First day unpacking and lunch at Street restaurant not far...OK food Fresh Fish and Black Pasta.
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This is what a French waiter looks like. |
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My 4th floor view. |
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Restaurant Row |
View from 4th floor 80 step walk up...3-5 times a day. Time for a walk and dinner at health food store with Matcha Latte.
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Full Boat |
Lots of exciting things to see and so but tired and hungry so went next door to a very nice small Argentine Restaurant for their Sea Bass special. Got in early enough without reservations and got out just as they were filling up.
Nine o'clock this morning I was in line for my required time to enter the Museum D'Orsay. Long line...I showed the checker my ticket and he explained you have no BarCode. I explained I made the reservation on the internet for the required entry and this is what they sent. He said I could show it at the ticket counter and they will give you the ticket with the barcode. OK but the ticket counter said you were scammed and paid $13 for a reservation with NO ticket so you have to pay again. $15. OK what choice do I have...it said the official museum site?
It was a great museum and about 1pm I ate at their restaurant and continued through the rest of the museum hurriedly.
Sex education in France starts at Puberty and is approched differently than here in the USA.
Street Art for sure...art of the people.
Two views through the window from the top floor. Sacre Coeur Church in Montmarte and the Effiel Tower.
Christ with his 12 Disciples? Not the Last Dinner.
Reminded me of Spanky and Our Gang until I saw Buckwheat in the background.
It was late when I returned and all the restaurants were packed on Friday night. Saw The Empire with some Beef Special. The owner said he had a party of 13 coming inside where I asked to sit...what about that table upstairs overlooking the bar...yeah if ya don't mind. Wine will work and that special you have. Done.
Not the meal I imagined tasty and filling but not healthy.
I did sleep well that night and woke with the Pantheon in mind. I watch Art Concerts on YouTube Music of different artists doing concerts from that beautiful building at the Sorbone and wanted to walk through it. I took the Metro then had to walk a mile and decided to have lunch first at this Vietnemese place. Very nice Pho Beef soup with salad. While eating a was browsing the phone for the Pantheon and discovered they are doing construction and it was closed until Monday! So I visited Notre Dame but still not open to the public. Tons of people were surounded the church and the lines were continuous from the Metro stop and back.
Walked almost all the way back and decided to eat on Restaurant Row with the crowd. Now Saturday and packed but found on seat inside a nice restaurant and had ....Sea Bass..surprise.
My very good French waiter...This dish has Eggplant like mashed potatoes...OK and fish was great.
Love the Olive Oil bottle...
Busy Fish Market across the street. Much nicer than my first Fish Market and I was anxious to take some photos.
All morning to set up these beautiful displays ... all put away in 5 minutes. Returned Sunday but closed.
Every thing I've seen for sale...no matter what was of the highest quality, little or NO plastic, displayed beautifully and served or serviced by professionals. The few times I've visited France...maybe 2 or 3 months total, I've never been impressed with the food or the service until this visit. Supermarts are a joy. All my meals have been mostly excellent and I didn't think that expensive...and no tips or 10%. I've spent up to $180 dinner for 2 but average has been $16 - $35 . Bottles of wine at the market from $3-30 with average around $8. Rent is crazy...HIGH. Metro and trains get you everywhere very cheaply and easily.
I missed the Pompedeaux? Museum..too tired but had to see the Sacre Coeur...one of my favorites...never been this crowded but I wasn't going to climb the 700 steps I think I counted the first time. Second time I noticed few people on the lawn so took a short cut and then the sprinklers came on and I was soaked...they knew! Beautiful first warm day.
I entered these photos 4 times trying to get them in order but the computer having a tantrum...so you are seeing the end of my visit first.
Funicular better than those steps if you want to make it through the day.
Started the day at "Journey" next door breakfast place...so good I ate 2 breakfasts. First was a great Egg dish and the second was Rigotta Pancakes with fresh squeezed Grapefruit Juice and Pumpkin Spice Latte. Their background music is the band Journey! I was tired and hungry again so tried another place close to the last and enjoyed a Fresh Veal Cutlet with Pasta.
Seems funny...Boy Scouts on the Metro with Camping Gear I wish we had Berets...our hats were dorky.
Another French Waiter.....
Very unusual couple. She/He in a Kimona with a Rad Hair Style and one large gold square Oriental Ear Ring and another round gold one the circumference of the Softball in the other? Got to hand it too them. He straight conservative?
I had to wake at 8:30 so I could be out by 10 am to attend a Grand Mural Tour with Guilia who is an authority on Street and Wall Art. Right on time she met me at the Place d'Italia with another man a bit younger than me from LA, a lady from Ohio, and a woman from Florence Italy. Just the 5 of us which was nice. We broke for lunch then went on another hour or so...the best till the last. Opposite sequence again.
These were the first two painted on Mail Boxes by a famous artist that Giulia said was from Paris. A lot of the large Murals on buildings are commissioned and were done by well know artist in this field that come from all over the world and the US. They tend to be more polished but don't always reflect the area like an artist they grew up there. The first ones you saw were in a fenced in compound under a super 8 intersection of 5 lanes highways that the artists protect and watch over. They let us in and one showed me some of his video on the phone he does also. All those were locals and have more meaning. In the early days they had to keep an eye for the police, so it was difficult for them. We all managed the Metro home and I had my last dinner in Paris. Beef Bourgonone and had Chocolate Mousse and Apple Congac...to celebrate. Tomorrow I send you this and start a new post from Marsailles where I am now.
I was supposed to attend a book signing tonight but after all day in the Museum D'Orsay and running in circles...I went out to eat at a local Pub called The Empire...they had a reservation of 13 coming so stuck me in the bird's nest overlooking the bar for Steak and Pasta with wine. Not bad but service and staff were fantastic.
First day I checked out the neighborhood and got my feet wet by taking the subway to the Museum so I would know how because I had a reservation and if you are late they cancel it.
Today I spent at the Museum. Exhausting. Losing track of time and days so will only write notes then add photos and info later.
Saturday I left to see the Pantheon at the Sorbonne. When I exited the Metro Notre Dame was right in front of me so took some photos. Then stopped on the way to the P to have lunch at a nice VN Pho and salad...the Pantheon was closed until Monday when I go on tour so came home showered...warmest day so far. Booked trip to Marsaille and tried AirBnB to get a place but failed. The Train ticket changed last minute so had to pay more then they changed departure to early am. So I tried to change thatand gave up the took the trip to the new Lyon Gare instead of the train from Gare de Nord then returned after 4 transfers convienced I could do it with the big suitcase..Had dinner on the Montorgueil Restaurant Row where Happy Hour starts at 4 at every restaurant. Then passed came home.
Amazed at the amount of smokers and vaporizers, so many young and still the old stuck on the habit. Weather warmed up two days ago. I put away my fleece lined pants and long underwear.
