Tag: Paris

This morning we left our hotel in the La Defense area of Paris and took the Metro to Versailles. Versailles is only about 10 miles from Paris so we didn’t go far.

We did have a minor hiccup today on our travels. When we got on the L train we didn’t realize that the line splits and you need to actually make sure you are on a L train for Versailles. Once we realized that our train was stopping at the wrong stops we knew that we were on the wrong train. We got off, caught the next train back to before the split, and then got on the correct train for Versailles!

We got to Versailles with no further problems. Then we walked to our hotel. Our room wasn’t ready so we went to find coffee. We walked through the market then we had coffee and a baked apple with cream brûlée sauce at a little bistro. It was so good that we decided to make a reservation at the restaurant, Au Petit Marquis, for dinner.

We had timed entry tickets for the palace of Versailles for 4:00 so we were there at 4:00 and toured the palace. The scale and opulence of the palace is pretty amazing. The crowds were pretty amazing too. I’m glad we went but I don’t think I would ever come back.

We had a fabulous dinner at Au Petit Marquis.

Our 4 days in Paris have been a really nice break in our travels. This morning we went to the Carnavalet Museum. It is an enormous, fascinating museum of the history of Paris.

After we left the museum we sat on a bench in Place Des Vosges in the Marais.

Then we had refreshments nearby.

Finally we walked along the Seine before heading back to our hotel.

Paris is a wonderful city.

Duke and I have been to Paris before. So on this trip we aren’t visiting sights like The Louvre or the Eiffel Tower, as wonderful as they are. Instead we are visiting less well known sights. Today we walked through the Bois de Boulogne to the Musée Marmottan Monet.

The Marmottan Museum was started in 1934 when Paul Marmottan gave his townhouse and collection to the Académie Des Beaux-arts. It has what is considered the world’s leading collection of the works of Claude Monet. We also saw there temporary exhibit of the works of Eugène Boudin, the father of Impressionism. I really enjoyed the museum.

Today is May 1st, May Day or Labor Day. It’s a holiday in France so most museums were closed. In fact at least one of the museums I looked at is open every day of the year except January 1, December 25 and May 1.

Not only were many museums closed but also, this part of Europe is having a heat wave. The high temperature in Paris was 83. So we wanted to sightsee in some place shady.

So today we took the Metro to the Père Lachaise Cemetery and did the Rick Steves walking tour. The cemetery was created in 1804 by Napoleon for hygienic reasons to bury people outside the city center. It is an enormous, fascinating cemetery.

In one corner of the cemetery is a wall where in 1871 the last hold outs against the Prussian invasion, the Paris Commune were shot and buried in a mass grave. According to Rick Steves, “ever since it has been a rallying point for workers and unions fighting for workers rights.” Today, for May Day, there was a big rally going on.

We saw several interesting tombs. Rick Steves’ narrative makes them more interesting

From the cemetery we went back to our hotel and rested and then about 7:30 we went back into the center. Notre Dame is open late on Thursday nights and the line wasn’t too long. The cathedral was reopened earlier this year and the renovated interior was light and beautiful. What surprised me about it was how colorful it was.

Next we tried to go to another live music club. There was a long line, it was hot and crowded and we couldn’t see the band so we decided to leave. We found a nice side walk cafe and shared a pizza.

The view of Notre Dame as we walked back to the metro was pretty special.

Wednesday was a long day, but a very successful day. We left Mas Tulipe de Soie a little after 8:00. It is too bad we didn’t have more time in northern Provence. It’s a beautiful area and there seems to be lots to see and do. I would definitely stay at Mas Tulipe de Soie again.

Our drive north to Lyon took us about 4 hours. We stopped to buy croissants and to fill the car with gas before we returned it in Lyon.

We had a bit of trouble figuring out how to get to the rental car return place, but eventually we found it and returned the car.

Our train for Paris was supposed to leave at 1:00 but was delayed about 40 minutes. It was a bit comical. The train platform has video displays telling you where to stand on the platform for your train car. We were in car number 11 so we were at position Z on the platform. Then there was an announcement that the train configuration had changed and we needed to be at the other end of the platform. So everyone switched their position on the platform. Then about 15 minutes later they announced that the train was back to the original configuration and we needed to change places again.

Eventually the train arrived, we got on, found our seats and 2 hours later we were in Paris. I love high speed trains! And then we got an email telling us how to apply for compensation for the delay and now we have a coupon for 29.50 € towards our next train trip.

From Gare de Lyon in Paris we took the Metro directly to La Defense where we are staying in the Hotel Mélia. We have stayed here twice before. Duke always books us a room with a panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc de Triomphe, and Montmartre. And the Mélia has quick and easy access to Metro line 1.

We rested for a few hours and had complimentary tapas for dinner in The Level Lounge which is an added benefit with our room. Later we took the metro into the center and went to a 10:30 show at Le Duc Des Lombards jazz club. We saw JustKing Jones and his band. It was wonderful.