We're Not In Paris Anymore, Toto

Greetings from New York City. We left Paris on the 28th and arrived in a hot and humid New York at around 1 in the afternoon. Dianne had arranged for a town car to pick us up and we were grateful to see our driver holding a sign with our name after we cleared Customs.
We are stayingb at the Novotel on the 33rd floor with a commanding view of Times Square. The weather has become much more pleasant and we should have temperatures around 80 today.
Last night we saw Promises Promises with Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. It is a wonderful show and Sean Hayes (Jack from Will And Grace) is amazing. We had seats in the third row orchestra so could see facial expressons and sweat on the brow. This afternoon we see Memphis and will have dinner tonight with our friends Janine and Gerard tonight.
It is now the next day. I was typing on my blackberry and was defeated by technology so have gone back to the computer in the lobby with its 20 minute time limit. We saw Memphis yesterday and it was phenomenal. If any of you get the chance to see it if you come to New York or if it goes on the road, do not miss it. Had a wonderful dinner with friends Janine and Gerard last night. Today is very pleasant in New York. We will have lunch with cousins Kathy and her son Brian and tonight go to see Billy Elliot. We are enjoying our stay here in New York, especially since the weather has become very bay area like. Humidity has left the house.
Art

Almost Home

We find ourselves at the Novotel Hotel at Charles de Gaulle Airport for the night prior to our flight to New York tomorrow. We have a treasure trove of memories from our two weeks in France and have had a marvelous time. I'm glad the pants I brought have an expandable waste as I think I may have put on a kilo or two while in France.
Thanks to all who have followed our blog and we will update as time allows in New York.
Art

Back to Paris

We had a slight shift in our schedule because all of Paris went on a one day strike meaning that all workers were off....translated into river talk...the locks were closed for a day. So they our boat went a different way and parked for the evening so we could go to Giverny and see Monets Gardens and some to Versailles. But all is well, the strike is over and the locks are working and we are back in Paris today. Now to Monet's Garden in Giverny. If you have ever seen a Monet painting of the garden then close your eyes and visualize what it would be like in person...and there is where we were yesterday..right in the middle of the painting, standing over the lily pads, crossing the bridge many times, breathing in the scent of the flowers, and looking at all of the foliage here and there. I do not think I saw one weed or dead flower..The gardeners keep it so well...it is only open from April to October so millions of people come during that time. Hundereds of children were there on a field trip just yesterday. So I think Monet's Garden has been my favorite beautiful place. Omaha beach was my most inspiring experience and heart moving experience and the Church at Ste. Chappelle was the one that made me sit and say "AHHHH". So now, after a stay at a hotel at the airport we will be going to NYC. I am looking forward to seeing Gerard, Janine, Michael and of course the shows. Bye for Now, Love, Dianne

This Change In Travel Plans Is Brought To You Courtesy Of A French General Strike

We are on the last leg of our river cruise and have experienced what one should expect while travelling in France, a general strike. As a result of the strike we had to moor at Rouen again last night rather than cruising to Vernon due to the fact that none of the locks on the Seine were working due to the strike. So today, rather than ten minute bus trip from Vernon to Givenchy, we had a one hour ride from Rouen to Vernon. We roll with the punches.
Monet's garden at Giverny was a highlight of the cruise. Yor really feel that you have walked into a Monet painting and just drink in the beauty. The tour of his house we could have done without because it was quite crowded and we felt like cattle being herded from room to room. After Giverny, we went to Vernon with a very small crowd, had a nice lunch, and a tour of the town and museum. Since we had our travel plans changed, Uniworld gave us each 15 Euros for our lunch and paid our admission to the museum. Our guide was Patricia, a delightful local guide who is also a painter, so she was able to point out fine points of some of the paintings we saw in the museum. There were two Monets on display in the museum. One of the best parts about the museum was that it was not crowded. The majority of our boat took an optional tour to Versailles this afternoon, and from what we hear, it was packed, possibly due to the stike yesterday. I am so grateful that I got to see Versailles on my own at the beginning of the day while it was relatively uncrowded.
I need to correct some information I gave out in the last post about Champlain. He did sail from Honfleur, but he founded the city of Quebec. It was La Salle who left Honfleur and eventually sailed down the Missississippi and claimed all the land for Louis XIV. There, I feel better. Honfleur is cute but very touristy. I know, I know, we were there as tourists, but many of us felt that way about Honfleur. Rather than stay in Honfleur for lunch, we returned to Caudebec where our boat was, had lunch, and then I had a very enjoyable stroll around the town with camera in hand. A lovely day. I was going to visit the church in Caudebec and heard the bell of the church start pealing. As I approached the church, I heard organ music so was looking forward to perhaps another private organ recital. As I rounded the last turn in the bend, I practically bumped into a vehicle which turned out to be a hearse delivering the deceased to his or her funeral. I did not go into the church.
I would have been more regular about posting on the blog, but the computer onboard is linked to a satellite and unless the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars, it can be difficult to get on the internet. It is kind of hit and miss and there have been more misses than hits lately.
Tomorrow we return to Paris and disembark on Sunday then on to NYC on Monday.
It is now several hours later. The satellite may have gone on strike because I could not publish this last night as I intended. Fortunately, since I have such a vast store of technical savvy, I was able to save the draft, don't ask me how. As our trip in France winds to a close, some things I have learned. The Seine meanders through some beautiful countryside and though it goes west, it snakes in a north south fashion to meet the sea. Think of a snake slithering and you get an idea of how the Seine moves. Paris is a shopper's paradise. Any of you who know me know how much I love to shop so a shopper's paradise is lost on me. I kept on looking for Ross but could not find one. Could not find Target either. But I did find Starbucks. Europeans use their forks differently from Americans. They cut, stab, and lift food to mouth without switching the fork to the other hand. French coffee is good and strong but the idea of refills is foreign to the French. And never drink coffee with your meal. It is served after. Paris is a beautiful city, but you know that if you have been here.
For now, au revoir.
Art

On The Road To Honfleur

Today finds us in Caudebec about a half hour bus ride from our next point of interest, Honfleur. According to what I have read, Honfleur is noteworthy for its strategic location as a seaport. Champlain sailed from here on his way to America. Unless my history is faulty, I believe Champlain sailed down the Missississippi and claimed the land for France and called it Louisiana. In 1803 Thomas Jefferson bought Louisiana from the French and thus doubled the size of the United States. Honfleur is described as having medieval charm with cobblestoned streets and timber construction homes. I'm sure cobblestoned pavement was a marvelous advance in its time, but it does present challenges for walking, especially if a cobblestone is missing and you are not looking where you are walking.

We have either adopted or been adopted by two delightful older women named Claire and Althea. Althea is British and lives now in Australia and Claire is British and lives in England. Claire is 80, but you would not know it and Althea may be older, I believe. They are both full of life and wit and make wonderful table companions as we have shared many meals with them. I hope to have their spirit when I grow up. They are both widows. Claire shared with us that her second husband (she's outlived two) was part of the flotilla that tried to save Canadian soldiers at Dunkirk but the effort was thwarted due to the fact that there were cliffs between the flotilla and the Canadian soldiers so they had to be abandoned. I love meeting people who have a connection to the living pagenat of history we are experiencing. Her husband died just last year at the age of 96 and gave her 18 of the happiest years of her life.

Just about time for breakfast so more later.
Art

Rouen

Let me take you back to the 11th and 12th century...to when Rouen was the capital of Normandy(do not hold me to dates please). This is where we are, parked on the river, but a short walk to the old section of Rouen. You might be more familar with this fact...Joan of Arc was burned at the stake her also....she fought for France at the young age of 18 and 19. After awhile she was encouraged to stop but being the woman that she was, she did not stop. She was caught and tried as a treasoner. They fooled her into signing a phony paper that said she was a heretic and the rest was history. It was only in the beginning of the 20th century that someone figured that they got it wrong and she was made into a saint. There is a modern church built in her memory...it is filled with stain glass that goes on forever...Joan would be happy. The small streets have homes all listed as they were built in the 11th, 12th , 13th and 14th century. The timber homes are as they were back then....did you know that prior to the 15th century...homes were built with overhangs...this is so people could through various things out the window..yes, you guessed what....and it went in the streets...this is why men had wide brimmed hats.

I know Art has told you of Omaha...we were given flowers to put on any grave we wanted in the cemetery...I chose a young lad named Willard Wilson from California. I that we had a bond because he was from California. He died in the July of 1944. I said a prayer for him and thanked him for his courage and bravery. The movie was touching too so now I want to see the longest day...the movie.
Bye for now.... Dianne

Sailing On The Seine With A Bunch Of Old White People

We have completed two full days on the River Baroness and are enjoying this leisurely pace quite a bit. The ages of our companions range probably from the 40's to late 80's with the majority tending toward the upper end which makes me and Dianne fit into the middle aged group. Our room is small, comfortable, and utilitarian. The passage is very smooth, so no problems with motion sickness.
We set sail on Sunday at around 6:00 and made our way to our first port of call, Les Andelys. We saw the ruins of a castle that was constructed by Richard the Lion Heart in the late 12th century. Like many ruins of castles, it takes quite a bit of imagination to reconstruct the castle in your mind. We had lunch on board and set sail for our next stop, Rouen.
We arrived in Rouen and spent the night and today we boarded busses at 8:00 for our trip to the D Day beaches at Normandy. Along the way, we stopped in Bayeux where we saw the Tapestry that depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was quite interesting and enjoyable. After lunch we went to Omaha Beach and were quite moved by the thought that 66 years ago so many yonung allied soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Europe. The highlight of the day was the visit to the American cemetery. There are close to 10,000 graves there as well as a memorial to the all those whose remains were never found. To see the rows of white crosses and Stars of David was indeed moving. I spent a good 45 minutes just walking among the grave markers and looking at the names. All nationalities are equally represented there. Our tour group, Uniworld, gave all of us a single rose and asked us to place it on the grave of the one of the heroes buried there. Dianne chose a man from California and I chose the grave of one of the many unknowns who are buried there. Before I left, I gave all of them a salute, probably one of the most meaningful salutes I ever have given in my life. When I was in the army, saluting was just for form, mostly to officers. Today was different and heartlfelt.
Tomorrow, we tour Rouen and then continue on our voyage to Honfleur and then to Giverny.
We are truly enjoying our time here in France and hope all is well with all.
Art

Les Andelys

What a surprise to wake up and look out on a charming little French village. When we walked outside, we saw flowers everywhere on homes. not a dead flower in sight...what is their secret? We are going to see a castle, Le Chateau-Gaillard once belonging to the Archbishop of Rouen for his summer home. Yes, the clergy showed there power and strength by the land they owned. They are ruins now, and I am not so good at picturing this and that from ruins, but the drive up there promises to be loving. We actually are seeing some sun through the clouds today, so maybe the day will be "pleasant"...that is a Art word on every day..."Pleasant".

People are here from all over the USA. Some are friendly, and some are, well, people are people now, aren't they. Some become Ugly Americans while travelling and we stear away from those people. We met a woman from Australia who is pushing 90..she is so charming and willing to do everything. I have enjoyed conversations with her about things she has seen and done.

The food on this barge has been very delicious already and the staff seems willing to oblige and give you what you want. Now the room...well, it is very compact. The shower is a challenge if you are used to moving around...but you cannot move in this small space once you get in. I know Art will add so much more to the days adventures.. Love, Dianne

Around The Latin Quarter

Today we spent some time exploring the Latin Quarter, the home of the University of Paris. It is called the Latin Quarter since it is the home of the university since the Middle Ages and in the Middle Ages Latin was the language of the educated class. The uneducated spoke vulgar French. The Latin Quarter is a maze of narrow winding streets that date from the Middle Ages and some wide boulevards such as St. Michel and St. Germain which are of more recent vintage. From our hotel we can easily walk to Notre Dame, the Pantheon, the Louvre and other famous sites in Paris. In the narrow streets there is a virtual united nations of restaurants from French to Japanese to Italian to Tunisian to Thai so whatever world cuisine strikes your fancy, chances are you will find something to suit your taste in the Latin Quarter. There is even a Starbucks and a McDonalds.

We started our tour at St. Chapelle, the gothic church in Paris that captures the beauty and significance of the stained glass window. The walls are literally huge stained glass windows that tell bible stories. Since people in the Middle Ages could not read, the stained glass windows became their cathechism so they served the dual purpose of being inspirational works of art and tools of education.

Also went to the Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages which is filled with displays of very fine and delicate woodcarvings, tapestries, examples of stained glass art, and statuary. After that a trip to the Pantheon, a former church dedicated to St. Genevieve the patron saint of Paris, that was changed to a monument to liberty, equality, and fraternity during the French Revolution. It houses the mortal remains of many French philosophers and authors who made significant contributions. It also houses the pendulum that proves the earth's rotation. Final stop was to the church of St. Severin, right down the street from our hotel. This is a smallish gothic church that according to Rick Steves took longer to build than Notre Dame and is kind of transitional between gothic and renaissance.

As my back started talking to me and reminding me that I am not as young as I was and asking me "why all this walking" I spent most of the afternoon in a supine position checking my eyelids for holes.

Tomorrow we embark on the barge and on to Normandy.
Art

crepes

I love crepes::they come with any filling you desire____breakfast,lunch,entree, and dessert. watching them made is also interesting. the outside is light a fluffy so one does not think she is eating too many calories, and then the inside is anything. my favorite was for lunch with carmelized onions and eggs and cheese: right now the bells are chiming from the church next door. we just returned from a short walk to st. chapelle, a church with over 1000 stained glass windows that depict bible stories from genisis to the resurrection. this is how they remembered events in the bible__through this pictures. the glass goes up as far as the eye can see. I sat and looked up so I could absorb it all. even though there was a silence sign, ,most tourists do not pay attention to that one. last night we sat at a table in the latin quarter and watched the world go by-- someone from every nation must have been there, eating, looking around, laughing---such harmony in one space. bye for now, dianne

From The Latin Quarter

Today we moved to the Latin Quarter and are now very close to Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, the Louvre, the Sorbonne, the Pantheon, and St. Sulpice. Our room is large by European standards and even has a balcony on which we can sit and gaze out over the rooftops. We loved our hotel at Rue Cler, but it was noisy at night until quite late as there were a number of popular eateries in the street below and Parisians have a tendency to eat late, unlike us Yanks.

Today we went to the Deportation Memorial and were very moved by the experience. This is where 200,000 Jews and other undesirables were rounded up prior to being sent to concentration labor extermination camps by the Nazis. It is a very solemn experience and makes one wonder how human beings can so easily lose their humanity and treat other humans as if they were the scum of the earth. We also went to St. Louis island and had delicious crepes for lunch. We found ourselves sharing space with six other Californians. Nothing like leaving home to go home.

Today we also went to the Louvre and saw the Winged Victory Of Samothrace, The Mona Lisa, and Venus de Milo. We did only two parts of the Louvre as it is so vast and overwhelming that you hit sensory overload after awhile. We followed the advice of Rick Steves and went later in the day as the Louvre stays open late on Fridays. Rick Steves has been a tremendous help to us in so many ways. One of his best hints is buying the museum pass which saves time and money since most of the major attractions accept the pass and you hardly ever have to wait in line. We have seen quite a few Americans with the Rick Steves "Bible". Part of our barge trip is a tour of Paris including the Louvre, so we will have the chance to see what we did not see today.

Tomorrow we plan to hang loose and explore the sights and sites of the Latin Quarter

Versailles

Today I went to Versailles to see how the royalty used to live. Suffice it to say that it was way over the top. To say that the grounds that comprise Versailles are immense is tremendous understatement. For those of you who know Rodeo, Versailles may be just about as big as all of Rodeo. I do not know if the term conspicuous consumption was in vogue during the reign of the various Louies who called Versailles home, but you get an impression of decadent opulence as you wander from one room to the next. It is not surprising that the masses revolted against the nobility in 1789.

To see all of Versailles takes about five hours and lots of walking. The first part of the visit is to the chateau where the main sites are the royal chapel, the royal bedchambers (including the door that led to Louie XIV's boudoir for the various ladies he bedded other than the queen, and the hall of mirrors. Following the chateau is the visit to the gardens which are massive and beautifully maintained. The last part involves about a 30 minute walk to Le Grand Trianon and Le Petit Trianon, two smaller palaces where the roual couple could escape the hustle and bustle of life at the chateau for a more serene existence. It gets very crowded at Versailles and it is a good idea to get out there when it opens at 9:00 to avoid some of the crowds.

Rick Steves has been a lifesaver for us and we find following his tips saves time and frustration. Thanks to him, I knew how to get there on the train, how to use my museum pass (a great investment) to get in, to get out there early, and hoz to get home in one piece.

Tomorrow, we move to a hotel in the Latin Quarter for two nights, then we embark on our barge cruise. We are loving Paris.

Art

sights sounds and smells

today, art has gone to versailles for the day. i have chosen to remain because i have seen versailles. so i have named today sights sounds and smells to see what i come up with: to begin, i was checking the weather the old fashioned way, by sticking my body out of the window and there across from me was a woman from asia doing the same. that brought a chuckle to me, so there was my first sight experience. now for smell- that was easy ____ on my way to buy a water bottle i passed the cheese shop__i paused and drooled with the smell of all the cheeses. for my sound it was having a delightful conversation with a young woman at breakfast who is travelling alone___ we shared our adentures to date, comparing notes based on our rick steves travels. so my plan for today is to walk to the seine river and see what sights, sounds and smells i can come up with: if i am lucky i will meet another traveller and maybe have a cup of tea and talk. we did go to the eiffel tower last evening and the lines where shorter then but the weather had a chill in it and it was overcast and breezy. we went to the 2nd stage so art could get photos. the view, even though it was cloudy, was spectacular. again, for dinner we enjoyed sitting outside and watching the world go by. a funny thing happened__ i was enjoying onion soup and a woman asked me in french if it was good__that just struck me funny so when i answered in english she laughed too. have you read about the floods in south, eastern france? I am sad for the people who live there and glad we did not go there. we have been watching the world cup and felt very sad for the south africans game. art wore his south african world cup shirt today for them: peter and ryan__did you wear yours? SO now i am off for the day:

If You Don't Cheese Or Bread, Don't Come To France

Yesterday, after we got settled in to our room and checked in with the internet, we did a bit of exploring around Rue Cler. It is a very pedestrian friendly area. Right around the corner from our hotel there are numerous small shops such as cheese shops, wine merchants, bakeries, butcher shops, flower stores, pharmacy and an ice cream store. We explored the area to get our bearings and drooled over some of the cheeses and chocolates and even walked into the butcher shop to watch the customers and the butchers. We also went into the church of St. Peter on Rue Dominique. The church is old and looks more Romanesque as far as architecture goes. It was a very peaceful beginning to our journey. We had an early light supper at a small corner cafe and were asleep by 7:00 in spite of our best efforts to stay awake longer.

This morning, after 12 hours of refreshing sleep, we rose and had breakfast at our hotel. The meal consisted of coffee, croissants and bread, yogurt and orange juice. Bread and cheese are staples in the French diet so I guess we will need to do a lot of walking to undo the cheese and bread. Today we rode the bus to Notre Dame and spent a good amount of time there. You can't help but be impressed by the skill of the builders who constructed these massive Gothic cathedrals as you feel absolutely dwarfed by the enormity of the structure. If any of you have read Ken Follet's two novels about the medieval cathedrals, you have an idea of what I mean. The crowds at Notre Dame are immense and some of the sense of being in a sacred place is lost due to the constant flow of people. There are signs prohibiting flash photography and cells phones displayed prominently, but some people were not deterred by the signs. The organ was played and the sound is truly inspiring. After Notre Dame, we had a bite to eat and made our way to Orsay Museum. The Orsay is in a converted train station and houses works of art by impressionists, photographers, art noveau, modernists, naturalists and is quite impressive,if a bit overwhelming. Listen to me about overwhelming. We have not even been to the Louvre yet.

We are having a wonderful time. We are now on our way to the Eiffel Tower. Tomorrow I go to Versailles and Dianne will stay in Paris as she has been to Versailles before. I will follow the Rick Steves bible and go on the train to Versailles and take a self guided tour. I should expect crowds, so I will further follow his advice and leave Paris by eight so I can be there a t 9 when it opens.

We will post more as we make our way through the wonders of Paris. Au revoir for now.
Art

salut

rue cler is a charming area filled with cheese shops; bread shops, olive shops, petite restaurants and alot of people. tonight, our first night, we will walk and absorb the charm. our room has personality and a cool breeze is coming through the windows, this is a very brief posting from me as art is typing away so you do not need to hear from me too: we will venture out tomorrow after a good night sleep:::even though the seats reclined almost flat, sleep would not come. so au revoir dianne

In Paris

We made it to Paris after an uneventful and pleasant flight on Air France. We are quite tired and will try to stay awake for as long as we can so that we can get into this time zone. We are nine hours ahead of the west coast so it was 2:00 am body clock wise when we landed in Paris.

Our hotel is in the Rue Cler area and is quite charming. We think tomorrow we will walk along the Seine to Notre Dame and wherever else the spirit moves us. We have already had our first crepe. Delicious. Right now the weather is pleasant, but there is chance of rain this week; but we are ready for whatever the weather throws our way.

It is a real challenge typing on this keyboard since some of the keys are in different places. For example the "q" and the "a" have switched places as have the "w" and the "z" and the "m" is not on the bottom row. Interesting challenge for the typographically challenged.

Be well everyone and we will write again soon.
Art

Away We Go (part 2)

Sitting here at Air France at LAX. Should start boarding in about 40 minutes and then on our way to Paris. Jet lag could be an issue for us as we are supposed to land at 11:00 am Paris time which will be 2:00 am for our bodies. As a good friend of ours would say, "Deal with it".Next post from Paris. Au revoir.
Art

Away We Go

Paris Here We Come

Semi busy with last details before leaving the country. Up to date on all bills, cleaned up the dog poo, checked the hot tub, made sure there is enough food for the dog, read up in Rick Steeves about how to get from airport to our hotel in Paris (bus, metro, walk), and checking and double checking to make sure we have everything we need. If we are true form, we will actually take more than we use, but better safe than sorry.

Current ten day forecast for Paris calls for temps in the 70's with some days having the possibility of showers. We will go prepared with rain ponchos and travel umbrellas. Rick Steeves also tells us that Paris is a pickpocket's delight so suggests keeping money and credit cards in a money belt around your waist or in a pouch suspended around your neck and inside your shirt or blouse. Good advice from him and we will heed it and hope not to have problems with the pickpockets.

Just a few last minute things to put into the suitcase and then on our way on the first leg of the journey tomorrow.

Getting Ready To Go

Hi Folks,

Art here. I'm using Dianne's ID since I don't know (or more likely remember maybe) how to become a contributor under my own name and ID. Any clues from any of you computer savvy types?

We leave for Paris on Monday the 14th and arrive there on the 15th after a ten and a half hour flight. We are going to spend Sunday night in LA at a hotel by LAX so that we don't have to fly to LA on Monday and then fly to Paris on the same day. We'll also have a chance for a family dinner on Sunday night with the kids. Another benefit is we avoid those wonderful, nutritious, flavorful and inexpensive airport meals at Oakland on Monday morning. We fly Air France nonstop to Paris from LA.

In all my travels, I have never been to France, so I look forward to this trip with anticipation of seeing the wonders of Paris and then experiencing the French countryside as we cruise the Seine on a barge out to the Normandy coast and back to Paris.

We will keep you posted as we travel.

Art

Almost time

Would you believe...Art and I are packed and it is only Friday. Monday is the day...up up and away...LA to Paris...

Preparing for Paris...Part 1

TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE TRIP.....LET'S SEE, WATER BOTTLE, FLASHLIGHT, MONEY BELT, PASSPORT HOLDER, PACKING BAGS, UMBRELLA, WINDBREAKER.....ANYTHING MISSING? OH, THE CLOTHES PART...THAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT. WEATHER SHOULD BE 70'S AND 80'S....I HATE PACKING FOR SURE