I should have started off my first report with a big thank you to everyone who helped me. I had many questions answered before I asked, just from reading your messages. So thank you one and all.
Sunday, April 30
Thank God I brought clean undies and socks in my carryon. Also my makeup and a little travel toothbrush and toothpaste, although the rest of my toiletries were in my checked suitcase. I learned that for ten euros I could have breakfast in the hotel--baguette, croissant, butter, juice, and coffee or chocolat. I opted to walk one block to Paul%26#39;s where Rue de Seine meets Rue de Buci, and had pain au chocolat and chocolat chaud for 4.10 euros. It was crowded but the waitress moved with great efficiency and slapped down the checks almost as soon as she placed breakfasts.
The weather was sunny and beautiful as I walked to Notre Dame, although still chilly enough for me to be grateful for my raincoat. I attended the Gregorian Chant Mass, then toured the church inside, shuffling along with the mass of other tourists. I was hungry and kind of shaky (where is the protein in a bread breakfast?), so I went across the street to have lunch at Les Tours de Notre Dame. It was raining when I left the church.
The cafe was packed and it took a while just to get a menu. I wanted something filling, so I ordered lasagna vegeterriene (12 euros), remembering how delicious veg. lasagna had been at another cafe on my previous visit last summer. I also ordered un (une?) carafe d%26#39;eau, but it took several reminders to the waiter before that came. The lasagna was tasteless and reminded me of the veg. lasagna they serve in the cafeteria in my office building. I%26#39;d eaten it once and vowed never again. I ate most of this because I needed fuel.
After lunch, I walked around the Ile de la Cite following a tour in the Cook%26#39;s guide book. Two houses on Rue Chanoinesse are listed as looking as they would have in the time of Heloise and Abelard. One has a cafe downstairs, and I wish I%26#39;d waited to eat there. I passed through the Sunday bird market which at this time appeared to be birdless, but there were many bird cages and much bird seed, and a smattering of hamsters and mice. Vendors had large umbrellas over their displays since it was still raining.
I walked back to the hotel to dry off, change rooms, and call about my luggage (still missing). I got the key to room 61 and checked it out. It%26#39;s similar in size to the one I have and still has sloping ceilings on the window side, the window is smaller, but it%26#39;s at person level plus it has a view of the top of the Pantheon in the distance. (Looks great at night when it%26#39;s lit.) This room has an updated bathroom, although a large person wouldn%26#39;t do well in it because they put in a basin that%26#39;s a little too large and it almost overlaps the toilet. There%26#39;s also a hair dryer, right outside the bathroom (no electrical plus in the bathroom) and I can stand in the doorway to dry my hair. I switched rooms.
I asked the desk clerk where I could find toiletry items on a Sunday, and he directed me a few blocks toward the river to an ailimentation (not sure of the spelling, one of those small stores run by Muslims). The toiletry items were on a shelf behind the cashier and he didn%26#39;t speak English. I say shampoo and pantomime washing my hair. He plunks shampoo on the counter. I say toothpaste and pantomime brushing my teeth. He plunks toothpaste and a toothbrush on the counter. I decide not to worry about floss for now. I say mouchoir and put my fingers to my nose. He plops a packet of tissues on the counter. I say deodorant and pantomime rubbing under my arms. He gives me a blank stare. He has no idea what I mean, nor do I see any on the shelf behind him. I%26#39;ll just have to shower a lot. I thank my lucky stars I don%26#39;t need tampons.
It was still raining, and I gave up my plan to walk around the Marais district, instead taking in the Cluny Museum. I went there last year with the tour, but I loved this Museum. Of course I visited the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, but what sticks in my mind this time are some large carved altar pieces with panels depicting the life of Christ, such as one that showed the last supper, with the apostles all sitting around a square table. It looked much more like what a supper with friends would be (compared with DaVinci%26#39;s painting), with a few glasses raised and a feeling of camaraderie evident even in the carving. Another panel depicts the circumcision, with a baby standing, his little wooden pecker held out by one elder while another waits with a wooden scalpel at the ready, and many others gathered around. Quite an event apparently.
Walked around the Latin Quarter for a bit and stopped at Le Notre Dame brasserie near Petit Pont for a chocolat crepe and a Coca Light. The crepe came as a flat pancake (not folded) with Nutella syrup over it. Not as good as the ones from the crepe stands.
Went inside St. Severin, then walked a lot more before heading back to the hotel. I had dinner at a restaurant near the hotel called L%26#39;Arbuci on Rue de Buci, which was an elegant place. I started with an aperitif, a coupe de champagne (10.70 euros) and thought of Liz. I don%26#39;t think it would have occurred to me to have one had it not been for her trip reports. I had the 30 euro prix fixe menu, and my first course was a chevre cheese tarte that was very good, then salmon and white rice, along with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (5.5E). (I don%26#39;t know how to get the euro symbol in this post.) For dessert, a waffle with chocolate sauce. I realized it was the third time that day I%26#39;d had chocolate.
Back at the hotel, I called Air France once more. I%26#39;m told they haven%26#39;t located my luggage yet, and I decided that even though the next day was a holiday, I%26#39;d better find someplace where I can buy another top. I figure I can wear my jeans until they stand up by themselves, and I can wash my delicates out each night, but I%26#39;m afraid my top won%26#39;t be dry if I wash it.
I seem to have jet lag, the first time I%26#39;ve had it heading east. I woke up around midnight again and couldn%26#39;t get back to sleep, even though there were no sounds of revelry tonight (I think this window is double paned). I had a headache all day, even before eating all the chocolate, and now it%26#39;s worse. I thought a Benadryl would help, then I remembered I took one last night, and all the rest are in my missing suitcase.
|||
Mary Lou,
What a fun report! I love reading it--it makes me feel as if I lived it with y ou!
Carol
|||
I certainly don%26#39;t want to make light of your dillemma, but wanted to let you know that I actually laughed out loud at your comment about pantomiming at the store, and thanking heaven that you didn%26#39;t need tampons. What a visual :) Hope the rest of the trip goes/went well.
|||
I continue to enjoy reading your report! Truly, it is wonderful to be able to vicariously join your trip (both snaggles and joys) via your pictorial words and observations. I too had to chuckle re the , well....your comments re the relief you did not need tampons! Now, that would have been a conundrum ! Oh, dear about your sleep awakenings/headache! I too prefer street stand crepes over %26quot;indoor%26quot; ones. I left Paris on April 28, so it is fun to read what the weather etc...was doing after my departure!
|||
How delightful it is to read your report, Mimmy! Thank you for keeping me entertained.
|||
Yes MiMi Thank Your Lucky Stars You didn%26#39;t need Tampons.....
Air France, another reason to Hate them.....
|||
I disagree..............It%26#39;s a PITY that you didn%26#39;t need to buy tampons. Your pantomime could have won you an Oscar, and your trip report would surely entitle you to a Pulitzer Prize!!!
|||
Hi Mimmy, what fun to read about your trip. Your deodorant story reminded me of my first trip to Paris when I went to buy some at a pharmacy. Similar acting and a franglais statement of %26quot;day-o-dor- ron%26quot; led to my being handed a stick form of deodorant and then I tried to explain that I wanted a roll on - franglais again %26quot;boule%26quot; and the pharmacist twigged and said %26quot;Ah, le bic%26quot; (as in the pen) and found me a roll on. I am not sure if that is the standard term for roll on deodorant but I could see why she called it that.
|||
I%26#39;m really sorry but I%26#39;m laughing so much about not buying tampons that I%26#39;m secretly (well not secret anymore) hoping that you never get your luggage back. I can%26#39;t wait to read some more of your stories!
What an entertaining report.
PS I do hope you get your luggage back....
|||
Thanks for all your comments. Yes, I did get my luggage back. I%26#39;m such a shy person, I don%26#39;t know what I would have done if I%26#39;d needed tampons. I probably would have hoped to see something like that on the shelf behind the cashier and pointed to that and not...you know.
|||
-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-
This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html
We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Removed on: 4:19 pm, August 15, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment