Paris1972-Versailles2003

So I must go on talking about my eternal Paris. Again, this is an older post that I am revising, updating with fresh text on my black and white series. The pictures are in the individual monument post in my blog; hope you enjoy it.

And another road warrior trip from our current home in the Morbihan Breton dept 56. We rode free of tolls, the best way to go, right thru small towns and nice scenaries than the autoroutes pavements.  First taking the N24 towards Rennes, than hookup there on the rocade nord to the A84 free autoroute at exit No 16, porte de normandie. We got off at exit 29 of the A84 at Fougéres to hook up with the N12 all the way  passing just outside Fougéres, Beaucé, Mayenne, Alençon,Flers, Le Ribay,Fontenay, Saint-Cyr-en-Pail,Pré-en-Pail, Lalacelle,Verneuil-sur-Avre,Nonancourt, Bâlines, Dreux, to taking the A12 near Montigny-le-Bretonneux to link up with the A13 autoroute de normandie for free the last leg to Paris ,porte Dauphine , to ave Foch, the always thrilling and wonderful Arc de Triomphe, then, ave Friedland to the Gare Saint lazare parking on 29 rue de Londres.Sublime and the views to cry for!!

And voilà,  please , don’t hit me but for most readers will be shocked, but I have boys born in Florida USA, and as such their tastes are younger, wilder, and traditionally hamburgers lol!!! Yep, we tried the new Burger King at the train station Gare Saint Lazare. It was opening week and the first open in France so of course it was pack, never had to do a line for hamburgers, but I was drag into it!!! Luckily with good manners and security, we moved fast and in about 20 minutes were in the counter, and was able to find a table as well with a great view over the rue du Havre. The place continue to be packed and the lines did not stop at all, this is big. Burger King is back in France after a 15 years absent. And of course, they are from Florida!!!!!!!!! Webpage: https://www.burgerking.fr/restaurant/paris-rue-saint-lazare

From there, of course, the boys again dragged me into the obvious Micromania store (their favorite store in France!) in the galerie commerciale Klepierre-Saint Lazare, (which sadly learned it has closed) , and then went over across to the passage du havre for the FNAC store where I lost some euros again for been weak and soft lol!!! The FNAC still open! https://www.fnac.com/Paris-Saint-Lazare/Fnac-Saint-Lazare/cl72/w-4

For reference, the shopping center part of the Saint Lazare train station is very good;many coffee breaks at Starbucks!! webpage: https://st-lazare-paris.klepierre.fr/

Then , the time came over to me at last. I was able to walk them in the Parc Monceau, one of my favorite areas, used to run,and biked (first and only time in Paris), there with friends while working in Paris. I have taken my kids when younger many times,and now when young adults. So we just traded stories on the things they did and how they fell on bikes trying to learn, and of course the chasers they did on me and could not catch me, now they do lol! On the bikes we ran so who will get first to the first step in the rotunda baths and they beat me yikes!!! I have a post but for info parc Monceau: https://en.parisinfo.com/musee-monument-paris/71356/Parc-Monceau

I tried to hit the Jardin du Luxembourg but it was late and of course closed. So I had already planned dinner around the area at Chez Clement, 9 Pl Saint André des Arts, just around the corner from the place Saint Michel.(the resto is closed as the chain sadly). This was our favorite chain of restaurant if you can call it a chain, only a handful of them. We have tried over the years the one at Bd des Capucines (near Opéra)  near my old place of work, and done my kids birthday near our home at Bougival (Yvelines dept 78). This time we tried another and we had a great time with the server,an older man very funny and very capable. WE had a big laugh when folks from elsewhere arrive asking for a quick table and quick serving, he told them we don’t serve fast here….musing came to us and say well there is a McDonald’s nearby lol!!! WE come to eat the French way, one serving at a time ,and slowly to enjoy the meal with the proper apéro and a nice ending coffee. That’s my France!!! We took the menu at 35 Euros, included all from Lillet glacé apéros, for the entrée, terrine de foie gras for me, the main dish was rôti de bouef avec purée de pomme de terre, and dessert, créme brulée, ending with a expresso coffee. We had Evian or Badoit water bottles for each,and a half bottle or 37,5 Cl of white rieslings Alsace, Alfred Klipfel, and a full bottle 75CL red wine of Château Le Moulin la Tonnelle,  Blaye côte de Bordeaux. Sublime with nice ambiance, belle epoque deco, and well serve, all perfect. Again sadly they are closed, just for the memories ok

The next morning we got up early than usual and headed  with my car and the gang, this time to hit up the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was a gorgeous day, and we came in grand on rue Auguste Comte on the side of rue de l’observatoire. There was not too many people at first and by noon the park was full. The little boat in the fountain with lots of families and kiddies around, the gorgeous Senat building of France,and the park ,the fountain of Médicis, and the Orangerie all gorgeous.

We continue to be by the Panthéon. And the Church of St Etienne du Mont, service going on so we would not go inside but still lovely area. In time to get back to our car parked for free on street at rue Guynemer,and then, out onto bd St MIchel over the pont saint Michel and the pont au Change into rue Rivoli and out to pl de la Concorde into the ave des Champs elysées , and a tour around the Arc de Triomphe!!

We were on a quick trip but needed at least one night for rest on the road. So ,therefore, on the way back we stop at a familiar territory but first time on them as a family, we chose the Campanile Saint Germain en Laye hotel. In my business trips here I have stayed in a few including this one! It was a quick in and out from the N13 and the A13  from Paris. The place is clean, friendly nice service as usual, and the breakfast continental light but plenty we took the offered basket of cookies, madeleines, hot choco, coffees, teas, and out we went all for 49 Euros the room with double beds and 59 the one with 3 beds, all charges included. Large family we needed two rooms. For info the hotel webpage here: https://saint-germain-en-laye.campanile.com/en-us/

I must add it was surrounded by great Centre commercial Carrefour Chambourcy with a hyper Carrefour to Micromania/ FNAC stores, gas station Total access by shopping center of Art de Vivre down the line in Orgeval, (this one sadly has closed the gas station still open) great on your passing to Normandy on the A13 exit 7 this is a great stop/rest option. The Chambourcy shopping center for reference we did shop there once when living in the area, and the place had just opened; later it was expanded and modernized: https://www.carrefour-chambourcy.fr/boutiques/

There you go folks another dandy run to my eternal Paris even far yet so close to us. Hope you enjoy this another black and white post on rejuvanated posts in my blog. Paris is anyway you can imagine.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

So bear with me, going over my very old posts and updating, revising, new text with webpages just a great pastime nowdays to do. And speaking of Paris of course is worth it all the time. Hope you enjoy my new black and white posts as the pictures are in the individual monument post.

And of course, from the title if you happenned to have lived in Versailles and worked there in Paris for almost 10 years, now coming back is sublime. For now I will be a tourist and as I always said, the best way to see a city is from the eyes of those who had visited and lived in it 1-2!.

For the first time in many years, many that I don’t remember, I took the train to Paris on a personal trip!. In the past it has been my car or a rental. I took the TGV from Auray to Montparnasse ,very nice fast and on time; then metro to our hotel behind the Galeries Lafayette. As this trip was beginning to be like a tourist trip, well it continues once arriving at the hotel. It was under renovation no problem, breakfast was not available ,no problem, then ,they switch the key first night and while we were asleep , another couple was just going into our room !! ,panic, we yell, and they step out laughing , call reception, oh yes we notice, sorry, and that was it. Well, its invasion of privacy and we file with the tourist office and the police. There you go our tourist hotel experience in Paris. The hotel was the Antin-Trinite at 74 ave de Provence.  I did notice from the webpage it has been renovated nicely with Max Jacobs input! https://www.paris-hotel-antin.com/

Once that was taken care of , we set out to enjoy Paris, and what a joy it always is!! Paris is eternal!!

We step on our sneakers and went out walking and bus/metro rides as needed. Of course, we did walked around the tour Eiffel walking that is, no need to climb ,been there done that last climb was in 2005!.  We visited the marvelous jardin des Tuileries, yes this is worth it, and went into my old churches such as Madeleine, Trinité, Notre Dame des Champs, Augustin, and Saint Roch.

We went by the Opéra Garnier, and the Louvre, and of course the deparment stores Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette; we shop at rue Tronchet, my old walking plank. and visit my old working places,to say Hi to old collegues! great! now call the Westin  Paris Vendôme.  And the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel ,both as many were under my accounting supervision. It was nice to still be recognised by collegues still there after 7 years ;it was nice, yes!!.  Oh dear, I had the Café de la Paix under as well! Sublime Paris!!

We saw the Seine and the batobus, great ride , and the many stores we used to go and shop as locals like Salavin, on Tronchet (this since closed). And the restos we went by just to see ,have  a coffee like at Cafe Montparnasse and drink/ snacks at Indiana Cafe .

And of course eat at my fav La Gare in the 16éme ; delicious porto rouge apero, and kir blanc, 2 menus plaisirs at 21€ with fish and potatoes,a glass of Jurançon moelloux and Chablis with coffee for 35 euros per person. http://lagare-paris.com/

Then of course , there is the endless street walks by quaint neighborhood, we took sometimes the metro, line 12 and 6 , and once the bus no 95 from gare Saint Lazare to gare Montparnasse, great ride, and the walk I insist the walks are sublime.  Oh see the wonderful village outside the gare St Lazare just wonderful we got some macarons there oops! and of course my wonderful passage du havre out from the station into the famous Haussmann and the stores, lol  FNAC is was a must, ,,,, and many more now, just lovely so is the station completely renovated with lots of stores inside, too. This was my entry into Paris from Versailles so lots of memories here and my daily fire on train rides!

You won’t even feel tired at the end , we didn’t;  all worth it.  I would do it again, tomorrow lol! Paris is for good reason, the most beautiful city in the world!!! A mouvable feast of greater proportions, hope the politicians keep it that way.

Hope you like these black and white entries, anyway I think the ride, the trip, the presence is important too. Again for pictures see my many posts on Paris and their individual entries with pics! Enjoy reading about sublime Paris!

And remember, happy travels,good health,and many cheers to all!!!