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.

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.

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.

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.