Two More Parks – Parc de Bercy and Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Palace in Luxembourg Gardens

Visiting Paris parks is one of our favorite things to do – as you can tell from this blog.  They are very different in size, age, history, and design.  These two parks are examples of these differences.

Parc de Bercy

A quiet spot in Parc de Bercy

The Parc de Bercy was opened in 1994 in the 12^th arrondissement near the Palais Omnisport de Paris  The Park started out as feudal estate in the 12^th century.  In the 1800s the area became a large wine depot for wines arriving from Burgundy via the Seine.  In fact, the rails that helped transport the wine from the river to the warehouses have been left intact in the Park as well as other features of this era.  The guardhouse, storehouse, and cobbled walkways are also preserved – giving us a step back in time.  There is also a vineyard to add to the atmosphere.  The wine storehouses were abandoned in the 1970s and the area unused for many years until the park was established. 

The vineyard in the Park

Pubic Art

Parc de Bercy is a quiet area with paths and lawns in keeping with the original linear design of the wine depot.  There are orchards, vegetable gardens, benches around flower gardens, places to sit on the grass, etc.  The park has a teaching element – school children tend the vegetable gardens.

We found a bench in the shade to read and watch the world go by.  In contrast to other park visits, this was a quiet place – our parade of humanity more sporadic than a steady stream – far different than the Luxembourg Gardens but just as enjoyable.

Luxembourg Gardens

Those fabulous chairs in the Luxembourg Gardens - and in many other Paris parks

Enjoying the Park on a summer-like day

The Luxembourg Gardens are my favorite space in Paris.  There are so many things going on – so many distinct areas and uses – such a mix of locals, tourists, students, children, parents, grandparents, nannies with their charges – a real mix of humanity.  There are people sitting in the sun, reading, gossiping, feeding the ducks, playing pétanque/tennis/basketball, watching a marionette performance, sailing toy boats on the lake, eating at the outdoor café, etc.  The Gardens are the definition of a multi-use park – something for everyone.

The Park started out as the gardens of the Luxembourg Palace which is now the home of the French Senate.  

The site started out as a Roman camp – then a convent in the 13^th century.  After the assassination of Henry IV in the 17^th century, his widow, Marie de Medici, had the palace built.  It later became a prison during the French Revolution.  It was the headquarters of the Luftwaffe during World War II.  

I just learned something new about Thomas Paine.  He was imprisoned In the Luxembourg Palace after he moved to Paris to be part of the French Revolution.  At first he was given the hero’s welcome and made an honorary citizen – but things turned against him and he was charged with treason.  The reasons are interesting.  Paine was opposed to all forms of capital punishment which was contrary to the actions of the revolutionaries who were sending hundreds to the guillotine.  Paine would not be popular with the Tea Party today or with the State of Georgia!  His new book the Age of Reason suggested that God did not influence people’s actions and that science and rationality would win out over religion and superstition.  These writings eventually turned Americans against him – he was called the anti-Christ and died in poverty in New York.  I must read more about him!

Enough of the sidebar….

Our most recent afternoon at the Luxembourg Gardens was one of our best here.  The sun and blue sky were fabulous.  We found two chairs and moved them to the shade of a boxed palm tree. (The gardens have a greenhouse and plants are moved in and out depending on the season.)  The temperature was in the low to mid-70s.  We were near the large pond so we could see kids feeding the ducks.  Unfortunately, the concession that rents sailboats to kids (and adults) only operates on weekends and Wednesday afternoons when schools are closed.  But – there were a few people with their own boats.  There was the usual parade of people and even a class doing timed foot races around the park.  As usual, I only read part of the time since I was so fascinated with the “scenery” passing in front of my chair.  Another perfect day in the Luxembourg Gardens!

Feeding the ducks

One of many sculptures in the Gardens

Fall Comes to the Luxembourg Gardens

A Blog Post - Mostly for St. Paul’s Parishioners – Visiting the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris

Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral - Rue George V Paris

Elisabeth and I went to the Episcopal Church in Paris yesterday – yes there is one here!  The Church of the Holy Trinity is the Pro-Cathedral for the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe which is connected with Region II in New York.

Holy Trinity is on the rue George V in the 8^th arrondissement – just down the street from the Four Seasons George V Hotel – a very nice part of Paris.  We have attended here in the past when staying in Paris.  Since I am missing two Chapter Meetings at St. Paul’s, I definitely needed to do a “make up!”  To redeem myself a little, I was able to collect information on Holy Trinity’s activities at their annual Ministry Fair.

Ministry Fair - There was food at every table to entice you into  volunteering!

Entering Holy Trinity is an interesting experience in itself.  One minute you are walking along a Parisian street and then you step inside Holy Trinity and suddenly you are transported across the Pond!  The church is similar to St. Paul’s in San Diego but smaller with a more embellished Gothic Revival architectural style.  The nave is lined with flags of various American states.  Instead of a kneeling rail there are individual stools embroidered with different patterns and names of states – I had South Dakota yesterday! Even the bulletin looked like St. Paul’s except they actually use the 1982 Hymnal in the service.  Although this will be heresy at St. Paul’s, I prefer using the hymnal itself – never saw myself as such a traditionalist before! 

The Nave

The choir at Holy Trinity is excellent – about 30-40 members. Yesterday’s Offertory Anthem was very different from the norm on our previous visits - a Spiritual – “Ain’t That Good News” – arranged by Moses Hogan.  In the past, music has been traditional in the St. Paul’s style – “lots of Bach!”  After receiving the Eucharist, the choir sings the communion anthem from the back of the nave – this week it was by Francesco Guerrerro – “Simile est regnum.” 

Since the Memorial Organ is a popular current topic at St. Paul’s, the following is information from Holy Trinity’s website on their “Grand Orgue” that you may find interesting. 

The Cathedral's Grand Orgue , built in 1887 by the prestigious French firm Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, was inaugurated on October 5, 1887, by Alexandre Guilmant. It has been suggested that Marcel Dupré is the person most responsible for the evolution of the instrument, which is still one of the largest in Paris: it was Dupré who acted as consultant, first in 1922, again in 1930, then again in the 1950s, with Maurice Duruflé. The latest restoration was completed in 1993 by the organ firm of Bernard Dargassies with the generous support of the Paulé Foundation and other Cathedral members. The organ was re-dedicated on February 21, 1993, and re-inaugurated on May 18, 1993, by Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, and on May 30, 1993, by Marilyn Keiser.

Yes – their organ was built and inaugurated in the same year as St. Paul’s Memorial Organ!

Not only were the origins of the two organs from 1887 but they are also similar in other respects – they seem to be channeling each other’s behavior.  The following described the need for the organ rehabilitation in the Holy Trinity Capital Campaign brochure:

Our historic Cavaille-Coll organ, built in 1887, now consistently malfunctions; indeed it has developed a frustrating “mind of its own.”

On Sunday the organ decided to play notes whenever it wanted – thought I was back at St. Paul’s!

Holy Trinity is about to start on a 5 million Euro construction and rehabilitation project of the Cathedral including the “Grand Orgue.”  The fundraising started in 2008 and then stopped due to the financial crash – sound familiar St. Paul’s?

 

The Sermon on Sunday was by Canon Elizabeth Hendrick with Dean Zachary Fleetwood presiding.  The Dean, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary,  is retiring and taking on a ministry with the Episcopal Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.  


Excellent sermon – very much “a la Allisyn” in style.  There was even the “Wherever you are on the journey of faith…” introduction with the announcements.  The congregation is very welcoming so everything about Holy Trinity makes you feel right at home – even the organ  plays without an organist!   

The history of Holy Trinity is interesting.  It was established in the 1830s for the American community in Paris.  The first home of the church is now the official residence of the Prime Minister of France.  The rector in the 1870s, a cousin of J.P. Morgan, successfully completed a capital campaign that resulted in the purchase of the current site and the construction of the present church.  It was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1886 coinciding with the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York.  The church became the Pro-Cathedral in 1922 – it is the seat of the bishop in charge of the American Episcopal Churches in Europe.  This “Convocation” acts like a Diocese – but isn’t – as I understand it – there is no specific territory.  There are eight parishes and several mission churches.  The Convocation also supports a “house church” for Episcopalians in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Who knew?

If anyone from St. Paul’s is in Paris, Holy Trinity can be a home away from home!

The beautiful triptych behind the alter is by Arthur E. Street and Edwin A. Abbey.  The latter painted murals for the Boston Public Library along with John Singer Sargent

Chocolate and Architecture

So what do chocolate and architecture have to do with each other? Both are museums we visited in Paris this trip. We decided to try new museums and to visit some we had not been to in several years. Paris has museums on every subject– from stamps to Picasso to crystal to science to Balzac to dolls to eroticism.

The Chocolate Museum –Le Musée Gourmand du Chocolat (Museum of the Chocolate Lovers) is new in Paris. It seems a little odd to go to a museum on chocolate in Paris run by a chocolate maker from Belgium, but when we saw a special exhibit on the health benefits of chocolate listed in Pariscope, we HAD to go! Any excuse for chocolate consumption!

The museum is not for someone who is new to Paris in my view – our visit was more of a lark. It is not cheap - 9€ - plus 3€ for a hot chocolate at the end. Oh well – to justify chocolate as healthy – why not?

The museum is in an out-of-the-way location in the 10^th arrondissement. The three floors contain a history of the cocoa bean, where it grows, how it is processed, its history in the New World, the importance of the bean in Aztec and pre-Columbian America, etc. The introduction of cocoa into Europe is also traced as well as displays of chocolate cups, pots, chocolatiers, porcelain figurines…all things chocolate.

There is also a demonstration area where the process of making chocolate candy is explained – including how filled chocolates are made – yes there were samples!

At the end of the visit, the hot chocolate was supposed to be available. When I saw what looked like an automatic hot chocolate machine I was not happy. As it turned out, this was just for heated milk. We were then given a choice of several flavors – dark chocolate, hazelnut, Aztec, Spanish, etc. We were given a stick with a square of chocolate on the end that we stirred in the warm milk to create our own hot chocolate. Not as good as Angelina’s or Ladurée but good. The Aztec flavor was my choice – it had a slight kick of cayenne and other spices.

Before I forget, yes – there were several displays on the myths about chocolate and the health benefits. No mom – chocolate does not worsen teenage acne – where were the experts when I was 14!

Chocolate has many of the same benefits of red wine.

“Research suggests that red wine and chocolate are good for the mind. It is thought that polyphenols - plant chemicals abundant in dark chocolate and wines - widen blood vessels, speeding the supply of blood to the brain,” according to a study at Northumbria University.

What's even more encouraging is that....

“Researchers at Oxford University reported better cognitive performance and test scores among older people who regularly consumed chocolate, wine, and tea all foods that are high in flavonoids.”

Let’s hear it for flavonoids and us old folks. Red wine and chocolate – I’m convinced!

Cité de l'Architecture et Patrimoine (Heritage) is located in the Palais Chaillot – built for the International Exposition of 1937. It is on a hill across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.This museum was always the first place Elisabeth took her college students during her 10 years of bringing classes to summer school at the Sorbonne. Not the Louvre, not the Musée d’Orsay, not Notre Dame! Why?

The museum gives you the opportunity to see examples of many centuries of French architecture in one place – to identify the differences between Romanesque (Norman, Provence, Auvergne, Burgundy), Early Gothic, High Gothic, Flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance, etc. This gave the students a guide to what they would be seeing in Paris and France.Although it may seem strange to go to a museum with models of important architectural features instead of looking at the real thing in Paris, it is all in one place making it easier to see the differences. Oh - and the view of the Eiffel Tower isn't bad either!

In 1997, I had joined Elisabeth in Paris at the end of her July program. On one of the last nights, we took the students on an evening Seine cruise on a Bateau Mouche. As we approached the Eiffel Tower, we noticed black smoke coming from a building on the right bank – it was the Architecture Museum in the Palais Chaillot! The Museum suffered major damage. After 10 years of work, the museum reopened in 2007. This was our first time back since it reopened.

There are new additions on the second floor (third American) of modern architecture. A temporary exhibit of the construction of the Millau Motorway Bridge over the River Tarn was interesting – a film including time lapse photography was very well done. The design of the bridge was awarded through a competition and won by a British architect and French engineer – it is one of the tallest in the world. One of the reasons this fascinated me was that we used the motorway to the south of France in the 1990s and were stuck in the typical huge traffic jam caused by the gap in the motorway. We wound our way down to the town of Millau in the gorge of the River Tarn and then up the other side of the valley – it took forever. Years later we sped over the new bridge in minutes!

Millau is famous for another reason. In 1999 an anti-globalization activist demolished a McDonald’s just days before it was to open – as a protest against fast food, Americanization, and genetically altered food. The McDonald’s was eventually rebuilt and years later President Chirac pardoned the activist. Ah France – they love their strikes, marches, and protests!

VIVE LA FRANCE!

Parks of Paris - Tuileries and Monceau

Parc Monceau

Paris has so many wonderful parks, squares, gardens, and open spaces. They range in design and size from the classic to the modern – from small areas tucked in out of the way neighborhoods to massive spaces like the Bois de Boulogne or the Bois de Vincennes on the east and west sides of the City. We love them all! Some have playgrounds, carousels, public art, pétanque courts, concession stands, restaurants, ponds, lakes, flowers….you name it – and you’ll probably find it in a Parisian Park.

One of our favorite activities on this or any trip to Paris is to visit our favorite open spaces but we also like to try new ones. We like to explore for a while and then find a bench in the shade. Mostly we read – doze - and people watch. What a parade of humanity of all ages - kids on pony rides – kids on carousels – walkers with several dogs in tow – well dressed matrons on their afternoon stroll - young people walking hand in hand – police patrols on horseback – pick-up soccer games…..

Faire un Promenade avec mes petits amis a quatre pattes!

Parisians have small apartments and few have their own green space except for the occasional balcony or roof garden so open space is especially important - as it is in most large cities. Marie-Elisabeth grew up in an apartment with 4 sisters – six people in about 1,100 square feet AND they had a large apartment by Paris standards. Her twin sisters used to ride tricycles around in circles between two rooms and the central hallway. Getting out of the house and going to an open space is a necessity. In the afternoons, you can always see moms, grandparents, and nannies with kids in the parks. On Wednesday afternoons most schools are not in session so this is a great time to see “kids in action” in the parks, squares, and open spaces.

So far this trip we have gone to the Tuileries, Luxembourg Gardens, Parc Monceau, Parc Montsouris, and today – Parc Bercy. More are on the list – especially one of my favorites – the Place des Vosges.

I’ve already written about Parc Monsouris so today I will add a few comments on some of the others.

The Tuileries are known to most Parisian visitors – the linear space between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. Actually it is part of the axis that runs from the Louvre all the way to La Defense in the west of Paris. André Le Nôtre designed the space in the 1660s – he is also the landscape designer of the gardens at Versailles. There are many modern sculptures in the space – some that defy explanation – at a distance we thought that a tree had fallen – we could see the exposed root system on its side – but on closer inspection it was a sculpture!

The art museum Jeu de Paume that houses a collection of Impressionist Art sits at one end of the space. On our first full day in Paris we installed ourselves in chairs to read and relax just above the museum overlooking a pond with fountain. Many Parisian parks have movable chairs for visitors – some with arms, some without, and some that are in a reclining position. I have to avoid the reclining chairs or I would spend the afternoon asleep on our first day in Paris.

Our spot in the Tuileries

BTW - A good trick for curing jet lag is to be sure you are out in the light to get your Cicardian Rhythm in working order. I had almost no jet lag this trip and have not had much of a problem in a few years – of course now it will be bad when I come home for saying this. I also avoided coffee and alcohol on this flight – well one glass of champagne to get in the Paris mood - and I always set my watch ahead to the time of my destination and never think to myself what time it is at home. I have it – Denial as a Jet Lag cure!

The Parc Monceau in the 8^th arrondissement is a medium sized space set in an upper class neighborhood. The park had its beginning in the late 1760s but took its present form after expansion. Actually its earliest design was by an English landscape architect. It was opened to the public after the revolution but it was not until 1860 that it was acquired by the City of Paris. At that time Barron Haussmann and his landscape architect shaped it into the space it is today. Yes – Haussmann is everywhere in today’s Paris – some say for the good – some say he destroyed the “real” Paris. Personally I like the wide boulevards and the Haussmannian buildings but the old Paris of the Left Bank and the Marais have their charms – I guess I’ll take both.

Of course maybe I'm prejudiced with my urban studies background. I did not always embrace the "new" planning of my colleagues - too much sameness in places like Irvine and south Orange County where I first worked in Planning.

We spent a great afternoon in the Parc Monceau – munching a sandwich on a bench while watching the Wednesday afternoon kids on the carousel.

There were many modern sculptures on display – a temporary exhibition of Chinese artists – many very strange – like the one with a tall stack of butcher ready to buy chickens standing on each other’s shoulder – if chicken’s have shoulders? The name of the sculpture is odd – Décrocher la Lune – or Detaching the Moon – of course the whole thing was odd.

Art?

I’ll get to the other parks later – places to go people to see!

New Museum – Pinacotheque de Paris

Why a picture of Fauchon at the beginning of a blog post on a museum? I like the graphic – Fauchon has good things to buy/eat – It is across the street from this new museum near the Place de la Madeleine.

The Pinacotheque is a new private museum in Paris established in 2007– its new space only opening in January 2011. We went to see the special exhibit of the treasures of the Romanovs but ended up finding the permanent collection to be quite interesting as well.

But first the exhibit – the theme was the birth of a museum. The Romanovs built one of the world’s finest art collections within a period of 200 years. The collection started with Peter I (Peter the Great) and continued with Catherine II, Alexander I, and finally Nicolas I. They built a modern museum – the Hermitage – which was opened to the public in 1805. The exhibit places the Hermitage as part of the rise of the modern museum – along with the Louvre, British Museum, Uffizi, etc.

The permanent collection is fascinating – more from the standpoint of how it is displayed. The style of the museum is called transversal – it abandons the traditional approach of displaying art by period, country, style, etc. It is more closely related to how an art collector would display a collection. There are themes of presentation – works by Monet, Van Dyk, Breughel, Pollock, and Modigliani hang side by side!

The art historian Marc Restellini is the inspiration and curator of the museum – he has shaken up the Paris art scene. His exhibitions are outselling those of the established state-run museums and without subsidies. As a result, he is not appreciated by the art establishment. According to an article in the British newspaper the Independent, several museums in Paris tried to stop the loan of pictures by Munch for a recent exhibit.

As he said in the article,

"The publicly owned exhibition spaces in Paris are firmly enclosed in their allotted periods and certainties," Mr Restellini said. "They have, poor things, to deal with all kinds of political pressures, financial pressures and a huge cultural bureaucracy. They have no interest in the transversal – in other words, in making connections outside their own domains.

But art does not fall into neat periods. Artists don't think that way. The public doesn't think that way. Artists draw their inspiration from different periods and approaches and then make a synthesis to inspire their own work. This is what you see in the work of Edvard Munch."

Restillini also individually lights each piece of art which is becoming more common around the museum world. It was quite obvious that the lighting was amazing. The museum is a must for anyone interested in art! It is a big hit with Parisians who are saturated with museums and art galleries!

Parc Montsouris – Saturday September 10, 2011

I’m jumping ahead a few days and will do a flashback to the earlier part of the week later. We’re having our usual Paris problem – stay up late, get up late, lazy mornings, and late starts on the day – but it is vacation! By the time we got ourselves organized it was after 2pm before we left the apartment.

Today was a beautiful summer-like day with blue skies and a few clouds that appeared and disappeared without warning. We decided to continue our idle ways with a trip to the Parc Montsouris – (Park of the Mountain of Mice). But - there is no Mountain or even a hill. So why the name?

The theory is that there were many rodents when there was a gypsum mine in the area. The residents of the neighborhood would say – “The mice don’t bother me.” “Je m’en moque les souris.” Legend says the area first became known as Moquesouris then Mont Souris later – works for me.

Half of Paris was in the Park today – the hillsides of grass were filled with people enjoying the sunny day – this is one of those parks without ubiquitous “pelouse inderdite” signs. Sit on the grass without a problem. We found a nice bench by the side of the lake under a tree. We read, dozed, read, watched the parade of Parisians walking around the lake path, read, enjoyed the sun….idyllic.

This was “Kid City” today – but unlike the kids from Hell on the flight from San Diego – these were well-behaved kids having a good time. There were several birthday parties – one just behind us. Three adults with 10-12 kids – no problems!

If you wanted to participate in the walking parade around the lake, it was nearly required to have a baby – in a stroller, back-pack, toddling along hand-in-hand with mom, dad, grandparents – or all of the above. The variety of strollers was an example of great European design! A concession nearby had ponies so every once in a while we were treated to a “défilé” of a happy kid being led by mom or dad.

And now for something totally off the subject – or maybe not – there is a slight connection – in a stream of consciousness kind of way….

Plane to Paris, Movie on Plane, Midnight in Paris, 1920s authors, reading by the Lake in Parc Montsouris.....

I almost never watch a movie twice – very few exceptions. But – Midnight in Paris is one I have now seen twice. Woody’s homage to Paris and the Lost Generation is a favorite. I was hooked from the opening scenes – a travelogue of the City of Light – to the clever inclusion of the artists and writers of the ‘20s. I’ve added a few works from the Lost Generation on my Kindle to keep in the mood.

Today I was finishing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise when I ran across this conversation between Amory and his friend Tom - and it reminded me of our own times.

“People try so hard to believe in leaders now, pitifully hard. But we no sooner get a popular reformer or politician or soldier or writer or philosopher…than the cross currents of criticism wash him away. My Lord no man can stand prominence these days. It’s the surest path to obscurity. People get sick of hearing the same name over and over.”

“Then you blame it on the press.”

“Absolutely. Look at you; you’re on…the most brilliant weekly in the country. What’s your business? Why, to be as clever, as interesting and as brilliantly cynical as possible about every man, doctrine, book, or policy that is assigned you to deal with. The more strong lights; the more spiritual scandal you can throw on the matter; the more money they pay you, the more people buy the issue.”

Written in 1920 – still sounds familiar!

San Diego To Paris!

Our apartment building on Rue Remy Dumoncel in the 14th Arrondisement

We made it! San Diego – Washington D.C. – Paris on United. The first leg was the flight from hell but the frustration started before takeoff thanks to the good ol’TSA! First the usual screening with full-body scan – and everything out of pockets including paper – they mean EVERYTHING! Belts off! I haven’t flown in 6 months so maybe this is new – or I just look suspicious.

We arrived at the gate in time to see a gaggle of TSA officers arrive. They set up a table beside the gate – oh no – say it isn’t so! It looked like the time I flew 5 days after 9/11. Of course, I won the TSA lottery and was one of those pulled aside for more screening. Everything out of pockets again, belt, shoes, etc. This time it was full-body groping including running a gloved hand around the waistband of my underwear – (thanks to the underwear bomber!). Then everything I had taken off was tested for bomb making residue. With belt draped around my neck, I finally got to my seat!

I am now probably on the do-not-fly list after my comment to the TSA agent. He told me these were extra precautions to keep everyone safe – my response – “This makes me feel less safe since you apparently have no confidence in the full-body scanning and groping at the first security check.”

Is the extra screening at the gate for SHOW – a way to give us a sense (false?) of security? Why not do this extra screening along with the first security check – how could anyone become less safe between the first check and the gate? I just read that the TSA has not yet implemented 100% screening of cargo on passenger planes. It is supposed to be in effect by the end of the year BUT only for cargo loaded in the U.S. But – not to worry - the world is safe from my underwear. Glad I followed mom’s advice – yes it was clean!

Now for the bad part – the flight to Dulles was the flight from hell. Kids to the right of us – kids to the left of us – kids behind us. The four year old behind me was practicing for soccer – he didn’t need to practice – he kicks fine! The other kids were up and down constantly – never happy – “I’m bored!” “I don’t like this food!” Yelling, complaining, disrupting – and the parents you ask? Oblivious and enabling.

The flight attendant made several attempts to quiet them but to no avail. We never said anything - just put up with it since the flight attendant was already trying. At the end of the flight, a woman sitting behind the kids complimented the parents on their well-behaved kids. I looked at her and said, “You wouldn’t have said that if you had been sitting in my seat!” Maybe she was on another flight. What was very nice and unexpected was that the flight attendant handed each of us a card with an apology from United - and a website to fill out a form and receive a gift! Interesting. We both ended up selecting 3,000 miles to our United Mileage Plus account.

I know – Doug the Curmudgeon! I should break into a verse of “What’s the Matter with Kids Today?” Dating myself again – (for the young set – it’s from Bye Bye Birdie. But maybe you know the Simpsons’ parody of the song?) Please don’t say “What’s Bye Bye Birdie!” Philip flew to Europe for the first time at age 3 months – and many times after that! He never would have acted this way! The first time we flew with him to San Francisco when he was about 5 we got on the plane and he asked what the movie would be? No movie? What’s for dinner? No dinner? What kind of flight IS this? Any flight under 12 hours is nothing.

Washington Dulles to Paris was a dream. On time – quiet – 777 – watched Midnight in Paris again. Food was inedible but airline food is an oxymoron. We splurged for Economy Plus – those extra inches of legroom make the difference. Arrived Paris early and made it to the apartment by 8:45am. The “gardien” of the building (who had the key) thought we were coming at 10am so we had an hour to wait on the steps.

The apartment is in the 14th arrondisement near the metro stop Alesia. The apartment is great – not large but it has everything we need - kitchen is tiny but has a four burner ceramic top stove – full-sized oven, microwave, clothes washer, toaster, coffee maker, frig, etc. One cook at a time, please! Bedroom is large – comfy chair in a reading corner by the window – computer and phone with free calls to France and the U.S. Living/dining room is a good size – with an HD TV that is better than the one we have at home – cable with everything. Many channels (100+) from local French TV to BBC World, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC (so we can watch our stocks tumble), Aljazeera in English and France 24 in French, English, and Arabic!

The best part, however, is the neighborhood. We have everything close by – our French bank has a branch downstairs in our building with an ATM. There are all kinds of stores nearby – great bus and metro connections within a block. The “shopping street” rue Daguerre is 5 minutes. This is a pedestrian zone street with every kind of specialty shop – butchers (horse and regular); cheese; vegetables and fruit,; fresh pasta store; fish shop; Greek and Italian ready to heat, olives and olive oil store; wine, etc. You name it – they have it. Paris is still Paris and we love it! More later….

Cheese anyone? Dessert? Fruit? Fresh Pasta?