Out with Debbie and Laurie on their last night in Paris

At L’as du Fallafel in the Marais

This morning, I checked a few things off my list.  I called to arrange seats for our flight home on Monday, contacted some folks about possible apartments for the spring and responded to a number of emails.  Tomorrow we are going to look at two apartments that are both on the ground floor and look like they have showers that are on the ground and will be better for both David and me.  I am keeping my fingers crossed or croiser les doigts.  Claire is joining us for the viewings.

So, after getting some business out of the way, we headed off to see an exhibit at the Musée Carnavalet in the Marais.  It is a collection of dresses that belonged to Alice Alleaume who was a saleswoman at one of the haute couture shops in the Place Vendôme.  The dresses were from around the turn of the century through the 30’s and were incredible.  We did have a little detour before getting to the Museum when I got us on the wrong bus.  I made it work and we got off near the Louvre and walked to the Marais.  Along the way, we discovered Galerie Vivienne and took a stroll to look at the shops and restaurants.  A lovely diversion!

After the museum, we strolled to the Ile Saint Louis and visited the shops there before heading to the Ile de la Cité.  Walked past Notre Dame, and just glad that we didn’t need to visit.  More lines and crowds.  It is amazing how busy Paris is, even in November!  We walked past one of the apartments we are visiting tomorrow to check out the neighborhood, and had a bite to eat around the corner.  Well, I say a bit to eat like it was a snack, but we had soup and  each of us had a full plate of food – David had risotto with scallops and I had Bœuf bourguignon.  Then, in an attempt to burn the calories, we walked to Alex and Claire’s.  Well, I walked off the calories.  A few of them at least.

Had a great visit with Claire and Theo and continued when Alex came home from work.  It is always great to be with them.  Had another small bite with them, and then David was getting tired, so we headed home.  Read the blog and more of Hungry for Paris.  Tomorrow we have a big day with the apartments and then La Belle et La Bête.

We had a great visit from Debbie and Laurie.  On Sunday we went to the Musée D’Orsay again and revisited the Hungarian exhibit with them, then split up and David and I went to the art nouveau furniture, which was incredible and then looked at the painting by Lautrec and a group called La Vie Parisienne.  After we strolled over to Boulevard Saint Germain to meet Alex, Claire and Theo at the place we sat last week.  When we got there, Claire was waiting, fresh from her visit to IKEA, and Alex and Theo joined us later.  We had a bite to eat, and then headed off for a walk down Boulevard Saint Germain, and ended up walking up Rue Bonaparte with a stop at Pierre Hermé for some macaron.  We had a nice selection, and tried the Mogador at the suggestion of Luba.  Thanks for that, it was delicious!  Then  we walked a few more blocks to the Jardin du Luxembourg.  Lovely, as always, but as the sun was waning, it was getting colder, so Alex, Claire and Theo headed home and we did the same.  I was going to take a car, but when we went to pick up the car, there was some malfunction and the car wouldn’t open, so cancelled the booking and called Uber.

Got picked up just before we began to freeze, and the driver was very nice and chatty.  A guitar player for a band, and was wanting to move to NYC.  Then back to the warmth of the apartment and tried the macarons, which, as I said, were delicious.  Debbie and Laurie then had to head to the train to go back to London, and we ended a terrific visit with them.  A little TV, and reading the blog (but no writing) and more restaurants.

This morning we got a slow start.  Did some laundry and then we took more of Luba’s advise and went to explore the Marais again.  This time, Rue des Francs Bourgeois and Place des Vosges.  Saw lots of great stuff, but just window shopping!  We then wandered to Rue des Rosiers and stopped at L’as des Fallafel, and we had a great lunch – very filling and good.  Then, we wandered some more and ended up on Rue de Rivoli and headed back to pick up a bus on Boulevard de Sébastapol and home.  Ran out and picked up some quiche for a snack later, and I am finding my French is much better if I sort of mumble and don’t try for it to be perfect.  Folks seem to understand what I am saying, and don’t look at me funny, they just think I am lazy, not American.   When I got home, we watched some Castle (in English) and streamed the latest episode of The Good Wife.  Read some more of Paris Reborn, and David is asleep, and I will be too, soon.

Debbie and Laurie arrived yesterday, and we relaxed a bit in the morning, went to lunch at the little bistro around the corner that we went to with Alex last week – Chez Casimir – and then hopped in a car and headed to the Grand Palais to try to get into the George Braques exhibit. Debbie speaks French, so that helped get us pointed in the right direction. I thought it was odd when we were sent to the entrance to the garage, but the guard there said that we were in the right place. At a certain point, he opened the gate and told Debbie we should go in, without much more instruction. So we went to the bottom of the ramp and we were in what looked like the underground loading dock for the Palais. After looking around we wandered to the left, and found two more guards, who told us we should go up a rather steep ramp where there were doors. Both sets were locked, but had intercoms next to them, so we pushed the buttons, but no answer. Finally, someone came up and asked what we were looking for, and we said the George Braques exhibit, and he said that it was down the ramp, and took us to the door we were to go in through (near the guards who sent us up the ramp).  We got through the doors and were in the bowels of the palais, and greeted by Julie and another group with a wheelchair.  Then we took the freight elevator up to the first of two floors of the exhibit.  There was a long discussion about whether we had to pay or not, but it was decided that David didn’t have to pay, even though he didn’t have his Disabled Person’s Priority Card, which you can only get if you are French or have a work permit.  This was the first time this was a problem.  We were happy to pay for the three tickets, then we went to the exhibit.  It was terrific and there was a lot of work from many periods.  Almost too much work.  Sometimes it is best to have the best selections from a period and edit it down.  By the time we got through the second floor and discovered that there was yet another section, David didn’t want to bother to get someone to work the small lift to get him to the other level.  Debbie and Laurie went to see it and reported back, which we were happy to see through their eyes.

Then home and a nap before our dinner with Alex and Claire and their friends Ed and Alexis.  We were meeting at Casa Olympe at 8pm, so we headed out the door at about 7:30.  After getting in the Uber car to take us there, I realized that it was actually much closer than I thought.  Only a block or two further than La Table des Anges, where we walked to the other night.  With the traffic, it took almost the whole 30 minutes to get there anyway!  We were the first to arrive, so got settled, and were soon joined by Ed and Alexis and then shortly after that by Alex and Claire.  It was a great dinner, and we were so glad to be able to take Ed and Alexis out as a small thank you for being such great surrogate parents for Alex and Claire since coming to Paris.  They are also lots of fun to be with so it was a great evening all around!  After dinner, we walked home.

This morning we got up, had a bite to eat and some coffee then out the door and got on the bus to head to the Village Noel at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées.  We strolled all the way up, and even though David and I weren’t really shopping, within the first 60 yards, we had made two purchases – boots for Theo and mittens for David.  We stopped and had a mound of potatoes with cheese and ham and a sausage and when we were a the top of the market and spoke to Alex and they were going to come out and meet us.  When we got back down to the bottom of the market, spoke again, and told him that were were going to head to Maxim’s and would meet them next door in Minim’s for a coffee and to warm up.  The waiter was less than thrilled with our arrival, but he got over it, and while we were there 3-4 people came in want to use their bathroom and had to have a coffee at the bar first.  Being so close to the Place de la Concorde on Rue Royale, they must get a steady stream of people wanted to use the bathroom.

Alex, Claire and Theo arrived and we had some wine and chatted for a while.  Theo has been not feeling so well, unfortunately, so he wasn’t his jolly self.  It was also much colder today, so we didn’t want to stay out too long.  Then we got on the bus to head back home and said good-bye to Alex, Claire and Theo and after some searching, found the stop for our bus.  We hit some major traffic snarl near the Opera, and the driver had to take a detour to avoid it.  I am guessing it is the beginning of Christmas shopping at the Galeries Lafayette and when we drove by on our way in, I noticed that there were crowds looking at their windows, which might have gone in this weekend.

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Then home and back to the warmth, a little reading – we are rereading Paris Reborn, and it is taking on much more texture because the places are all very real having just seen them and you get a better sense of the spaces.  Rereading was David’s idea, of course.  So smart.

I am going to leave you with one other little bit of Paris.  The area where we are staying is

very nice and interesting, but has the distinction of being home to what seem like hundreds of wedding dress and wedding suit boutiques.  And this is no Kleinfeld’s or Vera Wang, they come in all shapes, colors and styles, but this one caught my eye and I couldn’t help taking a picture to share.  I don’t know who the bride is who would wear this, but I think that the dress speaks for itself.  Also, I might add, it was only in the window for two days, and was gone the day after I took this picture.  The white ones remain.

OK, I was desperate and tired and this song is not from a stage musical, but I have had to branch out.  And it works with today’s events.  But, I will start with yesterday.  Yesterday we headed to the left bank and wandered a little bit on Rue Cherche-midi.  I had heard there were nice shops on this street, and when we visited the last time, most were closed, and it was starting to rain, so yesterday we made another visit.  It was nice, and the shops were lovely.  Then we headed to the Musée Maillol where they were having an exhibit of Etruscan artifacts. It was a fine exhibit, but navigating through the museum with a wheelchair was not easy.  Between three different levels, with stairs and an out of the way elevator, it was not pleasant.  Afterwards, we walked to the corner of Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Saint Germain, where we sat outside and watched folks walking by as we ate lunch.  Very nice.  There was a woman who I noticed because of her high heel sneakers who later crossed in front of us near the Opera when we were driving home.  Small town!

After a nap, we headed over to Montparnasse to visit with Claire and Theo before we headed to the theatre.  Alex came home and soon after it was time for us to go to Theatre Bobino for Spamalot.  In French no less.  Now, as I said, I love to go to see american musicals in other languages, but, the problem here was that we didn’t see Spamalot in English, so a lot of it was lost on us.  I am sure that a great deal was changed for this version, but I could be wrong.  There was a chorus of scantily clad chorus girls who really did look more like they belonged at the Follies or the Moulin Rouge and there was a Can Can.  The Can Can did make sense in the story though.  I did enjoy it, and the audience, which was very young and enthusiastic, loved it!  Then we headed home.  The show started at 9PM (!!!!) so we were home after midnight, and that is late for even me.

Which brings me to today.  This morning, we both slept in, and it was after 11AM when we roused ourselves.  Had some breakfast, exercised and headed out.  We drove by Parc Monceau and then to the Grand Palais to see the Miss Dior exhibit and the George Braque exhibit.  As we walked up to the entrance, there were again lines and a whole lot of people.  I thought this might be because the Miss Dior exhibit just opened and was gearing up for waiting.  I asked one of the guards where the entrance for the wheelchair was, and he said the second entrance, which he said in French and I understood, so I ran with it.  We got to the second entrance and the guard there said we were in the right place, and ushered us in.  As we approached the door, it said VIP and Press, and I thought, well, he sent us this way, and I will just plead ignorance.  Then security saw us coming and stopped frisking people, and stepped aside to let us through.  Then I saw the people processing tickets with their scanners, and I looked and was ready to say, “they told us to come this way”.  She turned and opened the door for us, and let us in.

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I didn’t want to go too far, so looked on “The Fork”, a european version of Open Table and found something that sounded nice and wasn’t too far away.  La Table des Anges, and it was great!  The waiter was so warm and friendly, and kept on giving us extra stuff – shaved prosciutto (or the French version), cheese that just arrived from the Pyrenees and an apple liquor to end our visit.  The meal was excellent as well, and we had help selecting dinner from both the owner and the chef.  He wanted us to have the ham that he just made, but we opted for duck breast for David and risotto with new truffles that had just arrived.  Both were delicious.  Our entrees were also great, David had an avocado puree with crab and I had the foie fras.  We will definitely be going back here.

Then some TV – Project Runway All Stars and The Good Wife.

Today was rainy, so I ran to the theatre to get tickets for La Belle et La Bête, and this time, I was successful, because the box office was open, and my french was good enough to buy three tickets.  Excellent seats, I might add.  So tomorrow is Spamalot and next Wednesday is La Belle.  Very fun!  When I got home, it was only misting a bit, so we headed out to get some lunch.  I found a restaurant that sounded interesting on the website La Fourchette – the French version of Open Table.  Still haven’t been able to snag a reservation to Frenchie, but will continue to try.

Anyway, the restaurant – Auberge du Clou – was excellent.  I started with the Paté Maison and David had the onion soup and then David had the pork shank and I had salmon.  David didn’t love the pork, but my salmon was great.  Lovely, warm room as well.  We were there just at the end of their lunch rush, because there was a lot of cleaning up being done, and the only other table downstairs was a couple with their dog.  This was a first for this trip – having someone eating at a restaurant with their dog – one of my favorite things about Paris!

Then home, and David took a nap, then we read and watched some TV.  Watched Addams Family Values and was able to switch it to watch in English, but after David went to sleep, I watched the end of Thelma and Louise in French because I couldn’t switch it to English.  Still a great movie, in any language.

Today we went out to buy tickets for Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre Mogador, and I checked to make sure that they were open on Mondays, and according to the website, they were, but when we got there, they were closed.  Today is a national holiday, so I understand, but was not thrilled that my plan was thwarted.  We also waited for the bus, but it was taking too long, so we walked to the theatre.  Not a bad walk.

After not getting tickets, called Alex to set a plan for meeting, and we started walking towards the Eiffel Tower.  Met alex under the tower, and were just glad that we weren’t interested in going up, because the line was crazy.  Although, my guess is we could have cut the line with the wheelchair.  We walked, and for a few blocks, David got out of the wheelchair and walked.  It was good for him to get up and practice some more.  We will have to try that some more.  Then stopped in Alex and Claire’s old neighborhood for a bite to eat in a little greek place.  I has stuffed eggplant and Alex and David had crêpes.

Then set a meeting with Clair and we found each other near the École Militaire.  On our way back to their place, we stopped at Des Gâteaux et du Pain for a few treats to take away.  They were quite tasty and we had them with some coffee and tea.  David was feeling a bit tired from a full day, so we left after tea and came home.  I made some dinner, then some Project Runway All-Stars and The Good Wife, some reading and sleep.

Panorama of the Jardin du Luxembourg

It was a little chilly in the Jardin du Luxembourg today

David watching the boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg

Boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg

Today was the first truly sunny day we have had in Paris.  It was very cold, but the sun was great.  We took advantage of this by going out and exploring.  First, breakfast, and because we had run out of cereal, and the stores were all closed because it is Dimanche, we went to the cafe downstairs for a petit déjeuner anglais.  I forgot to ask for David’s eggs to be scrambled, and that was a disappointment for him.  Over easy isn’t what he would call a good start of the day.  The coffee and croissants were good though, so not a complete loss.  We hopped in a car and drove to the left bank and the Jardin du Luxembourg.  A delightful, albeit cold way to start the day.  We watched the children (and children at heart) sailing their boats, and then walked through the park.

After leaving the park, we headed to Boulevard St Germain, but again, because it was Dimanche, most stores were fermé.  It was still a very nice stroll.  We then walked the market on Boulevard Raspail, and picked up some cheese, wine, dates and a toy to bring to Alex and Claire’s.  We arrived a bit after 2pm, and they were having lunch with the couple who they share a nanny with.  Very nice folks, and it was great to meet them and talk.  After they left, we relaxed for a bit, and then Claire Lempress came to visit for a while.  She is babysitting Theo, and they wanted to give her the lay of the land.  It was also a very good excuse for us to see her.  She is in Paris for the semester, and from the sounds of it, is having a great time and all of us want to take the courses that she is taking.  David and I also now have a date to see La Belle et La Bête with.  She said she couldn’t get any of her college friends to go with her, so we will take you next week.

Then we dropped Claire off on our way back.  Once home, we watched the first episode of Project Runway All-Stars, then began reading a new book – Mastering the Arts of French Eating by a friend of Alex and Claire’s.  So far, it is very interesting.

Yesterday David had an emotional day.  This trip has not been what he had hoped.  He told me that there were three problems that really made the trip not so pleasant for him.  First, the elevator issue is making him anxious and is difficult for him to adjust to.  Next, he says that he isn’t really seeing anything from the wheelchair when we walk.  That things are above his eye level, and he doesn’t get to see anything.  Of course, That sort of makes two of us, because I am pushing him, and usually (but not always) more concerned about avoiding hitting anyone or getting stuck in some crack in the pavement.  Finally, even with the shower chair, the bathing situation is not the best.  In Palm Springs we are all set and there is plenty of space to get around.  Not to mention, there is only a small step into the show.  Here, the tub is very high, as are most – Alex and Claire’s tub is the same – about six inches higher than a standard tub in the US.

We have had a great visit, and it is terrific seeing Alex, Claire and Theo, but we are going to head home on the 25th or 26th of November, almost two weeks before we had anticipated.  I am also going to look into traveling more outside of Paris when we come back in the spring.  Maybe a week in Copenhagen or Berlin before heading to Paris and then going to London at the end of the trip.  We’ll see.  I feel bad that it isn’t working out for David, but I understand his frustration.  He is also very concerned that I am not getting to do things that I would like.

Today Alex came over in the morning with Theo, and then we went to their neighborhood.  The sun was shining in the morning, and when we got on the bus to get to Montparnasse, it was cloudy, but not raining, but by the time we got off, it was raining pretty hard.  After leaving Alex and Theo at their apartment, we headed to Theatre Bobino and got tickets for next Wednesday for Spamalot.  I am looking forward to that, and I think that for the last week, we will get tickets for Beauty and the Beast.  Very appropriate for Paris, I think.  both are in French, and we have always made an effort to see American musicals in other languages when we travel – two of my favorites so far were Grease in Prague and Man of LaMancha in Madrid.  before I met David, I saw La Cage aux Folles in Berlin, which was also pretty impressive.
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When we got home, I ran to the market to get some stuff for dinner, and made a pasta with zucchini that was pretty good.  Also picked up some cheeses and one of them was very good. Too bad I can’t remember what the name was.  I will have to try to find it again tomorrow.  Then watched the final bit of the Miss Universe Pageant, or as I like to call it – Donald Trump’s personal Match.com.  I think this is still where he shops for wives, right?  Such a pig.

Anyway, while David is feeling bad, or has some down moments, we still do a lot and have a good time together.  It just is more difficult, obviously, and we have to pace ourselves.  I give him a lot of credit for not having more moments of frustration, most of the time he is very positive and upbeat.

Today we had a visit from Alex and went to lunch.  We first made a stop at Gare du Nord because David needed to have a blood test done, and I thought that having Alex would be very helpful, because his French is much better than mine.  I can’t even say “Pardon my bad French”.  Anyway, it was very helpful.  Once we located the lab, we headed to lunch first.  It took a bit of a stroll to find the restaurant that I was interested in going to, and as we approached the door, the waiter came to meet us and asked if we had booked, but we said no, and he said – impossible and recommended the restaurant just a few doors down, and we went.  It was a great meal.  Alex and I had the foie gras and steak and David had oysters and scallops.  We shared some dessert as well – a fig tart and pot au chocolat.  The tart was better.

Afterwards we strolled back to the Gare, and found the elevator down to the lower level, where the lab was, and had the test done.  It is amazing how easy it was, and relatively cheap.  I always thought it was funny that you needed a prescription to get blood tests done, I mean, who goes to have a blood test done just for fun?  Will get the results tomorrow online.  The folks at the lab were great too.

Then Alex went back to school to teach a class, and David and I went home and took a nap.  Then we got up and met Alex, Claire and Theo at their usual Friday night hangout – Café Basile.  It was very nice and relaxed and in their neighborhood.  Had some cheese and frites and, of course, some wine.  Very nice.  Then drove back home, some TV (NCIS in English), the blog and book.  Tonight was about the introduction of north African food in Paris and some recommendations for restaurants.  We may seek some of them out.

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Yesterday we went on a quest with Claire and Theo.  First, the trip to meet Claire was exciting.  After a few obstacles, we used Autolib‘ for the first time!  I reserved the car on my phone, and we went to pick it up, and it was there.  I had some trouble finding the release for the trunk, so the wheelchair went into the back seat and then when I tried to start the car, it wasn’t working.  I was determined to make this work, so I called, and got to someone who could speak English.  It seems that if you take too long getting into the car, it won’t start for you, and with trying to figure out the trunk release and all, I had exceeded that limit.  So, after locking and unlocking the car, it started just fine.  Then I put the address in the GPS.  It started giving me directions that I thought seemed odd, but began to follow them.  It took about 20 minutes just to get by the Arab Market that is near our apartment, and then we were on our way.  Past the Moulin Rouge and then I made a wrong turn and we took a short tour or detour of Montmartre, but then back heading the the right direction.  Driving around the Place Concorde was an interesting experience.  Sort of like a large parking lot with an obelisk in the middle and cars just sort of going where they wanted to.  I was grateful that I just wanted to go straight ahead, because if I had to go in any other direction, I might not have made it.  It took way too long to get to Claire, but we made it, safe and sound.

First, we headed off to get a taste of the best baguette in Paris for 2013 at Au Paradis du Gourmand.  It is kind of close to Alex and Claire, and the folks there were really nice.  The shop has a few steps up to the entrance, and even with the lunch rush starting (when we left, the line was quite long) they stopped to put out the ramp so I could wheel David up.  We got the baguette, plus sandwiches for later.  David was eyeing the croissants and sweets, but I told him that we were waiting on that.

Next, we headed to a bakery that was, sort of, not really, nearby to get croissants.  Boulangerie Pichard was in the top five in the croissant contest for 2013.  It was quite a walk, but Theo was napping, and it was good exercise for me and Claire.  When we got there, we ordered croissants, pain du chocolate and a pistachio roll.  And we got there just in time too, because as we left, they were rolling everything inside and closing for the day.  And it was only a little after one.  Then back to Claire and Alex’s and the sandwiches were great, as were the croissants.

After relaxing for a while with Claire, we got back into a car, and had a much easier trip back to the 10th arrondissement and home.  David laid down for a few minutes, and I ran out first to get a chair for the shower.  I wasn’t sure where I would be able to find one, and thought the Pharmacy would be a good place to start.  I asked at the counter if she could speak English, and she said a little, but really, while better than my French, her English was not good, and I had to struggle with my French.  She understood “Chaisse pour le douche”, and we were off to the races.  They didn’t have one, but would have it “demain”, and I selected the one that I thought would work.  When I picked the chair up, “aujourd’hui” the man behind the counter asked if I was American and shared that he loved Obama.  I told him that I did too!

After the Pharmacy, I went to the market just down the street.  It was very nice and I picked up some pates to go with the baguette we had, and thought that might be dinner.  We had a pretty big lunch with the sandwiches.  I had to mangle some more French to order, but got what I wanted, which was great.  Lots of pointing and gesturing, obviously.  Then home.  We ate and then went to be relatively early, but not before I figured out how to change the language on the TV from French to English.  We watched Friends, The Big Bang and La Petite Maison dans le Prairie.  Not sure if it was really worth the trouble.

This morning, I slept later than normal, and we got a late start, but strolled around the Marais for a while.  Took the bus down, and drove a car back.  Both trips were very good.  It rained a little and we stopped at a little bar for lunch, and felt like we were very typique.  There wasn’t a tourist in sight, and the waiter spoke no English.  Ordering food and wine (particularly wine) is pretty easy for me.  Not really sure what we had but there were frites involved and that is OK with me!

Tonight we went to the ballet at the Palais Garnier, which was really spectacular.  Our seats were perfect, and the only things that were missing were fans and opera gloves.  There were three new ballets, and the first and third were good.  The second, not so much.  There was no music, and the dancers performed in front of four screens where photos were projected and changed during the dance.  I found the pictures distracting and honestly, didn’t see much of the dancing.  The first had smoke puffing form spots on the floor, and the dancing, at moments, reminded me of Elaine’s dancing in Seinfeld or Ed Grimley’s happy dance.  I mean this in the best possible way.  The last one though was really beautiful.  First the set was very effective.  There was a structure that hung over the stage that looked like a huge, floating, amorphous sheet that would move during the dance and three traps in the floor that would raise and lower the dancers and singers.  The music was Monteverdi, and was performed A capella by a group of singers who were also involved in the performance.  There were also a few moments in the dance when the dancers would disappear from the stage through the traps and they would be projected on the stage, live, and perform under the stage.  Very interesting and clever.

Anyway, a great evening, and here are some pictures.

Our view from the box where we sat. Not bad!

The ceiling is always impressive

I can’t believe I didn’t bring my opera gloves!

The title tonight is inspired by Vivien Leigh’s 100th Birthday and Paris.

Today we braved the rain and took not one, but two buses to get to Musée d’Orsay.  Again we were greeted by an immense line at the door, and again we were whisked past the wet, huddled masses and into the lobby of the museum.  When I went to get on the line inside to get a free ticket, I was told that we didn’t need to do that, and we could just go in, which is what we did.  We saw two of the special exhibitions Masculin/Masculin, which was very interesting, and at moments sort of comical.  Then we went to see a collection of paintings by Hungarian modernists and Béla Bartók that was really great.  Most of the artists were new to me, and I thought they were great.  The colors and intensity were incredible.  We then made our way through the crowds in the impressionist galleries, which are always nice, but would be nicer with fewer people to navigate through.  At one point, there was a woman who was meandering in front of me and I was trying to avoid hitting her, and I did a good job, until as we were passing behind her, she decided to meander backwards into the wheelchair.

When we left the museum, the rain had let up, so we walked across the Seine to the Palais du Louvre and caught a bus home from there.  Once home, we had some sandwiches we picked up in the park by the Louvre and then David laid down for a nap, while I went out to do some shopping that needed to be done.  I also got the badge for the Autolib’, so tomorrow, I promise, I will drive!

Made dinner, then read the blog, book and some news items.  Tomorrow we are spending with Claire in the early part of the day.

Now, I bet there will be very few who will know where this lyric is from, and it has nothing to do with a waiter.  We have arrived, safe and sound in Paris and hit the ground running yesterday. Actually, I think we bit off too much yesterday, and will break today up a bit more. Yesterday we went to l’Orangerie and saw both the permanent collection and the Frida/Diego exhibit, then strolled through the Jardin Des Tuileries, then a stroll to the Palais Garnier, but stopping before for a bite to eat at Café de l’Olympia. Once at the Opera House, we purchased tickets for the ballet on Thursday, and then off to get my card for the Autolib’ so I can begin driving in Paris and make is just a bit more dangerous for pedestrians! We didn’t get the card, because they were having some computer problems, but then tried out Uber, and it worked just as well, if not better, than in New York. I also didn’t mention that we took the bus to l’Orangerie, which was also seamless. The ramps for the wheelchair are similar to those in Monaco, and very easy and quick. Today, we will cover all the transportation options available, and drive – I am determined!

We did get a surprise at the Musee l’Orangerie when we arrived.  Well, two surprises.  First, when we got there, there was a line winding quite far from the entrance, and I saw that there were steps, so rather than get in the line, I walked to check to see where there was a ramp, and before I knew it, we were whisked into the building through a side entrance and I went to the cashier to buy tickets, and she handed me the tickets, and I asked “Combien?” and she said “Gratuit”.  It seems most, if not all, the museums in Paris are free if you are handicapped.  I would prefer paying the 10€ but, it is a little silver lining.  The ballet tickets were not gratuit!

When we arrived in Paris, we got to the apartment, and it is beautiful.  The neighborhood is varied and interesting.  Lots of wedding dress and men’s clothing stores.  On our first evening,  Alex met us and we went to the café on the ground floor of the building for a bite to eat.  Not great, but serviceable food, and I am sure we were become regulars for a coffee and bite in the morning.  Then, the next day, Alex, Claire and Theo came over and we relaxed at the apartment for a while and then headed off to a restaurant recommended by Ida, who we are renting the apartment from.  Terminus Nord was a typical Parisian brasserie, and was a great way to start with Alex, Claire and Theo.  Across the street from the Gare du Nord, it was bustling with folks coming and going from the station.  After lunch, we strolled with them for a while and then headed back, leaving them to find their bus.

We did hit one little hiccup when we arrived at the apartment – David’s wheelchair doesn’t fit in the elevator with him in it.  Ida had taken measurements, and if the doors weren’t accordion doors, it would fit, but the doors are the problem.  We decided to see if we could find a more suitable option, but have come up short.  Looked at two places last night, but they both had issues – one had the same elevator problem and the other the bathtub was too high for David to get in and out of. I think we will stay put, but David wants to go home earlier than we had planned, and we might go back just before Thanksgiving.  David is missing the warm Palm Springs sun!  Until then, I am planning our days and nights as best I can, around the raindrops!

Well, we had a great day in Monaco.  Visited the palace, the Oceanographic Museum, walked by the casino and wandered around Monte Carlo.  The event at the museum was nice, but a bit overwhelming.  Lots of fish!  But, it was an Oceanographic Museum.  We took a tour of the palace in Monaco, and David was not pleased with the 35 steps that he had to walk up.  It was worth it though.  Mostly for the portrait of the Princess Grace and Prince Ranier and Family.  It was very interesting, and reminded me of some family photos that I have seen that are kind of embarrassing.  It was painted in 1981 and is very much of its time and you realize how so much of the art of the 80’s will not survive to be classic.

David liked Monaco best of all our visits, but mine is still Nice.  Well, to be honest, David says it is a tie between Monaco and Cannes.  I don’t think Cannes makes the cut.  We sailed in the evening, and David slept while I went to the show for the evening.  It was Broadway themed, so right up my alley.  It is kind of strange going to something like this alone, but as luck would have it, a single lady was sitting in front of me.  At a certain point, she turned around to me and asked after each song “what show this one is from?”  I told her – A Chorus Line, Chicago, West Side Story, Evita and Les Mis.  One of the strange things about this cruise is that our cruise director has insinuated himself into many of the performances onboard.  I almost typed his bio in the daily newsletter a few days back, but spared you.  It was quite humorous, but will let you know that he had a song that was #12 on the UK gospel charts.  So, when he was singing “This is the moment” I jumped the gun and tapped her on the shoulder and said, “This is from Jekyll & Hyde and probably nobody in the audience knows what show this one is from, and that is a good thing.”  She asked, “Was it that bad?”

Plugins It’s a good idea to hide the list of plugins you are using. http://aimhousepatong.com/item3230.html levitra generika With a Fort Lauderdale counseling professional, no matter what the problem, they are there to help guide you to viagra cipla 20mg better results. So, take the advice of http://aimhousepatong.com/item1386.html cost of tadalafil health experts before opting DHEA. It is therefore, important to take these generic medications after doctor’s Continue to aimhousepatong.com purchase generic viagra prescription. After Monaco, we arrived in Livorno where we were docked for two days and I was worried about what we were going to do, so yesterday, we got off the ship and fate intervened.  There were car rental companies on the dock, and within 20 minutes, we were driving on the Autostrade headed for Florence.  Yesterday, we spent a while in Florence and then headed to San Giminiano and a really incredible drive through the Tuscan countryside.  What a beautiful day.  This morning, we got up, had breakfast and then a drive down the coast and to another Tuscan hill town.  Volterra was like San Giminiano, but less tourist ridden and as beautiful, and maybe more so.  The views from Volterra were incredible.  Then another drive through the countryside on our way to Lucca.  Lucca looked lovely, but we just did a drive by because there was some sort of festival going on that looked like a cross between a renaissance festival and comic con.  Since returning, I found out that is was Lucca’s annual comics festival.  The crowds were CRAZY and we were just glad that we didn’t hit the traffic that we saw as we were leaving.  There were cars stopped on the highway for miles heading into Lucca.  Then, on the way back to the ship, we saw, from a distance, the leaning tower of Pisa.  I can now check that off the list!

Now, the last night on the ship, and tomorrow night we are back in Paris, so the entries will be more regular!  Also, sorry there are no pictures, but we were having such a good time looking that we didn’t take the time to take pictures.  Selfish, I know.

I have a lot to cover, so I won’t waste any time.  Our last day in St Tropez was nice.  We went ashore again, and this time while we were waiting, there were two couples who were talking behind us.  One of the couples was from New Orleans and the other was from Toronto.  The gentleman from New Orleans felt that since he was talking to Canadians, he was safe to talk about politics and started talking about the Affordable Care Act, or as he kept saying Obamacare.  He was telling them about how he felt for them because, you know the Canadians are having to rush across the border to get quality healthcare, and now those days are over.  His wife, at a certain point, told him that he should stop or he was going to get in trouble.  He told her that he wasn’t ashamed of his political views, and had a guy he knew who voted for Obama twice, and while they didn’t speak or see each other often, he would still consider him a friend.  The Canadian woman told him, at this point, that she wished she was American so she could have voted for Obama.  He also told them that they should come to New Orleans because it is all better now, and then whispered, it was actually better because of lot of the bad folks who were in New Orleans have been displaced to Texas and weren’t coming back.  The ugly American continues to rear it’s ugly head.  It amazes me that Republicans are always saying stupid things about Canada, like recently I heard one say that because of Obamacare, he thought he would have to move to Canada to get out of this socialist country.

Folks who asked about our luggage are now finding out that it has arrived, and they seem genuinely happy for us.  Two ladies at breakfast told us how we are always the best-dressed men on the cruise.  It was nice to say, but I have to admit that compared to many of the men (and some of the women) that isn’t saying much.

St Tropez didn’t change much from my impression the day before.  It is a cute town, but totally overrun.  And not by tourists, but I guess locals.  It seems that it isn’t a festival, really, but rather an entire weekend of sales because most of the shops close for the season today.

Wedding in Park in Nice

First attempt at asking someone to take our picture

Us looking down at the promenade in Nice

David and Nice

We sailed overnight to Nice, and we have been there before, and enjoyed it.  In the morning we took a walk along the promenade, strolled through the antique market and then took the elevator up to the sight of the old medieval city.  Lovely views, and lots of children out and about.  It is still a school holiday – Claire is off these two weeks in Paris.  The weather was lovely, and it was a nice stroll.  When we got back to the ship, we had lunch and then I went off the ship again to mail some postcards and walk a bit more on my own.  Walked along a park in the center of town that was very nice.  It all looked very new, and it wasn’t until later, when I took David to stroll in the park that I discovered (and translated) that the park opened on this past Saturday.  It was packed with families as well and there were some really delightful playground equipment all in the shape of sea animals – a huge whale that was a jungle gym with a slide out of the whales mouth, whales tails that had swings hanging from them and octopi that had tire swings hanging from them.  All completely covered with children!

We arrived in Cannes this morning, and got out for a walk on the Criosette and through the main shopping district and then back to the ship before it began raining.  We had about three hours of hazy sunshine, which was nice.  Warm, but very humid.  David likes Cannes better than I did.  I prefer Nice. I like Nice a lot.  It has an urban feel, but it very open and light.  David was concerned because the sea was pretty rough, and transferring to the tender was not as easy as it has been.  They carried him on and off the tender from the ship in the wheelchair.  I don’t think he liked it much, and might have preferred to stay on board, but was glad that he braved it and made it ashore.

We have just pulled up anchor and are sailing to Monte Carlo and arrive there at ab out 7PM and we have a special evening at the Oceanographic Museum for the ships passengers.  We hear the museum is very nice, and I am looking forward to it.

We arrived this morning in St. Tropez.  No George and Albin sightings.  That is not to say that we didn’t see some George-like and Albin-like folks.  We got off the ship on the second tender, and the town was hopping.  There is some sort of festival or something, but it looked more like a market day to me.  Sales galore.  We bought some very fetching boxer shorts in anticipation of not getting our luggage today.

As we were waiting to board the tender and there were two ladies who asked if we had gotten our luggage yet.  I said no, and it was still in Nice.  They were very sympathetic.  Then, as we were boarding the tender, the Hotel Director asked how our trip was going, and I said it was great so far, except for the missing luggage.  He knew all about it and told us that he was told that the bag was coming today from Nice and said that he was impressed by our good humor and ability to still have a good time.  David immediately asked why everyone seems to know about our missing luggage.  The staff on the ship has been great.  They did laundry for us today, which was very helpful.

We had a lovely stroll through St. Tropez, even through the very crowded streets.  There were stall set up everywhere, and the crowds were pretty intense.  After a very good walk through town, we headed back to the harbor, which was even more crowded than when we left, and  the cheap, fake and honestly very frightening Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck made me feel like we were in Times Square, not St. Tropez!
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On the trip back, David asked if I had told you all that I almost forgot the wheelchair when we went ashore yesterday.  Well, I didn’t almost forget, but the crew did, and we caught the mistake just as we were getting ready to pull away.  When we get on the tender, David gets out of the wheelchair, and gets into a seat, and then they load the wheelchair just before the tender leaves, but they forgot.  I told him that I hadn’t written about this in the blog, but would make sure that I did tonight.  So, now that is done.

Before we left the ship this morning, I needed to wash some underwear and socks for the day, so went to the laundry room at the crack of dawn to beat the crowds.  When I went back to move clothes into the dryer, there was a couple who had just arrived and were waiting for my machine to be free.  It was apparent that the woman had had a stroke, and after her husband left, we had a nice long conversation about therapy, etc.  She still had some trouble walking, but her speech was back, but she said it was a long time coming.  It was three years since her stroke and she is still going to physical therapy twice a week.

It was a good day, and for some reason, in the afternoon, both of us slept for over five hours.  I told David that I thought it was the walking and the stress of waiting for the bag and worrying about that.  Anyway, no blog or reading tonight, David went straight to bed

View of Santa Margherita from our lunch spot

Another view from the balcony

Us in Portofino

Panoramic view of Portofino – note the men in the foreground are not deformed, just a trick of the camera!

Panoramic view from the balcony

David in Portofino

View of the coast from our balcony

One of the bags arrived today, and at the risk of sounding ungrateful, it was the bag that we were going to leave in Paris, so only a few items are of any use to us on the cruise.  There are a few pairs of socks for David and some pants, but we still ain’t got no underwear!  The ship’s concierge made an offer that I did refuse.  He said he had just been shopping the day before, and picked up some boxer shorts.  I thought that was going way over and above, and told him that sacrifice would not be necessary.  I think he was a bit relieved.

The weather started out pretty miserable, and David believes that this is my fault.  Well, maybe he doesn’t believe that I have caused the bad weather, but he thinks that I should have predicted it and avoided booking this cruise.  The Captain is not helping by announcing every time he talks about the bad weather by saying, “It’s October, after all!”  Not helpful.
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We got up and David walked down to the restaurant for breakfast, which was great.  The more he walks in real life situations, the better.  The weather got better later in the day, so after exercise and lunch, and our repositioning from Santa Margherita to Portofino (2 miles apart), we decided to brave the tender with the wheelchair and go ashore.  David was great.  He walked down the flight of stairs to get to the tender and then on board the ship, which was not rocking as much as it might have been.  We had a nice walk through the town, although the cobblestones were a bit bumpy for David.  I went into a few stores in search of underwear, but the last shopkeeper told me that I was not going to find any in this town, maybe Santa Margherita.  Damn, we should have gotten off the boat earlier!

After that adventure, we both took a nap, and went to dinner at about 7pm.  Nice dinner, and again, I love the people watching.  I was telling David that I make up back-stories for all of them, and I really wonder what the back-story that they come up with for David and me.  After dinner, we wandered to the Cabaret, but didn’t stay for the show.  Read the blog and two chapters in the book, but David is snoring now (he will deny it) and I will join him, except, I don’t snore either.

What word to play next?

Playing scrabble

Beauty

Beauty

Beauty

Beauty

The sad couple. She is the one on the left, he is the lowest left, trying to catch up.

This is a bad picture, but it looked like she took one of those bath scrubs and pinned it to her head.

It is now Friday morning.  Was too tired to write last night.  We finally went on a shopping spree in the ships small and expensive, but not as expensive as I would have though, store.  We got some clothes to tide us over until the luggage arrives, and I am told that it will be in Genoa, and delivered to the ship this morning.  I am not holding my breath, but am hopeful.

More people watching today, and there were a lot of characters.  The sad couple that I mentioned yesterday continues to interest and depress me.  I actually took a picture of them from the balcony as they were leaving.  She was walking, as quickly as she could to put as much distance between her and her husband.  At least I assume it is her husband, but I haven’t seen any sign of affection from them.  Just him following behind her by at least five paces, but from her step today, she was hoping to make it a mile.

My favorite so far though is the woman who was auditioning for Hair on the first day.  Her outfits simply amaze me, and I know that if the airline had lost her luggage, she would be on suicide watch.  She was wearing a gold cap this evening, with a tiny fake fur stole, although stole may be too much.  It was much more precious than that.  She was also joined by her friend last night who looked a bit like she had either escaped or been rejected by the Moulin Rouge circa 1880.

Aside from the people watching, we made appointments for a day of beauty for each of us, and boy did we need it!  Haircuts, shave and facial.  The beauty professional was very nice.  Annawyn from South Africa, and she was very nice and chatty.  Each of us had an hour and a half in the chair, and I actually dozed off a few times, which was great.  Speaking of dozing off, I want to share that this morning, I awoke at 6am, and have slept through the night, and feel human again.  I hate jet lag and hate getting old.  Until I hit 50, I was never really bothered by jet lag and it maybe lasted the first day, but now!  Oh brother!!

David has been in pretty good spirits, but is feeling bad because we can’t do all the things that we would normally do.  We went to the excursions desk and the only day trips that she suggested are ones where you get on the bus and drive.  Not either of our idea of a good day.  We will just go on shore and explore as much as we can.  Yesterday we were in Elba and didn’t get off the ship.  Between the jet lag and weather (it looked a bit dodgy) we just didn’t make the effort.  Good thing we didn’t too!  Right after David’s beauty treatment the heavens opened and it poured!!  It was short-lived, but pretty intense, and I was glad that we were safe and dry on the ship.

I read the blog last night, and also read to David from a new book called “Hungry for Paris”.  It is an interesting book about Paris eateries written in a very nice casual style.  The author covers all the details of the restaurant, but much of it is about the evening – who he is with, what they think of the experience, where they are coming from, etc – so you might not get all the details of the food, but a great sense of the experience.  I am enjoying it, and we will find some more things to do while in Paris!

The flowers that bade us adieu in Palm Springs

David in the prime seat on the bus to Civitivechia

David with Café and macaron while people watching and waiting

On the bus to Civitivechia

I beleive that this woman was either here for Hair auditions. Her outfit at the bar this evening was even better!

We got up VERY early this morning to get a cab to the airport.  No traffic, so we were there very quickly.  Our flight to Rome was uneventful, and when we arrived, a representative from Azamara was there, and ready to help us get to our ship, but we had to check about the luggage.  The Alitalia agent was very helpful, and told us that the bags were on their way.  To Paris!  She sent a message to United in Paris asking them to forward the bags to Rome, and they would arrange delivery.  She was sure that they would not get to us today, but she got the itinerary for the ship, and believes that they will get to us in Elba tomorrow.

The physicians viagra viagra online are well trained to deal with this issue. You’ll schedule buying cialis in spain discover now the classes at any time the treatment provides any discomfort. If you feel the pain from depression, or your symptoms of depression persist despite the treatment of anti-depressant drugs, or your anti-depressant medicines become less helpful, you may need to recognize inflammatory sources and seek for anti-inflammatory treatment. look at this pharmacy store sale cialis Kamagra is generic form of sildenafil 50mg price and it has become a common matter of discussion among men and women. We got on the ship, and felt a bit like disheveled refugees.  I kept worrying that I smelled or something.  Most of the folks getting on were decked out in some way or another (see pictures).  Interesting crowd and loads of May – December couples, with some major plastic surgery involved.  One of the couples I felt very sorry for.  She looked so miserable being with the old fart, and he was miserable, I guess because he is an old fart.  We sat and had coffee while we waited for the staterooms to be ready.  Then, at 2pm, we got the go ahead to go to our room.  It is nice.  Wider than most because of the wheelchair access, and a larger balcony.  The bathroom, which was my biggest concern is ample and a great set-up.

Anyway, we took a nap then went to the restaurant for dinner, and afterwards, I went to the public laundry (free, I might add) to wash yesterdays clothes so we have something for tomorrow.  The ship began rocking and rolling as soon as we left port, and they said it will last all night.  It is not so late, but I am tired, so will post this and send more details tomorrow.

Well, that about sums it up. We left yesterday morning, but our flight (along with earlier United flights) was delayed, and I was worried that we would miss our connection to Paris. We landed at 2:00 and our flight was at 2:45, and we made it with minutes to spare. Settled on the plane and prepared for our long flight. The seats were fine, but, 10+ hours on your butt is painful in any seat! Neither of us slept a wink.
Alex was meeting us at the airport and the airport sent someone to help us maneuver through, which was great. buy tadalafil australia Normally, all of us take part in several activities in our day-to-day life and many of the times you are attempting a sexual act, the problem could be categorized as a disorder. In this process, arteries at the door of the TKD studio was literally four doors down cost of viagra from the ED. However, the effects of masturbation often depend on the frequency of having sex. buy cheap cialis Salab misri, kavach beej and oat straw prices for viagra have also been found effective in curing the disease. Not so great when we went to baggage claim and our bags didn’t make the SF connection. They are going to try to send the luggage to meet us in Rome tomorrow , but I am preparing to have to buy a new wardrobe!
It was great to spend the day with Alex, Claire , Theo and Pat. Up very early tomorrow . Sorry in advance for any typos – my eyes are bleary and I am typing with my fat thumb on the iPhone.

Oui, demain.  We get up tomorrow morning and head to the airport at about 8am.  Giving ourselves loads of time to get to the gate.  Palm Springs airport is a dream, so it really is way too much time, but David likes to be early.  I have finished packing, except for a few things that need to go away tomorrow morning, and one of the bags is very close to the 50lbs limit.  I got on the scale with it, and it is 48lbs according to our bathroom scale.  I should add that this is the scale that adds 3lbs to my weight compared to the one in our bathroom, so hopefully we are well under.

I took my walk this morning, then a walk with David and swim and exercise and shower and shave.  Once that was done, did some more packing, cleaning up, ran to the drug store and then Donovan came over and made a terrific dinner.  Very nice way to spend the last night in Palm Springs!  He even brought sangria, which was fruity and delicious!  David was tired and laid down, and I joined him later and we watched Homeland, then the blog, but no book.  Too late and a big day tomorrow.  Probably no blog at the usual time tomorrow, but something on Tuesday – with pictures!

Did some internet research, and I think that we will try to visit the bakeries that were voted the best baguettes in Paris for 2013.  This site might have been quite a find.  Also found a restaurant that sounds great called “Frenchie”.  Can you say Cheeky?  I think I may have to use my same persistence that I did for The French Laundry!  Bon Voyage to us!