FRANCE: Paris – My Favorite Big City
I began my travels on 1/1/2015 with the goal of traveling for five years, and reaching my 100th. country within that time period. Five years was chosen because of the original Star Trek’s five year mission parameter, and 100 seemed like a good, substantive round number.
If there has been any guiding principle to my travels thus far, it would have to be the arts. Fine arts, music, architecture, local and pop culture, cinema, design, and cuisine have presented myriad manifestations which change from region to region within individual countries.
Since my voyage began I have visited Paris at least once per year. I’ve been especially looking forward to this years visit since I will be celebrating my 100th. country landmark in my favorite city on earth, and that will take place in the restaurant seen below. It is most apropos for the occasion as it symbolizes travel in that it is housed in a railway station.
Le Train Bleu – Belle epoque restaurant in the Gare de Lyon
If you doubt that this restaurant is in a train station, take note of the brass luggage racks above the banquette seating.
Life is a sumptuous buffet for the world traveler. Here in Paris you can follow the footsteps of great artists, writers, or kings by day, and in the evening dine at a Belle Epoch restaurant in a train station where the paintings, gilding, and baroque woodwork would make Louis XIV feel right at home. It’s essentially a little palace in a train station where you can dine for less than a king’s ransom. Paris never fails to surprise. Rest assured, the aforementioned Le Train Bleu restaurant in the Gáre de Lyon is not my typical dining experience. Much like the occasional four-star hotel, these indulgences are much more infrequent than my litany of low cost lodgings and inexpensive meals.
Many of the hostels in Europe have been delightful, leading to friendship and adventure. Also inexpensive food in strange lands can yield great value, variety and tasty results. An amazing meal in a European city need not require a lot of cash or a Michelin Star, even in Paris. In addition to dining, there is a top class hostel in a super location that offers a bed in a two bed dorm for $45 a night with an ensuite bathroom. Add on dining, sightseeing and a metro pass, and you can enjoy the City of Lights for less than a weekend in Vegas. In Las Vegas you might end up with a cheap room in the Paris Hotel with its spurious Eiffel Tower and other not quite so French accoutrements. Wouldn’t it be better to see the real thing instead of wandering around a cultural black hole in the middle of the desert? If you happen to be a gambler you could even lose that trip to Paris in the first few hours. So come to the real City of Lights instead since I believe wholeheartedly that everyone on earth should visit Paris at least once in their lives.
So if prolonged travel or even short term travel have seemed out of reach, there are many ways to make these things much more accessible. If you approach things from the mentality of a world traveler your costs will plummet. I always looked at travel expenses through the lens of a once yearly, please the wife, over the top extravaganza complete with shopping spree. Obviously using this metric forced me to dismiss out of hand the possibility of the kind of travel that I wanted to do.
Figure out what type of thinking prevents you from realizing your dreams of travel. Every fear or argument you have likely has a solution. Start small. You will find that there are hundreds of travel blogs that address the needs of literally all kinds of travelers and the challenges they might face. Choose the destination that best suits your maiden voyage. It might be the country of origin of your family, a city you’ve always dreamed of visiting or just a place that has always resonated with you. Then just plan out your time according to your tastes, and set a budget for your trip. I call this travel foreplay, and with a travel guide and/or Google, it can be an enjoyable experience that yields fantastic results. It is so fulfilling to find little gems during your research only to have them exceed expectations upon arrival.
Most people dream of more travel and adventure in their lives. The majority of deathbed regrets involve people’s deep remorse over not having traveled more in their lives. I decided not to become one of those, and that my granddaughters would have an interesting Grandpa to tell them real tales of adventure using my blog as an all purpose bedtime story. My grandkids will be regaled with tales of strange creatures, giant caves, dragon festivals, bizarre foods and beautiful castles which will hopefully inspire their own dreams of travel. If they start to get bored with my yarns, I can always tell them about evil taxi drivers or the malevolent Croatian who tried to run me down with a giant bus (pictures included).
As usual I make a bee line for the Saint-Michel metro stop. As you can see from the wall, the place is still torn up. I was here six months ago, and there has been no progress.
Thankfully the art nouveau entrance is at street level is in good shape.
So is my omelette as I watch the world go by on the Boulevard Saint-Michel.
The Jardins des Luxembourg are much warmer and pleasant than when I was here in March.
GALERIES LAFAYETTE
C3P0 & CHEWBACCA – BY THE STREET ARTIST SPACE INVADER
RUE MOUFFETARD MARKET
L’ILOT VACHE – A charming restaurant on the Isle St. Louis filled with flowers, good food and happy diners. I’ve been coming here for almost twenty years.
MAGRET DE CANARD – IN RASBERRY SAUCE
CROSSING THE BRIDGE TO THE ISLE DE LA CITE
WALKING OFF A LITTLE BIT OF THAT DUCK DINNER
LATIN QUARTER – FRIDAY NIGHT
CARROUSEL DU LOUVRE – UNDERGROUND SHOPPING MALL ADJACENT TO THE LOUVRE
MY ADVICE WOUD BE TO SKIP THE LOUVRE, CHECK OUT THE STORES, AND WALK TO THE MUSÉE D’ORSAY INSTEAD. THAT WILL AFFORD YOU A NICE STROLL THROUGH THE TUILERIES, AND YOU WILL STILL HAVE AMPLE TIME FOR THE ORANGERIE’S AMAZING MONETS JUST A SHORT WALK AWAY. THE MUSÉE D’ORSAY OFFERS A COMBO TICKET FOR BOTH MUSEUMS AT A REDUCED RATE SO YOU WILL SAVE TIME AND MONEY AND AVOID THE HORRENDOUS CROWDS AT THE LOUVRE. YOU CAN ALWAYS ENJOY THE BUILDING FROM THE OUTSIDE.
JARDIN DE TUILERIES
A PORTION OF THE LOUVRE
THE SAILBOATS ARE BACK IN THE TUILERIES!
EGYPTIAN OBELISK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLACE DE LA CONCORDE
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Quentin GAREL – Vertebrata – 2016
10 Comments
jason
August 17, 2018Hey John, I have been off line for a while and had lots of catching up to do. Lots of good stuff. Amazing amount of pictures from Melbourne. And some beauties from Fiji as well. When Tonya and I were in Fiji we were taxied over to pay our respects to the chief and to share some of the Kava. You depict it perfectly based on what I remember. The sweaty chief was ringing out kava in what could have been mistaken for a old sock into our drinking bowls. I think Tonya almost passed out due to the combination of unpleasantness. Or maybe it was me. Picture a sweat lodge with a brown water chaser. It was funny because I was expecting something along the lines of a Hawaiian luau. Not so much. None the less we were later treated to a fabulous snorkel spot which featured the clearest water I have ever encountered. It was like swimming in Evian. Good memories of Fiji, I will check in later to see how you are getting on in France. Au revoir.
The Travel Zealot
August 18, 2018Hi Jason,
Damn, I wish I had seen your snorkeling spot. Most of what I saw was borderline rubbish. Of course you were there quite a while ago, a lot of damage has occurred since then. Count yourself lucky. Next year I’m off in search of some decent diving in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. For now, I am diving for duck here in France. Hopefully all the walking I am doing will keep me from gaining pastry weight.
jason
August 23, 2018Enjoyed strolling through Paris with my old pal tonight. So funny how I can totally enjoy your day to day experience after a long day in the salt mines. Looking very comfortable in your favorite city. No ducks are safe! Check back in soon.
BigD
August 24, 2018That omelette on the Boulevard Saint-Michel, is how I imagine i’d spend the bulk of my trip if I ever make it back to Paris. Looks so good.
I wonder if you think you’ll ever make it into the Louvre. Is it the crowds you’re avoiding primarily or just the fact that it’s such a touristy thing to do?
The Travel Zealot
August 25, 2018Big D,
There is one common denominator in all my visits to Paris in my adult life and that is my omelette at “Le Départ” on the Boulevard St. Michel just around the corner from where we set off those fire crackers in the Latin Quarter all those years ago. However, I would recommend spending a short time in Paris and making a beeline for the Loire Valley where I am currently ensconced.
It is one of the most striking, bucolic and romantic places on the face of the earth. There are even things here that will interest your little girl when she’s got a few more years on her. I recommend a pony ride in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. You’ll probably want to wait until she’s seven or eight so she’ll remember the trip. I have memories that I’ll never forget from childhood.
At some of the chateaux they have special spectacles that they put on involving people dressed in Medieval costumes and projecting images on the castles. In fact, you will see some of this on my Loire Valley post. This is a magic place and I encourage you to put this one on your list. If your in laws haven’t done it, I think they would be blown away as well. Just ask your Mom. It was her favorite trip ever! At least up until the time we split up. When the time comes, I can be most helpful in taking the guesswork out of an amazing visit to the Loire.
As regards the Louvre, I visited it when I was eight years old and saw the Mona Lisa. The Louvre houses mainly older oils and such, and I prefer the modern art of the Musée D’Orsay. I have had a strange reaction to those older oils since I was a child. I get bored, and my palms swell up and start to itch. It’s very strange and was even happening this year. I plan to give the Louvre another shot, but it would be first thing in the morning in the off season so I can get an unimpaired view of the Mona Lisa as an adult.
Here’s an interesting fact that I learned last night at the Château d’Amboise. Leonardo Da Vinci brought the Mona Lisa to France as a gift to King Francois. As you are probably aware, Da Vinci came to spend his last three years in Amboise as the bequest of the King. His Villa is open to the public with models of many of his inventions on display. In fact, he is buried in the chapel of the Château D’Amboise and there is a statue honoring him in the gardens. Given your affinity for Leonardo, a trip to the Loire and Amboise in particular would seem an obvious choice.
The Travel Zealot
August 25, 2018Hey Jason,
I’m just getting warmed up. Get ready for a serious dose of the Loire Valley. It is a place every sensibly romantic guy needs to bring his lady. You probably got some exposure from last years trip, but I’m tallying up some of the of the lesser known chateaux along with some other features this time around. The real duck carnage begins in the Dordogne which is the foie gras capital of the world.
Karen Devers
August 28, 2018Seeing your photos of Paris brought back my time there with you. It was such an amazing few days and I’m so grateful for your guidance through the city, and for sharing so many of your favorite places. And the duck . . . Mon dieu, the duck! If you really want to torture us, post a photo of the pastries!
I’m glad we avoided the Louvre and went to the other museums. I’ve related the story of witnessing the Monet murals and bursting In to tears. Just one of many amazing and thrilling Paris experiences.
The Travel Zealot
August 28, 2018Absolutely Karen,
Paris never gets old. Restaurants come and go but some things just stay the same. I have neglected the pastry shots lately. Thanks for reminding me. After I get done with the Loire Valley and the Dordogne, I’ll finish up with five days in Paris. I think I’ll make a point of going to Le Train Bleu on my last night to celebrate my 100 properly. The Jardin du Luxembourg was really beautiful this time.
Karen Devers
September 2, 2018Yes, definitely have a fabulous meal at Le Train Bleu!
The weather here has been delightful, mid 70s and low 80s. Perfect for dog walks and reading on the deck. I’ve planted my fall veggies: kale, spinach, beets, and lettuce.
The Travel Zealot
September 10, 2018Karen,
Glad the weather’s been good. I didn’t get to Le Train Bleu, but I am going after I return from the Dordogne.