis where it’s a little seedy but fun as well, in day-time that is!!!!!

Rue Saint Denis took us to the Seine where we said goodbye to the grand river, Ill de Cite, and the flower and pet shops along the Seine.

Turning off the tourist main drag for an inexpensive light lunch, we found a little café that offered what we thought would be reasonable value - How wrong were we.

My salmon taglettelli consisted of possible tuna out off a tin and whacked in the micro wave and Sue’s veggie soup came out of a squeeze packet and again in and out of the micro. Oh well the beer couldn’t be spoilt and so we could look forward to our “last supper” before returning home.

Where we had lunch, non-descript, cheap prices, cheap meal - never to be recommended except for this poster. No smoking, no guns, Shhhhh and most definitely no underwear.

And if you want to entice birds into your environment, maybe I could offer you a bird chateau.

On the other side, that is the Seine side or in the case of non-pet owneres the "sane" side are the numerous book and poster sellers.

The two big M's of Paris, the Metro and Maccas. Maccas is where the toilets are clean but the food is crap (apologies but it's true isn't it?)

Yuuummmmm, Paris has the best in food, so far as we know (except Maccas).

This accordian player took an elevated view of his craft - we just had to chuck a euro or two into his cap. There are so many buskers around Paris that you need to stand out to be different.

We criss-crossed our way back towards home discovering new sights. Sue had discovered several foodie type shops she never knew existed and on our last day it was too late to spend time investigating their contents.

As we returned to our apartment Sue said she would like one last bottle of Pouilly-fume so I purchase a bottle but unknown to her, I also booked a table for two at Escargot, a restaurant with some history.

The last supper, in Paris that is. L'Escargot was the place for our last dinner before leaving. I have to say it was quite special. Really sorry that I didn't take better photos and actually before I started eating. It looked so great that I forgot to take out the camera.

At the end of the meal our waiter offered us a complimentary digestif. We shared a whole duck which came to us in two serves. I noticed other diners see our choice and request the same. The wine came from Auxerre in Burgundy where we had been on our last trip.

My desert was beyond description, Crepes suzete. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo until I finished it.

An early (for us) night with the alarm set for 7.00 am, would ensure we had a good night’s sleep with the long haul that lay ahead of us. The shuttle Taxi would pick us up at 8.00 am to get us to Charles de Gaulle for our mid-day flight back home via Singapore. The first and longest leg was fairly light on and we had a row of four seats to  ourselves which made things a little more comfortable.

We did have to contend with crying babies, nasty old men sniffing, (etc) but finally we arrived home to say hello to our boys and sleep in the next morning. Paris/France is magical but when it comes down to it, where ever home is, its home.

Paris reflections:
1. The city itself is romantically magic.
2. It has a fantastic history.
3. There is a lot less doggie poo thest days - I didn't see or step in any this time.
4. Yes the people are friendly and courteous, IF you are.
5. Riding a bike is not dangerous - if yummie mummies and grannies can do it, so can I.
6. You will never have time to discover all of its secrets.
7. The food and wine if chosen carefully is fantastic.

A Brocante and Vincennes Finally

On my ride the day before to Vincennes we passed a Brocante. In France a Brocante is an antique or trash & treasure fair. This one went over the Easter period and I thought that Sue might find it of interest as we’d been to several in rural France. A Brocante in Paris didn't have the same atmosphere the one's we experienced in rural villages. The items ranged from classic to junk but all at classic prices. Interesting just the same - and some of the most interesting pieces on show were the customers. People watching in Paris is a past-time in itself. The Brocante took in the distance from one Metro station to the next. There were a few items I would like to have purchased, however I might try Ebay when I get home.

Thinking of our luggage weight, we didn't make any purchases but it was fun looking.

Cutlery, postcards and crockery.

Some great Citroen Traction Avant miniatures but at 40 euro - no thanks

This particular card appealed to me. I've never had my bottom groped before, how sad is that?

So we caught the Metro to Vincennes - but first a little story for my cycling friends back home.
Just recently a young Australian sprint track cyclist came second in the World Championships to a Frenchman in Copenhagen. His name is Shane Perkins. I rode with his father Daryl many times and before I came to France, Daryl did ssome work on my bike to bring with me. He told me of his experiences racing in Belgium and France. He would train at the Velodrome and in the parklands of Vincennes before his World Title attempts.


As we arrive via Metro, there was the entrance drawbridge to the grounds but we thought lunch might be in order beforehand. It was a great decision as we lucked upon a great restaurant just across the road. How boring are we, both ordering the Confit de Canard, AGAIN. But the wine, superb. It was a 10 year old Bordeaux. For 19 euro. Now tell me where in Melbourne, you can buy a year 2000 Bordeaux for $27.00?

If you ever get the chance to visit Paris and Vincennes, then lunch at "A Table des Troys" is a must. A great menu and superb wine list at good value prices.

On our past visits to Paris, I’ve ridden many times pass the Castle of Vincennes on the way to train in the parkland which house the Cipale (Jacques Anquetil) Velodrome.

The parklands were the hunting forests of the Capetian monarchs of France in the 12 century. Today as you ride through the parklands you can imagine Royalty on their horses with hunting dogs in the name of sport. That is until you see the homeless amongst the forest in their small tent cities. One must wonder how they survived the harsh recent winter.

The entrance to Vincennes. A moat surrounds the outer grounds.

The castle grounds today contain the Keep, the Holy Chapel, and the classical pavilions built during the 1600s. About 250 metres apart, these huge buildings were the separate abodes for the King and Queen. Sue said that we need such a situation where she could leave her shoes where she felt and the same with me concerning my Cds and bike stuff.

The earlier castle and Donjon dating from the 11th century.

As well as being overawed by the big picture, certain details took my interest. Graffiti is carved into the dungeons by the prisoners, including the Marquis de Sade, Diderot and Mirabeau. Later prisoners were transferred to the Bastille.

Another moat surrounded the castle. Entering by the drawbridge, you needed to climb to an upper level to enter the castle by another drawbridge. You can see why this castle was "almost" safe.

Graffiti by the prisoners in 1871.

In the mid 1600s King Louis spent time there before moving to Versailles. During the 1800s Napoleon used it as a military base.

The Chapel founded in 1379 by Charles V and completed in the 1500s

Surrounding the courtyard of the latter bulidings (mid 1600s) were all these classic sculptures. The male nude figures seemed to be without their penis as each stature had this part of their anatomy broken away - I know it was a harsh winter in Paris, but I don't think this was the cause.. I'm sure there was some historic point to this but I've totally forgotten why. Maybe some one can make a comment on the subject please.

This picture gives the extent of the moat that surrounded the property, keeping in mind that there was a further moat that surrounded the actual castle within the grounds.

Its difficult to not stop taking photos in the surroundings of where the kings and queens of France lived their lives more than 800 years ago. There are so many images you see.

It had been a long day with a lot of walking and so the end of the day came early with a night of left overs, reading and a little French TV. Well afterall, we are now old folk. I hear from another room, Sue saying, "talk for yourself".
 
Tomorrow is an exciting day for me. I get to spend time with my Paris friends Leigh and Michel at the Paris Velodrome and doing a little training. Possibly I will meet some of Michel's friends.
My penance will be to take Sue shopping in the Arvo....
I'll let you know tomorrow

The Champs Elysee and Autos

Friday morning was a slow start after celebrations the night before. A slightly heavy head was difficult to raise from the pillow and the Doona was comforting on a cold and wet morning.

Today’s plan was to promenade the Champs Elysees in the 8e, something we had not done before on foot. We’d passed by in an open top tourist bus in a past visit to view the Arc d’Triomphe which gives a fleeting sight of the monument as the bus rushes through avoiding the traffic going in all directions. I'm sure I heard the driver saying, " I'm BIGGER than you, move it" back then.


We walked down rue Etienne Marcel to the local Metro station and once again did battle with the commuting population. To me its out of my comfort zone, travelling intimately, shoulder to shoulder with persons unknown. One has do this sometimes to get where you want to go I guess (yes, that’s the snob in me!!!)

Brrrr, its very cold, hurry up and take the photo.

The relief sculptures of the Arc de Triomphe intrigued me the most. Napoleon commissioned the monument in 1809, yet it took to 1836 to be completed. By this time his empire was nearing collapse.

We emerged from station Metro George V after a change of trains at the dreaded Chatelet changeover. Chatelet I believe has a population of lost tourists wandering the tunnels down there that have never found their way out.

Although the sun was not out, it was nice to at least see sky. The Champs Elysees, a different world with the top fashion houses promoting their brands, not that I know much about brand names. I’ll leave that to Sue to tell you. I think she visited most of them.
What did amaze me about the grand boulevard, knowing that this is where the Tour de France final stage is, was the uphill gradient to the sprint finish. Watching it on TV at home, you don't get the full feeling of the indurance that would be required to win this last stage. For final chance sprinters like Robbie McEwan, an Assie now living in Belgium, it is perfect.

He even writes his name like me - which worried me a little when I signed the credit card receipt. I thought they might consider it a bit of mischief on my part.

Feeling a bit peckish, we decided it was about lunch time. We came across “Leon of Bruxelles”. We don’t have this chain of eateries in Australia. Their specialty is mussels in all forms, curried (Sue‘s choice, and with pasta, shrimp and calamari, my choice). I watched a young Asian woman eating this dish and it looked tempting so ordered it. As I was waiting for mine to come, I realised that this young lady had never eaten a shrimp before, well not with clothes on, the shrimp - not her. Normally you would attack the shrimp with your fingers, firstly ripping the head away, then peeling away the body shell along with the legs. By holding the tail, you would pop the tasty morsel into your mouth and throw the tail into the bowl supplied. My "object of interest" was on a very steep learning curve. She knew to break the head off, a good start, but with the shrimp sitting “on a fork” she studied it for what seemed like several minutes before popping it into her mouth with the tail hanging out between her lips. I watched as she began to crunch the body of the shrimp and swallow shell and all, except for the tail. The second shrimp, she carefully undressed before swallowing, but still delicately using her fork to hold it with.

Yes, I imagine eating at Leon’s of Bruxelles was quite an experience for her.
Our frites moules were washed down with a Pelforth Blonde for Sue and for me a Pelforth Brune. I have never seen these beers in Australia but are a favourite of ours since our first trip in 2006.

The Peugeot showroom seemed to attract the most traffic with people taking pics of this futuristic concept car. Having owned a Peugeot 505 GTI and a 307, I've never thought of Peugeot more than an Australian Holden but I have to admit this was something else.

In the land of OZ during the 70s, Peugeot bikes were big, not outstanding but certainly popular due their great rider names. Can anyone name a few???

The fold up bike from Mercedes-Benz was to my mind more innovated than their well designed cars.

And now ready to ride the streets of Paris and then take to the Metro - and all for only 1500 euro. In Oz luka, about $2200 maybe. I really want one Sue, can I, can I, can I, pleeeese.

Back out in the Champs after lunch saw the skies start to cloud over and the thought of an afternoon bike ride started to fade for me. What did appeal to me though were the showrooms of Citroen, Renault, Peugeot, Mercedes and surprisingly Toyota. Being a Citroen fan, I was really impressed with the way they displayed their range. All four marques showcased their competition vehicles as well.

This was the most intriguing THING that Toyota had to offer, not quite sure what to make of it. Does it go on the road or the footpath? Maybe I could use it on the Velodrome!!!!! Or is it a Grand Prix wheelchair?

As I was absorbed in the Citroen showroom, the weather had really changed for the worse and so did the traffic - gridlock on the Champs, umbrellas turning inside out and driving rain. While cosy in the Citroen showroom, I pondered on what would be our next car. The  new C4 Diesel appeals, just that little bit quirky to suit my nature, and so frugal on fuel.

An offering from Renault. My past Renaults were a Renault Dauphine which I truly loved as my first real car and a Renault 16 which was boringly practical.

I really want one of these - Citroen C4 with GRUNT!

And Citroen's concept car. Black, orange and pink, hmmmm - not quite sure about that. Looks like a Toon-Car doesn't it?

The Citroen showroom was I think on 3 or 4 levels and you climbed by spiral staircase to the concept cat at the very top. The glass front of the building was like a stained glass window with the abstract image of Citroen's double chevron logo.

The stained glass window looking down on the Champs Elysees while the rain pelts down on the cars and people below. Sue is down there getting terribly wet, POOR SUE.

And this is what it was like from the outside - they were out to get us.

Ooops' need to go now, I see Sue outside looking very unhappy.

What Leon fails to mention is that I had a small umbrella and he had none. So while he spent his 3,978 hours looking at all things Citroen, I decided to pop down to Monoprix just a little bit down the road and buy him one to protect his poor head. No good deed goes unpunished. While I was inside, the bad weather turned nasty, with the wind turning the rain into a horizontal force to be reckoned with. Umbrella went from outside out to inside out and back twice and I went from damp to sopping in the space of seconds! The trip home on the crowded Metro was a thing of wonder. Everyone was at least damp, most were somewhat smelly and close, and of course all were in grand humour.

I've run out of Arty-Farty, going Whimsical for a while