Paris1972-Versailles2003

Well I like to update/revise this post from 2016. By now do not know if repeating titles lol! So many posts on Paris in my blog and titles are beginning to be hard for this humble blogger. Hope you enjoy this particular visit to my eternal Paris done already from my lovely little Pluvigner!

Yeah hard to come up with a title heck, Paris is eternal, I am Lucky to have worked there for almost 10 years and now visit at least once a month. This past Thursday was no difference a walk on it is sublime. What can I say millions have not said it already….

I started my day early from my closest train station in Auray, Morbihan, 56, Bretagne where the parking is free. Took a TER Bretagne train to Rennes, brand new wagons and nice ride. At Rennes the TGV to Paris Montparnasse was just waiting on the other side of the wharf, easy picking and there I was on top row 1 class! I arrive at Paris Montparnasse and already with metro tickets purchased hop on the line 13 to Saint Lazare ; my old train station and glad to see it again completely remodeled and great shopping. There is many metro lines there, RER, buses , taxis you name it and walking distance to the great department stores, and Madeleine!! Opéra!!! Got back in to take line 3 to Levallois-Perret , in Hauts de Seine dept 92, my final destination.

Levallois-Perret (see post) is one of the adjacent cities to Paris petite couronne in zone 2 and departément 92 Hauts-de-Seine. However, so attach to Paris you won’t even notice is not Paris.  I had my lunch here at a wonderful new find  Restaurant A Table , right off the rue Georges Pompidou and at 43 Rue Baudin. Here I had the menu for 21,95€ terrine de saumon or salmon with veau roti dish roasted veal rondelles, potatoes, and green salad; had a nice Fouilly Fume blanc for apero and an Irancy of Burgundy for the meal, expresso coffee finish the day in grand style. Service was wonderful and so was the company.  Here for the memories as it has already closed! Sadly ….

I had  my walks as used to do lots of business around here and the place is as grand as before, chic and nice, just next to Paris of course!

On the way back, had a great time walking the streets of Paris, anybody coming here takes to the metro right away , big mistake. This gorgeous city is made to be seen above ground, do it and enjoy it. Walking along Avenue de Villiers and into avenue Jouffroy d’Abbans and into Rue de Rocher and coming behind the Gare Saint Lazare train station and near the Church of Saint Augustin (see post) was a fresh of life into me again. These were my work area coming in and out and walking to the office all the way by rue de Castiglione ,yes!!! And not forget the wonderful Carrusel at Villiers!

Off metro Wagram, off Avenue de Villiers and at  6 Rue Brémontier, you see the wonderful Church of Saint François de Sales! (see post) They are two link by a hallway, and the organ is from 1900, and the new Church built between 1911 and 1913 done with entrance at 15-17 Rue Ampére. The old Church on Rue Brémontier from where I entered was done in 1873. The Church has a neo roman style, and you will see the chapels of the Virgin and the Sacred Child as well as the Holy Cross, and  St Teresa.

Of course, could not be by this area without stopping in my favorite Spanish grocery store Cap Hispania (see post) at 23 rue Jouffroy d’Abbans, metro Wagram, line 3, and gather my manchego cheese, serrano ham, pork rinds, olive oïl , Duero red wine, and nougats of many varieties;;;;here since 1998! Webpage: http://www.caphispania.fr/

I have been coming  to Cap Hispania since 2004! and always the best of Spain with friendly service and speaking Spanish !More than 180 products and knowledge on them to offer you!

It was a short trip indeed, but it seems long, always Paris ; it’s eternal I said. You will never be tired of seeing it. I mean it ! Hope you enjoy the post and do visit when possible.

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

Again in my black and white series with pictures in individual posts and updating this one with links and text. Times and travels in Paris, hope you enjoy as I looking back of these posts. In essence, allowing me to remember many wonderful bloggers who gave me “like” or comments on them over the years since 2010. This post was from 2013.

I just came back from an incredible journey and ready to go out again, but did not want lapse several days before telling my readers, friends ,and family about it.  I was to go to Brazil last week, and as usual took my AF flight out of Nantes, in the Loire Atlantique dept 44 area. We pretty much always passed by CDG airport at Roissy in Val d’Oise dept 95 (what is normally refer to as the Paris airport).  Little did I know of the incoming snow in Paris and north France area.

Upon my return, my flight was cancelled by AF due to the snow in Roissy CDG, luckily I have sms telephone and email warning procedures so I was alerted right away. Quickly the staff I was visiting, change my flight to a later time. An hour later, this new flight was,also, cancelled. I had no choice because I needed to come back to Paris for a big meeting on the 15 March by the tour Eiffel area.

The one webex conference I had for the 14 March afternoon needed to be done by staff as I was still in Brazil, finally came back from there on TAM arriving very late in Paris. My staff had reserve a hotel for me in Paris so stay at Hôtel Delos Vaugirard on 7 rue Gén Beuret, near rue Cambronne area. Today this hotel is name Hôtel Ami, webpage: https://www.hotelamiparis.com/fr/

This allow for my meeting in Paris the next morning to be done as usual, of course, I came in without any documentation and did it all by memory lol!! I am good yeah!! In the evening near the hotel, I wondered out to eat and without any one in particular just the open minded Parisien sense, came upon the La Bodega de Cambronne, 37 Rue Cambronne 15éme. The place has been open for a little over a year, by Parisien born Asturias descend Spaniards with the chefs and staff from Spain. All wonderful tapas and raciones with the wines and beers of Spain, I had my chorizo omelette, pulpo do feira or octopus in semihot sauce, Mahou beers, and expresso coffee for 30€ with a complimentary shot of liquor of pears for a digestif! The service and chat was great, very talkative and from hearing the local guests the place will last…Webpage: https://labodegacambronne.fr/

The 15 march was wonderful with great company and I tasted a new wonderful resto like there are so many in Paris, this one is the Le Cassenoix or the nutcracker at 56 Rue de la Fédération 15éme. I had a wonderful basque dish of pork and choucroute, with perle de japon fruit cocktail dessert, and expresso coffee, all wash down by a nice Bordeaux chosen by the hosts for the occasion. The place is nicely decorated with antiques of Paris, and all wallpaper very nice. One more nice address in Paris, webpage : https://www.le-cassenoix.fr/

I did needed to extend my stay in Paris !!! and this time took up possession of the Le Meridien for one night just to soak in the Parisien life at Porte Maillot and was close to the dinner with friends at Bistro Saint Ferdinand. The Le Meridien webpage: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/parmd-le-meridien-etoile/

The Bistro Saint Ferdinand is part of a group of Bistro run by Dorr ,and it is just around the corner from the Porte Maillot on 275 Bd Pereire.  The concept is simple a fixe menu of 42€ per person including sharing a bottle of wine for two, entrée, plat, and dessert, plus coffee. the price is ok for Paris but the food I thought was salty and bland no way for that price. I had avocado salad, coquilles saint-jacques,creme brulée, coffee expresso and the wine. I was glad not pay for it as the company paid. Webpage: https://www.restaurant-paris-17eme.com/

Then , I took my usual stroll thru Paris, the walk was from the porte Maillot to Concorde by metro then walk from there to gare St Lazare . Came by my wonderful place de la Madeleine, Concorde, department stores, and the Church of the Madeleine, my old neighborhood where I once worked.  Wonderful to walk Paris again, a walkers’ paradise indeed. Do it…..!!!!

On my flight back, my car was waiting for me at the Nantes airport, and there was no flight there as mine was cancelled so I could stay in Paris for the meeting. The alternative was to take a TGV to Gare de Nantes. This I did reserve, however, upon arriving two minutes late missed my train ,very on time here!!. As usual  ,I am not very good with trains ::)  Luckily the next train was 30 mins later,and got on it at no additional charge.

Upon arriving at the Nantes train station, took for the first time the navette bus from train station to airport, very nice ,and puntual, for 7,50€ (today is 9€) one way coming out from the gare de Nantes sud door ,across the street is the stop, you past by the Mercure hotel on your right hand side. The ride was smooth and nice. Finally arriving at the airport took my car and went home which is another 1h30 drive home, arriving late for today’s  family duties to do,and did.

Now  I am preparing tomorrow morning for my trip to South Africa in the evening with AF again, back by wednesday, then out Thursday on my own vacation to Paris/Versailles for the weeekend lol:::) This is a totally different trip. Not only will I be going back to my old area as a tourist now for the first time in 10 years, but will do the trip by TGV train,and rent hotel in Paris by the Galeries Lafayette area. So will see the tourist in me how I will do, gave a challenge to do the metro, bus and walk as a visitor.

And there you go ,Paris, enough said; live it love it enjoy it as we do always. And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!