Making Friends, Roma Girls, Notre Dame and the Marais

In an earlier post (which you can read here) I mentioned we shared a café creme with a couple from one of the travel forums I stalked ... visited.  As it happened, L reached out to me in a private message and let me know we were practically neighbors.  I responded and we ended up meeting Friday morning at Le Paradis at the corner of Rue de la Verrerie and Rue St-Martin. 

We arrived at 10ish that morning, our agreed upon time; we recognized each other almost immediately.  I had told him I was on the tall side and would be with my wife who is a redhead.  He responded by telling me he and his wife would be the two Parisians in U.S. tourist uniforms. 

After quick introductions all around we ordered our café creme which was educational in itself.  I'm not much of a coffee drinker so, since the invite was for café creme, that is what I ordered.  Betty, being a coffee drinker, ordered a coffee.  L's wife C immediately asked Betty if she actually wanted coffee with cream and sugar?  Betty naturally said yes so C changed Betty's order to café creme.  After our waiter left it was then explained to us that a coffee in Paris is an espresso, you know, the one that comes in a really small cup and is really strong.  Thanks to C, we ended up with the coffee we wanted.

From there began a relaxing conversation covering a wide range of topics.  The chatter between us was as if we had known each other for years.  After talking about the many miles we had already walked we asked about where to buy Metro tickets.  L explained you can get them in most Metro stations and both he and his wife offered to help us purchase our first carnét of tickets. 

After paying our bill and thanking our waiter, who really did an excellent job keeping up with us, we started down the street in the direction of the nearest Metro station.  Suddenly, L takes a left and walks though a set of doors into a building followed by C and then my wife, who poked her head back out and put her finger to her lips, "shh".  Apparently she knew what was going on because at this point I had no clue (which happens more often than I care to admit). What followed, I was genuinely not prepared for.  This is what we walked in to:

An unassuming building from the outside, at least the side we entered from, contained this gorgeous church, complete with a functioning pipe organ.

 

Beautiful Stained Glass

 

 Of course, while in Paris, you must always remember to look up.

 

I don't know the name of this church but I will remember it as being the first church we entered in Paris.

After enjoying the beauty of the church we returned to task and made our way to the Metro station to purchase our carnét of tickets.  Actually, the process is rather straight forward.  Since we didn't have a chip and pin card (which I am positive we were told it was) we just needed to go the information window and politely ask for one carnét of tickets please.  So simple.  Afterward, we bid goodbye to L and C and made our way back to the studio for left over chicken and potatoes for lunch.

Our stomachs full and feeling replenished, we headed back out, slowly working our way through the Marais following a rather serpentine course with our ultimate goal for the day being Notre Dame.  I had read on their website that Friday (which it was today) they would be displaying the reliquary that contained a portion of Christ's Crown of Thorns and I really wanted to see it.  

We found ourselves in front of Notre Dame with a huge amount of people that apparently had the same idea we had.  Looking at the line to go in we decided to take a walk around the building and see if the line would shrink.  We walked down the north side, that would be the side with the long line to climb the towers which I really wanted to do as well but, again, really long line.  We continued down the side and around the back where we were greeted by the Gypsy, sorry, Roma girls with their petitions.  Having already been aware of their scam I simply said no, ignored them and walked past.  They retreated and looked for their next target.

If you haven't heard of the Roma girls and their petitions here is how it works.  They pose as being deaf, put a clipboard with a petition on it in front of you and try to get you to sign it.  Once you do they turn the board over which shows you a Euro amount they want you to pay.  If you don't, they get rather belligerent.  Just tell them no and walk past.  All the ones we encountered during our entire stay backed off after being told no.

Passing the girls we discovered a nice little park/garden behind Notre Dame, we stopped for a couple of pics.

 Making our way back to the front, surprisingly, the line to enter the church had shrunk.  We took our place in line and walked in.

Notre Dame does not disappoint.  The stained glass, the architecture, the overall ambiance and the statuary are not to be missed.

 

After taking a lap around the cathedral, and taking way more pictures than either of us thought we would, we inquired where the Crown of Thorns reliquary was.  As luck would have it, we missed it by two hours.  The reliquary was put away at 3:00pm and we were told it would not on display again, at least not during the time we were in Paris.  So, bummer.

We finally finished our tour of Notre Dame and went back out to wander along the Seine before heading back to the studio.  All in all it was a wonderful day.  We made new friends, had a good lunch, discovered more of our neighborhood and toured Notre Dame.  Not a bad way to spend a Friday wouldn't you say?

30 Years Ago

Before I go any further, I need to back up a day.  On our first full day in Paris I checked in with TripAdvisor (again, thinking I was going to do a trip report while there, funny guy) and I had a private message from an expat living in Paris.  He offered advice and extended a friendly welcome.  I mention him now because we met him and his wife for café creme later in the week.  More about that in a few days.

Thirty years ago on July 2nd I married a beautiful country woman living in East Texas.  She has given me the privilege of fathering two sons with her and sharing her life for the last 30 years.  During this time she discovered I'm not much of a romantic, I don't say "I love you" often enough and I don't open up emotionally very easily.  But, I have my moments.

July 2nd 2013 was all about my wife.

We began the day by picking up croissants at our neighbor bakery, then headed out to Salon David Mallet.  If you have never had your hair cut and styled in Paris, you should.  The experience alone is worth the cost of session.

If you have not heard of David Mallet, he is a well known stylist who quietly works his trade cutting and styling the hair of such well knowns as Natalie Portman, Sharon Stone, Diane Kruger, Kate Winslet and many, many more.  Check out his website here.

Arriving at the salon we were greeted and offered something to drink, water, wine or soda.  We both opted for water since it was 10:00am and neither of us were in the mood for sodas.  We were invited to sit in the reception area until the time for Betty's appointment.  Within a few minutes Barbara, one of David's senior stylists and Betty's stylist for today, appeared and escorted Betty to the shampoo room while I was left alone in the reception area.

I was not left long, Barbara appeared again and invited me to sit next to Betty in an empty station next to her.  Of course, I accepted.  Barbara then spoke with me about what she thought would work for Betty's hairstyle.  My wife had long hair, maybe to the middle of her back and Barbara and I both agreed that while it would look better shorter, it wasn't going to be short.  Barbara stated she didn't think a real short style would flatter my wife, we both agreed shoulder length was where it should be.  Once Betty returned from the shampoo room (which I'm told is more like a massage room for your head and shoulders) Barbara consulted with Betty and again, it was agreed to go shoulder length.  Trusting her expertise, Betty left the actual style up to Barbara.

Once she began cutting, it was actually a pleasure to watch.  Barbara's approach was not as any stylist I have ever watched or personally experienced.  Her approach was more akin to an artist creating a flowing sculpture meant to capture the breeze, channel it through the strands to make the hair flow fluidly with just a touch of bounce as you walked.  Barbara would finish one section, move on to the next, decide she could improve the previous and come back to work it further.

During the course of Betty's pampering, a young lady came around offering to freshen up our drinks and later, she came around with assorted chocolates.  I don't know where the chocolates were from but, the one I chose was heavenly.

Once Barbara was satisfied she asked us what we thought, truthfully, we were almost giddy.  The style was perfect for her, it actually took years off her appearance.  I later joked that people would look at us and wonder how the old dude was able to score such a hot looking young chick.  I do believe my wife is beautiful but what Barbara did brought out that beauty for all to see.

Next, we headed back to the studio to start getting ready for our anniversary dinner.  We were able to get an early reservation at le Café Marly.  We had our dinner on the terrace overlooking the courtyard of the Louvre.

The meal was delicious, Betty started with a lobster salad while I had an avocado and crab salad.  We both opted for sea bass as our main course and we shared a lemon raspberry tart for dessert.  Everything was perfect.  Although, at one point we did have to convince a pigeon he was getting too close to our bread.  A glass of wine, a wonderful dinner, great ambiance and a cup of coffee afterward.  I now understand the French custom of a relaxing meal.

Walking back to the studio the sun had began its downward path and bathed the city in golden evening sunlight.  It was the perfect end to the day.

This was my romantic moment and gift to my wife who seriously, puts up with more from me than I ever would.

As it turned out, the next day was raining, the only day it rained the entire time we were there.  So we decided to just stay in the studio and be domestic.  You know, do the dishes, laundry, ironing and just chill out.

The dishes were easy to do, a quick sweep of the floor and gathering clothes to wash and the studio was done.  Laundry was all that was left.  A selling point for me when I rented the studio was the fact it came with a washer and dryer, I didn't know at that time that in Europe most washers and dryers were combination units.  Meaning the machine you put your clothes in to wash is also the dryer.  It is small, it would only handle about 4 kilos of clothes at a time and it is slow.  We only had three small loads and it took 8 hours to wash and dry them.  We learned, start a load when we leave in the morning or when we go to bed at night, there would not be another "domestic day", it just eats up way too much sightseeing/shopping/museum/people watching time.

Sorry there are now pictures this time but, this was our anniversary and I didn't want to spend it looking through a camera lens.

Until next time, take care everyone.

Back Home

We have officially ended our Paris trip and our 30 year anniversary celebration; we have been home now for one week.  So, why have I been so quiet?  Recuperation time and getting familiar with the things we left behind a month ago.  But, now is the time for posting our adventures.

The first half a day:
We arrived at the studio apartment we would call home around noon.  After keying in the entry access code we were greeted by the owner, Christophe who made us feel welcome.  After some time spent showing us where everything was and how it all works, Christophe left us with detailed instructions on using the television, computer, stereo and washer/dryer combination unit (more on this thing later).  He then bid us a good day left us to explore the studio and actually realize we had made it.  We were in Paris!

Of course, after the long flight and empty studio the first thing we wanted was food.  Being Sunday though, not everything is Paris is open.  After a quick exploration though we found this place open,

After a glance on their posted menu we decided to order the Plat du Jour which was a simple cheeseburger and fries.  Venturing inside we greeted the one person we saw on staff and I somewhat confidently asked for, "deux plat du jour s'il vous plait" to which she stated there was no plat du jour on Sunday.  Immediately after this we realized our true limitation in speaking French as we could not get an order placed.  We asked the lady on duty if she spoke English and she stated she did not.  After a couple of frustrating minutes for all of us, the lady stepped outside to the only other customers and found one that spoke English.  Yay!  We ended up being able to order the cheeseburger and fries, which was fine with us.  The food arrived and we enjoyed a full meal that made our stomachs happy.  I credit the lady on duty that day for taking the time to find someone that spoke English and she did make us feel welcome as we had our meal and a little coffee afterward.

Fortunately, right behind this cafe was a little market that was open.  Fresh produce, coffee, sodas, the essentials we needed to make it through until we could find a proper grocery store.

 It was here, in this little market we were introduced to sterile milk.  Amazing, milk that does not need refrigeration until you open it and has a shelf life for months, not just a couple of weeks.  We ended up coming back to this little market several times as he was always open and his prices were fairly reasonable.

The first Full Day in Paris:
The next morning we discovered directly behind us was Bon 'heur de pains.  While it may not be the quaint little bakery most people think of when heading to Paris, the did have very good croissants and bread.  We picked up a couple of sandwiches from them for lunches which were also very good.  And cheap!  Cheap is always good.  We quickly became addicted to stopping here each morning and grabbing croissants as we headed out for our daily adventures.

One of the first things we had to do was grab some Euros from the ATM which we discovered about two blocks away.  The first time we used it we were a little apprehensive as it was on the street but, with a little common sense and each of us taking turns standing lookout we managed it just fine.  We each pulled a little cash to make sure both are cards worked, they did, and we were off and running.

We wandered down Rue Beauborg which turns into Rue du Renard and ends at the Hôtel de Ville.

 I love the architecture of this building, plus, it has statues of prominent French leaders throughout history.  One in particular I saw that I found fascinating is on the top floor the left of the window, Cardinal Richelieu.  Yes, that would be the same Cardinal Richelieu Alexander Dumas would later write about in The Three Musketeers. Sadly, I did not get a photo of it.

Continuing across the open yard of Hôtel de Ville and across the bridge we found probably the most famous church in the world, Notre Dame de Paris.  As you can tell by the picture it was early evening and the tours and access had ended for the day but, we did manage quite a few shots of this iconic church.

As the sun continued to fall, we continued to wander and as dusk fell we happened across these little alleyways (they do have street names but they are so narrow they are more alleys than streets) teaming with nightlife. 

 

As we passed a few restaurants we realized we hadn't eaten for hours so, we decided to find a place for dinner.  As it happened, we ended up in a Mexican restaurant ... Mexican food ... in Paris!  I don't remember the name of the resto but I do remember the food wasn't all that bad.  It definitely is Paris' take on Mexican food.  While the food was tasty, I wouldn't recommend eating there if you are looking for authentic Mexican food.

After we ate we headed back to our studio, stopping along the way to grab a few night photos of Notre Dame, bridges across the Seine and Hôtel de Ville.

And that pretty much sums up our first day and a half in Paris.  Stay tuned as I put together the rest of our trip.

Bonjour Paris!

We made it!

My last post was simple, we are outta here, well, not so fast.

It all began when we arrived at the airport, checked in, checked the one bag we planned to check then found out our departing flight was running late.  How late? About 20 minutes late.

Not to fear, we originally had an hour layover in Chicago O'Hare to change planes, now we would have about 40 minutes.  But wait, it isn't over yet.

As we waited in the lounge area beyond the security checkpoint (which we surprisingly breezed through) an announcement was made that our flight was further delayed.  Looking out the window, we saw no plane at our gate.  Somewhat concerned, my wife asked an attendant how late the flight would be as we had a connection in Chicago we really didn't want to miss.  She was told not to worry, we should make Chicago in time for our change over.  Naturally, this made her feel better, me, not so much.  I figure the attendant is going to say whatever she feels will put you most at ease and hope you move on.

Finally, our flight arrived.  I do credit the flight staff for unloading, then loading, passengers rather quickly.  We were finally in the air although, at this point we were 50 minutes late, our one hour layover was now reduced to 10 minutes.  But, we were on our way.  Smooth flying from here, right?

No.  We arrived in Chicago at 5:20pm, 5 minutes after our Paris flight began boarding!  We made a mad dash through Chicago's airport, had to stop for a restroom call (there was no way to avoid that) found our flight, boarded, and off we went ... we were now, officially, on our way to Paris.

Once we arrived in Paris (40 minutes early) we had to navigate the RER to Gare du Nord, then change to metro line 4, go four stops, get off and walk a couple of blocks to our studio apartment.  While that is easy for those familiar with subway and/or metro systems, it took my wife and I few minutes to figure it out but, I can say we survived the system without getting lost.

So, here we are in Paris, in  a cute little studio apartment in le Marais and so far we couldn't be happier.

I will attempt to post updates while we are here but, the computer in the studio (yes, the studio came with a computer for our use) is a mac.  I have never used a mac, and couple this with what I can only guess is a European keyboard layout, I am struggling to get this typed.  But, never fear, I will persevere and do the best I can.

Now, we are off to discover our neighborhood so, until next time, au revoir mes amis.

Missed meeting

Today was our monthly travel get together and we missed it.

As the weather has (somewhat) changed from winter to spring I needed to make sure my lawn equipment was prepared for the upcoming mowing/gardening/fighting the annual weed war season.  It has been over a year since I had performed a tune up on our lawn tractor and this year I just didn't feel like doing it myself.  So, we loaded up the beast and took it south to a reputable small engine repair business.

All of that appears straight forward but, this is me and nothing is straight forward for me.

You see, to load the great mechanical marvel that shears my tender grass (weeds) I have to back the pick up truck into a culvert in front of my house.  This effectively lowers the bed of the truck to just about 8 inches from street level.  Obviously, this makes loading much easier.  For those that will ask the inevitable question, "why don't you just use ramps?"  The answer is simple, I don't have any and I don't load the beast often enough to warrant having any.  In fact, this is only the second time I have loaded it in the truck, the first being when we brought it home a few years ago.

A week later, the reputable small engine repair business called and said they were done.  My wife and I have both been a tad under the weather so we waited until last night to bring the beast home.  Once home I maneuvered the truck back the culvert to unload our cargo, being careful not to go too far in the culvert as I didn't want to risk getting stuck.  I should mention, while Betty and I were feeling under the weather, the weather was doing its part to provide natural moisture to the ground.  I'm sure we've all heard the saying, "April showers bring May flowers".  Well, April has been showering us for quite a few days.  This led to my concern about getting stuck.  But, I made sure I stayed above the truly wet part of the culvert.

And that didn't help at all.

Once we had unloaded and stored the beast I discovered the truck had zero traction on the wet grass.  Try as I might, this truck was going nowhere.  I left it for the night and only returned to it the next day when my youngest son arrived in his four wheel drive pick up.  Long story, short (as if I haven't made this long enough) 30 minutes later the truck was in the driveway and I now have a set of spinning tire tracks through my front yard.  All is good in my world except, we missed our monthly travel meeting.

We are disappointed as the meetings gave us an outlet for our excitement for our upcoming trip.  Also, we have garnered several great travel tips and suggestions on what to do, see and where to eat.  This meeting was also the last one for a couple of months as several members are leaving in the next couple of weeks to their own travels.  One trip in particular is being taken by three members, a photo safari to Africa.  Another is leaving today to enjoy London and Paris and yet another couple leaves soon for a trip through Italy.  By the time everyone gets back Betty and I will be just two weeks from leaving on our trip to Paris.  We may try to squeeze in a meeting before we leave.

We are getting closer, just 69 days left and our adventure begins.

Dollars to Euros

Touching back on the upcoming anniversary celebration and learning experience for traveling outside the United States, think about what will happen once you arrive in a new country with nothing but American Dollars in your pocket.  Chances are, you're not going to get very far.

This was a topic of conversation one day when our little travel group got together for sharing dreams, stories and lies.  All but one stated they waited until they arrived at their destination then sought out an ATM to get cash in whatever currency that particular country took.  I considered this rather smart as it would negate the need to carry cash and I would not have to pay the exchange rates at a Currency Exchange vendor.  However, as is evident in one or two of my previous posts, what I consider smart at the time does not always work out.

The owner of the apartment we are renting requires the balance of the rental to be paid in cash upon arrival, common practice throughout the vacation rentals industry.  I also need cash to purchase tickets from Charles de Gaulle airport to Paris proper.  Hearing the opinions of my travel group, I originally decided I would just find an ATM at the airport and withdraw the cash I would need.  Nice, simple and I would not have to carry a large sum of cash.

Nope, not gonna work that way!

I find out the maximum I can withdraw from an ATM on our travel account, on a daily basis is $500.00 which would not cover the balance of the apartment.  After some discussion with my wife we then decide to change dollars to euros here, not an easy task when you live in the American Midwest.

Our bank is a small bank that has been in the same place on Main Street since its founding in 1884, they do not have the capability of exchanging dollars for euros.

Our credit union which we are using for our travel savings likewise, is a small financial institution that does not have the capability to exchange dollars for euros.

What to do?  Time to ask the master of the internet, Google.

According the Google there are three banks in our area that have the capability to "order" euros.  The process is rather straightforward, as there is no need to keep euros on hand you must place an order for how many euros you would like, pay for them, then within a week pick them up at the bank or have them delivered to your home for a slight fee.  If you have them sent to your home you MUST be present when they arrive, you have to sign for them.  Needless to say, we decided to pick them up at the bank.

Ah, but which bank?

The local branch of Bank of America told my wife they could order euros for us however, their rate was too high (they wanted close to $1500.00 for €1000.00) plus you had to have an account with them.

Commerce Bank was slightly cheaper and they said we did not need an account although, the rate would be lower if we had an account.

Wells Fargo Bank had the lowest rate, about $1372.00 for €1000.00 but again, we had to have an account with them.

We decided to work through Wells Fargo since we were already have financial accounts with them and they offered the best exchange rate with the lowest fees.  So ... off to the local branch we go to open an account.

We opened our account this past Saturday, had to wait until Monday to order the euros though.  It appears the computer system that contains the data of the new account that was just opened doesn't recognize the data for the new account for 24 hours.  As the bank was closed on Sunday, we arrived Monday after work to order our euros.

All went smoothly as we ended up with a lady who was almost giddy that we were going to Paris for our anniversary.  So, our euros are ordered and we shall pick them on Friday after work and promptly close the account.

You do what you have to do.

Where to go from here?

Since starting this little journal a few months ago Betty and I have accomplished acquiring our passports, buying our plane tickets, renting an apartment in Paris, having frank and candid discussions about what we want to see and do while we're in Paris, learning about the assorted scams and research, research, research.

So, I feel like I'm prepared for our anniversary celebration in Paris, the only problem now is where to go from here.

Admittedly, when I started this blog/journal thing, I thought I would be sharing tips and advice for the first time traveler and I'm sure a first time traveler that stumbles across this blog/journal thing will find a few tips and a smidgen of advice.  I've learned it really isn't that difficult to plan a visit to another country; with the magic of the internet it also isn't difficult to research your destination and and plan activities.  You can even purchase transportation tickets, museum passes or opera tickets online and have them mailed to your home before you leave.  The research can, and does, become addicting.  And now I find I must curb this new addiction.

I have realized not everyone wants to hear about my upcoming trip.  They are not concerned with learning about Parisians and the cultural differences between us.  The possibility also exists that I will begin taking away the excitement of discovering Paris firsthand.

There are many, many topics concerning Paris I could write about, the different arrondissements and the unique and quirky neighborhoods within each one.  The flea markets, antique shops and bountiful shopping opportunities.  The varied museums, many of which focus on a particular artist, style or time period.  I'm sure foodies would enjoy reading about the different restos, bistros, cafés and who could forget the sweets shops.

It's one thing to write about all of this and an entirely different thing to experience it firsthand.  I plan on doing both however, how can I possibly discuss the merits of mussels at Léon de Bruxelles or the relaxing walk through the grounds of the Rodin Museum while admiring his sculptures.  So, as you can see, I am left with the question, where do I go from here?

The answer?  I'm going to change my focus a tad.  When I started this journal/blog thing I had no idea what I was doing, I still don't.  So, I'm going to take the time to learn more about blogging, how to read the stats.  Currently I know I have one follower (thank you Deborah H. from Australia), I also have 312 page views but, how many of these views are people versus web crawlers?

I need to learn this stuff.  One thing I have learned is I follow a lot of other blogs, mainly ones that are focused on Paris, and it is difficult to keep up with them all, I'm sure others are experiencing the same.  To help organize and track when there are new posts I discovered Bloglovin a site designed to keep you informed when your favorite blogs post something new.

I have also discovered gadgets, one of which is a countdown clock I have placed on my blog to countdown the days until we leave for Paris.  So, off I go to do more research and hopefully make this blog/journal thing a little better. The page layout may change, I have considered doing a series of posts on where I live, treating my home town and the surrounding area as traveler might, as a practice/warm-up for when we are in Paris.  One thing that will not change is the focus of this blog and that is our upcoming 30th anniversary celebration in Paris, France.

See you next time.

Bloglovin

Socialize before you go

In general, people are social creatures.  We have our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances.  In this, the technological age, we also have facebook, twitter, linkedin and a multitude of other social networking sites.  Social groups surround us.  Unfortunately, most of the social circles we frequent are populated by those that share the same views, opinions and philosophies as ourselves.  Once we announce our decision to visit another country, to become a traveler, the responses from our social circles will range from disbelief,  jealousy and the age old statement, "are you crazy?"

The timing is right to join a new social group, a group that travels.  Almost every major city has one, and if they don't it isn't that difficult to start one.  All you need is a couple of people who want to sit and discuss traveling, you will find people everywhere that will talk of travel.

Betty and I found one such group, they meet once a month at a Panera Bread restaurant.  I hesitate to call it a restaurant, it fits more into the café or bistro category.  Anyway, we ventured to a meeting about three months ago and found four other travelers that enjoy Europe and most importantly, for me, they had all been to Paris.

As all four are experienced travelers they were more than willing to share their experiences, tips and advice.  Most of what they shared confirmed what I had learned through reading travel forums and travel blogs.  One member of the group regaled us with how he lost his camera on a recent trip.  He said he took all the precautions, was alert, kept his back to the wall of the public transport he was using but someone still managed to get inside his backpack and take his camera.  Lesson learned, don't carry anything you are not willing to lose.  But then again, the majority of travelers the world over never encounter any mishaps.  Just be prepared but don't let it ruin your trip.

The most important thing we took away from our meeting was we found other people who travel.  People that have the same itch to travel as we do.  Do we agree with everything said, every piece of advice we receive, of course not, that is an important draw for us.  Different people with a common interest that do not necessarily share common beliefs.  Howevere, we are able to expand ourselves through discussions and experiences shared.  We are behaving as most people do.

We are socializing.

Talk to Each Other

 Note - Always make sure you save a draft.  I had written a post that was the literary equivalent of Hemingway at his finest and didn't save it.  Well, maybe not the literary equivalent of Hemingway but it was better than most grade school essays.  Anyway, since I didn't save a draft, I lost it all and now will attempt to coax it onto the screen again.  Excuse me while I reach into the dusty cobweb filled corners of my brain.

In my last post I talked about our decision to not travel with a carved in stone itinerary however, this doesn't mean I am not planning what I would like to do and see while in Paris.  Of course, I am also trying to plan activities that Betty would enjoy as well.  And that is where the title of this post comes in.

I'm an art lover, not an afficiando mind you, I just happen to love art.  I can explain the reasons different artists attempted certain styles, more or less.  I understand art beyond the saying, "I know what I like".  Well, I do know what I like but even if I don't care for a particular style I can appreciate the talent, passion and courage it took for the artist to place his brush to canvas or chisel to stone.  That being said, I could spend my entire time in Paris wandering through the multitude of museums and galleries and never be bored.

Betty is of a different mind.

Betty likes art, she appreciates the skill required to perform in the craft however, it just isn't her thing.  Betty likes the history, not the history of who ruled what area during which time period.  She isn't concerned with Marie Antoinette or Napoleon rather, she is interested in the daily history.  Betty wants to know how they survived the times, how did they make their clothes, shoes, furniture.  The history of daily life is what fascinates her. She even goes beyond just learning about the history, she wants to learn how they did it.  Betty wanted to learn to weave, I made her a small loom, she listened to others and taught herself how to weave simple patterns.  That is her interest.

So, being the good husband that I am, I planned a three day trip to Carcassonne, France where she could walk through an actual medieval walled city.  I researched it and discovered that it wasn't just a walled city, it is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, I figure this is history Betty will LOVE!

Bzzzzzz .... wrong.

When I first told Betty about Carcassonne she was excited but the excitement quickly waned when we found out Carcassonne still has a village within its walls.  A village populated by modern people going about their normal modern daily life.  My lovely wife informed me that while she was sure Carcassonne would be worth the trip and she would find it all interesting, it wasn't what she was really looking for.  What she is looking for is an authentic medieval village populated with people living as they did during the middle ages or renaissance eras.  Practicing the crafts of then, going about the daily life as it was during that time.  So, back to the drawing board.

This all reinforces the title of this post, you have to talk to each other and plan out activities.  Not an itinerary, just a list of places and activities you would like to see and do.  If I hadn't talked to Betty I would have drug her to Carcassonne only to be disappointed.  Not in the city but in what I would have hoped would have been a fantastic day for my wife.  A day she would not have enjoyed nearly as much as I thought she would.

Bottom line, if you are planning to travel with another person, talk to them.  Otherwise, one of you will always be disappointed.

To have an itinerary or not to have an itinerary

That is the question (heartfelt apologies to Shakespeare).

Many travelers must have each day planned, some are planned to the minute.  Others, prefer to not plan anything, wandering the streets discovering what is around the next corner.  At work, I have a very regimented day.  Certain tasks must be completed at certain times, others must be completed between this time and that time.  If I miss completing a task I affect over 100 points of logistical distribution.  Betty's job is the same, specific tasks completed at specific times or the result is pure chaos.  Naturally, when we have time away we like to move without ordered plans which brought me to query to myself, I said "Self, should we go to Paris with a detailed itinerary or not?"  And Self said, "Introspection should occur to remind oneself the events that unfolded unto you to arrive at Paris."  Translation - remember why you're only going to Paris.

And it was true, the original plan was Athens, Paris, London, Inverness and Edinburgh.  We were looking at 5 to 6 days per stop, with such a limited amount of time in each place we made an itinerary of everything we "had" to see in each city.  The itinerary came to life, ridiculed us for trying to cram so much into so short a time.  Betty and I finally decided to choose one location and relax.  We slayed the soul eating monster named Itinerary and retired to blissful slumber.

But, (you knew there was a "but" coming) reading through travel forums I kept running across several posts asking for members to review, comment and give advice on itineraries.  I began to doubt myself (Self is notoriously unreliable), maybe I was wrong.  Maybe I need a plan, maybe I'm crazy.  To comfort myself I started a thread titled "Am I Crazy?", which you can read here if you're so inclined Am I Crazy?  The response was very comforting with great suggestions by many.

Overall, I can say I'm not crazy.  There are several travelers that have no planned itinerary, only a list of things they would like to do so as not to miss anything special that happens to be running while they are there.  Likewise, there are several that feel the need to have that itinerary, even if they don't follow it, it comforts them knowing they have a plan.  Both travel styles work, it depends on personal style.

And, apparently, I am very fortunate to have 3 weeks to spend in Paris.  I guess that is true but from my viewpoint, Betty and I have worked long and hard on not only our marriage but also our jobs.  In no way do we feel entitled to this trip or the time we are taking, we have earned our vacation time and we both have very understanding bosses and co-workers that are willing to cover for us while we are gone.  Actually, after typing that, I guess we really are fortunate.

So, with Self being placated, I turned to looking at what would be going on in Paris while we are there.

In 2013, Notre Dame will celebrate its 850th anniversary.  There are plans to update the pipe organ, scrub it down and let her put her best face to the world.  I'm sure there are other events planned to mark this milestone as well.  Notre Dame was already on our "to see" list but now it has been bumped up a bit so we don't miss her birthday celebration.

Sunday July 14, 2013 is Bastille Day, a celebration marking the end of absolute French monarchy and the beginning of the French Revolution and birth of the sovereign Nation eventually leading to the birth of a French Republic.  This National Holiday is marked by parades, fireworks and several parties, I'm sure we will participate in this.

The Flea Market at Saint Ouen.  From what I can tell, this is one of the largest, if not THE largest flea market in Paris.  Vendors sell everything from tourist trap crap to fine antiques and is a wonderful way to spend a day.  Both Betty and I love to scrounge around flea markets, our home decor attests to this.  We have found wonderful antique clocks, cedar chests, oil lamps, kitchen gadgets and so much more.  Yep, we'll spend a day or two there.

There are a host of events and activities occurring during the time we will be there, we have already started our list of things to see and do.  Not an itinerary mind you, just options so we never wake up and wonder what we're going to do that day.

Although, I can't imagine that will happen.

Research is Scary

Whether you research your trip though official Tourist Information sites or use the numerous travel forums, you will inevitably see the "bad" stuff of where you are visiting.  Personal safety is a valid concern, as well as robbery, mugging and the host of other crimes against persons we are all too familiar with in the Untied States.

Violent crimes are uncommon in Europe.  However, pickpockets and scams are very common.  After reading though several websites. blogs, travel forums and official Tourist Information sites here is what I have learned.

 Beware the Pickpocket

While pickpocketing is common, the true pickpocket is a rarity.  The true pickpocket will be in and out of your pockets, purse, backpack and long gone before you realize you had anything taken.  More commonly, you will experience the diversion style of pickpocketing.  You should be on the lookout for groups of children, they will encircle you and basically cause chaos around you.  While you're distracted they will be picking through everything they can.  There are also reports of women walking up to tourists and literally tossing a baby into your arms, often the "baby" is just a doll wrapped in a blanket.  Naturally you will catch the child, can't have the poor thing dropped to the ground like a fumbled football, while you're arms are busy holding the baby the woman begins making a scene and starts tugging at your clothes.  She is really picking through anything she can get hold of.

The best defense for these situations is to be aware of your surroundings, which you should be anyway.  But, in today's "have to be connected to everyone all the time" world, it is very easy to find someone distracted by their phones.  The constant phone calls, texts, pics and videos coupled with being in a wonderfully new enriching environment makes distracting someone almost too easy.  So, be aware of where you are and who is around you.  Search YouTube for a few examples of pickpockets in action.  While pickpocketing is common in Europe, you are more likely to encounter the scam artists  that make the major tourist sites their home.

There are several scams running in Europe, quite a few have been documented to 100 years ago, or more.  From what I have read, most of these are harmless and rely on you, the tourist, not having done any research.  Here are just a few.

The Petition

 According to what I have read on several travel forums as well as in different travel books, the petition scam could possibly be the first scam you encounter.  Apparently, youngsters will approach you and try to get you to sign their petition.  Often they pretend to be deaf and mute. Once you sign the petition they turn it over and show they need a 10 € donation.  Of course they are just asking for the donation, you're not obligated to give them anything.  Although, if you do not give them the donation they will follow you and harass you in an attempt to wear you down.  The best defense, don't even acknowledge their existence when they approach you.

The Gold Ring

 In this scam, someone will "find" a gold wedding band and return it to you.  They will insist you dropped it and it is only through their kindness you get to have it again.  They will then walk away only to confront you again moments later to remind you of their kindness and ask for a reward.  Trying to give the ring back apparently doesn't work as they keep insisting the ring is yours.  They may tell you they are short of money and he, or she, is hungry and also needs to feed their family.  Offering food doesn't work either as they will deftly change the need to clothing, shoes or whatever they can think of at the time.  Once again, you are not obligated to give them anything for their "kindness" but if you don't, be prepared to be followed, harassed and interfered with until either you give them something or they give up, which I understand is very unlikely.  The best way to avoid them, keep walking and ignore them.


The Friendship Bracelet

 This scam is supposedly very prevalent at Sacre Couer in Paris.  You will be approached by someone (usually an African male if my research is correct) who will tell you a very nice story of his country while tying a friendship bracelet on your wrist.  Once again, when he is done he will ask for a donation.  And once again, if you don't give him a donation he will follow you and try to make your life hell for the several minutes.  The best defense once again, ignore him when he approaches you and keep walking.


You may be asking yourself at this point if this is so common why aren't the police cracking down on it.  The answer is simple.  A true pickpocket is very difficult to catch and the distraction type of pickpocketing occurs so fast you may not realize it happened until they are scattered making them difficult to catch as well.  As for the scams, begging is not illegal in Paris.  Since they are not strictly requiring you to pay them, what they are doing is legal if not very annoying.

You may also be wondering why you would want to visit any country where this occurs.  As a matter of fact, on the Trip Advisor Forums one Paris resident stated after reading all the forum posts about the numerous scams and pickpockets, he was scared to go outside ... and he lives there.  Of course, he was joking.  To keep all this in perspective, remember, millions of people travel to different countries every year, a small percentage will actually experience the "bad" stuff.  Unfortunately, it is that small percentage that is the most vocal about how terrible their trip was because they got "ripped off". 

If only they had done a little research before they left, they could have avoided the scams and had positive memories.  So, be aware of you surroundings and ignore the scam artists and you should be fine.  Maybe we're being naive but that's the way Betty and I plan to approach our trip.

Do Your Research

Obviously, I have been doing a lot of research and so should you.  Your research should start when you start "thinking" about taking a trip out of the country.  Research what country, or countries, you want to see, the price of airfare and the price of lodging.  After you've done all that, research some more.

However, this time your research should focus on the niceties of the people you will visit.  Since Betty and I will only be visiting Paris and possibly the surrounding area, that is where I have focused my research.

To start with, Parisians have a reputation for being rude.  However, according to my research, Parisians actually place strong emphasis on good manners.  For someone visiting as a "tourist" this would be where the reputation of being an "Ugly American" comes in.  In my opinion, a tourist cares nothing about experiencing the culture of another country.  The just want to visit the "must see" sights, snap a picture or two and complain about how "nothing is like it is in America".  Well, duh.  To paraphrase Dorothy, "You're not in Kansas anymore, Toto."

Consider this a moment, Americans in general, get upset when they walk into a store or hop in a taxi and find the person working there doesn't even try to speak English.   Other countries are the same way, a traveler will make an attempt to learn basic words of the people they are visiting.  Hello, goodbye, thank you, please, pardon me and so on.  To a Parisian, it is extremely rude to walk into a shop and not say Hello.  If you don't greet them, you will most likely be met with rudeness.  So, their reputation of being rude is only a reflection of our rudeness to them.

That is just one example of how research can be a benefit in preparing yourself for a trip to another country.  Another example is how Parisians approach their meals when dining out. Forget the noisy hurry-up-and-eat restaurant atmosphere we're used to in the States.  Parisians typically spend two hours or more when eating out.  Waitstaff will not stop by your table numerous time to ask, "is everything okay?" and they won't bring you the check until you ask for it.  Here in the States we would consider this poor service but in France it is considered ill mannered to interrupt you while you enjoy a quiet meal.  And at cafes and bistros you should expect to pay more to sit outside, that is prime real estate in the restaurant biz.  Also, once you sit down that table is considered yours until you ask for the check, pay your tab and leave.  So, you could actually claim a table for lunch, watch Paris stroll past, then have dinner at the same place several hours later.  That is, as long as you don't ask for your check.

Research is important, with the internet it is extremely easy to learn the habits and customs of different people.  I intend to learn all I can about Paris, not so I can plan every minute of every day but so I can learn about the people I will be visiting and hopefully, make my visit more enjoyable not only for me but for them as well.

Passports part deux

This will be a short post.

Our Passports are Here!

And there they are, all blue and gold embossed.  It may not seem like much to some people but to us, they are a reminder that we are actually going to Paris.

See, I told you this post was going to be short.
 

Where to Stay?

Well, since Paris is our only planned destination, the obvious answer would be, Paris.

Before I told my wife we were going to Europe, I spent considerable time researching hotels.  I searched every variation of "Good hotels in ____?" that I could think of and numerous matches were given.  If you Google "Good hotels in Paris" over 65,000,000 matches are displayed.  Over 65,000,000, really?  How are you supposed to narrow that down to the one hotel you want to stay in?

While I was busy entering variations of my query, I came across a site that offered short term apartment rentals for less money than hotels were charging.  A little research later and I find there is whole cottage industry that rents apartments to vacationers in Europe, actually not just Europe, everywhere.  Short term vacation rentals are available in just about every country, as an inexperienced traveler, this was news to me.  Thankfully, one of the rental sites had a link to TripAdvisor for reviews.

TripAdvisor is one of many traveler oriented websites that can be found on the web.  Others include, Rick Steve's website which strongly favors European destinations,  Lonely Planet is a good all around site for destinations throughout the world.  Each has user ran forums that contain a wealth of information about anything and everything you could possibly want to know about traveling.  If you don't see what you're looking for, just ask a question through the forums and answers will be provided.

I ventured into TripAdvisor and Rick Steve's forums and found what I was hoping to in the way of where to stay in Paris.  First, apartments really are cheaper than hotels, but just like hotels it depends on what you think you need.  I was able to find apartments that ranged from $70.00 per night all the way up to over $300.00 per night.  These ranged from very small studio apartments to three bedroom homes.

When shopping for an apartment, consider the pros and cons.  On the positive side, all apartments are equipped with a kitchen and cooking utensils so you can save money by preparing a few meals at "home" rather than eating out. Many apartments have a washer and dryer, this will let you pack lighter and save a little by doing laundry in the apartment rather than going to a washateria.  You will be living next door to the locals.  What better way to experience a new country than to live among the locals rather than hiding in a hotel.

On the negative side of the coin, there will be no maid to change your sheets and make your bed.  You won't have access the hotel concierge and you will most likely not have English speaking neighbors.  Or if they do speak English it will be very limited, probably much like your ability to speak their language.

It all comes down to what is best for you.

As I mentioned before, my wife and I like to travel casually.  We believe the best way to enjoy a vacation is to slow down and enjoy the surroundings, the people, the food, just not be rushed.  So, we opted for an apartment.

Now, there are an abundant amount of agencies that handle vacation rentals, Cobblestone Paris, AirBnB, VRBO, homeaway, flipkey and many, many more.  The key to choosing an apartment is to decide what you "need".  We knew we didn't need a three bedroom two bathroom apartment afterall, we are not traveling to Paris to look at the inside of an apartment.  Once you decide on an apartment, go to one of the travel forums and look/ask for reviews.  TripAdvisor is good for this as their members are very active and vocal about the good and the bad experiences they have had during their trips.

So, all of that just to say we found an apartment that I believe will suit us perfectly for our Anniversary in Paris.

Passports

Applying for a passport is a fairly straightforward process, to a degree. You can go to this website
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html for all the information concerning applying for one.  You can pick up the application at almost any post office in the United States.

Once you have your application, read it through before you start filling it out.  There are specific directions you have to follow if you want your application to go through easily.  The main direction is do not sign the application until you are asked to when you turn it in, and you must turn it in in person.  You can turn it in at most post offices but, post offices only accept passport applications between certain hours.  As we found out, the persons accepting the application is specifically trained to do so and not all post office employees are trained.  So, check with your local branch and see when they accept them.

Information required is nothing that should make anyone uncomfortable providing.  Your full name, address, and place of birth.  You also have to list your parents full names and dates and locations of birth.  Provide a photo copy of your driver's license and a certified copy of your birth certificate, if you don't have a certified copy you can get one from the records office of the city you were born in.

There was a surprise on the application, you must list if you have been married before.  If so, you have to provide the date of your divorce.  My wife was never married before so for her it was no problem  As for me, I was married for a short time then achieved a divorce.  I thought I knew where my divorce proclamation was, I didn't.

As I live close to the city that granted my divorce I took a trip to city hall to get a copy of the divorce.   As it turns out the city converted all of their public records to digital information.  Unfortunately, they only converted approximately the last 20 years, as my divorce was over 30 years I had to go though the process the old fashioned way.  I went to the information desk and explained what I needed; I was told to fill out a simple form and they would notify me when they received the documents.

About two weeks later we received a phone stating they had the divorce decree and we could come down anytime to pick it up.  Since I was only interested in the date I asked if they could give that over the phone, uh, no.  So, another trip to the city to get the information I needed.

I really didn't need a copy of the divorce decree, I just needed the date which I was able to get without paying for a copy once I explained why I needed it.

With the date in hand I was able to finish filling out the application.

Finally, once you turn in your application, either bring a money order or just buy one at the post office.  Apparently, payment is not accepted in cash for passport applications.  The bottom line for passports, read everything, provide all the information asked for and be patient.

With the passports successfully applied for, we turned out attention to how to get there and where to stay.

It's just too much.

If you have read this far then you know I spilled the beans and told my wife about my plans for our 30th wedding anniversary.  From this point forward it actually became easier to narrow down, what is now, our plans.  The first thing I did was research air fare since including Greece in the trip would obviously raise that price.  Surprisingly, it did not raise it out of reach so we began to plan what we would do in each country.

Our first stop would be Athens.  With the abundant Greek ruins we would be in heaven stopping by the Temple of Zeus, the Parthenon, a trip to the Oracle at Delphi just to mention a very few.  Of course what would a trip to Greece be without visiting the picturesque village of Santorini?

We discovered early that renting an apartment in each country would be far cheaper than staying in hotels (there will be more on apartment rentals vs. hotels in a later post).  Athens has numerous apartments available for short term rental, anywhere from 3 days to a month with prices which are very reasonable when compared to hotels.  I narrowed my search down to 3 apartments and moved on to transportation.

Apparently, getting around Athens is best to do as a pedestrian.  Traffic jams are constant and Greeks like to strike.  Actually, most European countries strike quite a bit and if you watch the news you will see they can effectively shut down a city or a country.  It probably isn't fair to say the best way is as a pedestrian but it did seem like less of a hassle.  Taking a taxi means paying attention to the time of day and the meter.  In Athens, there are two rates, one for daytime and one for evening/night.  I came across several reports that stated taxi drivers will set the night rate (which is higher) during the day when they pick up tourists.  To keep from being overcharged you had to constantly be aware of what the meter was set to.

As it turned out, during my research I happened across "George, the famous taxi driver of Athens".  You can access is webpage here http://www.greecetravel.com/taxi/ George's story of becoming a taxi drive is interesting and very telling of the economy and a Greek's love of his country.  With several testimonials, not only on his website but also in several travel forums, it looked like George was going to get hired for a few days while we were in Greece.

Our next stop would be Paris, we fly in and go to an apartment then enjoy the city and all it has to offer.  I repeated the apartment and transportation research that I completed for Athens, this time I researched Paris.

Again, I was able to find affordable studio and one bedroom apartments located in the heart of Paris.  I narrowed the choices to three and not finding a "George, the famous taxi driver of Paris", set about trying to make sense of the Metro system.  Of course, we plan on walking a great deal but at the end of the day, when you are 2 miles from the apartment and tired, hopping on the Metro is just the way to go.

Moving on to our next stop, we planned to travel to London then Edinburgh.  The same research narrowing of choices was done as we looked at what to do in London and Edinburgh.

Travel to London from Paris is relatively easy, you can fly, take a ferry across the English Channel or take a train.  We didn't want to fly so we were left with one of the other two choices.  The train through the channel tunnel (I am told some call it the chunnel but not to call it that while in Paris or London) would take 2.5 hours from the the center of Paris to the center of London.  Nice and quick.

The ferry would take pretty much the whole day however, the advantage would be traveling to the coast and enjoying the countryside then crossing the English Channel and watching the white cliffs of Dover grow ever larger as you neared England.  Then the travel through the English countryside to London.  We were undecided for quite awhile until we had an "aha" moment.

If you remember, the original plan was four weeks.  We looked closely at everywhere we would visit and everything we would see and do.  We then realized, even with four weeks, we were trying to do too much.  I say this because my wife travels the same way  I do, at at leisurely pace.  We don't want to rush through all the tourist sites and wolf down our meals.  We want to immerse ourselves in the life and culture of where we are.  Certainly we would visit the sites high on our personal "must see" list, the Parthenon in Athens, the Louvre in Paris, Stonehenge in England, Kilvarock Castle in the Highlands of Scotland and finally the Military Tattoo in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.  Those were just the sites at the top of the list for each country.  Those were followed by other sites we definitely wanted to see.  Then of course there would be shopping, eating, time spent waiting in lines, transportation would take time as well.  Let's not forget the mundane tasks either, four weeks away from home means we would have to do laundry.

We sat back and reassessed what we really wanted to do.  It amounts to this, it is our 30th wedding anniversary and we want to celebrate the achievement.  We don't want to have memories of being rushed, hurried, exhausted and just plain run down.  We want celebration memories.  We decided four weeks would be too long and we would cut back to one destination.  When all the pros and cons were weighed, the history and romanticism of Paris won.

We would spend three weeks in Paris, France, the City of Lights, the City of Love.  We could relax, stroll the neighborhoods in the different arrondissements.  Visit flea markets, shop the wine and cheese stores.  Take a morning croissant or baguette for breakfast

And that brings us within a week of where we currently are.

Until next time, keep planning.