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| Charlotte at Musee D'Orsay with Paris in background |
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| Me, in silhouette, with Paris in background |
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| Church of St Genevieve and Christmas trees |
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| View of Notre Dame from Ile de St Louis |
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Sunday Piccies
Winding Down
Today was the last full day of the trip. We got a slow start, discovered our brasserie for breakfast was not open on Sunday, and ate at a cute boulangerie instead. Then we headed to Musee D'Orsay, which I had not yet seen on previous visits.
There was a line when we got there around 10 am, but it was only about 30 minutes and soon we were inside. Musee D'Orsay is in an old train station and it is a gorgeous building. Even without the amazing collection of art, it would be worth seeing. But the art is well worth a visit - many Van Goghs, Manets and Monets that are recognizable to even a casual student of art. And one Matisse, which made me super happy. :-)
After the museum we headed to a market in the Marais. The Metro there was a little tricky and I got us of course a little, but eventually we found it and it was very cute. We perused the stalls of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses - we each bought a cheese - and I managed to not buy more wine. Barely. We looked at the restaurant that had been recommended to us but weren't hungry enough for the full brunch on offer.
Instead, we decided to get a crepe at the bread stand and it was a hilarious 20 minutes waiting in line and watching the guy make crepes. Each crepe was a piece of art for him - sprinkling on greens, slicing cheese onto it, laying ham artfully. He cut himself and simply stuck a paper towel under his rubber glove on to the cut. As he finished one crepe, he murmured "yum yum yum." Unable to resist the ham, he popped a piece in to his mouth as he made another crepe. He looked sad when we only wanted Nutella crepes, and took a drink from his glass of red wine. Too hilarious! The crepes were absolutely delicious.
We then headed to a brasserie to have food (and wine) now that we'd had dessert. I got onion soup, which was okay, and Charlotte got snails. I was fascinated to see there is special equipment for eating snails!
Afterwards we decided to wander. Although I'd been told shops would be open in the area, there weren't many open stores. Finally we came upon a purse outlet and - voila! - our shopping dry spell ended - we each walked out with a new purse.
At this point it was time for Charlotte to wrap up her weekend. We headed to the hotel for a beer and her packing, then she was off home.
On my own again, I wandered the Latin Quarter for a while, taking in the sights. After I got tired of walking I hopped on the Metro and headed to Ile St Louis, which I had never been to before. I wandered there a bit and checked out the restaurants, finally settling on a little place that had cassoulet on offer - that sounded like a great meal to end my trip on.And it was delicious, full of beans and all kinds of good meats.
The calories from the cassoulet and wine convinced me to walk across the river and around the neighborhood for a bit before hopping on the RER back to the hotel. So now it's my turn to wrap up the trip, eating my cheese for dessert (damn it is GOOD, I had to make myself stop... although I have to finish it before I get on the plane...) and packing. I'm hoping to get up early for a last little walk before heading to the airport tomorrow.
There was a line when we got there around 10 am, but it was only about 30 minutes and soon we were inside. Musee D'Orsay is in an old train station and it is a gorgeous building. Even without the amazing collection of art, it would be worth seeing. But the art is well worth a visit - many Van Goghs, Manets and Monets that are recognizable to even a casual student of art. And one Matisse, which made me super happy. :-)
After the museum we headed to a market in the Marais. The Metro there was a little tricky and I got us of course a little, but eventually we found it and it was very cute. We perused the stalls of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses - we each bought a cheese - and I managed to not buy more wine. Barely. We looked at the restaurant that had been recommended to us but weren't hungry enough for the full brunch on offer.
Instead, we decided to get a crepe at the bread stand and it was a hilarious 20 minutes waiting in line and watching the guy make crepes. Each crepe was a piece of art for him - sprinkling on greens, slicing cheese onto it, laying ham artfully. He cut himself and simply stuck a paper towel under his rubber glove on to the cut. As he finished one crepe, he murmured "yum yum yum." Unable to resist the ham, he popped a piece in to his mouth as he made another crepe. He looked sad when we only wanted Nutella crepes, and took a drink from his glass of red wine. Too hilarious! The crepes were absolutely delicious.
We then headed to a brasserie to have food (and wine) now that we'd had dessert. I got onion soup, which was okay, and Charlotte got snails. I was fascinated to see there is special equipment for eating snails!
Afterwards we decided to wander. Although I'd been told shops would be open in the area, there weren't many open stores. Finally we came upon a purse outlet and - voila! - our shopping dry spell ended - we each walked out with a new purse.
At this point it was time for Charlotte to wrap up her weekend. We headed to the hotel for a beer and her packing, then she was off home.
On my own again, I wandered the Latin Quarter for a while, taking in the sights. After I got tired of walking I hopped on the Metro and headed to Ile St Louis, which I had never been to before. I wandered there a bit and checked out the restaurants, finally settling on a little place that had cassoulet on offer - that sounded like a great meal to end my trip on.And it was delicious, full of beans and all kinds of good meats.
The calories from the cassoulet and wine convinced me to walk across the river and around the neighborhood for a bit before hopping on the RER back to the hotel. So now it's my turn to wrap up the trip, eating my cheese for dessert (damn it is GOOD, I had to make myself stop... although I have to finish it before I get on the plane...) and packing. I'm hoping to get up early for a last little walk before heading to the airport tomorrow.
Pictures form the Saturday Walking Tour (plus)
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| Notre Dame |
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| Pont Neuf detail |
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| Me at the Louvre |
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| Place de Concorde |
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| For fans of the movie Midnight in Paris... |
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| Me with Eiffel Tower |
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| Christmas tree at Notre Dame |
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| Hotel de Ville and skating rink |
Saturday in Paris
After a nice French breakfast of bread & coffee, we set off for a free walking tour of Paris. The tour was quite good; I learned some new things, and we hit quite a few major sights. It ended up, however, being a four hour tour (!) so it ate up most of the day.
After the tour, we found a small brasserie - no English spoken - and had some wine, cheese and a crepe. We didn't want to eat too much and spoil our dinner since it was midafternoon already.
Then it was off to the shops! Once again we had terrible luck and didn't find a thing. I found a great pair of boots at one shop, but they would have required toe amputation for me to wear them. :-(
We finally gave up and headed back to the hotel, where we had the desk clerk make a reservation for us at Bistro Paul Bert. Quick change and we were off - arriving 15 minutes late, but that didn't seem to matter which was good! Bistro Paul Bert was adorable and almost stereotypically French, and the food was delicious. Charlotte had foie gras and I had scallops for the starter, then we both had duck for the main, then she had a macaron with chestnut creme and I had souffle au chocolat for dessert. We were both totally happy and sated at the end of the meal.
Tomorrow's plan: Musee D'Orsay and the market in the Marais.
Dinner photos:
After the tour, we found a small brasserie - no English spoken - and had some wine, cheese and a crepe. We didn't want to eat too much and spoil our dinner since it was midafternoon already.
Then it was off to the shops! Once again we had terrible luck and didn't find a thing. I found a great pair of boots at one shop, but they would have required toe amputation for me to wear them. :-(
We finally gave up and headed back to the hotel, where we had the desk clerk make a reservation for us at Bistro Paul Bert. Quick change and we were off - arriving 15 minutes late, but that didn't seem to matter which was good! Bistro Paul Bert was adorable and almost stereotypically French, and the food was delicious. Charlotte had foie gras and I had scallops for the starter, then we both had duck for the main, then she had a macaron with chestnut creme and I had souffle au chocolat for dessert. We were both totally happy and sated at the end of the meal.
Tomorrow's plan: Musee D'Orsay and the market in the Marais.
Dinner photos:
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| Scallops |
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| Duck |
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| Souffle |
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| Macaron |
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Random pictures from Brugge
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| Street in Brugge |
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| Flemish stew - delicious! |
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| Beer at Cambrinus |
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| Brugge market square at night |
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| Fountain at night |
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| Bikes in front of chocolate shop |
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| Cambrinus menu - beer menu on the right |
Friday, January 13, 2012
Bye bye Brugge
Woke up at 8 am this morning and went down to breakfast. Maggie was again a wonderful hostess and sociable, so I lingered over breakfast and then a couple also staying there came down. They were super friendly as well, so I continued to linger while we all chatted. I managed to spend a couple hours over breakfast and then it was time to get going.
I really loved Brugge and was sad to have had such a brief time there. I would love to go back, rent a bike, and cycle around town, to Damme, maybe even to Oostende. And drink beer. And eat frites, and waffels. I am accepting applications for companions on my eventual trip! :-)
The bus to the train and the two train rides were uneventful. I was bummed that there are no frites in Brussels Midi (!) but oh well. I managed to get myself, my luggage and my beer to the hotel in Paris, where CHarlotte was waiting for me. And now we are about to head out and explore - so au revoir for now!
I really loved Brugge and was sad to have had such a brief time there. I would love to go back, rent a bike, and cycle around town, to Damme, maybe even to Oostende. And drink beer. And eat frites, and waffels. I am accepting applications for companions on my eventual trip! :-)
The bus to the train and the two train rides were uneventful. I was bummed that there are no frites in Brussels Midi (!) but oh well. I managed to get myself, my luggage and my beer to the hotel in Paris, where CHarlotte was waiting for me. And now we are about to head out and explore - so au revoir for now!
It Really Is a Fairy Tale
Up at 8 am after a great night sleep. Did I mention I love my bed and breakfast?! I had a wonderful breakfast and chat with Maggie, the owner, then headed out.
The owners had already told me that the bell tower was closed for renovation :-( so I knew not to expect to go up in that. I headed to the church next door, the church of the holy blood, and it closed - just as I got there! Bummer. Okay, moving on, I hightailed it to the brewery (De Haalve Maan) to make it for the twice-a-day tour at 11 am. I got there, and........... CLOSED. Until the 13th, aka the day I am leaving Brugge. BUMMER.
Having struck out on the planned, timed activities,I retraced the walking tour to see the fish market and a couple of other sights, then headed to the Groeninge museum, which has a huge collection of Flemish primitive painters. They also have a special exhibit ending Sunday, Imperial Treasures, which is a collection of paintings on loan from the museum in Vienna. I ended up spending 2 hours looking at the art, which is unusual for me! It was absolutely wonderful.
By the time I got out, I was starved and decided I needed a waffel. I found a teahouse and got a coffee and a waffel with chocolate, yum! Restored, I headed out to the Church of Our Lady to see the only Michelangelo sculpture that left Italy during the artist's lifetime. The sculpture and the church were both gorgeous, and I ended up spending more time than planned in there, too.
It was fairly late so I decided to hit the necessary shopping, drop it at the hotel, and go back out. So I bought chocolate, beer, beer, and more beer... my arms were sore by the time I got back to the hotel, I'd bought so many bottles of beer! I don't know if I have room to add wine from Paris....!
For dinner I headed to Cambrinus, named for the king of beer (you thought that was Budweiser, didn't you?!?!?). I got the beer lover's menu, which was cheese croquettes (with beer) for a started, carbonade (stew - with beer) for the main, and flan (with beer) for dessert. It was all very good, but the service slacked off after I got my starter and then the 2nd beer was the wrong one. So I decided to go elsewhere for my nightcap.
Back to t'Poatgersgat, the bar from the night before - which was MUCH more crowded tonight. I got a seat at the bar, though, and the bartender remembered me. After a couple of beers I started chatting with some locals, and ended up having a couple more beers and staying a couple more hours than I intended! I made it back to the hotel around 1 am - set the alarm for 8 am, and went right to sleep.
The owners had already told me that the bell tower was closed for renovation :-( so I knew not to expect to go up in that. I headed to the church next door, the church of the holy blood, and it closed - just as I got there! Bummer. Okay, moving on, I hightailed it to the brewery (De Haalve Maan) to make it for the twice-a-day tour at 11 am. I got there, and........... CLOSED. Until the 13th, aka the day I am leaving Brugge. BUMMER.
Having struck out on the planned, timed activities,I retraced the walking tour to see the fish market and a couple of other sights, then headed to the Groeninge museum, which has a huge collection of Flemish primitive painters. They also have a special exhibit ending Sunday, Imperial Treasures, which is a collection of paintings on loan from the museum in Vienna. I ended up spending 2 hours looking at the art, which is unusual for me! It was absolutely wonderful.
By the time I got out, I was starved and decided I needed a waffel. I found a teahouse and got a coffee and a waffel with chocolate, yum! Restored, I headed out to the Church of Our Lady to see the only Michelangelo sculpture that left Italy during the artist's lifetime. The sculpture and the church were both gorgeous, and I ended up spending more time than planned in there, too.
It was fairly late so I decided to hit the necessary shopping, drop it at the hotel, and go back out. So I bought chocolate, beer, beer, and more beer... my arms were sore by the time I got back to the hotel, I'd bought so many bottles of beer! I don't know if I have room to add wine from Paris....!
For dinner I headed to Cambrinus, named for the king of beer (you thought that was Budweiser, didn't you?!?!?). I got the beer lover's menu, which was cheese croquettes (with beer) for a started, carbonade (stew - with beer) for the main, and flan (with beer) for dessert. It was all very good, but the service slacked off after I got my starter and then the 2nd beer was the wrong one. So I decided to go elsewhere for my nightcap.
Back to t'Poatgersgat, the bar from the night before - which was MUCH more crowded tonight. I got a seat at the bar, though, and the bartender remembered me. After a couple of beers I started chatting with some locals, and ended up having a couple more beers and staying a couple more hours than I intended! I made it back to the hotel around 1 am - set the alarm for 8 am, and went right to sleep.
It's a Fucking Fairy Tale!
(If you don't get the title, please rent In Brugges!)
My bed and breakfast in Brugge was GREAT. I loved the room, I loved the owner, I loved the location. I found the place no problem, checked in and was given a glass of wine. I wasn't feeling too jet lagged so I decided to go for a walk and get some air. I wandered around, taking pictures and just soaking in the ambiance. I wasn't too hungry, so I ended up hitting the frites stand for dinner - YUM.
Time for beer! I decided to check out this one bar listed in my guide, and after wandering around a bit I found it - the door went down beneath the sidewalk. I circled it for a moment, getting up my nerve to go in, then went down the stairs and took a seat at the bar. The bartender was very nice and helped me choose a beer, which was delicious. The bar was very quiet and the bartender told me the locals came in later. I had a second, lighter beer and by the time I finished it, it was 9:30 pm and a reasonable time for bed. So, back to the hotel and in bed - in time for a full day of adventure in the morning.
My bed and breakfast in Brugge was GREAT. I loved the room, I loved the owner, I loved the location. I found the place no problem, checked in and was given a glass of wine. I wasn't feeling too jet lagged so I decided to go for a walk and get some air. I wandered around, taking pictures and just soaking in the ambiance. I wasn't too hungry, so I ended up hitting the frites stand for dinner - YUM.
Time for beer! I decided to check out this one bar listed in my guide, and after wandering around a bit I found it - the door went down beneath the sidewalk. I circled it for a moment, getting up my nerve to go in, then went down the stairs and took a seat at the bar. The bartender was very nice and helped me choose a beer, which was delicious. The bar was very quiet and the bartender told me the locals came in later. I had a second, lighter beer and by the time I finished it, it was 9:30 pm and a reasonable time for bed. So, back to the hotel and in bed - in time for a full day of adventure in the morning.
Off to Paris, On to Brussels
The flight from Chicago to Paris was uneventful, other than
the annoying man sitting next to me whose elbows and arms continually intruded
into my airspace. I firmly believe that, on a plane, if my arms are within the
perimeter of the armrests, I should not feel anyone else’s body part touching
me!
Zipped in to Paris on the train, then realized I had 4 hours
and no plan. So I ordered a coffee and made a plan while I drank. Stashed the
luggage and headed to the Marais for a walk and lunch.
I did a lot of window shopping in the Marais, but no buying.
Mostly I soaked up Paris. Eventually it was time for lunch so I looked for one
restaurant I had written down, and when I had no luck headed to another, Jaja
Cafe, which I walked by twice before spotting it. I got the set lunch which was
some kind of ceviche for a starter, blood sausage for the main, and chocolate
pudding for dessert. All of it was very tasty, and I have to admit I find it
fun to have food appear when I have no idea what I ordered!
I’m sure I horrified the Parisians with how quickly I ate,
but time was getting tight. Tighter than I thought – I had been thinking the
train was 2:45, and it was 2:25!!! Luckily I had time to make it, barely; but I
almost didn’t when I had trouble getting the code to work on the luggage
locker. Always, trouble with the lockers! But I made it on to the train and am
typing this while zipping through France to Brussels.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Countdown to Vacation!
Here I am, 24 hours before my flight - actually, less! - and finally getting into the Woohoo, I'm leaving for an adventure! mentality. This is a quick trip, even for me - less than week total, split between two cities, Brugges and Paris. Which means I have a lot of questions:
- How much beer can I drink in 2 days in Belgium?
- How much wine can I drink in 3 days in Paris?
- How am I going to eat enough frites/waffles/chocolate/crepes/cheese????
- Will I have time to see anything in between eating and drinking?
- Can I survive with only 2 pairs of shoes?
I do not know the answers to these questions. But I plan to find out.
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