Fig2. Petit Trianon access map. Google Earth

Fig1. Chateau Versailles access map. Google earth

OUTINGS.

1) Visit to the Le Petit Trianon- The Domain of Marie Antoinette.

Took the RER from St Michel to the Versailles Rive Gauche. (Note do not get off at Viroflay Rive Gauche which is 2 stops earlier, also the RER ticket is required to get out of the station).
To get to the Chateau of Versailles go out of the front of the station. Sign across street show turn right and then left see red route in Fig1.
We did not go inside the main Chateau as we had previously visited it 3 years ago and would have found it too much to see both the Palace and le Petit Trianon in the one day as they are quite far apart and there is a lot to see. Last time in visiting Versailles we had a ticket to see the state apartments of the kings and queens. This is well worth doing as the group is smaller, the extra rooms including the chapel are very interesting and there are far fewer people. Also our guide was very good. The Palace can be very crowded with long queues for the tickets, so it is advisable to book them in advance. E.g. on line http://billetterie.chateauversailles.fr/online/index.aspx or FNAC or official tourist offices ( see earlier parts).

ii) So as we arrived at the main entrance to the Chateau (in the centre of the courtyard) we asked the attendant “which is the way to the Le Petit Trianon ?”. Go through the iron side gates and through the 2^nd grille on the left”. So we walked about 0.5 km down the road, Fig2 red line, found the grill leading to a park. The Trianon was located another 1.5km along a road. Had we instead ignored the attendant’s advice and gone in the opposite direction and walked 150m through the arch on the left and into the gardens behind the Chateau see Fig2 blue line, we could have a) Caught the small road train, b) hired a buggy or c) walked through the enchanting gardens to get to the Petit Trianon.
It reminded me of the brain teaser;  What should the question be to find the direction when approaching an intersection with a signpost with two men, one who cannot tell a lie and the other who cannot tell the truth.
Anyway, the Le Petit Trianon was pretty but it did not have the impact or opulence found in the king and queen apartments in the Chateau itself, or of the rooms of Napoleon III in the Louvre.

We had lunch at Restaurant Le Saint Julian; 6 Rue St Julian,  a small street some 300m on the left before the gates of the Chateau (see Fig1). Food: excellent, ambiance Vgood, stone interior, service: good.

Fig4. Monet painting at l' Orangerie

Fig3. Concert in St Julien le Pauvre

2)Went to an evening recital of the Ava Marias, Amazing Grace and other gospel songs, in St Julien Le Pauvre, St Michel,  a Greek catholic church and one of the oldest churches in Paris. It was magnificent, Fig3. The singer had a beautiful melodic voice and the surroundings were great. The church has evening concerts through the summer and can be booked on line at www.concertinparis.com, or the tickets can be purchased at the church 1 hour before the recitals. Doors open 15 min before the recital, on a first come first choice basis.

Fig5. Photographing the Mona Lisa

Museums.

i) Went to the L’ Orangerie, to see the large Monet Paintings, Fig4. We were surprised to find a hallway downstairs full of Renoirs, Cezannes, Van Gophs and more Monets.

ii) Went to the Louvre again. The Louvre was changing its entries to allow faster access. It closed all the ticket holders’ entries and opened a special entrance for groups and one for friends of the Louvre (see part1) at the pyramid. The normal queues were very long, but the one for the Friends of the Louvre had no queue. So best check on the situation before visiting. We went to see the opulent apartments of Napoleon III and again the Mona Lisa. It is always crowded, and unbelievably popular. I was trying to get a photograph of the people photographing the Mona Lisa but it was very difficult. Tried to get it by using a telephoto lens from the back of the crowd using a monopod to lift the camera above the heads but the guard did not approve.
iii) Went to le Petit Palais. It is a pleasant establishment with objects of art and paintings including a few Monets and Pissarros, but taken as a whole, it does not compare well with the Louvre (e.g. the apartments of Napoleon III) or the Musea “Dorsay.

Fig9. l'Oblisque

Fig7.Picnic on the Pont des Arts

Fig8. Les Gendarmes

Fig6.Bridges of Paris

WALKING HIGHLIGHTS

i) It was a beautiful Sunday morning and we walked along the Seine. There were a few runners and some lone walkers Fig6. Later in the day people were picnicking on the Pont St Andre des Arts Fig7, Students were painting the Seine and a troop of mounted Gendarmes appeared in full regalia along the Grand Augustine Quai Fig8, their horses leaving their mark along the road.
ii) Also did the compulsory walk along the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the L’ Obelisque at the Place de La Concorde. Fig9.
ii) The next Sunday walked to the Jardin de Luxemburg, a formal park, with pond and stone walkways, where people stroll or run or have a picnic under the trees. There was a high school band which provided entertainment and set the atmosphere for the park.

Fig11. Place des Vosges

Fig 12. Le Buci cafe scene

Fig10. The Magician

iv) Exiting Metro Anvers and walking towards the funicula to Sacre Coeur, we stopped and watched the magicians hypnotize onlookers out of their money Fig10.

v) Went to the Place des Vosges in the Marais, with its passage of long arches and botique side shop Fig11.
vi) And there always was the cafe scene in le Buci Fig12.

FOOD, Cheeses, cakes and bread.

Paris is the place to be for the quality of bread, the variety of cheeses and the art of making cakes. So I went to sample the cheeses at this small Fromagerie in Rue St Louis en l’ile 75004 Paris.

Fig14. Cakes as art

Fig13. la Fromagerie

I choose one from the window that looked the most interesting Fig13. It was good but I wouldn’t go back to find out its name. Then went to sample the gorgeous looking cakes displayed in the window of Gerard Murot, cnr 76 Rue de Seine, 2 Rue Lobineau, 75006.  They are works of art, Fig14 and taste good.

RESTAURANTS.

Had Lunch at the following Restaurants:
i)Ze Kitchen Gallarie, 4 Rue Grand-Augustins 6^earr. (Booked 2 days in advance)
Cuisine: Asian fusion.  Food: excellent plus. All my dishes had complex flavours and textures. Portions were  small. I note there have been mixed reviews with this restaurant. I looked at other plates and some did not appeal as much.

Fig16. le Zinc Mains

Fig15. Le Zinc entree

Entree Fig15 : Linguini, crab, poutargue (salt preserved caviar of mullet or tuna), Thai bisque.
Main Fig16. Confit (slow cooked), and, grilled suckling lamb, peas, galangal and condiments, chorizo and tarragon jus.
Dessert. Orange cake, and pineapple jam, green lemon and coconut ice-cream.
Above 3 course menu 46 Euros.
Ambiance: modern-bright, a little cramped. Service good. Dress: smart casual.

ii) Buddha Bar George V Fig17, 8/12, rue Boissy d’Anglas
75008 Paris.  Food: Asian fusion, Good-Vgood, Ambiance: exotic.  Service: Vgood. Fig17. Booked 2 day in advance.

iii) Le Procope Fig18, 13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comedie, 75006, although there is a front entrance off Rue Mazarine. This is purported to be one of the oldest cafes in Paris, opening in 1687, and is in a number of tourist books as the holy grail of Parisian cafes. It should be noted that there are two levels, one downstairs and arranged as a Parisian Bistro with the usual close tables, and upstairs  (“the main restaurant”) arraigned as a spacious and elegant salon, for which reservations should be made in advance. Food: good-Vgood. Ambiance: Vgood.

Fig18. Le Procope

Fig17.Buddha Bar

iv) La Jacobine. 59 rue Saint-Andre-des-Arts, 75006 Paris. This restaurant has a reasonable review in tripadvisor, but our tangine dishes of lamb and mine of duck, were disappointing with the duck tough. Other customer’s dishes seemed better. So Food: average-good. Ambiance: OK, service slow.

v) Les Editeurs. 4 Carrefour de l’Odéon 75006 Paris. Food :Good-Vgood. Ambiance Good-Vgood with books available for reading.seating comfortable. Service good. Relatively expensive for the food quality.

1) Carcassonne.

Fig2. Castle of Carcassonne

Fig1. Carcassonne. (Carcassonne tourism poster)

Fig3. Streets of Carcassonne

Went 3 days to Carcassonne, an intact fortified medieval walled city Fig1, situated in the French province that borders Spain. It is a magnificent complex with the centre piece being a fortified castle with high castellated walls, circular watch towers Fig2, and a deep dry moat inside an historic village of narrow cobble stone streets Fig3. This compact ‘cite’ is further protected by two outer concentric walls with its own towers and barbicans.
And yet, in spite of all this visual superb architecture, there was something missing. It lacked a soul. For there were very few resident locals, the streets being populated by visitors and tourists like me, who, come June, would be shoulder to shoulder.
Took the 0720 TGV from Paris arriving at Carcassonne at 1355. Went to get a taxi, but found the taxi rank is some 200m towards the town centre on the right. En-route found the taxi is not permitted to drive into the Cite during the day, so the driver telephoned the hotel which sent its small car to rendezvous just outside the Cite entrance.
Stayed at the Best Western Hotel located in the centre of the Cite. Note this hotel has two overflow buildings (one 200m away) so rooms can be variable. If arriving late or delayed, it is advisable to ring them as the hotel may otherwise change your rooms. We got a very nice superior room in the main building by booking online (120Euro/n 6 month advance purchase). Inside the walls there is one other hotel, Hotel de la Cite, (5*,V/exp) and an international youth hostel.
The regional specialty is cassoulet with duck, sausage and pork, and served in every cafe and restaurant. It can be very good, but there is a limit to the amount haricot bean one can consume. Had the other lunches in the garden of Chez Saskia. Food: Vgood, ambiance Vgood.

2) Dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

Fig4. main course Restaurant58

Thought we would cut the queues and have a romantic dinner at restaurant 58 on the first level of the Eifel tower and then go to the higher levels and watch the sun set over Paris.
Restaurant 58 is one of the most booked restaurants of Paris and requires reservations for lunch and the 6:30pm evening sitting one to four weeks in advance. This can be booked from its website or purchased from outlets such as FNAC, Bon Marche or as we did from the Office de Tourisme. For their locations see http://www.parisinfo.com/ou-nous-rencontrer/ .  Must still buy a lift ticket half an hour before sitting from restaurant booth located between north and east towers. The Patrons then have a much shorter queue at dedicated lift. Nevertheless there was still an amount of push and shove.
I must admit that that Restaurant 58 did not live up to my expectations both in regards food quality or Ambiance. The main course was vgood Fig 4, the entree and dessert average-good. The ambiance was zero, as the tables are packed close together like a Paris street cafe, and there is little view of the Paris panorama. There are also overtones of a production line as the staff rush to finish this sitting and be ready for the 9pm sitting. The service was good, helpful and friendly.
A romantic occasion? I am afraid not.
Note there is another restaurant, Le Jules Verne, with 1 Michelin star, on the higher second level of the Eiffel tower. Lunch/dinner menu 85 /200Euro.
To get from level 1 to level 2 one can purchase tickets from a machine on level 1 for 7.20 Euros for 2 persons return, using coins or card.  Space is reserved in the lifts to squeeze in persons going higher.

3) Other outings:

Fig5. Sunday picnic on the Seine

i) Did a lot of walking to the tourist areas and we can feel getting fitter.
ii) Went a couple of more times to the Louvre. There is still more to see.
iii) Went to St Chapelle to view the stained glass windows in the upper level. The most spectacular curved windows are illuminated in the morning while the hall and most other windows are brightest in the afternoon.
We avoided the two long queues at security and at the ticket office by purchasing tickets from Bon Marche, but you can get them from other agencies e.g. the Office de Tourisme. There is also a Paris Museum Pass from various outlets.

4) Restaurants.

i) Lunch at Les Bouquinistes a restaurant of Guy Savoy, 53 Quai des grands Augustins, 75006 Paris. 3 course lunch menu with a glass of wine 29 Euro Mon-Fri.  Food: excellent, Ambiance: casual elegant. Service: vgood, friendly. Went in without booking.

Fig6.Crepe flambe au Grand Marnier. Chez Clement

ii) Lunch at the Chez Clement at St Michel. Food: Good, would be better if served hotter. Deserts: Vgood. I am very partial to crepes with flamed Grand Marnier. Fig:  Ambiance: outdoor cafe: good. Service: good.
iii) Lunch at Vagenende, 142 Bld St Germain 6^e arr. Food: average. Ambiance: excellent. Glitzy salon with the bevelled mirrors and the lights. Service: good.

Finally, am hoping for rain so I can get that Paris in the rain photo. But the forecast is for fine weather for the whole five week stay. It’s overcast at the moment and I’ve just noticed a few drops on the footpath. So there is still hope.

Fig2. Main Course

Fg1. le Train Bleu

Week 2.

Highlight 1.

Had lunch at le Train Bleu, a restaurant inside the main railway station of the Gare de Lyon. Built for the 1901 Paris exposition it is furnished in a grand style with crystal chandeliers, ceiling frescos and ornate gilded arches. Into this voluminous Bistro, casually dressed travellers are escorted to their tables while waiters dressed in dinner suits scurry to and from the kitchen with silver food platters held high on outstretched arm.

Fig3. Rhum Baba

It all adds up to an ambiance of opulence and grandeur, a canvas of former regal times. I read le Train Bleu does not rank in the top gastronomical establishments, but for me the food was excellent and good enough to provide an overall memorable experience.
Main Course: Duck done three ways. (fig2)
Dessert: Rhum Baba, served by the waiter pouring rum fig3, and leaving the full bottle as an accompaniment.
Booking:Advisable.
Dress: Smart Casual.

Highlight 2.

Perhaps an even more grandiose experience was the Bolshoi Ballet performance of Flamme de Paris, at the Palais Garnier, an imposing neo gothic theatre with a majestic marble staircase dominating its opulent entrance hall fig4.

Fig5. The Grand Foyer

Fig4. Garnier grand staircase

We made our entrance up the grand staircase, and bypassing the Moet Champagne settled on a pre-performance ice cream with which to mingle with the crowd in the Grand Foyer fig5, a long ornately decorated chamber with pendant chandeliers, painted ceiling friezes and flanked by rows of gilded columns.  If this was the norm for the French court  it is no wonder the French revolution took place. With the bells ringing we hurried to our seats in the huge 2,200 seat theatre, below a massive central chandelier and Chagall painted ceiling. All around the decor was red velvet and gold fig6.
This production of the Flamme de Paris was choreographed to showcase the technical excellence and panache of the Bolshoi’s’ principle performers. It did not disappoint, and ended in a 15min standing ovation.

Fig6.Garnier Auditorium

The prima ballerina performed most of the time on point, with precision and flare, while the principal male demonstrated his virtuoso with the enormous height of his leaps and exaggerated body positions, which reminded me more of the skills performed by gymnasts.
All in all a memorable occasion.

Other Outings.

i)             Went to a performance of Gregorian chants at   Notre Dame. The church was packed, and the wooden pews very hard and uncomfortable. It must have been good as the singers got a good ovation, but it was not for us, as we could not distinguish one chant from the other.
ii)           Went and had ice cream at Berthillion fig7. at 31 Rue St Louis en l’ile 75004 Paris. Many Parisians consider this is the best ice cream in the world. I don’t know if this is true, but it is excellent.
iii)          Went to the Louvre twice more. It will still take some more time to satisfy our demand. Had lunch at the Café du Grand Louvre. Food: average-good.  Ambiance: nil, and noisy.
Also had cake and coffee at the Richelieu. Food :good.

Fig7. Ice cream at Berthillon

Fig8. Chez Plumeau Montmarte

iv)         Went to the Gallerie Lafayette:  not as impressive as 3 years ago, as the lower floor is now filled with sales counters that detract from the overall opulence and ambiance.
v)           Went to Montmartre, near Sacre Coeur, walked around the Place Tertre, took some good photos of  artists and their subjects. Had lunch at Chez Plumeau 4 place du Calvaire just off the place Tertre in a quiet street. Food: good, ambiance  V.Good Fig8.

Other restaurants:

i) Pere et fille,  rue de Buci. Cafe style. Food av-good. Ambiance: OK.
ii) Rotisserie d’ en Face ( the grill room of the Jacques Cagna restaurant). 2 Rue Christine 75006. Hearty traditional french cuisine.  Food: good-vgood. Ambiance neutral.  Service good.
iii) Brasserie du Louvre,  Place du Palais Royal: French traditional. Food: average; Ambiance: Chic Cafe.

This will be our 3rd 5 week stay in Paris.
Dahlia’s objective is to reinforce her Parisian accent.
Les’s Objective is to refine his portfolio of Paris images.
This Paris blog will consist of a number of sections each some 7days long.

Part 1.

SYDNEY TO PARIS TRAVEL REVIEW.

A) Overall Itinerary. Sydney to Paris. London to Svalbard. Svalbard to Sydney.
Booked with Scandinavian Airlines, long haul flights business, regional flights economy.

Sydney to Paris Sectors.

i) Could not check in online on the SAS or Thai air websites.
Sydney -Bangkok with Thai air. 9hr30m, on time. Service on ground: Vgood. Service in Air: excellent. Food: vgood; seat pitch and sleeping; vgood. Sydney lounge is Air New Zealand lounge: good.
Bangkok –Copenhagen SAS. 11hr. On time. Service in air: good. Food: average. Seat pitch and sleeping: excellent. Bangkok lounge is Thai air lounge: average and crowded.
Copenhagen-Paris: economy. 2hr. On time. Service in air average. Seating pitch 30” (my estimate). Must pay for all food and drinks including water.
Arrived at Charles De Gaulle terminal 1. Baggage came out fast. Decided to get TGV (RER B) to Gare du Nord and then taxi to apartment in Rue Mazarine on left bank. Long lines at Charles de Gaulle rail ticket counter, so purchased tickets from automatic ticket machines using credit card. Cost 8.70 Euro and was easy.

Caught express train to Gare du Nord. It was a long way to taxis rank and difficult with luggage. The streets of Paris were crowded and the taxi took 40min to Rue Mazarine. Total cost for 2 persons from airport to apartment was 43 Euro. If one had a lot of luggage like us, it would be much quicker and less hassles to catch a taxi from airport costing around 50Euro. Without luggage one could get the RER train from the airport to St Michel (takes about 30min) and walk remaining distance for a cost of 8.70 Euro per person.

Fig2. Rue Mazarine from le Buci

Fig 1. Location map of Rue Mazarine. Google maps

Our Apartment Location.

We stayed in a one bedroom apartment on the left bank in Rue Mazarine Saint Germain des Pres arrondissement 6, see map fig1. It is an ideal location, being some 500m from the Seine. It is then a short walk over the foot bridge des Arts to the Louvre. In the opposite direction it is 20m to Le Buci with all the open air cafes, another 200m to the Boulevard St Michel and the Odeon metro. In the other diagonal direction it some 600m to the Pont Neuf and the St Michel metro and the Latin Quarter. A little further along the Seine is the Notre Dame Cathedral. So this location is well situated to be part of the Cafe scene.

fig4.Photgraphing the Mona Lisa

Fig3. Louvre ticket holders entrance

The First Six Days in Paris.

i) Purchased a monthly pass for the metro from the Odeon metro ticket officer. This cost 62 Euro per person for Paris and suburbs (zone 1 and 2) and required a passport photo.
ii) Went to the Louvre at 9:30am and joined the large queue through security at the pyramid. Bought a year’s pass from the friend of the Louvre office down the hall from the ticket machines. Cost 45 Euros per person, a passport photo and a Paris address. This allows access to a number of Louvre entrances available only to ticket holders with short or no queues. See figure 3. Considering a single visit cost 14 Euro this is a great buy and provides much less hassles. It also provides 25% discount to other museums e.g. The Musee D’Orsay. Went into the Louvre for an hour: It was jammed packed.
Went three more times to the Louvre, each time for an hour. On the third time when it was not so busy went to see the Mona Lisa. See fig4.

Fig6. One of the dishes

Fig5. Musee D'Orsay restaurant

Walked the streets to reconnect with our old haunts and favourite local restaurants. Of 5 restaurants one had closed, two were under renovations, one had lost the plot, and the other was average.
For breakfast we got a baguette and tart from Pauls or one of the cake shops in Le Buci. For dinner bought some fruit and cheese or meats from a delicatessen in Rue de Buci or Rue Dauphine. Our main meal is at lunch where we sample various restaurants. At lunchtime, the service is fast and friendly, much cheaper than dinner, and for the most part we don’t have to book.
iii) Went to the Musee D”Orsay, to see the Manet exhibition, and the Gauguin, Monet and Van Goph sections. Had lunch at the D’Orsay restaurant, with its great ambiance and excellent food, fig5 &6. Used our Louvre card to get 25% discount, and once inside bought a ticket for the future so can enter via ticket holder door and avoid long queues.

Fig7. Found fromage de Campagne at a Marais cheese shop

iv) Walked to the Marais via Notre dame, and bought some fromage de Campagne a soft farm style cheese (which is hard to find) from the small cheese shop Pascal Beilleuaise near the St. Pauls metro. Then walked down to old Jewish quarter, had coffee at The Philosopher, and lunch at the small Italian restaurant Alivi on Roi de Sicilie, expensive but good, just as we remembered from our last Paris stay.