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?

Harley-Davidson and Père Lachaise

On our fourth full day in Paris we awoke early, determined to make up for the previous day's rain and domesticity.  We began with a stop at our neighborhood croissant store.  I can't say enough about how handy these are in the mornings and so typically Parisian.  Walking down the street eating a croissant while taking in the sites and sounds of early morning Paris, that is a memory we won't soon forget.

The previous night I had researched and written directions in my little spiral notebook how to navigate ourselves to the local Harley-Davidson dealership.  We knew we had to visit as Betty and I both love to ride.  Our goal was not to just show up, buy t-shirts and say, "Hey, we visited an H-D store in Paris".   Here, in the States, several people we have known over the years collect Harley shirts from all over.  Naturally, we thought this was something done by almost everyone so, before we left home we packed a few Harley shirts from our local dealership with the intention of giving them to whomever collected shirts in Paris.  Easier said than done.

Making our way to Blvd de Beaumarchais we found ATS Bastille Harley-Davidson.

 Store fronts, as they are in Paris, are rather small.  Because of this, the Paris Harley-Davidson dealership is spread out between three addresses, which do not connect internally.  Meaning to move from one section to another requires you to leave one store, walk a few steps to the next store and enter.  While this was a tad odd to me, it is apparently commonplace in Paris.

Once we found our way to the motorclothes store we set out to find t-shirts for ourselves and our boys.  During the time we were shopping we attempted to strike a conversation with the sales ladies, not an easy process as they spoke only a small amount of English.  We were able to let them know we were from America but they had no idea where our city was.

After selecting t-shirts and a couple of patches for our jackets, we asked the sales ladies if anyone collected t-shirts as we had some we wanted to give them.  Neither sales lady understood we wanted to "give" the shirts to someone; they thought we were trying to sell them.  Finally, they told us we had to talk to the manager but he only just stepped out for a few minutes, but we could wait.

While waiting we made our way through the other store fronts, basically just enjoying the Paris pastime of window licking, window shopping for the rest of us.  It was in the last store front we entered that we felt we had our best chance of dropping off our shirts.  This last store front was the parts and service department and it was here we met Big Frank.  Big Frank let us know he spoke English, which he did very well.  After a few minutes of introductions and explaining where we are from, we told him about our shirts.  Again, he thought we were wanting to sell them.  Apparently, the idea of collecting Harley-Davidson t-shirts is not a practice in Paris.  We took some time explaining that, in the States, shirts are given or exchanged for a variety of reasons but central to it was the idea of fellowship and goodwill to fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.  Eventually, he understood and accepted our gift of shirts stating he would pass them on to any of his crew that wanted them.  Honestly though, by this point it wouldn't have surprised me if he dropped them in the trash as soon as we walked out.  Either way, we accomplished the two things we wanted to accomplish, a gift of shirts from our local dealership and extra room in our luggage going home.  There was no way I was going to pack those shirts for the return trip home.

Our Harley-Davidson experience took most of the morning which was fine as we had really only planned on doing two things today.  Since we were close to Père Lachaise cemetery, our goal was to pop in for a few minutes, visit some grave sites that had meaning to me and then just wander the area the rest of the day while making our way back to the studio.

As we headed to the cemetery I noticed something we had probably passed several times throughout the city but hadn't paid attention to, Paris' version of a drinking fountain.

At first I thought it was just a small decorative fountain but as we got closer I noticed the little signs attached.  Being able to read a little French, I was able to figure out it was actually a water dispenser for public use to refill water bottles.  How cool is that?

I later found out, depending on where you are in the city, there are water dispensers that dispense sparkling water.  Really!

When you think about it, what could be more naturally Parisian than a water fountain with sparking water.  I love it!

After refilling our water bottles, we pushed on.

We found the entrance to Père Lachaise at the end of the street, okay so we didn't really find it.  It was more like we reached the end of the street and I saw this decorative entrance in a wall and wondered what was behind the wall.  Naturally, being the male that I am, I announced I had found our destination and it was right where I knew it would be.  Betty, being the ever supportive wife, let me believe she was impressed with my navigational skills.

As I mentioned above, the original idea was just to spend a minutes, maybe an hour, visiting grave sites that held some meaning to me.  After just  few steps in, I knew the original plan was now null and void.  Père Lachaise cemetery is huge!  And it is gorgeous, the tombs are exquisite works of art.

 

Cobblestone roads crisscross the entire cemetery, each with their own street name.

And stairs, oh the stairs.  Whoever said Paris was flat had not walked through this cemetery.

After climbing a few sets of stairs it was time for a sit down to catch our breath.

 Moving on we captured more pictures of the cemetery.  As an added unexpected plus, inside almost every single mausoleum is a piece of stained glass.  Some of these were intact and very beautiful.

 Eventually, we made it to the grave sites of our original plan.  The first site we found was Oscar Wilde.

Followed by Proust

Balzac

And Frederic Chopin

 In all, we spent four or five hours exploring Père Lachaise cemetery.  It really is awe inspiring how decorative the tombs are and how well preserved most of them are.  There are several more historical figures buried there but these are the ones that, for me, hold special meaning.

Leaving Père Lachaise, we continued our day by walking to Place de la Bastille which, to quote Rick Steves, is a non-sight.  The Bastille was torn down after the French Revolution, nothing remains of the structure.  The only thing to mark the location is an obelisk with a golden figure on top.

 

It was now late in the day and although we had snacked during the day, we were now tired and hungry but far from the studio.  From Place de la Bastille we made for the Seine, knowing we could follow it back to Notre Dame, turn right, then just a few blocks north to our studio.  It was during this walk we discovered two things.  The first, never trust a map.  Looking at the map we were using, none of this day's excursion appeared that far from the studio.  Believe me, looks are deceiving, we walked over 7 miles that day, not including the distance walked inside Père Lachaise. So, never trust a map.

The second thing we discovered was the delicious, aromatic and juicy rotisserie chickens for sale throughout Paris.  Having passed two, by the time we reached the third Betty and I had decided chicken, it's what's for dinner.  We selected a nice plump chicken and a side of au gratin pomme de terres.  Between the size of the chicken and the ample portion of potatoes, we knew we had lunch for the following day as well.  Two meals for two people at a cost of €11, what a deal!

And thus, our day ended.  Exhausted but well fed.  We took in a lot this day but it was well worth it for the sites, the company and experience.

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.