Trip to Paris

[Sooner or later]

Thanks for the thread

[kevin993]

Nice travel blog. Thanks for sharing. The architecture of Paris is amazing before you even get to the art. The Louvre has many rooms that are magnificent on their own merits.

Fwiw, another compelling art-related destination in Paris is Musee Rodin. If you're even somewhat inclined towards human subject sculpture, it is worth a visit. It is located very close to Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides.

[speeder]

The d'Orsay has the best cafe of the galleries, that's always a fun contest to judge. It's a great destination for a day or more.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

Curse you, Shaun!

Those pictures are great! My husband and I were there 20 years ago for our honeymoon. You have reminded me it is time to go back.

I'm glad you had a great time in a great city.

Married for 20 years, that's wonderful! Going to Paris again, how romantic that would be, retracing some old steps, making new ones. Hope you make it happen.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I have traveled a lot but nowhere near as much as Richard (motion) but I may agree with you. The combination of the history, people, culture and 6-7 story architecture make Paris a very special city.

This one picture, for me, illustrates Paris best and something I saw at all hours of the day. It's a picture of people talking. The most surprising detail of Parisian life is that no one, and I mean no one, is on their phones. I walked the city for miles every day and you just never saw anyone staring into their screens. Instead, you saw engaged conversation everywhere. It was beautiful, I couldn't get enough of it. Last year the French government banned phones from schools. We have to do that too, one way or another, but obviously doubtful it will happen.

One of my big takeways from Parisian—and most likely, if not more more so, French in general—life is the focus on humanity, for lack of better term vs. the U.S. is all about making money and buying cheap Chinese junk. There was advertising but it was minimal. I never once saw anything close to a big box store, or even a big store, though I am sure they are in the suburbs. Instead, small stores, butchers (with a huge variety of meats and sausages in the window), etc. all line the streets of Paris. If I were the French government, I'd outlaw Amazon in France. In a heartbeat.

Yes you are correct about all of this. There is the aesthetic - look at your photo. The streetscapes are largely free of visual pollution, signage, advertising, the general assault and ugliness of the inner city of many big cities. Even the signs for the "Metro" are beautiful. The way Parisians use public spaces, gardens, parks and cafes and restaurants, they way they live in their city is pretty amazing, although, much of Europe is not dissimilar. But - I love the place, and never get tired of visiting.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Wednesday was a big walking day, I wanted to be extra hungry for my dinner at Robert et Louise (one of the main reasons for going to Paris) that night. Richard (motion) had said I should venture into the Latin Quarter. It was supposed to be high 60s and was literally perfect out, so off I went.

Wednesday turned out to be Rude Parisian vs. Ugly American day. Both a great day and a sad day.

Latin Quarter. Imagine every garish, lurid, trashy, kitschy, vulgar, glittering, tawdry, loud, cheap tchotchke every American would want to bring home from their amazing trip to Paris. It was all here. Given the majesty of the city in the last 2 days, Wednesday morning was shameful because, after all, that stuff wouldn't be hanging everywhere if it didn't sell, to us. Well, not us, but you know. So I headed out of the tourist-laden basin of the Latin Quarter as quickly as I could walk, even passing up the chance to visit what looked like a nice little fromagerie. I didn't see any Kraft Singles (TM) in the window but given everything else, I wouldn't have been surprised.

Little did I know that salvation was at the top of the hill. And at the bottom of the hill on the other side.


























After lunch I headed back down the hill in another to go home. I found this huge park and like many other Parisians, decided it would be nice to lay down on the grass and soak up the sun. That lasted a full hour+ before the park police whistle shattered our little piece of nirvana and we all scurried off the grass. Time to go.













Looking up through the trees. A white dove was flying about, a nice diversion when my eyes were open. Definitely need to go back when leaves are about.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by javadog

Heresy!! Pray tell, why?

Well, its not through lack of effort....

There is much fine wine in France. But its hard to find and its often very expensive.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Les Urselines cafe, thank you. After checking this restaurant and that on yelp and trip advisor, I decided on Les Urselines. Your standard French Everyman's cafe. Walking in and being greeted with a hearty bonjoir, returned, I explained that I spoke and understood very little French, with a little Google translate, learned that the owner who speaks English wasn't there and no one really spoke English though one of the servers said she knew a little. So we decided to give it a go. I tried my best with the little French I knew and she with English knowing only slightly more English than I did French. It was a game and we both enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Lunch at a Parisian cafe, can, at times, rival the best the U.S. has to offer. I got the pate to start which for $5 euro was better than $20 pate here in very fine restaurants. It was honest and unpretentious and tasted wonderful. The plate of sliced homemade soppressata sausage, gratis on the table, was divine. You could package them as upscale jerky and do quite well here. The entrecote au poivre was a nice little piece of meat and the chips were perfect. With a small beer, lunch was $15 euro.

The young server girl, the lunch, the weather. My faith restored.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

The French are so careful about their streetscapes. Signage, garish or otherwise seems to be highly restricted. But for some reason Pharmacies get a free pass. They get to use flashing green neon medical cross signs. Its funny, ive always thought. (bottom left of your pic)

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Curse you Anthony Bourdain! Not that he ever could have known but when he featured Robert et Louise on his very first episode of No Reservations, he made it a mecca for every ugly American visiting Paris.

The episode, click and jump to 31:40.


Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations - S01E01 - In Paris



The interior was updated a little, no surprise since it aired 14 years ago, but the staff all had special t-shirts on and English was the norm. But it was the table next to me that just killed the night. Loud, fat, obnoxious, picture taking and taking and taking and have pics of them taken and loud and loud and condescending and demanding and just plain ugly. I can only imagine their suitcases stuffed full after visiting the Latin Quarter. I'm mad again just typing it in. They ruined the entire night for me. I absolutely should have gone downstairs as the other two gentlemen at my table did. My mistake.

On the positive side of things, the blood sausage was great. Fois gras terrine the best I had in Paris. Quick note, over the trip I am sure that ate well over 1 pound of fois gras in all it's forms. The cote de bouef was fine, nothing special cooked over a wood fire, but it was a good piece of meet. The bottle of Chateau La Garde 2011 was a nice wine but not enough given my neighbors.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by stuartj

The French are so careful about their streetscapes. Signage, garish or otherwise seems to be highly restricted. But for some reason Pharmacies get a free pass. They get to use flashing green neon medical cross signs. Its funny, ive always thought. (bottom left of your pic)

Good eye Stuart and I completely agree, thought them odd and they are out of place.

[Yorkie]

[QUOTE=stuartj;10375228

Although, Ive pretty much given up on French wine.[/QUOTE]

Have you tried the “new” organic wines? My younger friends in the Toulouse / Bordeaux area love them and I must say I’ve enjoyed quite a few good bottles. Apparently, you have to drink them young but that’s fine by me. I personally find the older French wines a bite rough for my taste buts that’s just me.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

The interior was updated a little, no surprise since it aired 14 years ago, but the staff all had special t-shirts on and English was the norm. But it was the table next to me that just killed the night. Loud, fat, obnoxious, picture taking and taking and taking and have pics of them taken and loud and loud and condescending and demanding and just plain ugly. I can only imagine their suitcases stuffed full after visiting the Latin Quarter. I'm mad again just typing it in. They ruined the entire night for me. I absolutely should have gone downstairs as the other two gentlemen at my table did. My mistake.

I encountered that sort of thing a few times. I took the opportunity to side with the staff. It took a few asides and winks and nods, but soon we laughed and joked about the A-holes. I did tell them how sorry I was that some people represented the USA so poorly - but this was before Trump. Not sure Americans are greeted with as much friendship now.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by kevin993

Nice travel blog. Thanks for sharing. The architecture of Paris is amazing before you even get to the art. The Louvre has many rooms that are magnificent on their own merits.

Fwiw, another compelling art-related destination in Paris is Musee Rodin. If you're even somewhat inclined towards human subject sculpture, it is worth a visit. It is located very close to Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides.

In Godin's garden resides the Gates of Hell and that guy from Dobey Gillis. The Louvre is overwhelming- and no ever seems to find the castle foundation excavated under the oldest river side corner.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I encountered that sort of thing a few times. I took the opportunity to side with the staff. It took a few asides and winks and nods, but soon we laughed and joked about the A-holes. I did tell them how sorry I was that some people represented the USA so poorly - but this was before Trump. Not sure Americans are greeted with as much friendship now.

I don't think anyone in France really cares about our politics. I should study this before making a broad assertion, perhaps Stuart can add, but there were a few times I watched French news and flipped through the channels. Note that google translating the text feed at the bottom is very helpful in learning French. Listening to it as well.

Anyway, I don't think France has the same opinion-based celebrity talking head reality TV show divisive media that we do. It could, I just didn't see it. If that's that's the case, another reason to be ashamed of the U.S. Coming back and going to foxnews.com and cnn.com and msnbc.com (I don't have a TV), I felt like I needed to take a shower. Reuters.com is still my preferred media outlet with a little bbc too.

But no one brought up Trump or politics. We did talk about how bad American food is, which it is, with the exception of BBQ, uniquely American and amazing when done right. American wine was also a topic. But that was the most American bashing I ever got into with anyone there.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I don't think anyone in France really cares about our politics. I should study this before making a broad assertion, perhaps Stuart can add, but there were a few times I watched French news and flipped through the channels. Note that google translating the text feed at the bottom is very helpful in learning French. Listening to it as well.

Anyway, I don't think France has the same opinion-based celebrity talking head reality TV show divisive media that we do.

Probably true of France in general. Some of my French and British friends were here for a meeting and they talked about our politics a lot. But they all work for NATO so they are inclined to be political.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

Thanks for the thread

Indeed. Inspiring. Shaun returns home, faith and hope restored and invigorated, then inspires the Pelicanheads. Thank you.

[JCF]

Shaun, you should have taken the train out to Auvers. He and Theo are buried there.
And the village is very much the same as it was. The cafe he lived and died in is a tourist draw of course and along the lanes are markers where Vincent set up his easel to paint.
Very powerful feeling to walk to the edge of the village by the church h did a painting of to the cemetery on the edge of the cornfields...

Also; go to Arles and Aix en Provence - in late spring or summer when it's hot - you will see that Van Gogh and Cezanne did not exaggerate the landscape all that much. It really does look and feel like it does in their works.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The last of Thursday and Friday before heading back. I was joined on Friday by a Porsche friend from Normandy, we walked more of the city together, had lunch and I was off.

One of things that is so special about Paris is the architecture. While most big cities have torn down their old buildings, here they are preserved and I would imagine, revered. Aesthetically, the city is the most human of any I've visited. The quality of life, from a visual perspective, simply by walking out your door every day must be amazing. You see only beautiful buildings, all at 6-7 stories high. You don't really see advertising nor anything garish, with the notable exception of pharmacy signs. It's a very green city with trees everywhere. It's easy to see why Parisians are so proud of their city.

When they do modern, it works, as seen with this open-air mall and adjoining park.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I've forgotten half of what I wanted to say, from an op ed perspective, on my visit. Three things stand out.

1. Everyone is either slim or normal body type. I think I saw 3 fat people during my entire trip. Three. 3.

2. Paris is safe. How safe? On 2 occasions I saw mom's strollering along with a 4-6 year old trailing along. There were times when the kids would stop and look at something, the mom now 20 feet away, she'd stop, call out and the child would come running. In the U.S., child protective services would be at their homes that night to collect the children. I didn't see many kids during my trip but they all seemed well-mannered when out and about. There was a boisterous group of, I'm guessing, 6th graders, led by a teacher, even they were together, in a group, again, all well-mannered.

3. Paris is safe. I passed by this stack of ramps at 5ish one night. Here they are at midnight. You'd have to be in northwestern Minnesota for that to happen here.