Thursday 23-Oct 2008 Paris
Weather Sunny but cool
Euro still at $1.2588
Well this is it kids...Today I spent the day with my landlord.
If you need to rent a place in Paris I would highly recommend Jean-Pierre Garcia. The apartment is in a great location, the price is pas cher (700 euros a week!)
And the place is very comfortable for 2 adults, maybe even 3.
http://www.vrbo.com/209147
Today Jean Pierre and I had the electric shutters installed in the bed room and then had a very late lunch near his office at Port Royal Metro stop.
He is a medical doctor turned eastern medicine specialist who turned me on to a few new homeopathic ideas, of course followed by copious amounts of wine!
I had dinner finally in my own neighborhood at the Cafe de le Place in Montparnasse.
A bit over priced and it took FOREVER!
But it was fun there were two young girls from Pontoise next to me who had just visited Argentina so we had a lot to talk about.
The dinner was 40 euros for a kir, 1/2 bottle of Cahors, salad with Bleu d'Auvergne toast, Bœuf bourguignon. I ran out and went to the take away window "emporter" for a sugar and butter crepe. The girl making it co-miserated with me about the wait for my meal. The crepe was good; I ate it as I walked home. I love the crepe makers of this cartier "neighborhood".
OK so tomorrow I need to run to a shop to buy a sweater and then get a coffee and croissant.
My flight is at 2pm so I need to pack and get to the airport by noon, I will take the RER B which goes right near my house to the airport for 8 euros. I have coins... you need coins....OK a recap later but this is it...OVER and OUT!
If you want more photos ask, I will load them onto a photo share site....
VB
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
23-Oct 2008 Paris Blog #23
Thursday 23-Oct 2008 Paris
Weather Sunny but cool
Euro still at $1.28 and holding
Today was like any other, I got up and decided on a plan. I decided to take the Metro to Porte de Versailles. This is not the Chateau at Versailles; it is the original gate into the city that led to that part of France. On the edge of the entire city there are "Portes". They are the original gates into the city. The wall is now gone, the city extends in some places beyond the portes (most places) and now there is a major highway circling Paris instead of a wall.
I have a Metro pass called an Orange Card (Carte Orange). They are phasing this card out for the new Navigo pass, and all though all signs say you cannot get one, you can. The Navigo is more of a challenge for visitors but I am sure if I had fought hard enough I could have gotten it. You can get an orange card for a week (Mon-Sun) or a month. Also the city is divided into zones, most things are in zones 1-2, so the cheapest pass is a zone 1-2. I get the Orange zone 1-2 for a week at 16.40 euros. Oh, you need a passport sized photo for either card. You can get one at the train stations for 4 euros, but bring one from home instead; the photo booths are always broken. OK....
So I get on the train and get off at the end of line 12 to walk over to the new Tram, this is the above ground trains they are doing around the cities outer "walls". The train I was taking goes around the city's south west border. I wanted to see Saint Cloud. I forgot that the Trams are usually in zone 3. So I had to buy a zone 3 metro ticket at 1.6 instead of 1.4. Then I got on the Tram and forgot that you have to validate your ticket once you get on the Tram. You can buy as many tickets as you like; however, they are not valid until you have them stamped like most trains in France and Italy. So I am on the Tram, seated, and I see that the police are checking tickets. It is easy to get on any train without validating your tickets. It is a pretty hefty on the spot fine if you do not have a validated ticket! So I was getting hungry and thinking I may just past St. Cloud and continue to the end of the line where I knew of a place to eat. Well, now I see the cops..... Damn... So the train pulls into the next station, Parc de St Cloud just as they are getting to me, I bailed... I got off at the Parc... Whew... At least now I did not need to buy another ticket for the ride back...
So I went into the Park. This was a grand mansion with an amazing view of the city. The mansion was owned and changed by many, including Marie Antoinette. It is sad as now it just a gorgeous park, the house is gone. The part that is really sad is that during a siege of the 1870s the Prussians where shelling the city from the park and the French fired back, hit the house and it burned to the ground. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Saint-Cloud
The Park is still amazing as are the views, when standing where the house was you could just imagine how amazing with the views and how opulent it must have been.
Weather Sunny but cool
Euro still at $1.28 and holding
Today was like any other, I got up and decided on a plan. I decided to take the Metro to Porte de Versailles. This is not the Chateau at Versailles; it is the original gate into the city that led to that part of France. On the edge of the entire city there are "Portes". They are the original gates into the city. The wall is now gone, the city extends in some places beyond the portes (most places) and now there is a major highway circling Paris instead of a wall.
I have a Metro pass called an Orange Card (Carte Orange). They are phasing this card out for the new Navigo pass, and all though all signs say you cannot get one, you can. The Navigo is more of a challenge for visitors but I am sure if I had fought hard enough I could have gotten it. You can get an orange card for a week (Mon-Sun) or a month. Also the city is divided into zones, most things are in zones 1-2, so the cheapest pass is a zone 1-2. I get the Orange zone 1-2 for a week at 16.40 euros. Oh, you need a passport sized photo for either card. You can get one at the train stations for 4 euros, but bring one from home instead; the photo booths are always broken. OK....
So I get on the train and get off at the end of line 12 to walk over to the new Tram, this is the above ground trains they are doing around the cities outer "walls". The train I was taking goes around the city's south west border. I wanted to see Saint Cloud. I forgot that the Trams are usually in zone 3. So I had to buy a zone 3 metro ticket at 1.6 instead of 1.4. Then I got on the Tram and forgot that you have to validate your ticket once you get on the Tram. You can buy as many tickets as you like; however, they are not valid until you have them stamped like most trains in France and Italy. So I am on the Tram, seated, and I see that the police are checking tickets. It is easy to get on any train without validating your tickets. It is a pretty hefty on the spot fine if you do not have a validated ticket! So I was getting hungry and thinking I may just past St. Cloud and continue to the end of the line where I knew of a place to eat. Well, now I see the cops..... Damn... So the train pulls into the next station, Parc de St Cloud just as they are getting to me, I bailed... I got off at the Parc... Whew... At least now I did not need to buy another ticket for the ride back...
So I went into the Park. This was a grand mansion with an amazing view of the city. The mansion was owned and changed by many, including Marie Antoinette. It is sad as now it just a gorgeous park, the house is gone. The part that is really sad is that during a siege of the 1870s the Prussians where shelling the city from the park and the French fired back, hit the house and it burned to the ground. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Saint-Cloud
The Park is still amazing as are the views, when standing where the house was you could just imagine how amazing with the views and how opulent it must have been.
(L-R: Wide view from Park, Eiffel Tower in left pic, church in St. Cloud Town)
(L-R: looking south down lawn, looking west and east standing where the house was)
(L-R: Standing where house was in 1-2, #3 is below looking North at where house was)
(L-R: Fountains below house... jogger girl would not move! New VW Passat for Michael)
Passat
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
22-Oct 2008 Paris Blog #22
Monday 19-Oct 2008 Paris
(L-R: Pretend you are driving it, ok stick you head out the roof, now sit by the "cyclopes"
Weather Sunny but cool
Euro still at $1.28
OK, yes I did a blog this morning, but I am back at home and was motivated to do another with pictures. Today was such a typical day for me here. I got out of the house about 10am and took the train way up to the northern side of Paris (19eme) to go to a museum.
The museum is the Cite des Science and de L'industrie. It is in a park that is newer for Paris, La Villette. It used to be the old Slaughter House for the city, but in the 1980s they transformed it into one of the city's largest green spaces.
OK, so the exhibition I have been dying to see is the Citroen, 2cv history. This is my little French car that I love so much. They have been making them since the 1930s, stopped in the 1980s and are about to make a new one! It is the French Beetle. The museum is pretty here are some exterior shots:
(L-R: The old Market Hall Structure, The Geode Theater, The Giant Museum)
Here are some shots in the exhibit halls
(L-R: Flying Cars, Yes Flying, The other hall had another exhibit I passed on)
So today's lesson, never ask a French Security Guard to take your picture, it turned into a 30 minute photo session ala Richard Avedon:
(L-R: Pretend you are driving it, ok stick you head out the roof, now sit by the "cyclopes"
Here are some other shots including the new model:
(L-R: The cars kept coming out behind a curtain like a fashion show)
OK, so I left the museum and headed down the canals (http://www.pariscanal.com/+-Canal-St-Martin-+?lang=en ) I have not done one in a while, but you should consider taking a trip up the canals. You start on the Seine, go into a tunnel and end up on these canals with locks that go right though the city. These are the same canals re-introduced to the world by the film, Amelie Poulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%C3%A9lie They are very picturesque. I stopped midway and had a nice lunch at a very working class Brasserie. Steak with Fries, Cream Caramel, some wine and a coffee for 20 euros.. Nice. So now I was ready to walk the rest of the canal but first I headed east to a park that I have not been to in a while, Buttes Chaumont. I last was here with Michael in 2000. The park is in an old quarry in the 19eme. There are a series of hills and a lake. On the most northern hill there is a replica of a roman temple. I love the views from this place.
(L-R: temple on the lake, view from temple, waterfall in cave)
So now I walked down the canal to the tunnel at the end and then hopped on the Metro home.
(L-R: Locks, More Locks, Tunnel at the Southern End)
So, someone asked me what do I do here. Well this is a typical day. I have seen posters for this exhibition all over town, so I went there quickly on the Metro. After a visit I walked back getting lost but all the same knowing that I was heading in the right direction. I stopped when I was hungry; ate and boozed it up a bit. Then I walked some more until I was tired. At that point it is the Metro or a Taxi. When I got home I ran right to the Boulangerie for some right out of the oven baguette, then to the cheese shop for a ripe goat cheese. To the deli for a parma sandwich with arugula. I am done for the day. Not so bad?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
22-Oct 2008 Paris Blog #21
Monday 19-Oct 2008 Paris
Weather Rainy and Cold
Euro at $1.28!
Amazing, the Euro is dropping fast against other currencies, especially the USD.... I never thought that would happen.
My days are ticking away fast now, I am leaving this Saturday.
I am excited about the following things:
1) Big fluffy American towels
2) A washing machine that don't take 3 hours for a cycle, oh yeah, a DRYER!
3) Not being run down by little old ladies on the sidewalk who pretend they do not see you
I will miss the following:
1) Actual customer service in shops
2) Cheese shops who age their own cheeses
3) Sipping coffee from a real cup and not an RV sized paper cup with a plastic lid
4) The sound of French sirens, music....
5) Etc, etc....
I do not have pictures today. Yesterday I had a quiet laundry day. The rain came down hard. I did step out to the bank and ended up visiting the museum near my house, Musee Jean Moulin. It is in the gardens at the train station next to the house. It is all about the war and the French underground, very moving. I ended up having dinner at the Landlord's house with his wife and my friend Stephan. All 3 are leaving soon on trips so it was my goodbye dinner. Jean Pierre is quite the cook, we had (all organic - bio) steamed cod and salmon, real ratatouille, and quinoa. All served with Bio wines. Very nice.
Today I am going to do another museum as it is raining.
OK, only 2 links this time....
1) The apartment is available, while it is not over the top it is comfortable and it is in a great area for visitors and really inexpensive.. Here is the link: http://www.vrbo.com/209147
2) Stephan is an artist and making his living selling his work. He uses the cobblestones from the streets (he does not take them illegally!) I think they would make a great "true Parisian gift" for any friends back home, he speaks English and he will ship to you! http://jaspert.free.fr/
OK... more soon....
Weather Rainy and Cold
Euro at $1.28!
Amazing, the Euro is dropping fast against other currencies, especially the USD.... I never thought that would happen.
My days are ticking away fast now, I am leaving this Saturday.
I am excited about the following things:
1) Big fluffy American towels
2) A washing machine that don't take 3 hours for a cycle, oh yeah, a DRYER!
3) Not being run down by little old ladies on the sidewalk who pretend they do not see you
I will miss the following:
1) Actual customer service in shops
2) Cheese shops who age their own cheeses
3) Sipping coffee from a real cup and not an RV sized paper cup with a plastic lid
4) The sound of French sirens, music....
5) Etc, etc....
I do not have pictures today. Yesterday I had a quiet laundry day. The rain came down hard. I did step out to the bank and ended up visiting the museum near my house, Musee Jean Moulin. It is in the gardens at the train station next to the house. It is all about the war and the French underground, very moving. I ended up having dinner at the Landlord's house with his wife and my friend Stephan. All 3 are leaving soon on trips so it was my goodbye dinner. Jean Pierre is quite the cook, we had (all organic - bio) steamed cod and salmon, real ratatouille, and quinoa. All served with Bio wines. Very nice.
Today I am going to do another museum as it is raining.
OK, only 2 links this time....
1) The apartment is available, while it is not over the top it is comfortable and it is in a great area for visitors and really inexpensive.. Here is the link: http://www.vrbo.com/209147
2) Stephan is an artist and making his living selling his work. He uses the cobblestones from the streets (he does not take them illegally!) I think they would make a great "true Parisian gift" for any friends back home, he speaks English and he will ship to you! http://jaspert.free.fr/
OK... more soon....
Monday, October 20, 2008
20-Oct 2008 Paris Blog #20
Monday 19-Oct 2008 Paris
Weather Sunny but cooler
Euro at $1.335!
OK, from yesterday... lesson learned, but worked around it. When you buy the on-line fares for the TGV using the lowest fares (iDTGV) they are non-refundable, non-changeable and they cannot locate them in the system so you must have your copy with you when you board.
OK, so I wanted to extend my time in Alsace so I could visit another city. Instead, I just got up very early (8am) checked out of my hotel, took the Tram to the Train station and bought a round trip regular fare from Strasbourg to Colmar... (21.80 euros RT) A 30 minute ride each way. This allowed me to see Colmar and come back for my ride back to Paris in the early evening.
Colmar is a town locked in time. It was the last town to be freed from Germany in WWII. They pretty much left it alone. It is so very Bavarian!
OK on to the train ride, not as fast as the TGV, I took the TER which is the local train for Alsace. Alsace is an odd piece of France. Back and forth with Germany and France and then in the end, French with twice the number of people per square kilometer than any other region of France. The culture is still French, but with an odd twist of German. The buildings, the clothes, the food... it is all just a little bit German. But with French flare. I was amazed to see all of the old castles on the ridge and churches forever for the entire ride down....
I got into Colmar at 9:30am. The train station is an old Victorian station, very nice. It is not that close to the city center. I had to walk north on the main road about 1/4 a mile to come into the main square. It is pretty big. A lot of churches. Some fine middle age buildings, lots of public squares and water ways every where. They do call Colmar the "Venice" of France. The nice thing about France is that there are public maps everywhere and the road signs fill in the blanks. They want you to know where you were and where you are going. Also like every city in France for the most part there are a few local Tourist Offices handing out free maps of the city.
One of the things I love about eastern France are the tiled roofs, usually in orange and green. Colmar has many great examples of this. I sat in the sun at the main Cathedral and had a coffee and an almond croissant, a little cheaper than Paris! I decided to wander a bit, there are some great statues, Frédéric Bartholdi is from here (Statue of Liberty Artist). He did many of the statues and fountains in the town.
As they have these great canals I did something so not like me... I decided to take a boat tour! Tiny boats, 5 euro a ride. The tour guide spoke only French and to my surprise I got 90% of what he was saying. The river we were in was the transportation route, the old market had doors so the fish could be delivered right from the water. Each house had a pipe running to the river for poop-ie... OK, wait.. really they ate fish from the water that they dumped their shat in? Hmmm no wonder they use a lot of sauce....
OK times have changed... and now they use sewers not the river. The water was clear to the bottom and the city was just too precious... I want to retire here!
Ate lunch at Les Bateiers right on the water on Pont Turenne. 40 euros got me three courses Block of Foie for a starter with a glass of that sparkling wine they make, Cremant. Wild Venison and chanterelle mushrooms in a stew with grilled cauliflower and a bowl of spaetzle in a heavy pan gravy with a small pitcher of local Pinot Noir, A nice Munster cheese plate (Munster is from here), a glass of local Marc and then a coffee. I ate right on the water and here too met another older couple from Paris... They were gabby gabs, a bit tipsy, but we had a fun conversation and actually sang a song together. I made the mistake of telling them I was from San Francisco and then chimed in with the Maxime LeForestier song that all of the older French LOVE...
Stumbled back to the train... Got on no problem, got to Strasbourg in 30 minutes to connect with the TGV and now I am sitting in my apartment in Paris.... Showered and getting ready for bed..
Here are some links and photos to follow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colmar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bartholdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDtXXlD98kw
(L-R: TER, Castle, Gare de Colmar, House of Heads??)
(L-R: Tiled Roofs, Narrow Streets, Gorgeous....)
(Duck - 3 ways!)
(L-R: Lunch, More Lunch, TGV, Windmill on the way home)
Weather Sunny but cooler
Euro at $1.335!
OK, from yesterday... lesson learned, but worked around it. When you buy the on-line fares for the TGV using the lowest fares (iDTGV) they are non-refundable, non-changeable and they cannot locate them in the system so you must have your copy with you when you board.
OK, so I wanted to extend my time in Alsace so I could visit another city. Instead, I just got up very early (8am) checked out of my hotel, took the Tram to the Train station and bought a round trip regular fare from Strasbourg to Colmar... (21.80 euros RT) A 30 minute ride each way. This allowed me to see Colmar and come back for my ride back to Paris in the early evening.
Colmar is a town locked in time. It was the last town to be freed from Germany in WWII. They pretty much left it alone. It is so very Bavarian!
OK on to the train ride, not as fast as the TGV, I took the TER which is the local train for Alsace. Alsace is an odd piece of France. Back and forth with Germany and France and then in the end, French with twice the number of people per square kilometer than any other region of France. The culture is still French, but with an odd twist of German. The buildings, the clothes, the food... it is all just a little bit German. But with French flare. I was amazed to see all of the old castles on the ridge and churches forever for the entire ride down....
I got into Colmar at 9:30am. The train station is an old Victorian station, very nice. It is not that close to the city center. I had to walk north on the main road about 1/4 a mile to come into the main square. It is pretty big. A lot of churches. Some fine middle age buildings, lots of public squares and water ways every where. They do call Colmar the "Venice" of France. The nice thing about France is that there are public maps everywhere and the road signs fill in the blanks. They want you to know where you were and where you are going. Also like every city in France for the most part there are a few local Tourist Offices handing out free maps of the city.
One of the things I love about eastern France are the tiled roofs, usually in orange and green. Colmar has many great examples of this. I sat in the sun at the main Cathedral and had a coffee and an almond croissant, a little cheaper than Paris! I decided to wander a bit, there are some great statues, Frédéric Bartholdi is from here (Statue of Liberty Artist). He did many of the statues and fountains in the town.
As they have these great canals I did something so not like me... I decided to take a boat tour! Tiny boats, 5 euro a ride. The tour guide spoke only French and to my surprise I got 90% of what he was saying. The river we were in was the transportation route, the old market had doors so the fish could be delivered right from the water. Each house had a pipe running to the river for poop-ie... OK, wait.. really they ate fish from the water that they dumped their shat in? Hmmm no wonder they use a lot of sauce....
OK times have changed... and now they use sewers not the river. The water was clear to the bottom and the city was just too precious... I want to retire here!
Ate lunch at Les Bateiers right on the water on Pont Turenne. 40 euros got me three courses Block of Foie for a starter with a glass of that sparkling wine they make, Cremant. Wild Venison and chanterelle mushrooms in a stew with grilled cauliflower and a bowl of spaetzle in a heavy pan gravy with a small pitcher of local Pinot Noir, A nice Munster cheese plate (Munster is from here), a glass of local Marc and then a coffee. I ate right on the water and here too met another older couple from Paris... They were gabby gabs, a bit tipsy, but we had a fun conversation and actually sang a song together. I made the mistake of telling them I was from San Francisco and then chimed in with the Maxime LeForestier song that all of the older French LOVE...
Stumbled back to the train... Got on no problem, got to Strasbourg in 30 minutes to connect with the TGV and now I am sitting in my apartment in Paris.... Showered and getting ready for bed..
Here are some links and photos to follow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colmar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bartholdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDtXXlD98kw
(L-R: TER, Castle, Gare de Colmar, House of Heads??) 
(L-R: Tiled Roofs, Narrow Streets, Gorgeous....)
(Duck - 3 ways!)
(L-R: Lunch, More Lunch, TGV, Windmill on the way home)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
19-Oct 2008 Paris Blog #19
Sunday 19-Oct 2008 Paris
Weather Sunny but cooler
Euro at $1.34
Today I took the train from Paris Gare de L'est to Strasbourg on the German Border.
I am fascinated with this area for many reasons, FOOD, history (was French, German, French German, French), people, art, etc.
First a few notes about train travel.
I took the TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse = Train of High Speed). The train travels about 200 MPH! It has cut the time from 6 hours to 2.15 for this trip.
I bought the tickets on line and printed them out, it was $60 RT and half of that is in first class! If you buy them in the station it is about $200 for the same! They allow you to print out tickets. So you get to the station, they have a big sign with all the trains # listed. About 20 minutes before your departure they list your track. You have on your ticket the car you are in and the seat #. You need to self validate all tickets at the little yellow machines in the station before you leave. But with the electronic ticket you do not, they scan it as you enter the car.
I cannot tell you the feeling of being hurtled through the country side at 200 mph. You cannot read the signs of the stations as they pass, it is that fast!
In 2 hours I was in Strasbourg. I hopped on the local Trams (very modern street cars) and in 4 stops I was at my hotel next to the cathedral in the old town. The hotel is a 3 star and cost about $70 a night! CHEAP! Hotel Gutenberg... He lived here in exile...
My room was not ready so I left my bag and went to the cathedral to catch the Sunday mass. It was what it was... but the cathedral is amazing, one of the tallest in the world. I then walked along the island quai to an area of the main island called, Petite France. This is an area of original timber sided homes and canals, really French with a German accent. I stopped and had an amazing lunch! The place was called, Lohkas at 25 rue du Basin aux plante. It does not have an outdoor patio, that is why it called to me, didn't seem very touristy. I had a glass of local sparkling wine (Cremant d'Alsace), a salad of cold sauerkraut, a sausage of pork fatback (Lardon) with potatoes, leeks, chives and carrots on a bed of lentils, washed down with a 1/4 pitcher of a local pinot blanc, a fresh potted cheese with berry kirsh and a coffee. This meal was A-Mazing! And all for 38 euro tax and tip included. I must mention that the waitress here was a cranky Lesbian, but the rest of the staff was pleasant.
I stumbled out onto the street and was instantly approached by an older French man asking for directions. I said, in French, that I am not from here, but I had a map. We figured out that he and his wife were staying in the same hotel as me. We walked together, their room was not ready mine was....
I took a shower and headed off to see some sites. Honestly I was more interested in walking to the border with Germany. I would not recommend it, you walk through a slightly blighted area and then Germany, well, let's just say it was very modern, bombs (WWII). I walked back over and hopped on the nearest tram for my hotel. I decided to take the tram around the loop of old town. It is so cute... Very oldie worldie French.
I got back to my room to rest and check out tickets for tomorrow's destination (a secret for now). I went downstairs and asked the girl at the desk for a dinner recommendation. She suggested two places, the first was at the cathedral and seemed to touristy. The other however, was amazing! Chez Yvonne 10 rue du Sanglier. I had another glass of local cremant, an onion tart, a young chicken roasted with spatzle, with a 1/4 pitcher of local gewertzaminer, a fresh pear tart with a glass of Tokay (YUM!) and a coffee for 45 euro with tax and tip! Towards the end of the meal I noticed or should I say they noticed me, my hotel mates, now named, Claude and Margarette. We talked a bit, they are from Versailles where she grew up and were here for the first time to see what is able to be seen. They were loving it as much as I.
OK off to bed... Here are some links and photos to follow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg_Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV
(L-R: Gare de L'est, TGV, Sign with Tracks, Ticket Validation Machine)
(L-R: They are proud, at 200 MPH close, at a distance, the modern station in Strasbourg {covers an old station})
(L-R: See the Tram? Tall Cathedral, Petite France, Wooden Timbers)
Lunch here, why is the "S" gone????
(L-R: Now Leaving France, Now in Germany, The Rhine, Blah Blah Blah in German, the Cathedral can be seen from everywhere...)
Weather Sunny but cooler
Euro at $1.34
Today I took the train from Paris Gare de L'est to Strasbourg on the German Border.
I am fascinated with this area for many reasons, FOOD, history (was French, German, French German, French), people, art, etc.
First a few notes about train travel.
I took the TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse = Train of High Speed). The train travels about 200 MPH! It has cut the time from 6 hours to 2.15 for this trip.
I bought the tickets on line and printed them out, it was $60 RT and half of that is in first class! If you buy them in the station it is about $200 for the same! They allow you to print out tickets. So you get to the station, they have a big sign with all the trains # listed. About 20 minutes before your departure they list your track. You have on your ticket the car you are in and the seat #. You need to self validate all tickets at the little yellow machines in the station before you leave. But with the electronic ticket you do not, they scan it as you enter the car.
I cannot tell you the feeling of being hurtled through the country side at 200 mph. You cannot read the signs of the stations as they pass, it is that fast!
In 2 hours I was in Strasbourg. I hopped on the local Trams (very modern street cars) and in 4 stops I was at my hotel next to the cathedral in the old town. The hotel is a 3 star and cost about $70 a night! CHEAP! Hotel Gutenberg... He lived here in exile...
My room was not ready so I left my bag and went to the cathedral to catch the Sunday mass. It was what it was... but the cathedral is amazing, one of the tallest in the world. I then walked along the island quai to an area of the main island called, Petite France. This is an area of original timber sided homes and canals, really French with a German accent. I stopped and had an amazing lunch! The place was called, Lohkas at 25 rue du Basin aux plante. It does not have an outdoor patio, that is why it called to me, didn't seem very touristy. I had a glass of local sparkling wine (Cremant d'Alsace), a salad of cold sauerkraut, a sausage of pork fatback (Lardon) with potatoes, leeks, chives and carrots on a bed of lentils, washed down with a 1/4 pitcher of a local pinot blanc, a fresh potted cheese with berry kirsh and a coffee. This meal was A-Mazing! And all for 38 euro tax and tip included. I must mention that the waitress here was a cranky Lesbian, but the rest of the staff was pleasant.
I stumbled out onto the street and was instantly approached by an older French man asking for directions. I said, in French, that I am not from here, but I had a map. We figured out that he and his wife were staying in the same hotel as me. We walked together, their room was not ready mine was....
I took a shower and headed off to see some sites. Honestly I was more interested in walking to the border with Germany. I would not recommend it, you walk through a slightly blighted area and then Germany, well, let's just say it was very modern, bombs (WWII). I walked back over and hopped on the nearest tram for my hotel. I decided to take the tram around the loop of old town. It is so cute... Very oldie worldie French.
I got back to my room to rest and check out tickets for tomorrow's destination (a secret for now). I went downstairs and asked the girl at the desk for a dinner recommendation. She suggested two places, the first was at the cathedral and seemed to touristy. The other however, was amazing! Chez Yvonne 10 rue du Sanglier. I had another glass of local cremant, an onion tart, a young chicken roasted with spatzle, with a 1/4 pitcher of local gewertzaminer, a fresh pear tart with a glass of Tokay (YUM!) and a coffee for 45 euro with tax and tip! Towards the end of the meal I noticed or should I say they noticed me, my hotel mates, now named, Claude and Margarette. We talked a bit, they are from Versailles where she grew up and were here for the first time to see what is able to be seen. They were loving it as much as I.
OK off to bed... Here are some links and photos to follow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasbourg_Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV
(L-R: Gare de L'est, TGV, Sign with Tracks, Ticket Validation Machine)
(L-R: They are proud, at 200 MPH close, at a distance, the modern station in Strasbourg {covers an old station})
(L-R: See the Tram? Tall Cathedral, Petite France, Wooden Timbers)
Lunch here, why is the "S" gone????
(L-R: Now Leaving France, Now in Germany, The Rhine, Blah Blah Blah in German, the Cathedral can be seen from everywhere...)
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