Paris, France May 14th - 16th, 2010

‘Paris in the springtime.’ This is the one thing that Bonnie had asked of me upon our relo to the UK. Each time they came for a visit, in the spring, we would suggest, let’s go to Rome or Prague? It was only fair that on their last visit before our move back that we took them to Paris in the springtime and did it properly.

On Friday night, we went first class on the Eurostar and enjoyed a lovely meal with proper cutlery, champagne and good conversation. My mom had not been on a ‘real’ train journey before (except to Edinburgh which doesn’t really count, I guess) so we were excited to pay up for a more premium experience.

We arrived into Gare de Nord around 10 I think and found our Hotel Caravelle with the help of Eric’s innate navigational skills. The hotel was sufficient and a ‘good value’ but dreadfully small. It was so small I was concerned there was no closet, but after my thorough inspection – which happens each time I enter a hotel room and consists of scouring for bugs, blood, pubes, and scoping out the amenities – it was located. The walls were a pepto bismol pink and the decor reminded me of a nursing home. Luckily the place was clean; that was most important. We dropped our stuff and headed out for a night cap, but first made a pitstop to Montmartre. Didn’t disappoint and Chuck and Bonnie were suitably impressed.

Because we enjoyed our drinks on Rue Lepic last March with the Ramsey/Novak clan, we headed back to the same place for drinks. A bottle of red and a stroll later, we called it a night.

On Saturday, breakfast was on our minds. My mom had gotten a recommendation from a friend to go try Angelina’s for their ‘world class’ hot chocolate. So we made our way on the metro to Rivoli and indulged in some croissants and some really good, really thick hot chocolate. Kind of pricey for what we got, but worth the experience for Bonnie to go back and tell her friend that she went on her recommendation.

After breakfast, we strolled along Rivoli towards the Louvre. Dad looked at the shops for goodies for the ladies at work, while Eric and I tried to plan our day. After a quick pit stop at the Louvre and the mini Arc, we took a walk across the Seine to Notre Dame. There was some festival of bread going on (SCORE!!) but sadly, it was more of ‘how to make it’ rather than ‘here, eat lots of different kinds.’ After a quick lap of the interior and a crooked look at a ‘hunchback’ posing with tourists outside, we tried to find Saint Chapelle, and after a search were successful, but we decided to admire it from the outside instead of going in.

Food from Mouffetard. Picnic in Luxembourg

It had been at least a few hours since we last ate, so we decided to take my parents to our favourite ‘picnic’ street Rue de Mouffetard. Of course, we picked up the standard, salami from the butcher, cheese from the fromagerie, pain from the boulangerie, fraise, chocolate and some drinks from the marche. The park we usually sit in at the end of Moufftard (and where Eric usually gets pooped on by birds) was a bit full so we walked to the Jardin du Luxembourg for our picnic. That too was busy, but we pulled up a few chairs and had a nice little lunch while people watching. The weather was relatively mild so a nice stroll post lunch was perfect.

We thought a bit of shopping was in order so we walked over to Les Halles and the surrounding areas. After about an hour or two, mom’s feet were getting tired so the perfect solution? Drink again. We sat a cafe right in Les Halles and enjoyed a bottle of rose and some pretzels. Post-snack, we walked along the Seine and then jumped on the metro back to our hotel for a little rest.

Chez Janou

The rest didn’t last long as we soon made our way our to Chez Janou near la place des Vosges. This was another favourite that was recommended to Eric by a colleague which we had tried back in March of ’09. The food was delicious, per usual. Chuck and Bonnie thoroughly enjoyed it (except for Bonnie’s expression when the full fish – head, eyes, and all – arrived on my plate). The dinner was long and leisurely and once we were stuffed we went for our post-dinner walk (which Eric loves).

The sights post-dinner included the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. What a sight at night especially on the hour when it starts to sparkle. When the Tower lights went static, it was time to call it a night. Back to Pigalle and to bed.

Sunday

Sunday was another slow start. We checked out of the hotel (with luggage in tow since the ‘storage area’ at the hotel was ghetto) and had a bite of breakfast at the cafe on the corner of our street. The croissants and coffee were good but the service was dreadful although we did get to sit outside which was a bonus. But on second thought, it’s Paris so that isn’t too unique is it?

We decided to drop our luggage at Gare du Nord before exploring the city on our final day so we walked, found a locker and headed out on the town. Our first stop was to Jardin des Tuileries because Bonnie loves a good garden. After a wander around there, we made our way to the Arc and the Champs Elysee. Food was on our minds as we strolled down the Champs, but we figured any restaurants on or in the vicinity would likely be sub-par and expensive so we wandered south in search of food.

It had been a few hours since our last meal, and I was getting cranky. We looked at a few posted menus, but what everyone wanted was quiche so we continued the search until we stumbled upon an outdoor cafe about 15 minutes later. The food was good (including the quiche Lorraine) and we got a nice bottle of rose that went down a treat! Sadly, following a leisurely lunch, it was time to head to the train station.

We arrived early at the station to pick up our customary picnic meal for the train – meat, cheese, and bread. We had picked up a few bottles of wine earlier in the day because they are good and so cheap! Oddly enough, we were able to get each of the remaining items in the train station. I love Paris! The journey home was as nice as the journey there – lots of wine and some great conversation. I'm pretty sure if you ask Bonnie, she was pretty impressed with her Paris in the springtime visit.