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Post by tod2 on Jun 16, 2012 10:58:42 GMT
DAY 1 - Saturday, 2nd May 2012 Leaving rainy Amsterdam behind we start the second leg of our holiday, in Paris. From Amsterdam we had pre-booked first class seats on the Thalys - 72 euros each. During the journey we learned an important lesson if you want a guaranteed seat, which I had done thank goodness. A Russian couple from Moscow had also booked on the Internet at over 100 euros each, but failed to see they had not been assigned a seat. Consequently during the journey they had to move three times as they sat in other peoples pre-booked seats. This did infuriate the man who asked the conductor & train manager "why did Thalys take his booking if they could not have a designated seat in first class? It may be appropriate in 2nd class - but in First?" Here we go!   I love the logo on the bright red Thalys.  First things first, I go and check on 'my' little vineyard above the metro station at Esplanade La Defense. Grown quite a bit since last visit in 2010. Our Ibis Hotel and home for the next three nights, in the background.  Peering over the wall in front of the vineyard.  After settling in we are on our way to to do some urgent laundry. I had seen a laundromat on PagesJaunes in Levallois-Peret near the Anatole France metro. A long way to go but then we do like to experience different areas of Paris so this was no hardship. During the wash cycles we sat in the little bar a few doors away, and soaked up the "only French men" atmosphere - corrected, there was one other woman beside myself! The gruff voices of the non-stop smoking old geezers got really excited as they watched the horse racing on a TV screen. Bets were being placed left, right and centre which tempted me to put on a bet but I was too shy so stayed glued to my chair gobbling down the most delicious hot peanuts! Their house wine by the glass was excellent.  DAY 2 - 3rd No rain! We walk up to the Grand Arche metro station and get onto the T2 - Tram Val de Seine line.  Our destination is Ile St.Germain and it's hidden gardens, so hop off at the Issy Val de Seine stop. Walking from there takes us along the river.   Looks like you can still have a postbox if you live on the river.    The bridge to the island, next to an old defunct Ibis Hotel??   A restaurant immediately after crossing the bridge.       ![]()    The Wisteria was just starting to bloom.   A work of art carved from a single tree stump.     Chestnut trees in bloom.   Our lovely morning stroll through the gardens ends as we go across the bridge again and take the tram - this time from Jacques-H-Lartigue tram stop, to the end of the line at Porte de Versailles- which connects to Line 12, and make our way to a lunch stop.   The metro station still has old ceramic tiles and scenes.   In search of lunch I remembered Sojoh recommending a little restaurant called 'Je Taime' near the Vaugirard metro. so off we went. Sadly the place was closed and the owners on holiday.  Instead we ordered fabulous omelette's at a sunny table at this place.  Opposite was this little park.  We decide the easiest way back to the hotel is to board the T2 once more. The route is interesting and almost like being in the countryside, far far away from the centre of Paris.  Little gardens growing vegetables next to the track.   Soon we are back to you know where - It's hard to take a photo of two thumbs when they are so far apart!   One of many caroussels dotted around Paris   Suddenly a blaring voice and music came our way as we sat and cooled off with my favourite - Leff beer.   I could only imagine it was to do with the elections in France. Entering the park area of La Defense, away from the buildings, we walked back to the hotel.  At the Basin Takis we notice fixed tables and seating has been arranged around the steps. This is very nice for a picnic dinner!  We relax and change, then make our way along the Seine, passing the yacht/boat Club, we are walking to the Ile de La Jatte and a lovely little Chinese restaurant we discovered when we stayed on the island in 2010. It's called Chez Yau.  Leaving La Defense far behind  Below us folks are doing some hard exercise!  I love this place! The owner is the chef and hails from Hong Kong.   Looking for a bus stop we cross over the bridge once more as the sun begins to set on La Defense.   I make a note of this place serving couscous.   Night has closed in and the magical lights of the tall buildings appear.  That's the end of today....can't wait for tomorrow in Paris! |
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Post by tod2 on Jun 18, 2012 10:34:09 GMT
DAY 3, 4th May Peering out of the hotel window at the Seine and traffic racing by, I see it's going to be a cooler overcast day and the roads look wet. Umbrellas a must today. Tomorrow we move into our apartment and leave this side of Paris. During the T2 ride we got talking to an American lady who has come to live in Paris to be nearer her daughter. As we passed the Sevres stop she told us not to miss going to the museum there. It looked like museum weather so off we went - taking the metro one stop to La Defense and then the T2 once again.    This museum is on the Museum Pass which we had purchased on line ( for 2days), but decided to pay the 8euros each as there would be no time to make use of it tomorrow during our move.  The fascinating plates showed the wonderful imagination of the potters. A display of large platters each with a snake or lizard!! What was he or she thinking when they created them??   This little table had the most beautifully intricate top.   Not all the ceramics were pleasing to the eye - like this hideous jardiniere.     Moving into the Sevres Pottery display and sales room, a little coffee cup like this is a mere 450euros - I'm sure I heard right!  The morning as flown by and back at the hotel we pack our bags before taking a bus downstairs in front of the hotel just for a change. We are headed to the Champs Elysees and lunch. The route goes around the Arche de Triomphe scaring the hell out of me! You'll hear me say "Oh My Gawd!  At last I get to sample something from Chez Quan! Not pho unfortunately, but something equally as delicious in the form of a kind of barbequed sweet 'n sour chicken. We will definitely be back next year and make sure we come on a Thursday for pho.  The weather is still quite wet with a drizzle of rain. Walking is no fun so we hop on a bus going down the Champs Elysees. This is a great way to take in the sights. That evening we go via McD's and decide to take a chance on the rain, for a picnic supper at one of those new tables at Basin Takis. I think Kerouac mentioned the Mac Baguette at some stage, so we had to sample that! Not bad at all but far too much for one person - we could have shared and still been happy.   DAY 4 - Sat 5th May Our move was pretty straightforward - taking Line 1 to Bastille and then changing to Line 7 and getting off at Oberkampf. Our apartment is in Rue Grand Prieure, right on the corner, 3rd floor American -4th French.  The landing and our door.  For a closer look. adrianleeds.com/parisapartments/le-grand-ciel/le-grand-ciel-photosTaking a stroll around the neighborhood my husband is delighted to pounce upon this photography shop! It is crammed with old and new cameras and equipment.   We spot a little cafe` and go in for lunch. It is one of the old Paris bars with pressed iron ceilings and old well worn furniture. The food was omlettes (again!) A safe option when you really don't fancy anything else.   We also find a Leon d'Bruxelles at Republic and decide it will be our dinner destination that night.  Looking out of the kitchen window I see someone has left a toilet on the pavement - earlier I saw deck chairs abandoned next to a tree, but who would want an old loo?   |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2012 12:54:03 GMT
What is so dazzling about your report, tod, is that you have seen so many things overlooked by nearly all visitors, not to mention not being afraid to wander the suburbs. As you probably guessed, before the T2 tram was created, its itinerary was an abandoned suburban commuter line, so all they had to do was redo the tracks and put in the new stations. It really is a lovely ride, even when you don't have a valid destination.
I know that the Sèvres museum is worth seeing, but I have actually never been there myself. Once I finally stop working, I plan to start catching up on a lot of this stuff.
Oh, and that old building is not an abandoned Ibis -- they just put signs on old buildings to direct you to where the next one is (as in "turn left after the second intersection"). But I'm pretty sure you knew that. ;D
You have also managed to take a whole bunch of pictures with nobody in them, so you are now a member of the "depopulated France" club along with FrenchMystique and me.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 18, 2012 13:56:35 GMT
DAY 5 - Sunday 6th May Oh what a night! Yelling, shouting, screaming and crashing glass wafted up to our windows until almost morning. I wanted to move back to the Ibis where its peaceful and quiet! What was all that about.......well, someone found that smashing a toilet in the middle of the road was fun. Looking at the mess a cleaner has arrived to deal with it.  He sweeps it into the gutter and leaves it there.  My mission today is to buy some food at the Bastille market then get over to the 19th/20th Arr. and find some Karcade at Sabah among other things. The market is packed and I buy some Sea Bass, some other kind of fish, cheeses, and stuff for a salad. Zooming home we off-load our cargo and are on our way again. Getting off the metro at Colonel Fabien we walk down Blvd de la Villette. Along this road is a shop selling CD's for Belly Dancing. I want to pick out a few for the dance studio in my building. It's closed! Disappointed we decide to have a coffee at a corner cafe nearby. I walk a few doors down Rue de Sambre et Meuse and go into the 4 Freres restaurant and ask them if the CD place will open today. No, it's closed on Sunday's they tell me. Moving on we visit rue Denoyez and its quirky art walls and plant tubs.           There was a discussion on Dim Sum and I found a good report on a place nearby, passing it on to Sojoh and others. It is quite small and no English spoken so when we asked for Dim Sum the waiter merely poked his finger at the menu and walked off. Eventually we gave up and ordered a stir fry instead. Very nice food but not a nice interior or atmosphere. We will have to go back and grab the waiter's arm and DEMAND Dim Sum!LOL.  Getting to Sabah my mind is a blank and I can't remember the name "karcade`". Eventually the man helping me says 'this is what you are looking for' and hands me a packet of ROSE Boutons. Having never seen Karcade` I think this is the stuff. The manufacturer is ESPIG. I know now that I've wasted my money because later I'll tell you where I found the right stuff! Referring to my map I suggest we walk up Rue Rebeval which is off Blvd de la Villette, and check out the old Meccano Factory at number 78-80. Rue Rebeval was once a country road leading to the Saint-Laurant district via Chemin de la Chopinette. Many small side streets branched off it - Cite` Jandelle, which turns off at 55 Rue Rebeval, no doubt follows the track of one of those country paths. The cul-de-sac is not very inviting, however at the far end there are some old Belleville country houses, surrounded by greenery and have been restored and painted in bright colours. So my guide book says. Unfortunately we missed that turn-off and went directly up the hill. The whole building is under renovation which spoils it for a nice photo.  Even so, it is really a lovely old building with it's extraordinary rounded brick and freestone facade.  This huge building is on the corner.   We walk down again and come across a group of children practicing their Tai Chi.   Walking back up Blvd de la Villette I spot the CD shop is OPEN! (So you can't believe everything someone tells you) I buy two CD's and as we pass Rue Vicq d'Azir I have a look at a restaurant (recommended by a French guy who befriended us while we stopped off for a beer) serving excellent tagines and couscous It's directly below the Hipotel Hotel.(I bet that's cheap).  Dinner is at our own dear little (noisy) apartment. I fry the two large Sea Bass steaks and they are divine!  More to follow... |
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Post by fumobici on Jun 18, 2012 14:20:05 GMT
Excellent report thus far. None of the expected and much that is unexpected.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 18, 2012 15:19:07 GMT
So well done Tod! I am seeing places I have never been. I enjoyed your you tube video on being on the bus while it maneuvers through the traffic around the Arche de Triomphe, we have done it and it is quite an experience!
Looking forward to more!
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Post by tod2 on Jun 18, 2012 16:30:04 GMT
Many thanks, and all I can ask is that you stay tuned!!
It is no secret that various people on AnyPort have a great influence on planning a trip to Paris.
Without Kerouac, FMT, Jazz, Lagatta, Fumobici and loads of other contributors, our visits would be so dull.
I know there are folk who visit every year - sometimes twice a year, and do the exact same thing they did the trip before, and the trip before that. Eating at the same places and during the day, never venturing further than a few blocks. Well, it takes all kinds and if it makes them happy it's all good. But for me, my adventurous spirit would curl up and die if I could not experience at least two or three different things every trip. Make no mistake, I also love the touristy Paris and make sure I swing by something I've experienced before.
More tomorrow.....
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2012 16:55:25 GMT
I think that your dim sum problem was just a language failure. The term 'dim sum' is almost never used on a Chinese menu in France. Just as wonton is known as 'raviolis chinois,' dim sum is called 'spécialités vapeur.' Dim sum is not a native dish for most of the Chinese in France because the majority of them are from northern China whereas dim sum is a Cantonese speciality. However, it has become popular everywhere in the world, so everybody makes it, but that doesn't mean they're going to use the original name, which is as meaningless to a Mandarin speaker as it is to a French speaker. Some of the French of Chinese origin do speak Cantonese but the majority of them are from Indochina, so dim sum is not a normal dish for them either.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 19, 2012 5:54:43 GMT
Definitely - now that you have given me the lowdown, I will confidently be able to poke my finger at the menu and order the different 'specialites vapeur'!
About that old building with the Ibis sign - I peered into the openings where windows used to be and saw old chairs and rubbish strewn about. Upstairs someone looked out of a window as if they lived there so thought it must be squatters. I was dubious about the building having been a one time Ibis Hotel but didn't take enough notice of the sign to convince me. I'm relieved it was never ever one!
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Post by tod2 on Jun 19, 2012 14:09:37 GMT
DAY 6 -7th May I like to plan a few out of town visits when in Paris and this was the first of two. There is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris called L'Hay-les-Roses. Located 8.5km from the centre of Paris and owes the second part of it's name to a famous rose garden located there. Originally called simply L'Hay the name was recorded for the first time in a charter of Charlemagne in 798 as Laiacum/Lagiacum, meaning "Estate of Lagius", a Gallo Roman landowner. The name was later corrupted into Lay, Lahy and eventually L'Hay. In May 1914 the name of the commune officially became L'Hay-les-Roses in honour of Roseraie du Jules Gravereaux, one of the founders of the BON MARCHE` department store in Paris. Now, to get there we took the RER B line to a station in the neighboring village of Bourg-la-Reine, thereafter catching Bus 192 to L'Hay. Only about 2km away. The bus alighting stop is almost opposite the entrance gates to the gardens. An alternative is by metro to Porte d'Italie, then bus 186 or 184- On holidays a number 286. The station at Bourg--la-Reine.  House opp. bus stop in Bourg-la-Reine     The layout of the rose gardens has 13 different sections: The Formal Rose Garden, The Avenue of Historical roses, The Avenue of Botanical roses, The Avenue of Hedgerow roses, The Garden of Gallicae roses, Avenue of Malmaison roses, The Oriental rose Garden, The Ancient horticultural rose garden, The Modern foreign rose garden, the modern French rose garden, The Avenue of Tea Roses, and lastly Mrs. Gravereaux's Rose Garden. There are 3,300 different roses. 182 Botanical varieties 85% of horticultural varieties created before 1950 And altogether you can view 16,000 rose bushes. Striking variety of Tulip near the cafe in the gardens.  I knew it would be far too early for roses in bloom but we wanted to sus out the gardens for a future visit. Around about now they should be exhibiting their full glory. The green trellises were covered in thousands of tiny green buds. In June there are concerts held in the garden at 5.pm, called "Fragrance of Music" - that should be wonderful!     The gardens popularity is shown in the number of benches provided to look out on the wide expanse of rolling lawn and trees.    Now what kind of baby rides in this pushchair?  Answer: A very much loved pussycat! His owner, an elderly lady was sitting quietly on a bench keeping one eye open for any movement of the white handkerchief, meaning Mr. was on the move!  The little church near the garden entrance.  When we left the gardens it was lunchtime and we bought freshly made baguettes stuffed with ham, cheese etc. at a large supermarket opposite the train station. Earlier, when we arrived we had coffee at a nearby cafe` but wanted to get the first train back and head for Parc Vincennes without delay. To follow...Afternoon exploring the intriguing Abandoned garden of desolation Kerouac showed us in a post during March this year. |
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Post by auntieannie on Jun 19, 2012 17:11:15 GMT
nice pics, Tod!
aaah, Rosa gallica... a wonderful plant that is used in herbal medicine.
When you mentioned bus rides in Paris, it reminded me of my 1994 trip there. Since we were going to visit the area for about 10 days, we decided to spend the first day on a tourist bus ride. there were half-day and full-day tours. It was an excellent way of getting to know the monuments and earmarking the areas of interest for the days where no specific activity was planned. Obviously, our more seasoned Paris visitors don't need that as you know what you want to see!
Looking forward to more pictures.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2012 17:13:47 GMT
Oh, if only more visitors to Paris were as intrepid as you instead of walking around like sheep! (Of course I might end up hating it, because I'm sure you discovered how many places you can have all to yourself because nobody goes there, and they might start filling up. Then again, if it took some pressure off the major tourist sights which I am now obliged to avoid like poison, perhaps everybody would be happy.)
I'm looking forward to finding out what you did next, although I do know an incredibly nice thing you did at my local fish market.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 19, 2012 18:16:06 GMT
Auntieannie, You would be the perfect person to ask what can I do with packets and packets of tiny dried rosebuds?! Bought in error but I'm loathe just to turf them out.
About the bus. I have never taken a tourist bus in Paris - like the hop on hop off kind, probably because of a man by the name of Robespierre (RIP). He gave wonderful information on all the local buses and routes in Paris on the Fodors Board.
The tourist buses aren't cheap but if you buy the Paris Visite Card which allows you unlimited access to the metro and buses, you can see the whole of Paris and beyond for a fraction of what it would cost on a tourist bus.
We have often just hopped a bus and ridden it to the end of the line and back. Take my advice via Robespierre, and use the local transport if you are ever in Paris again. You won't regret it!
Kerouac - Thanks for being so enthusiastic about this photo-essay!
Much appreciated. Yes, I will carry on tomorrow and I think you are going to be surprised at what we found in the Desolation Garden.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 19, 2012 18:54:57 GMT
Words fail, Tod!
Really, you tell such a wonderful story, it's almost like being right there with you. As always, you include not only the beautiful pictures, but fun ones, surprising ones, and those essential to fleshing out the story.
Can't wait for more!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2012 19:06:01 GMT
Isn't it amazing not to have seen a single "monument" in these photos? And yet the report is enthralling!
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Post by lola on Jun 19, 2012 19:21:32 GMT
Excellent, tod. So far off it that one forgets there IS a beaten path. Tod venutures to places even K himself hasn't gone!
I'd like to hear favorite bus routes worth riding to the end.
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Post by auntieannie on Jun 19, 2012 20:10:12 GMT
oh, I did use the metro and RER when in Paris (and other large cities I visited)! I am a bit of an extravagant visitor and like to mix touristy activities with non-touristy ones if I have the time and money to do so. Otherwise it is only non-touristy activities on the menu!  TOD! tell me more about your dried rosebuds! any clue such as scientific name? |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jun 19, 2012 21:23:01 GMT
This is fantastic tod. I love it. Most original Paris trip report ever. Thanks for introducing me to the Île-Saint-Germain and although I've ridden through L'Haÿ-les-Roses I knew nothing of the history and I completely missed the Rose garden that is its namesake. You saw so much that so many will never see and it's just a short tram/bus/métro ride from the city center. I've been thinking about doing some bike tours to the suburbs because not only can I bike to them from Paris (no need to put bikes on trains) but there is so much to see for those who are a little different. And it's so refreshing to see someone happily enjoying a MacBaguette and Léon de Bruxelles and not one of the 50 Parisian restaurants that have been officially certified on a travel forum. I'll be reading your next installments.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 20, 2012 9:41:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2012 10:53:35 GMT
Oh, exciting! Actually, I am sorry to say that those "campers" in both the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne are permanent residents -- homeless vagabonds for the most part and also some runaways. Social services keep an eye on them and visit regularly -- and of course they also try to convince them to accept official social housing, but just like everywhere, certain people are mentally unable to fit into the system.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 20, 2012 12:20:18 GMT
Lola - I am not sure if Robespieres posts on Fodor's still exist. He sadly passed away unexpectedly having had cancer. You may be able to find them if you put is name or even a short title "Bus Routes in Paris", may reveal something. Also, you can see all the bus routes if you Google them under RTP (I think?)
Bixa - Thank you. I'm glad you are coming along for the ride!
Auntieannie - The packet says: " a` conserver a` fabri de la lumiere dans un endroit sec et frais"
Then in big letters: ROSE Boutons
Then in small black print:" E`n Europe, les bouton de rose s'utilisent en decoration ou dans la confectiondes pots pourris, en orient ils s'incorporent dans les ras el hanout" 50g ESPIG Bonnes Epices.
FMT - Thank you for the kind words. We are not 'foodies' as such but do like tasty well prepared meals. We've had our share of disappointments and rubbish fare in some bistros and cafe`s, but on the whole survive quite well. I do like some of the bigger restaurants like Le Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon. I went about 4 years ago on a 'all girls night out' and took my husband there this time.
Kerouac - glad you are finding it interesting because it's YOUR city and we are just intrepid visitors ! ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2012 14:20:03 GMT
Let me interrupt just a second to tell you what you could have discovered traipsing through the less frequented pathways in the Bois de Vincennes. Last week, somebody found some body parts and then dogs found other body parts. Chinese body parts...  The mystery was quickly elucidated. A local Chinese couple had been watching the baby of another Chinese couple. The baby died (sudden infant death syndrome or something worse? we'll never know). The parents were considerably upset by this death and there were heated words between the two couples (I can imagine!). The mother ended up sticking a knife in the arm of the other woman to show her displeasure, but then the other woman's husband grabbed a meat cleaver and killed both of the other people. I don't know if they were professional butchers or if all Chinese have these cutting instruments at hand. So anyway, they chopped up the bodies and then left the pieces in the Bois de Vincennes. As for the baby, he just was put in a garbage bag and taken out with the rubbish. The couple decided that they had perhaps made a mistake and it might be a good idea to leave the city. So they flew to China. However, they were overcome with remorse and flew back to Paris and turned themselves in to the police, which is why the case is already solved. I now return you to your regularly scheduled programme.  |
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 20, 2012 14:42:27 GMT
This is an incredibly enjoyable report, Tod! So nice seeing more pictures of the "Gardens of Desolation." I also like seeing Rue Denoyez and its constantly changing walls.
That McD meal paired with wine looks rather tasty. So do those sea bass steaks you cooked. I'm getting hungry!
Sorry you had to put up with the racket caused by the idiots who destroyed the toilet, but I'm glad you snapped the before and after pics. Makes a good vacation story.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 20, 2012 15:23:14 GMT
Oh! My! Word! Kerouac!! You are quite right about 'it could have been me' tripping over those parts when I ducked into the bush for a desperate pee! Many years ago I did the same thing in Bois de Bologne and was horrified when the little path leading to a secluded spot was strewn with used condoms...... I believe everything they say about it being a pick-up area after dark! Nycgirl - you're very kind and its appreciated! How are the Kruger plans going? |
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Post by nycgirl on Jun 20, 2012 16:40:18 GMT
What a tragic, horrifying story, Kerouac! You're not really selling the Bois de Bologne right now.
Tod, still in the beginning stages, but I'm so excited to start planning.
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Post by auntieannie on Jun 20, 2012 17:16:33 GMT
Yes, the "garden of desolation" - which should be renamed the garden of tranquillity in my opinion is well worth several reports. Thank you for braving the less trodden areas of Paris !
I have seen your info re flower buds and will let you know. Also if they are incorporated in Ras-el-hanout... they should be edible as such. Don't they candy these things? Maybe I should reply in another thread so it doesn't clog your highly entertaining Paris photo essay.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 21, 2012 7:49:38 GMT
We are really settling down in this part of Paris and getting to know the restaurants and shops around us. Some discoveries are not that good - Like the small bar just around the corner below the apartment. It's a younger generation hang-out and because its so small most of the people are drinking and partying in the street. The noise levels are really high every night and well into the early hours. We have not met any other occupants of the building but can hear people moving around, taps turning on and off, smell of food cooking etc., but never even passed anyone on the stairs. Oh! those stairs......became a real challenge everyday when dragging my weary body home! Remind me to NEVER take an apartment 4 flights above the ground level! I did catch a glimpse of our next door neighbors on two occasions. The night the election results were announced I heard a God Almighty scream and shouting coming from next to us. A group of men then dangled out of the window going totally berserk and lobbing beer bottles onto the cars below. The other occasion was when I could hear repeated coughing for 15 minutes then it stopped. I happened to peer out of the window and noticed a man leaning out of the window next door, puffing on a cigarette. Later that day he was in the street with another man and appeared drunk as he made lecherous comments to any girls walking past. A good discovery was made in an electrical shop in a street at the end of our block, namely JP Timbaud - I found that immersion heater we discussed on AnyPort! Now I can make hot water for tea or coffee every morning when I stay at The Ibis on future visits! DAY 7 - 8th May It's a perfect sunny day for walking around Paris. Starting off from Blvd Richard Lenoir we saunter along the canal St Martin, staying under the shady trees.  ![]() imageshack.us/a/img406/4348/img1657small.jpg[/img]There's a never ending stream of pleasure craft coming and going, together with the fascination of all the mechanics that operate this brilliant canal.    A movie on the Canal St Martin road bridge in action: At the junction of the canal and Rue De Lancry we make a detour to see the lovely old shuttered windows of the shops and restaurants. Kerouac has a detailed post on these places.  This is La Patache, 60 Rue De Lancry and one of the old authentic bistros of Paris. It was here long before the bobo invasion of the Canal St.Martin and finding it required some effort in the days before the Hotel du Nord appeared out of nowhere to transform the neighborhood. Unfortunately it only opens at 6pm in the evening so I wasn't able to see if the old heating stove is till sitting in the middle of the room with its funnel reaching up into the ceiling like a periscope on a submarine. It leaves me with something for next time   Next door you'll find a very nice patisserie.  Further along in rue Marseilles, an old fashioned boulangerie.  With the best part of a morning gone we have reached Quai De Valmy. With the lunch hour approaching at noon we decide to get a table at Le Chaland while they are still available. Taking up a position facing the canal we order drinks and happily sit there until an unexpected shower of rain has us changing places for an inside table. Le Chaland is well known to me having called in at least once on every trip to Paris. It's a small place that serves good home-cooked food.     The passing Parade ; Our delicious lunch!  More later.... |
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Post by bjd on Jun 21, 2012 8:04:40 GMT
I'm getting here late to say I appreciate your pictures of your trip to Paris, Tod.
About the street noise under your apartment -- you are renting in a rather hipster neighbourhood and since the no smoking rules have come in, people going to bars tend to smoke and make noise outside. I believe it has become a rather common complaint in buildings located in areas like that, where there are lots of small bars and cafés.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 21, 2012 12:22:51 GMT
bjd - I still have some way to go so please come back again! Yes, I agree the 'No Smoking' ban has added to the woes of residents. Unfortunately when choosing an apartment you only get to see the good side. I did know it was 4 floors up, but reckoned we would only negotiate them on the upward direction once a day, but even that was agony at times! The bar downstairs was unexpected.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 21, 2012 15:13:35 GMT
DAY 7 Continued...... We take our leave of this very pleasant spot on Quai de Valmy with its happy band of patrons all enjoying themselves.  Not too far ahead find ourselves walking underneath the enormous girders of the Metro Jaure`s.  This is where we do a detour down Rue Armand and into Rue de Meaux., and eventually into Rue Petit. I enquire at Paristory, Aux Delices de Maxime and Akol to see if any of them served a cheese blintze. No-one did but at Akol they told me I would probably get it at the Cacher Picard a few blocks down.  Not a bad deal..  We pass this familiar sight - Oh! No, not another one!  What the hell is this lying on the sidewalk? Looks like those pieces of hair orthodox Jewish men have....  I used the loo at this bright and cheerful place.  Eventually we decided to get back to the canal and turned down Rue de L'Ourcq to have a look at the amazing grafitti.          I've always wanted to see this strange building in Avenue Corentin Cariou. It's part hotel, part apartments.  Still under construction, the Tram line - Not sure if it's T1 or T3?  Another restaurant/bistro/bar I've long wanted to visit - but again my luck was out.  Next door is Au Cochon de Lait (the suckling pig) - this restaurant is a vestige from the golden era of Parisian slaughter-houses of La Villette when the neighborhood bistros bore the names of livestock. Other examples are Le Mouton Blanc,(the white sheep) Le Belier d'Argent (the silver ram), Le Cochon d'Or (the golden pig), each specialising in a type of meat. Here the customers were the slaughterers who had lockers in the backroom where they put away their blood-stained aprons. They brought their meat and only paid one Franc and fifty cents for the roasting. The service was handled in a single line and as soon as a table was free, another took his place. To understand this all you have to do is walk through the door. Not today I'm afraid, they're also shut up tight.  Meanwhile back at Bastille the flags are flying in a strong breeze as we make our way home.  Next: Another journey into the countryside as we visit the Medieval town of Provins. |
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