Paris 2011

Parlez-vous l'anglais?November 28th, 2011

Today has been a big travel day. We got up this morning to take Aunt Corinne and Uncle Dad to the Dulles airport so they could make their way back to Arizona. Then we pointed the Jeep once again towards Richmond and were on our way.

I am sorry to inform you that Richmond has joined the movement of using full body scanners in security. Dave and I opted for pat downs. He did say this pat down was less intrusive then the one he got in Germany. I think some guy still owes him dinner there.

We have made it safely to Paris and even managed to meet a couple from California. After a short nap and much needed shower, we met up with Nathan and Claire to hunt down dinner.

Important information for vegetarians that Claire learned the hard way is that fish is not considered meat. The waiter actually argued with us about how fish is not meat. So, be sure to ask for vegetarian in your dish.

After taking the scenic route back to our hotel, we crashed. Too bad we have to get up early for the conference.

Salut,
Susan

P.S. Dave's bathroom karma did not hold! We will see if the same is true for the trip home. :)

 

Je veux une bière s'il vous plaît‏November 30th, 2011

It's presentation day and I will probably need a beer afterwards so it seemed a good idea to know how to ask for one.

The conference is on the 7th floor and the elevator (lift) is broken. Luckily Dave was carrying my laptop and other heavy stuff. It does put our coffee and lunch in danger as the service personnel do not want to make the hike with the trays.

I did make it through my presentation without any major guffaws. One woman had figures that were upside down so that made me feel a lot better. Once Nathan and I finished, it was time for lunch!
Though the elevator wasn't fixed, the food did manage to find it's way up to us. As soon as the food arrived, a bunch of grad students showed up and got in line. I guess grad students are the same world wide. :)

I was brave and tried out the public toilet. They are self cleaning! When I flushed the toilet, it started talking to me. It was in French so I had no idea what it was saying so decided to hurry out in case it was a countdown to the self clean cycle.

Dave and I have a good handle on the metro system here. Well, Dave has a good handle on it. I'm sticking to my role of knowing where the nearest ATM and coke machines are and plotting our adventure for the day.

The organizers of the conference pre-ordered our dinner so it was interesting. I impressed Dave by trying the very, very foul smelling cheese (chevre) that was put in front of me. The chicken dish was much better. Desert was a tease as the waiter started putting chocolate cake and ice cream in front of us to realize that it was meant for another table and take it away. Thinking that we were going to get something similar, I was content to wait. Only bitter disappointment came when we were served coconut ice cream in mango sauce. It was good, but it was no chocolate molten cake with ice cream. I should have been faster with my fork.

Au revoir!
Susan

P.S. The conference committee asked Nathan and I to submit a joint paper for a special edition publication. This would be number 5. :)

Où sommes-nous?December 1st, 2011

We started the day at the conference. Today's subject was policy. My favorite speaker this morning was the one who told us about a study on Medicare that resulted in everyone involved in the study being fired. The lesson was to be careful or end up in Siberia. After the first session, Dave and I escaped with Claire. We left Nathan behind. Someone had to be sacrificed.

After our escape, we headed to the Hôtel National des Invalides to see the tomb of Napoleon. There was actually an enormous museum of armory there. It started from the beginning before knights were the soldier of choice and went up to WW II. The exhibits for WW I and WW II were very well done. We spent over 5 hours there and I'm sure we didn't see everything. We were able to briefly see Napoleon's tomb before being kicked out so that they could close.

They have cherry coke!!!!! I've never been in another country that had it!

Sorry, I was excited. After spending 5 hours going through the museum, we realized that we skipped lunch. So, we went to a local pizza joint for a snack. I think we had bacon on our pizza, but can't be certain. If it wasn't bacon, I don't think I want to know.

Nathan is still MIA, so we're heading to the Eiffel Tower to find out times and prices. We didn't find him there so we're going to the Christmas Bazaar. It's in the Top 10 books so it has to be good. We weren't disappointed. Hot red and white wine seems to be popular at the bazaar and there was all sorts of food! We tried these mini cakes that reminded us of Creme Brule in cake form.

We had sent Nathan an email telling him to meet us at the Arc de triomphe. It took us a while, but we found the secret passage to the arc via a tunnel under the street. Then it was time to walk to the top. The parisians are just cruel! We walked up 349 steps to the top of the arch to find out there is an elevator. You can't take it up, but you can supposedly take it down. We were already invested so we took the steps down.

Nathan got caught up with some of the other conference attendees so we headed back to the bazaar for dinner. We found a Starbucks on the way so we stopped so that Dave could get a coffee. After a few glasses of the spiced red wine, I was able to get over the fact that we were eating from street vendors. I didn't have enough wine to try the American (couldn't figure out what it was), but I did have a hot dog and a nutella crepe. The crepe was awesome!

We started back to the hotel once the bazaar started shutting down. Tomorrow is another day.

Au revoir!
Susan

J'ai mal aux pieds.
December 2nd, 2011

Today we were off to Versailles. It gave us a chance to try out the commuter train. I have to say the trains in France are a lot more user friendly than the ones in Italy. Once we got to Versailles, we decided to fortify ourselves with some Starbucks.

Of course Dave had to cause problems. We had to go through security and Dave kept setting off the alarm even after taking off his watch, belt and removing everything in his pockets. They finally gave up and just sent him through.

Versailles is definitely a full day trip. The gardens themselves would take days to go through. A lot of the furniture and other artifacts are still missing from the revolution. France is still working on finding and regaining them.

We're cutting Nathan off from all drinks. He's managed to spill his coffee and his coke. We are afraid that security at Versailles will put up his photo with a person non grata under it.

We did find out that Marie Antoinet never actually said "Let them eat cake." Most of the stuff that has been attributed to her (orgies, extreme spending, incest, trying to help Austria take over France) is not true. She actually did try to help, but her husband ignored her most of the time.
They have a Marie Antoinet DS game. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Now we are off to find the Café de Flore to talk existentialism. We're not sure what that is, but I can google it. It's number one in our list of top 10 cafes in Paris so it has to be good. It is the first place we've been to where we had to google the menu. We got the highly recommended hot chocolate, except for Dave who got aberlour scotch. I agree with the guide book's assessment of the hot chocolate.

In our search for dinner, we passed by the Sorbonne, but did not see Tom Hanks or any sign of the Danvinci code.

We ended up WAY off the beaten path on a Japanese food alley. The name of the street is actually different, but with 5 Japanese restaurants, it should change its name. We got a free cocktail from an old Evian bottle, but figured there was enough alcohol in it to kill anything really dangerous. I have to say it was very tasty so I ordered a second.

We decided that we wanted to go to the Eiffel tower tonight, but it was already after 10 with the last lift to the top being at 10:30. We were not thwarted so we quickly paid our bill and chased down a cab since the metro would take too long. The cabbie got the hint that we were in a hurry and hauled ass down the streets. It felt like he was trying to break some sort of record. We made it with 10 minutes to spare. Nathan was disappointed that he couldn't walk up the stairs to the top but the rest of us were more than content to take the elevator up the 1000 feet. We were actually the last people to get tickets for the night. I have to say that it is quite windy and cold at the top.

We were finally kicked off the Eiffel Tower so we headed back to our hotels. Tomorrow is already here.

Au revoir!
Susan

Voulons-nous vraiment besoin de monter que les?
December 3rd, 2011

Butter is a condiment here. Instead of mustard or mayonnaise when you buy a sandwich, they all come with butter on them. But they don't bring you butter when you just have plain bread and look at you strangely when you ask for it.

This morning we started with the Lovre. This place is definitely a lot bigger than I thought. The first clue was the fact that you get a map when you go in to make sure you don't get lost. Claire still managed to when she went off by herself to the gift shop. She never made it to the gift shop, but did eventually find us. We were able to see everything in the top ten list in our guide except for the Lacemaker which is on loan. It was crowded around the Mona Lisa, but we were able to get up close for pictures.

For lunch we went to McDonald's. It's a really popular place here. We got to use easy order to pick our lunch instead of waiting in line. Dave got the Royal Delux! After some Starbucks, we were ready to go again.

It was off to the Rodin Museum to see the Thinker. On the way we thought we found the Occupy France group, but it was a protest against bull fighting.

The Thinker was easy to find. He was the first statue we found in the garden. We found many of his other works and also read about how bronze sculptures are made. It looks to be very time consuming.
After getting our fill of art, we headed back to the Arc. Dave and I couldn't fit on the same metro as Nathan and Claire so we met up with them at the Arc. As luck would have it, we arrived in time for the lighting of the flame for the unknown soldier. It's a lot more involved than I thought it would be. We realized as the ceremony dragged on that it is the anniversary of a big Napoleon battle.

We decided that we had to try a Quick burger before we left. It wasn't quick and we angered the woman taking our order. Dave was brave to try Le French Burger while Nathan and I went for the beef delice. Apparently it isn't ordered much since they had to make it.

After the delicious meal, we headed out to find some souvenirs. Back to the Christmas market we went since we really wanted some more warm wine as well. On our way, we ran into one of the homeless guys who dressed as Santa! His dog was curled up under a blanket next to him. It seems like most of the homeless guys here have dogs.

Then it was time to head back. Nathan and Claire head back to the states tomorrow so they have to pack. Unfortunately, Dave and I were hit by an egg on the way home. Good thing our jackets are water and egg proof. :)

Au revoir!
Susan

Les chats sont impressionnants!
December 4th, 2011

On the way to the metro, we found evidence in the form of egg shells and yolk of further egg attacks. We figured it was bored kids. At least with the rain most people should be wearing rain coats.

This morning we had entertainment on the metro with someone playing the accordion. We've actually seen quite a few people playing around the metro with their saxophones, cellos, and violins.
I'm really beginning to hate stairs. They seem to be all over Paris. Dave says they are good for me, but supposedly so are Brussels sprouts.

Our first stop was Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. It was impressive! It was built on the highest natural point in Paris and is the second highest (Eiffel Tower is number one). Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside. We were able to take pictures when we went into the crypt and the tower. The crypt was a little creepy, but I think that's a requirement at design time. To get up to the tower, we got to climb 500 steps. A woman ahead of us did it in high heels even with the wet marble floor. I was definitely impressed.

Afterwards, we hunted down some lunch. I need to learn how to say "meat, cheese, bread, and nothing else" before we go to another country. We perused the artists who were still out despite the nasty rain. We found huge paintings of a rooster and of a cat, but Dave wasn't willing to carry them on the plain. I did get one small painting of two cats looking over Paris. Dave helped me pick it out. I'm sure Trixie will love it.

Then it was time to head to Notre Dame. The rain did not keep the tourists away as there was a long line to get in. Because of time, we weren't able to go up in the tower, but we'll go back tomorrow. We stayed for mass at 6:30. The singing was beautiful, but it was hard to follow along when it was all in French. We just stood and sat as the people around us did. We gave up trying to sing and refrained from communion since we aren't Catholic. It was a very nice service and we can now tell our pastor that even during a mass at Notre Dame, people forget to turn off their cell phones. :)

After eating a light dinner, we decided to head back to the hotel since the weather was rather nasty (I think we saw some cats or dogs coming down). I'll have to be sure to get more hot wine tomorrow as it is our last day here. Dave and I decided to not run the gauntlet of eggs so took another route to the hotel. We arrived egg free.

Au revoir!
Susan

P.S. Sorry for the picture quality of my phone. I know it isn't as good as it should be. I'll try to replace it before Dallas.

Le temps d'emballer!
December 5th, 2011

After arranging for a shuttle to pick us up at 5 AM tomorrow (wow that is early), we were off!
After mailing postcards, Dave and I headed to Sainte-Chapelle. They had a lot of security since it was so close to the Palace of Justice. It was a small church, but very well done. The stain glass windows depicting the different books of the Bible were gorgeous. It was built by King Louis IX who also bought the crown of thorns, some nails, and some pieces of the true cross from the crucifixion of Jesus during on of his Crusades. I think Dave is right and the king who sold them to Louis saw him coming. He spent more on those artifacts than he did on the church.

Then we headed back to Notre Dame to go into the crypt and tower. The crypt is closed on Monday and we couldn't go to the top of the tower till 3:15. So, we went to find lunch and do a little shopping. Not to worry, we didn't get any giant cat or rooster paintings. Dave and I did pick up some hats since we were told we would be in line for an hour and it was cold. We should have worn more layers, but the weather said it would be warmer. I guess the weatherman are as accurate here as they are back home.

I did count and the steps up the tower were only 385. That's a lot better than Sacré-Cœur. I really liked the gargoyles up at the top. The big bell was also impressive. It is only rung on certain holy days. After going through the doors on the top, we came to the conclusion that Quasimodo was a hunchback because he was always ducking. They were very strict about how much time you could spend in the tower so we were soon heading back down.

They stole our soap! Our Dove soap has been replaced with some wired plastic and metal thing that I think is supposed to be attached to some part of the tub. At least I can honestly say that I didn't break it. :)

It time to start packing. 4 AM will be here way too soon.

Au revoir!
Susan

Heureux d'être à domicile!
December 6th, 2011

In Europe, don't bother to get to the airport before 6 AM. We ran into the same problem in Italy where security doesn't open till then. Here they are too busy sneaking up on their fellow security members to scare them. The new passports don't seem to work well in the self check in kiosks so Dave had to type in most of his information. We finally got everything straight and even found a coke machine (no stores are open till 6).

We made it through security. Both eReaders and cameras have to be taken out and put in their own bins. It is interesting to see the differences between security at the different countries.

We were slightly delayed, but made it to JFK. It was very nice to be back in the US. It took a while for our luggage to come out so we could go through customs, but our bags did adhere to the buddy system and stayed together. We had to go through security again. This time they didn't like the Nook charger, but I was able to go through the metal detector with both passports without setting it off. Dave always sets it off when he does that. I think he just looks like he's up to something.

Tuesday is the day for travel! Our flight from Paris wasn't full and our flight to Richmond only has 20 (Dave says 15) of the 54 seats filled. The flight attendant just said to sit wherever we wanted and we could take whatever snacks and drinks. It was a very nice flight.

Our Jeep did not give up and go home without us, so after 18 hours of travel, we finally made it home. Trixie is not pleased we left her. I haven't told her we leave Next Thursday for Dallas.

Au revoir!
Susan