Just after posting my first 4 Paris blogs, I headed over to Philippe's place. Elena had gone earlier and was already there. I decided to walk. I walked down Batignolles to Mirmeselle or something like that. I walked down that under the awnings as much as possible because it had started to rain. That is the street that runs right by Carla Bruni's house. I passed Carla's house, crossed the Champs d'Elysée and went between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais. I want to see the Petit Palais because it has Goya etchings. Goya made 3 series of etchings. Bull fighters, one on the atrocities of war, and a third one that I can't remember. I'll find out later. Anyway, I crossed the Winston Churchill bridge and slid past the Invalides. I went past the École Militaire and got my first really good look of the Eiffel Tower across the Champ de Mars. Then I headed a little further south west and got to Philippe's place.
Our plan was to meet Malika who was at the Picnic where we played Maya. She took us to a place that specializes in the food of some region that I can't remember because I don't have the internet at home. Anyway, we had a yummy meal. Mine was a most interesting dish. It was a sausage topped with a sort of yellow potato/mozzerrella goo. It was like mozzerella mashed potatoes, sort of combining the best features of both. It was simultenously soft and stretchy. Its flavor was light but good and it complemented the sausage which had a very strong and nice flavor.
After that we wandered around the new Frence National Library--4 towers surrounding a deep well containing a small forest. It seemed to me that the ground was deeper than the Seine, so I asked, but everyone thought my question was crazy. We saw a swimming pool on the river but it is apparently closed because there is a leak with the river. I joked to Elena that the French don't have much luck with swimming pools. The "Olympic" swimming pool in Montpellier is not usable in competitions because it is actually not Olympic sized--the designers forgot to take the tiles into account so it a few millimeters too short.
It was a nice night and we got home at about 12:30. We had a bit of a problem. We got to the Metro station just at midnight. I mentioned in a previous post that our Orange card--1 week Metro pass--doesn't start until the next day. Well, since it was just after midnight, we naturally thought (hoped) that it would start working and we could use it to get home. After several attempts, it became apparent that it wasn't going to work--that they don't use midnight as the time to switch over, but rather the opening of the Metro the next morning. The bastards! So we paid another €3. Thankfully, there was a machine there that takes paper money so I could use a €20 note.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Chimneys
OK, while Elena was half asleep taking a well deserved siesta, I set out to count the chimneys that can be seen from just our little window. We basically have no view. But even so, I counted exactly 92! That's a lot of chimneys. When I looked at Elena she had a little smile on her face. I think she finds it amusing that I'm obsessed with the number of chimneys. Of course it is a little bit crazy, but we all have our quirks.
The chimneys from Philippes place.
From our place.
The chimneys from Philippes place.
From our place.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Impressions of Paris
I was thinking that maybe "how many chimneys have you seen in your life?" might make in interesting Microsoft interview question. The answer would depend, of course, on whether you've been to Paris. It seems that each room has its own chimney. The tops of every building are a sort of rooster comb--a crenelated row of chimneys. From Phiippe's apartment, I saw what looked like thousands but was actually probably only scores of chimneys. So many chimneys as to render the Santa Claus myth absolutely unbelievable. Each French child upon being told that Santa goes down each chimney must call bullshit.
The streets are amazing. Each avenue is lines with the clichéed 5 story 18th or 19th century buildings with the stone work, iron work, tall windows, shutters, the almost vertical roofs on the top floor. All the cliché images you have. That is the real Paris. At least in our arondissement. Speaking of arondissements, I should explain them. Paris is divided into these sections called arondissements. Starting at the Louvre, they go up from 1 to about 20 sprialing clockwise like a nautilus shell or a cinnamon bun. You use the ordinal form of the number. Like we are in the "8th". What it basically is, is the last 2 digits of the postal code 75008.
Elena managed to get herself scammed. It was fun to watch. We were on the bridge due south of the pyramid at the Louvre looking out at the water talking about something. All of a sudden, this short woman bends up from the ground. I have no idea where she came from. "You dropped this" she said and handed us a thick men's golden colored ring. We told her it wasn't ours. "Are you sure it isn't?" she asked. Nope, not ours, "maybe I can keep it" she said as she tried it on each of her fingers. "No, it doens't fit me--it was meant for you. Praise God for your luck." Elena wanted to return it to a Lost&Found and was inspecting it to see if it was gold. I said I didn't think so. The woman walked away. She walked about 20 feet and then turned around and came back and asked for €2 for a sandwich. We said we didn't have any money. She begged a bit. I had the ring in my hand sort of holding it out. Elena gave her some small money, less than a euro probably about 60 cents. She asked for more. Then when we said we couldn't give more, she brusquely said "give me ring" and snatched it out of my fingers and dashed off. Even after that, Elena didn't know it was a scam until I told her the ring was almost certainly not found on the ground, but was in the woman's possession the whole time. I wonder what the ring is worth and what she does when somebody tries to keep it. Elena got a bit vexée with me because I didn't tell her it was a scam. I was having too much fun watching it play out.
I went to a bar called "au Petit Poucet" because they have WiFi. But a 25cl Kronenbourg is a whopping €4,30! It is only €2,90 at a place just down the street about half a block. And I got a 50cl can for €1,80 at the Arab store near our place.
We got an Orange card which is a 1 week pass for the Metro. But it doesn't start until the next day. The bastards! Also, the Paris metro system needs more ticket machines. The French need to ask the Asians how to do subways. The Greeks apparently did because Athens has a really crappy subway system except for the most recent line which looks like it was modeled on Japanese subway systems.
We found 2 of Paris's not so numerous Starbucks. One at Saint-Lazare and one at Odéon station. So now we know where to come for our coffee fix. There are McDonalds all over, but the one near us doesn't advertize WiFi.
Elena is so funny. She always finds the worst in a place and declares she doesn't like it. But, then she doesn't take much time to start to see the good parts. I tend to start out liking the places I visit and generally don't change my opinion that much. They say (tautologically) that you never have a second chance to make a good first impression. With Elena, you probably don't even have the first chance. ;-) But she never keeps her bad first impressions. :-)
The streets are amazing. Each avenue is lines with the clichéed 5 story 18th or 19th century buildings with the stone work, iron work, tall windows, shutters, the almost vertical roofs on the top floor. All the cliché images you have. That is the real Paris. At least in our arondissement. Speaking of arondissements, I should explain them. Paris is divided into these sections called arondissements. Starting at the Louvre, they go up from 1 to about 20 sprialing clockwise like a nautilus shell or a cinnamon bun. You use the ordinal form of the number. Like we are in the "8th". What it basically is, is the last 2 digits of the postal code 75008.
Elena managed to get herself scammed. It was fun to watch. We were on the bridge due south of the pyramid at the Louvre looking out at the water talking about something. All of a sudden, this short woman bends up from the ground. I have no idea where she came from. "You dropped this" she said and handed us a thick men's golden colored ring. We told her it wasn't ours. "Are you sure it isn't?" she asked. Nope, not ours, "maybe I can keep it" she said as she tried it on each of her fingers. "No, it doens't fit me--it was meant for you. Praise God for your luck." Elena wanted to return it to a Lost&Found and was inspecting it to see if it was gold. I said I didn't think so. The woman walked away. She walked about 20 feet and then turned around and came back and asked for €2 for a sandwich. We said we didn't have any money. She begged a bit. I had the ring in my hand sort of holding it out. Elena gave her some small money, less than a euro probably about 60 cents. She asked for more. Then when we said we couldn't give more, she brusquely said "give me ring" and snatched it out of my fingers and dashed off. Even after that, Elena didn't know it was a scam until I told her the ring was almost certainly not found on the ground, but was in the woman's possession the whole time. I wonder what the ring is worth and what she does when somebody tries to keep it. Elena got a bit vexée with me because I didn't tell her it was a scam. I was having too much fun watching it play out.
I went to a bar called "au Petit Poucet" because they have WiFi. But a 25cl Kronenbourg is a whopping €4,30! It is only €2,90 at a place just down the street about half a block. And I got a 50cl can for €1,80 at the Arab store near our place.
We got an Orange card which is a 1 week pass for the Metro. But it doesn't start until the next day. The bastards! Also, the Paris metro system needs more ticket machines. The French need to ask the Asians how to do subways. The Greeks apparently did because Athens has a really crappy subway system except for the most recent line which looks like it was modeled on Japanese subway systems.
We found 2 of Paris's not so numerous Starbucks. One at Saint-Lazare and one at Odéon station. So now we know where to come for our coffee fix. There are McDonalds all over, but the one near us doesn't advertize WiFi.
Elena is so funny. She always finds the worst in a place and declares she doesn't like it. But, then she doesn't take much time to start to see the good parts. I tend to start out liking the places I visit and generally don't change my opinion that much. They say (tautologically) that you never have a second chance to make a good first impression. With Elena, you probably don't even have the first chance. ;-) But she never keeps her bad first impressions. :-)
First Day In Paris
The first day, we woke up. Elena mad some coffee. I'm not sure if she used the coffee machine. The carafe has a crack in it. It seems to hold water right now, but I'm not sure if it can withstand too many heating/cooling cycles. I went out for a bit to let Elena have some time to get ready. I found an internet cafe but it wasn't open. Then I found, entirely by accident, the Moulin Rouge. It is just around the corner from where we live. We are also very close to the Presidential Palace Elysee where Carla Bruni lives. So we are close to everything. In each direction, as I walk along the street, we seem to go over something empty. To the SW, it looks a river is coming up, but it is actually the switch yard for Saint-Lazare station. To the NE, there is a huge cemetery.
We started walking South along the rue Amsterdam. We came to the Madeliene church which sort of like the Parthenon. There was a mass going on inside, so we couldn't wander around. Then we went by some obelisk. I had Elena take a picture of me with the obelisk coming out of my head. We went into the Jardin de Tuileres?? SOmething like that. I spotted a Richard Serra work right away. There is one in Seattle now and there is a cool room called the Fish Room full of his walls in the Bilbao Guggenheim. Also, speaking of the Biblao Guggenheim, there is one of those spider things like by the river by the Guggenheim.
We walked through the garden and came to the Louvre. We crossed the water and went down to the Jardin de Luxembourg. Then we backtracked to Odéon and metro'd home. Elena had a needed and well deserved nap, and I went out to see if I could connect at the au Petit Poucet.
We started walking South along the rue Amsterdam. We came to the Madeliene church which sort of like the Parthenon. There was a mass going on inside, so we couldn't wander around. Then we went by some obelisk. I had Elena take a picture of me with the obelisk coming out of my head. We went into the Jardin de Tuileres?? SOmething like that. I spotted a Richard Serra work right away. There is one in Seattle now and there is a cool room called the Fish Room full of his walls in the Bilbao Guggenheim. Also, speaking of the Biblao Guggenheim, there is one of those spider things like by the river by the Guggenheim.
We walked through the garden and came to the Louvre. We crossed the water and went down to the Jardin de Luxembourg. Then we backtracked to Odéon and metro'd home. Elena had a needed and well deserved nap, and I went out to see if I could connect at the au Petit Poucet.
First Night In Paris
We got on the subway and took one line from Place de Crichy to Duroc and then another line to Charles Michel. We headed up to where Philipe lives. Then, for the first time (since I was in Las Vegas) I saw the Eiffel Tower. We found Philippe's place. Elena says it is it very modern. I guess so, but it screams late 60's/early 70's to me. I felt like I was walking into the set of The Bob Newhart show. ;-) We had port and whiskey and chatted about his job--he is the Editor-in-Chief for a French academic publication put out by the government. He took us to a really cool place called the Brasserie du Commerce or something like that. It's a restaurant, three stories high, with a sort of courtyard. Philippe and I had duck and Elena had chicken. We had a nice bottle of wine. A great date place.
After dinner, we walked to Duroc station. We saw the Eiffel Tower do its sparkly think at the top of the hour--midnight. We passed many bars and brasseries all with people in them. Parisians stay out as late as the Montpellierians. We made it to Duroc, and Philippe went in his direction and Elena and I went in our direction. Our last drink at Brasserie de Commerce was coffee, so Elena couldn't sleep well, but I was dead tired and slept like a log.
After dinner, we walked to Duroc station. We saw the Eiffel Tower do its sparkly think at the top of the hour--midnight. We passed many bars and brasseries all with people in them. Parisians stay out as late as the Montpellierians. We made it to Duroc, and Philippe went in his direction and Elena and I went in our direction. Our last drink at Brasserie de Commerce was coffee, so Elena couldn't sleep well, but I was dead tired and slept like a log.
The Trip To Paris
yesterday morning, I woke up early. Too early--like 5:30am. I was too excited to sleep. We still had a bit of work to do to get our rooms ready for the inspection. And when I say "we" had work to do, what I mean is "Elena" had work to do. One of the advantages to being horrible at domestic activities is that people would rather do the job themselves than to delegate to me.
So after a couple more hours of cleaning, we got the room into tip-top shape and at the 9:30 inspection, we got back our entire security deposit of €200. Yay! Now we just had to await Claudine who was meeting us later that morning. Claudine came and the three of us had lunch together, then off to the train station. We got our tickets and sat in our seats on the upper deck of car 18 way down at the end. The tickets were only €80--€40 each. That's a total of about US$140. Not bad. Of course, once on board, the 50cl Vittel water was €2,40 and a 33cl Kronenbourg was €3,60 for a grand total of €6 or about US$10. I was happy during the trip
Once at the Gare de Lyon, we had to take two metro trains to our place. Unfortunately, Elena packed for all circumstances. I had to carry her 2 luggages--each lead-lined bag, weighed down with a few extra bricks for good measure, weighed a ton. And they turned my hands red and raw. Elena carried my 2 bags, the laptop, and the wheeled luggage. We navigated the snaking tunnels from one train to the next, first at Gare de Lyon, then at Saint-Lazare, and finally, we made up the stairs at Place de Clichy which wasn't too far from our eventual home. A couple minutes after, we met Christian, the owner of the flat. He showed us how to get in--you need 2 secret codes and a goofy key whose cross section is more like a T than a |.
We cooled off a bit, and then, it was time to head over to meet Elena's good friend Philippe.
So after a couple more hours of cleaning, we got the room into tip-top shape and at the 9:30 inspection, we got back our entire security deposit of €200. Yay! Now we just had to await Claudine who was meeting us later that morning. Claudine came and the three of us had lunch together, then off to the train station. We got our tickets and sat in our seats on the upper deck of car 18 way down at the end. The tickets were only €80--€40 each. That's a total of about US$140. Not bad. Of course, once on board, the 50cl Vittel water was €2,40 and a 33cl Kronenbourg was €3,60 for a grand total of €6 or about US$10. I was happy during the trip
Once at the Gare de Lyon, we had to take two metro trains to our place. Unfortunately, Elena packed for all circumstances. I had to carry her 2 luggages--each lead-lined bag, weighed down with a few extra bricks for good measure, weighed a ton. And they turned my hands red and raw. Elena carried my 2 bags, the laptop, and the wheeled luggage. We navigated the snaking tunnels from one train to the next, first at Gare de Lyon, then at Saint-Lazare, and finally, we made up the stairs at Place de Clichy which wasn't too far from our eventual home. A couple minutes after, we met Christian, the owner of the flat. He showed us how to get in--you need 2 secret codes and a goofy key whose cross section is more like a T than a |.
We cooled off a bit, and then, it was time to head over to meet Elena's good friend Philippe.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Last Post From Montpellier
The stuff is packed, except for the computer. The surfaces are cleaned. The closets are empty. The dishes are washed. In 10 minutes they'll come by for an inspection, and hopefully to return our deposit. So before I pack up the computer, I'm doing this one final post from Montpellier.
Montpellier is a nice city. It was the perfect choice for us. It's not huge but it's not so small that there's nothing to do. We can walk everywhere rather than take the tram if we need to. They sponsor events constantly. It is vibrant and packs a historical punch. There is nature all around--hiking to the north and beaches to the south. The weather is nice. The people are nice.
Next post will be from Paris!
Montpellier is a nice city. It was the perfect choice for us. It's not huge but it's not so small that there's nothing to do. We can walk everywhere rather than take the tram if we need to. They sponsor events constantly. It is vibrant and packs a historical punch. There is nature all around--hiking to the north and beaches to the south. The weather is nice. The people are nice.
Next post will be from Paris!
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