Monday, May 28, 2012
Museum Pass expires today!
We just finished another interesting day of viewing the famous sights
of Paris. This morning after our cafe au lait, we took a taxi to La
Conciergerie. It was originally the palace of the French
Kings from the 10th century until they moved to the Louvre. During the
French Revolution, over 2800 people were detained and sentenced to
death here. Sadly, the Queen of France Marie Antoinette was among
them. We saw the cell when she spent six weeks before she was led to
the guillotine in the Place de la Concord.We then strolled through the
beautiful Jardin du
Luxemburg. Have I mentioned that we have had a weather perfect week in
Paris? In the early 17th century Marie de Medici decided to build a
palace in imitation of the Pitti Palace in Florence. She was homesick
I guess! The Medici Fountain is gorgeous and the grounds magnificent.
Children rent sail boats and then chase the boat with a stick in the
central pond. Today is Pentecote (Pentecost) which is a holiday in
France. Families were out in the park in droves. We lunched in the
small terrace cafe which provided a relaxing place to rest and people
watch. Our meal was overpriced and the service slow but
never-mind.....we had a lovely table under the trees. We decided to
use our museum pass one last time to view the Pantheon in the Latin
quarter. This massive building was originally an abbey dedicated to
the Patron Saint of Paris but after the French Revolution was changed
to a burial place for famous French men. We walked down into the crypt
and saw dozens of famous patriots, writers, artists and war heroes.
Our last stop of the day was to visit the St. Sulpice Cathedral on our
walk back to the hotel. In front of the church there was a classy flea
market set up which held all kinds of old art, books, china and other
treasures. After browsing awhile, we entered St. Sulpice. The organ
was built by Clicquot and later remodeled by Cavaille-Coll and is one
of the finest and most beautiful organs in the world. The St. Sulpice
Cathedral was used as a setting for Dan Brown's novel Da Vinci Code.
The church has a poster on the wall with a disclaimer that reads
"contrary to fanciful allegations in a recent best selling novel, St.
Sulpice is NOT the vestige of a pagan temple etc. etc." I guess many
tourists flocked to the church after the novel was written for the
wrong reasons. Why didn't they come to see and hear the organ, attend
Mass or view the biggest cathedral in Paris? Whew......our museum pass
has expired and so have I! Tomorrow we plan to just "be" in Paris. Not
sure what the day will hold but I am certain more walking will be part
of the fun. Gail
of Paris. This morning after our cafe au lait, we took a taxi to La
Conciergerie. It was originally the palace of the French
Kings from the 10th century until they moved to the Louvre. During the
French Revolution, over 2800 people were detained and sentenced to
death here. Sadly, the Queen of France Marie Antoinette was among
them. We saw the cell when she spent six weeks before she was led to
the guillotine in the Place de la Concord.We then strolled through the
beautiful Jardin du
Luxemburg. Have I mentioned that we have had a weather perfect week in
Paris? In the early 17th century Marie de Medici decided to build a
palace in imitation of the Pitti Palace in Florence. She was homesick
I guess! The Medici Fountain is gorgeous and the grounds magnificent.
Children rent sail boats and then chase the boat with a stick in the
central pond. Today is Pentecote (Pentecost) which is a holiday in
France. Families were out in the park in droves. We lunched in the
small terrace cafe which provided a relaxing place to rest and people
watch. Our meal was overpriced and the service slow but
never-mind.....we had a lovely table under the trees. We decided to
use our museum pass one last time to view the Pantheon in the Latin
quarter. This massive building was originally an abbey dedicated to
the Patron Saint of Paris but after the French Revolution was changed
to a burial place for famous French men. We walked down into the crypt
and saw dozens of famous patriots, writers, artists and war heroes.
Our last stop of the day was to visit the St. Sulpice Cathedral on our
walk back to the hotel. In front of the church there was a classy flea
market set up which held all kinds of old art, books, china and other
treasures. After browsing awhile, we entered St. Sulpice. The organ
was built by Clicquot and later remodeled by Cavaille-Coll and is one
of the finest and most beautiful organs in the world. The St. Sulpice
Cathedral was used as a setting for Dan Brown's novel Da Vinci Code.
The church has a poster on the wall with a disclaimer that reads
"contrary to fanciful allegations in a recent best selling novel, St.
Sulpice is NOT the vestige of a pagan temple etc. etc." I guess many
tourists flocked to the church after the novel was written for the
wrong reasons. Why didn't they come to see and hear the organ, attend
Mass or view the biggest cathedral in Paris? Whew......our museum pass
has expired and so have I! Tomorrow we plan to just "be" in Paris. Not
sure what the day will hold but I am certain more walking will be part
of the fun. Gail
Sunday, May 27, 2012
A Birthday to Remember!
attending the Pentecost Service at the American Church in Paris. The
worship service was compelling. There was a "language choir" that
assisted in the reading of Acts 2. Readers surrounded the sanctuary
and read scripture simultaneously in many languages. Pentecost
commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and
other followers of Jesus as described in Acts. the language choir
brought this message to life! The chancel choir then sang "Let All the
World in Every Corner Sing" by Ian Higginson. It was wonderful to
reconnect with the Music Director Fred Gramann who hails from
Washington State. Fred visited us in Wenatchee years ago but has lived
in Paris since 1976. He is a fantastic organist and musician. What an
inspiring way to begin my day! Dale and I then walked the
Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed to the top for the
view. We lunched at the famous "Brasserie Lipp" in Saint Germain des
Pres and then visited both the Saint Chapelle Chapel and Notre Dame
Cathedral. As we entered the church, Mass was in progress. I got to
hear the Cavaille-Coll organ which has 5 keyboards and 8,000 pipes
....heavenly! Dale and I plan to have a late birthday dinner
celebration tomorrow night at "Tan Dinh" a well known
French/Vietnamese restaurant. I feel so blessed to have received so
many birthday well wishes from family and friends today via email and
Facebook. This has been the best birthday celebration ever. A huge
thank you to my husband for "planning" such a special day (inside
joke!) Gail
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Room 604 at K & K Cayre Paris
Sometime serendipity is better than planning. Gail is a great
planner. Dale loves to go on vacation with a minimum of reservations
and a maximum of possibilities, flexibility and spontaneity.
Sometimes, looking back, a little more planning could have avoided a
trouble or two. But it was pure serendipity that when we booked this
hotel, the place where we are celebrating Gail's Big birthday (I am
not saying in a blog just how Big) that the lottery of life gave us
room 604.The view from the room is of the Tour Eiffel and the dome of Les
Invalides (where France honors her war heroes and where Napoleon is
buried.). And even when relaxing in the bathtub you have a view of
the tower. At night, when the tour is illuminated and the moon is
flying by, it recreates the scene from the Moulin Rouge movie when the
pistol is flying out the window and hits the tower. It is pure magic.
It is a perfect view. Our photos will not do it justice, but believe
us, it is the most romantic view in the world. If you are coming to
Paris, and if you are a planner, ask for Room 604. If you are not a
planner, it is better to be lucky than good. I feel lucky to have
been married to Gail for forty years and to have been given this room
to celebrate her birthday. Dale
planner. Dale loves to go on vacation with a minimum of reservations
and a maximum of possibilities, flexibility and spontaneity.
Sometimes, looking back, a little more planning could have avoided a
trouble or two. But it was pure serendipity that when we booked this
hotel, the place where we are celebrating Gail's Big birthday (I am
not saying in a blog just how Big) that the lottery of life gave us
room 604.The view from the room is of the Tour Eiffel and the dome of Les
Invalides (where France honors her war heroes and where Napoleon is
buried.). And even when relaxing in the bathtub you have a view of
the tower. At night, when the tour is illuminated and the moon is
flying by, it recreates the scene from the Moulin Rouge movie when the
pistol is flying out the window and hits the tower. It is pure magic.
It is a perfect view. Our photos will not do it justice, but believe
us, it is the most romantic view in the world. If you are coming to
Paris, and if you are a planner, ask for Room 604. If you are not a
planner, it is better to be lucky than good. I feel lucky to have
been married to Gail for forty years and to have been given this room
to celebrate her birthday. Dale
Petit St Benoit
We walked from our hotel up the Blvd St. Germaine until the Cafe Flore and turned left down the little street known as St Benoit. At the foot of the street is an historic little eatery, Le Petit St Benoit. It has been there, serving up stews and simple fare since 1901. Any restaurant that can last 111 years in Paris must be pretty good. The first time I ate there was in 1969. Clyde Foreman and I were staying in a one star hotel on the Blvd Edgar Quinet. It cost $2.00 per night for lodging so we had $3.00 to spend on food each day. the only place we ever found that could provide food for that price was Le Petit St Benoit. We ate there a lot.
Gail and I have been there many times since. The food is always good and the prices still about half when you would pay one block away at the Cafe Flore, or the Brasserie Lipp or the Deux Maggots. Last night the proprietor came out and I told him we have been coming back to his little restaurant for over 43 years. He beamed with pride, thanked us and asked if we could write something nice about the restaurant on Trip Advisor. We had the same request from the owner of Te Amo Lucy's in Mazatlan last time there. Of course we did in Mazatlan, and will now in Paris. The BB (boeuf bourguinon) was good and the fish cassoulet even better. The Camembert was spectacular. But the best part of the meal was the country pate and crispy bread. Wine from Chinon and smiles all around the place. We sat next to a couple from San Francisco who just flew in, they have been married 44 years, and they too like to come back to this place. There are some nice aspects to growing old. Refreshing sweet memories with someone you love is one. Dinner cost $50 but the evening was priceless. Dale
Gail and I have been there many times since. The food is always good and the prices still about half when you would pay one block away at the Cafe Flore, or the Brasserie Lipp or the Deux Maggots. Last night the proprietor came out and I told him we have been coming back to his little restaurant for over 43 years. He beamed with pride, thanked us and asked if we could write something nice about the restaurant on Trip Advisor. We had the same request from the owner of Te Amo Lucy's in Mazatlan last time there. Of course we did in Mazatlan, and will now in Paris. The BB (boeuf bourguinon) was good and the fish cassoulet even better. The Camembert was spectacular. But the best part of the meal was the country pate and crispy bread. Wine from Chinon and smiles all around the place. We sat next to a couple from San Francisco who just flew in, they have been married 44 years, and they too like to come back to this place. There are some nice aspects to growing old. Refreshing sweet memories with someone you love is one. Dinner cost $50 but the evening was priceless. Dale
Paris Museum Pass
We bought the four day Paris museum pass, it is like Disneyland for
grown ups, admission to over 60 museums and monuments. Yesterday we
visited the Musee D'Orsay for three hours, then walked back to St.
Germaine de Pres church. This morning we walked to the Louvre and
spent three hours with Winged Victory, La Jocanda and their closest
friends (along with thousands of other visitors) then walked through
the Tuileries gardens to the Orangerie and saw an exposition on
Debussy Musique and Art. They also had many wonderful paintings by
Renoir, Picasso, Manet, Henri Rousseau, Derain, Utrillo and Cezanne.
The Monet waterlillies were on exhibit, huge walls, ten or twelve
meters long each, showing the Lillie's from his home in the country.
Paris art cannot be topped. We plan to go to the Sainte Chapelle,
Notre Dame towers and crypt, and will probably have time to revisit
the Arc de Triomphe, the Pompideau and the Pantheon. So much to see,
so little time. It is about 75 degrees out, a bit warm for so much
walking, but we are having a ball. Hope you enjoy the photos, but you
should plan to come and visit yourself. Dale
grown ups, admission to over 60 museums and monuments. Yesterday we
visited the Musee D'Orsay for three hours, then walked back to St.
Germaine de Pres church. This morning we walked to the Louvre and
spent three hours with Winged Victory, La Jocanda and their closest
friends (along with thousands of other visitors) then walked through
the Tuileries gardens to the Orangerie and saw an exposition on
Debussy Musique and Art. They also had many wonderful paintings by
Renoir, Picasso, Manet, Henri Rousseau, Derain, Utrillo and Cezanne.
The Monet waterlillies were on exhibit, huge walls, ten or twelve
meters long each, showing the Lillie's from his home in the country.
Paris art cannot be topped. We plan to go to the Sainte Chapelle,
Notre Dame towers and crypt, and will probably have time to revisit
the Arc de Triomphe, the Pompideau and the Pantheon. So much to see,
so little time. It is about 75 degrees out, a bit warm for so much
walking, but we are having a ball. Hope you enjoy the photos, but you
should plan to come and visit yourself. Dale
Friday, May 25, 2012
Farewell Florence
Gail really wanted to visit Italy this year. I was not enthusiastic.
She was right. The countryside is sweet, covered with well tended
vines, farms and quaint houses and barns. The cities were
spectacular. Streets brimming with happy, busy people, stylish shop
windows, restaurants that ooze charm, smells of good hearty cooking,
sounds of motorcycles and horns. A feast for the senses. We had a
wonderful week in Italy. The architecture is monumental, the statues
unbelievable, the art and museums incomparable. It almost makes me
wish I was Italian. But then being in Italy does make you a little
crazy in the head. Long live Sweden. Now wait a minute, lutefisk,
freezing winds, long dark nights, no art, no cuisine, no memorable
churches or museums. No wonder my grandfather left Stockholm in 1910
and came to America. Viva Italia.
She was right. The countryside is sweet, covered with well tended
vines, farms and quaint houses and barns. The cities were
spectacular. Streets brimming with happy, busy people, stylish shop
windows, restaurants that ooze charm, smells of good hearty cooking,
sounds of motorcycles and horns. A feast for the senses. We had a
wonderful week in Italy. The architecture is monumental, the statues
unbelievable, the art and museums incomparable. It almost makes me
wish I was Italian. But then being in Italy does make you a little
crazy in the head. Long live Sweden. Now wait a minute, lutefisk,
freezing winds, long dark nights, no art, no cuisine, no memorable
churches or museums. No wonder my grandfather left Stockholm in 1910
and came to America. Viva Italia.
Bob Scaramuzza
We have met several interesting people in Florence. One day we struck
up a conversation with two young men while sitting out a cloud burst
in a sidewalk cafe. They were pilots from Champaine, Illinois who had
flown their private jet to Monaco for the Gran Prix. They were
"hanging out" in Italy while their rich patron partied in Monoco.
After their story, we decided to skip Nice and fly straight to Paris.
But the most interesting folks we met at dinner last night, Bob
Scaramuzza and his wife from Philly. They met when she came to work
in his grandmothers pasta shop when she was 15. He had been working
there since he was 12. Now they have two kids in college and he owns
the pasta shop. They sell throughout the region and he has not had
more than a one week vacation in 40 years. His brother died last year
and Bob decided not to wait any longer before visiting his grandmas
homeland. They are salt of the earth, hard working small business
folks and we enjoyed our conversation. They went to Venice for 5
days, then Florence for 3, they travel to Rome and then Sorrento
before returning to their pasta factory. We told them about James'
sushi business and the apple business. He told us about his website
and the many types of pasta he sells in Wegmans and Giant Food stores.
A very pleasant evening, and a great meal at Da Osvaldo Restaurant on
the Piazza Peruzzi. http://www.scaramuzzaspasta.com
up a conversation with two young men while sitting out a cloud burst
in a sidewalk cafe. They were pilots from Champaine, Illinois who had
flown their private jet to Monaco for the Gran Prix. They were
"hanging out" in Italy while their rich patron partied in Monoco.
After their story, we decided to skip Nice and fly straight to Paris.
But the most interesting folks we met at dinner last night, Bob
Scaramuzza and his wife from Philly. They met when she came to work
in his grandmothers pasta shop when she was 15. He had been working
there since he was 12. Now they have two kids in college and he owns
the pasta shop. They sell throughout the region and he has not had
more than a one week vacation in 40 years. His brother died last year
and Bob decided not to wait any longer before visiting his grandmas
homeland. They are salt of the earth, hard working small business
folks and we enjoyed our conversation. They went to Venice for 5
days, then Florence for 3, they travel to Rome and then Sorrento
before returning to their pasta factory. We told them about James'
sushi business and the apple business. He told us about his website
and the many types of pasta he sells in Wegmans and Giant Food stores.
A very pleasant evening, and a great meal at Da Osvaldo Restaurant on
the Piazza Peruzzi. http://www.scaramuzzaspasta.com
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Kiss Me Kate
Today as we walked to the Pitti Palace in Florence we strolled across the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. I could not help but hum a song from the musical "Kiss Me Kate". Petruchio sings to Kate after he marries the shrew..."Where is the Life that Late I Led?" I am recalling the words he sings....... "And in Firenze (Florence) where are you Alice? Still there in your pretty, itty-bitty Pitti Palace.....Where is Rebecca, my Becki-weki-o, Again she is cruising that amusing Ponte Vecchio". So funny! First of all, the Pitti Palace is more than two football fields long,made of heavy stones and is set on a hill. (Not exactly an itty -bitty palace) and I wouldn't exactly call the Ponte Vecchio amusing. This bridge has spanned the Arno river since Roman times and is lined with gold and silver shops. Cole Porter had a real sense of humor!
Florence is touristy but we enjoy viewing all the incredible artistic masterpieces. So much so, that we decided to extend our stay here. That means we will have to skip Provence this trip which was not an easy decision. We love our Lucchesi Hotel near the Santa Croche Cathedral. Tonight we plan to spend the evening at the Plaza Michelangelo which promises a good view of the city. Tomorrow we fly to Paris. We have mixed feelings about not taking the train through Tuscany but it is a ten to fifteen hour trip to Paris so we will take a two hour flight as we are simply running out of travel time. Next time Provence and Tuscany.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
A Sunday in Rome
Neapolitano, then pasta with mussels and Sardinian tuna. We enjoyed
the bread, bruschetta with tomatoes and basil, cannelloni, ravioli,
olives, mixed salads, veal marsala with mushrooms and fried squid,
shrimps and little fish. The antipasto plates are always great. The
wine has been hit or miss, too many misses for us to rave about, but
the food has been wonderful. And the gelato, wow. I wish we could
bring the pistachio home with us. Gail loves the lemon and everyone
is walking around Rome with an ice cream cone, or a cell phone in
hand. People watching is part of the joy of travel. We walked miles
today and saw locales gather in sidewalk cafes all over the city.
Dale has seen the light
vast space the organ sounded and a choir began to sing. A priest
intoned the beginning of the mass and the several hundred people
inside craned their heads towards the front chapel, hidden behind the
high altar. It was as if angels were singing and the sunlight poured
into the nave. We stood spellbound, humbled and filled with joy and
peace. Gail took a picture of me standing there. I have indeed seen
the light. Dale
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