Paris from The Bateaux Mouches

Seeing Paris from the River Seine is a must. Yes, it's a huge tourist attraction and I know some people like to avoid them at all costs, but seeing this city illuminated in all its splendor and glory is really special. During my visit last February, my colleagues surprised me with an evening out which started at the Bateaux Mouches and ended at a lovely cafe inside the grounds of the Louvre. I've found yet another way to enjoy this beautiful city... from the river that slices her in two.

I hope you enjoy the ride!

Click to view the video online

Paris: there's an app for that!

At this time last year I was planning my third business trip to Paris within a five month period. Prior to this fortuitous run, I had only been to Paris once for a very brief overnight trip from Brussels in the mid 80's. My sister, Linda, was living in Belgium at the time and had a business meeting in Paris so I was happy to tag along. That trip was what I like to call my first date with Paris, and it was love at first sight, so when my employer acquired a company in France last year I was thrilled to be a part of the integration team.  In fact, I may have been the first person to volunteer to train our new colleagues.

I flew out a few days early to squeeze in a little pleasure and stayed with my friend Laurie, who lives in the 7th arrondissement just minutes from the Eiffel Tower. It's a fabulous location and hard to pass up for a hotel out near my office in the suburbs.  So why not to commute to work each day and spend all my free time in the city?  How difficult could that be?

Paris is known for its efficient transportation systems and Laurie was teaching me the ins and outs of the buses, Metro and RER trains. My philosophy is that if you can read a map, then you can take a train. They pretty much work the same everywhere in the world. You find your destination, map out your route, board heading in the right direction, and get off at your desired stop.

My first morning commute was a smashing success. Laurie and I walked to the station, she helped me purchase my tickets from the kiosk, checked that I was headed in the right direction, and down the stairs I went to wait for my train. An hour later I was standing outside the Evry station waiting for a colleague to pick me up. The only problem was that I was standing on the wrong side of the station. We finally connected by phone and I was able to navigate to the front of the station (which actually looked like a train station) instead of the back entrance where I had been standing in the freezing February cold. Did I mention my mastery of the French language is practically non-existent? Well it is and the farther you get from the city, the fewer people you'll find that speak English. I knew I should have cracked open that Rosetta Stone, but wait it gets better.

At the end of the day my colleague dropped me back at station and I boarded my train for what should have been an hour's ride back to the city. My route had one transfer, which I'd easily managed on the trip down, so I didn't anticipate any problems going back. I hopped off the train in Juvisy (transfer point) and walked with the crowd (boy, was I feeling like a real commuter now) through the tunnel and up to the other side to wait for my connecting train. It was strangely quiet when I reached the top of the stairs, in fact there wasn't another living soul on the platform. I looked at the sign overhead and even with my limited French I knew that my train was cancelled and there wasn't another one coming in the foreseeable future, so it was back down the stairs where a very nice bilingual woman confirmed that I needed to get back on the green line and head to Gare de Lyon station. From there I could take the #63 bus back to Laurie's apartment. Ok, I could handle this, plus there's an app for that. (Full disclosure: I actually called Laurie to get instructions on the route and where to find the bus at the train station. That's what Parisian friends are for, non?)

I found the buses and easily located #63, so it appeared the commuting gods were on my side. I ran right up to it and tried to board. The driver (who didn't speak English) was pointing further down the road which I eventually figured out was the boarding location. He was sitting in the 'holding area' where they wait until their departure time and there's absolutely no chance of boarding there. So I stood within sight of the bus in the freezing cold. Twenty minutes later I was settled in my seat and heading to Laurie's. As we traveled through the 6th and then into the 7th arrrondissement I was seeing buildings and sites that were familiar so I was feeling pretty confident. I rang the bell for my stop and walked up to the front of the bus and stood just behind the driver waiting to disembark. Once stopped, I stood there for what seem like an eternity waiting for him to open the door. There was one person waiting to board, but nobody moved. Suddenly it felt like all eyes were upon me. What could possibly be wrong? I had the correct stop, so why wouldn't the driver open the door? Finally, the driver turned and looked at me and said that I needed to disembark from the side door. Did I suddenly become fluent in French? Non, but his hand gestures were pretty effective and I also recalled that I hadn't seen anyone exit a bus in Paris from the front like they do in New York, so I turned, held my head high and took the long walk to the back exit. I'm pretty sure that driver was happy to see me leave, and I was happy to see Le Tour Eiffel, again. Home, sweet home...

Day two: The train down to Evry and a cab ride back to Paris

I took the train down to Evry and successfully exited in the front of the station this time. We had a business dinner that evening so I would forgo the train and take a cab back to the city. We dined at Accor Academie, the training hotel for the Accor Hospitality Group in France. This academie provides chefs and other hotel staff with the opportunity to train for positions in Accor hotels across France. Our chef that evening was well on his way to a promising career. It was a delightful evening of good food, good wine and excellent company.

One of my colleagues booked cabs for those of us that were heading back to the city. A few kilometers into the ride, I noticed that the meter was racking up the euros at an astonishing pace.  Remembering that not all cabs in Paris, in fact hardly any, accept credit cards I was pretty sure the 50 euros in my wallet wouldn't get me even close to my destination. Okay, relax, no worries, I'll just check to be sure that the driver accepts credit cards. I leaned over and in my best French accent I asked, "Parlez-vous, Anglaise?" He responded, "Non". Time to pull out those trusty French apps that I downloaded:

I went right to the Talking French Phrasebook app as I recalled it had those frequently asked questions every traveler needs to survive in a foreign land. Bingo! So again,  in my best French accent, I asked:

Answer: "Non".  Rats, not the answer I was hoping for. The upside, though, is that he was very accommodating, which was truly a blessing because as we were approaching the city the fee on the meter was way past the euros I had in my wallet. So it was sink or swim and being the eternal optimist that I am I could manage this little bump in the road, so I asked:

My best French accent was lost on this delightful man so he pulled over and read the sentence I had completely mangled. He immediately nodded his head, checked his own iPhone, and took me to the closet ATM machine where I withdrew another 100 euros to cover the 120 euro cab fare. Yes, I over tipped like a good American and even managed to tear the 20 euro bill that I gave him in half as I pulled it out of my wallet. He laughed and said he would reparer it. I wished him a bonsoir (which I thought might actually be possible once I'd exited his cab) and delivered my most heart-felt merci beaucoup, to date.  So, yes there were a few tense moments, but with the right attitude, a kind and willing Frenchman, and a few good apps almost anything's possible in the City of Light.

My Paris Travel Apps:
RER (Train, Bus and Metro schedules)
Metro Paris Subway
Talking French Phrasebook
Paris Maps (offline version to use without an internet connection)
Aéroports de Paris

Additional posts about Paris apps that you might find useful and enjoyable:
David Lebovitz - Paris Apps
Paris iPhone Apps for Travel, Language Learning, & Fun

So what's your stretch goal for 2012?  Mine, well I think we all know...

Bonne année et bonne santé

Chandeliers of Versailles

Last February while on a business trip to Paris, I spent a day at the Palace of Versailles with my niece and nephew. It was a weekday and the foot traffic was pretty light so we meandered around at a leisurely pace which allowed us to take in the details of this visual extravaganza. I was intrigued by the latches on windows, elaborate mouldings, rich fabrics, sculpted feet of statues and the intricate needlepoint work on a chair seat or bench. You can see those photos in an earlier post.

I also found the chandeliers fascinating. While the most elaborate and surely most photographed are those that hang in the Hall of Mirrors, there are many others that are visually interesting.

Some are held up by other artifacts,

while others are lighting bed chambers

and sitting rooms.

Many of the chandeliers are adorned with crystals, but some are more understated (relatively speaking, of course, lest we forget where we are)...

This hangs, along with matching wall sconces, in the foyer of the Grand Trianon, a smaller palace on the grounds.

If you are contemplating hanging one of these beauties in your own dining room the lowest point of the chandelier should hang 32 inches/81.28 cm above your table.

Versailles: The Chateau, The Grounds, and Grand Trianon

Twenty kilometers southwest of Paris sits the ultimate symbol to France's absolute monarchy, the royal chateau of Versailles. Originally a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII, it was his successor Louis XIV who began the expansion resulting in the grand palace that you see today. Louis XIV was just slightly obsessed with having control over his court, so moving them all out to Versailles ensured  that control, and distanced him from citizens of Paris.

Approaching the main entrance, I was in awe of the size and scale of this elaborate palace. We arrived at 11:30 and left at 5:30pm. We visited the Chateau, the grounds, The Queen's Hamlet, and the Grand Trianon (smaller palace built by Louis XIV). We went at a fairly leisurely pace, so if you want to see everything you would need two days. Also in the warmer months I'm sure you'd spend more time in the gardens than we did on a cold winter's day. Although even in the starkness of winter, they're beautiful.

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When shooting photographs, I tried to capture entire rooms as well as the finer details of the statues, furniture and decorative arts. It was often the details that really captured my eye; a moulding, a window latch, or the feet on a statue. Enjoy!

Click to view online

Weekend in Paris

I arrived in Paris on Saturday morning, so I was able to enjoy two days in the city before work began. On Saturday we headed to the St Germain des Pres area, which is adjacent to the Latin quarter. Both have a history of attracting intellectuals, artists, and politicians. This area is home to The Ecole Nationale d’Administration, where many French politicians studied, and  Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, France's leading school for fine arts.

Our first stop was Le Bon Marché department store. Paris department stores are architectural marvels. Note the escalators. I spend more time looking at those details, than the actual merchandise, although the January sales are running through mid February, so there are still deals to be had.

We met a friend from Cape Cod for afternoon tea at Laduree on Rue Bonaparte. Established in 1862,  it's a Parisian institution. This elegant patisserie is famous for its macaroons, which are made daily in flavors of rose, pistachio, chestnut, lemon, raspberry, and more. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they're delicious to eat. I had chicken and spinach salad served in a cucumber round. It was delicious, and a lovely presentation. Followed by a nice sampling of macaroons for dessert as we discussed work, university for my niece and nephew, and a bit about the current political climate in the US and France.

Our last stop in the St Germain was La grande épicerie de Paris, the food market of Le Bon Marché. For me it was simply heaven; aisles of the finest gourmet foods, breads, meats, cheeses, and chocolates all artfully displayed in this beautiful setting. We shopped for our breakfast groceries for the week, and fresh pasta to go with the Daube (the authentic Provencal recipe) that simmered on the stove for dinner.  

Sunday was a day in The Marais. It's one of the oldest districts of Paris, and was originally settled by France's nobility, so it's home to some impressive architectural buildings. After several centuries the nobility moved on to the Faubourg Saint Germain, and the area became a popular destination for Eastern European Jews. There are still food shops, restaurants, and bookstores that support today's thriving Jewish community. It's also filled with art galleries, one of a kind shops, and many great restaurants. The perfect destination on Sunday afternoon for some good food and a leisurely visit to one of the many museums, and attractions, in the area.

For us it was crepes for lunch at Creperie Suzette. I've been there a few times and it's consistently delicious. The chicken, onion, mushroom crepe topped with pesto and creme fraiche was perfection!  Then on to the Voyage en Capitale: Louis Vuitton & Paris exhibition at the Musee Carnavalet. This charming museum, with it's beautiful courtyard, is dedicated to the history of Paris. The courtyard drew me in the first time I walked by in the summer of 2007. It's formal center gardens are surrounded by flowers in the warm months. It's a peaceful place to relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the Marais.

Leaving the Marais, we walked in the direction of Ile de la Cite coming up behind Notre Dame. The afternoon sun was casting a rose-like glow on the city so I leave you with this...

To view online

A dinner in Paris

A week ago Wednesday I dined with friends at a little restaurant in the 7th arrondissement called Firmin Le Barbier. We walked into their lovely small dining room, which has an open kitchen in the corner, and I had the immediate feeling that it's a place well cared for by a dedicated proprietor. It's neat, clean, beautifully lit, and most inviting.
The evening's menu:

For a starter we chose the pate en croute, which was delicious:

And our friend had the saumon fume served with basil sorbet, which was one of the most interesting and delicious things I've ever tasted:

For dinner I ordered the joue de boeuf, which is so typically French so how could I not? Creamy potatoes, leeks, carrots and boeuf, just perfect!

Our wine selection by French Laurie was the perfect complement to the meal:

And we finished with a seasonal apple crisp and sorbet. Yes, there was more of that wonderful basil sorbet:

It was the perfect French meal to celebrate my last night in Paris with French Laurie:

Merci, mon amie! It was a lovely choice.

Firmin Le Barbier
20 Rue Monttessuy
75007 Paris, France
01 45 51 21 55

Another Sunday in Paris with French Laurie

I've been fortunate to come to Paris again on business. I arrived a day early so I could enjoy the city with French Laurie. We headed to the Rue Cler for our petit déjeuner.

After a quick bus ride, it was a leisurely stroll through the Jaquemart-Andre Museum, which is across the river in the 8th arrondissement :

We walked down the very architecturally pleasing Boulevard Haussman:

And then we headed back over towards the 7th arrondissment, where Laurie lives. The beauty of Paris takes my breath away.

Each time I visit, I fall a little bit more in love with this wonderful city. As we were taking the bus by the Louvre I asked Laurie if she ever tires of the sites, or takes them for granted. Her response was, "never, not in Paris, it's just too special." Enjoy!