Pula

We are continuing our sail up the coast of Croatia, toward Venice. Our port today is Hvar, an island and city in Croatia.

I got up and went into the dining room with my I-pad. I arrived before the rest of the friends so after I got my food I sat down and started to read. There was no one else in the dining room and the bus boys were not busy. One young man asked if this was the I-pad and when I said yes, we started to play with it a bit, soon I had all four of them around watching and asking questions. We were having a great time and were omly interrupted when other passengers started arriving.

The time to disembark today was 8:00 and all but two of the friends decided that it was just too much too ask of us, so we slept in a bit and went into town later. In order to make up for the lack of a tour guide I provided the friends with my understanding of what we had missed--totally made up of course but delivered in serious guide style. They seemed satisfied with my work.

The city is quite small. It is open to the bay and the main square is right on the bay. They have a beautifully restored church of St. stehens at the end of the square. The business area is about two blocks long and there is not a lot there. They do make lace from agave fibers which I gather is quite difficult and makes the lace very expensive. They also have a number of lavender fields in the area and sell a lot of lavender oil and sachets.

We came back to the boat fairly early and most of us napped or sat on deck for the afternoon.

I met Mrs. Leckie this evening and if Nor is really nice to me I will let him touch the hand that shook the hand.

This has been a great trip but I am glad there is only one day left.

Dubrovnik

This is definitly the second city that we a coming back to in February 2012. (Nor take note) we were old that some dais during the summervthere can be aa many as 10 cruise ships in the bay. That would make for wall to wall people, not to mention the heat. So February is still looking good to me.

We took the tenders into the old port. That is definitely the way to enter the City, especially om a day a gorgeous as this one. There is hardly a cloud in the sky and the air is crisp and glorious!

The old walled city is one of the best preserved walled cities in the world we were told and it is a UNESCO world heritage site. One of the things that must be done is to walk the ramparts! It is gist over one mile but it takes lots of time since you HAVE to stop and take photos about every three steps. The stairs up to the ramparts and the stairs throughout can be quite steep but you never feel very at risk. There were a few places where friend five and I felt our stomaches sink and our thighs twitch but mostly it was just amazing.

Our guide was a charming woman named Anna Maria she gave us a great deal of information about the city and about the recent war. About 70% of the old town was bombed. There are still a few areas where you can see the rubble but most of the city was restored by UNESCO. Dubrovnik has been a world heritage site since 1979. When you are on the ramparts you can see the brighter orange roofs, all of those ar restored buildings.

We visited the Rectors palace which is like the Doges palace but not as big. The rector served for omly one month at a time and then there was another election.

We also visited the synagogue which has been an active synagogue since the 1600s, or perhaps ear lie. The Jewish population was never large in Dubrovnik but now there are only 41 on the city.

There are 45 churches in the city, we visited the Dominican monastery. The Franciscans are at the other end of the city. The couryard is lovely and in the museum we saw the forearm of St. Thomas! There are very few monks left but we did see some of them in the street. The patron sati of the city is St Blaise the saint who takes care of throats, not sure why that is important in deciding who your patron saint is but there you are.

After a break for coffee and pastry and after we walked the ramparts we did a bit of shopping. Our guide told us that tourism is their biggest industry and we were certainly doing our best to make sure that the industry stay strong.

We went down one side street and went into a shop where a young woman was selling handwork that she and her family had done. We couldn't leave without making purchases and I took a photo of herewith the work she had done. She told me that there are 14 women in her family and that they all do the work for the shop. She said her mother can do the work without even looking.

We returned to the ship for a sine and cheese tasting and had on our beds an invitation to join the captain for a cocktail--ain't we cool!

The wine and cheese was very good nothing particularly great but good. Right after the former minister of tourism spoke. She talked about her experiences and life. It was most interesting but she kept it pretty high level, we really never got much of a sense of her.

At 6:45 we all met in the reception area in the reception area and were escorted to the bridge. The captain met us and we had champagne and hors droveres with him. He is a very personable individual and talked to us about the ship and how veery much he enjoy sailing to Antarctica. They even have Zodiaks that they take out on the water so the guests can get closer to the whales. They take naturalists with them to tell the passengers about what they are seeing..hm wonder if we could add that to Venice--probably not.

At dinner the chef was introduced to all of us which added to the fun of the evening.

After dinner we went into the lounge. We realized that it was friend sevens daughters birthdays so we toasted to her. While wecsat there we met an American couple who now live in Venice. He is an artist and his father wrote the book upon which the miniseries Pacific was based.

All in all one of our best days on this trip.

Kotor Montenegro

We started early this morning because we were sailing into Kotor, through an amazing serise of bays and straits. Kotor and the straits ar surrounded by high craggy mountains. As we approached the strait to takevus into the fiord of Kotor, a bank of fog moved in giving us an amazing show of the move,net of the cloud but which hid what was supposed to be beautiful monastery. I guess we will see them as we depart this afternoon. Once were in port the fog burned off and we were treated to the most glorious day we have had so far on this trip.

Kotor is an old walled city with fortifications going up the side of the mountains. Some of the friends hiked up aways others chose coffee in the square.

Montenegro's history like Crostia's is one of invasion and war. They are Russian Orthodox and a smaller part Roman Catholic. Like the other cities we have visited, Kotor is trying to create a tourist trade as the other industries are dying.

After lunch wwe returned to the city andcwondered the streets a bit longer. The chuechescweventered were quite simple, even the one that was supposed to be Baroque had moments of calm. The roof was flat, wooden cross members but did have five paintings hanging on it.

Later in the afternoon the Kotor Acapella choir sang in the theater. It is a group of eight women in tradational costume singing folk songs of the region. They were every good, I understand that they have been awarded World Heritage status.

Dinner and to bed for me. Others did go on for another round but I was really tired.

Kocula

This morning we were sailing and so we all were able to sleep in. I slept until seven which felt like heaven since I didn't have to set the alarm. I went into the lounge again this morning and had the place to myself. I sat and read and drank coffee anfd thouroghly enjoyed myself.

We went into the island village of Korcula around 1:30. We had an absolutely charming guide and thevtown is lovely. It too is all sandstone and hilly but it just feels good. It is a place we need to return to. The sail in was also lovely. The cliffs in the fjord are gree
To about three fourths up and then are shear cliffs of whitevrock. They remind me of the mountains around Les Baux in the South of France (don't I sound terribly world weary?)

Back on the ship was the evening of the Captain's Gala so we all dressed up and had wine and hors d'overes on deck. Then we went in for dinner which was very good, the meat dish was a very tender veal with an excellent gravy.

The boat set sail about ten and we will sail most of the night. There is just one small problem. Our toilet is backed up and I can't seem to get the attention of anyone to fix it. This could be most unpleasant for everyone in the next few hours. I am planning to go ballistic in about 15 minutes if it doesn't either spontaneously repair itself or the plumber doesn't arrive.

Sibenik and Split Croatia

This morning we embarked on a tour of the ancient town of Sibenik. In order to get there we had to take a tender. A small boat from our boat to the shore. Because the winds were high( 50mph) the had bit if trouble getting the small boat to stay close to the large boat and shore giving rise to a great sow of seamanship.

Croatia is clearly still trying to recover from it's " troubles". There are lots of reallly awful communist era buildings around and many recent ruins. However the tour of the old city was fascinating. It began as so many do with the church. St Jacob it is quite plain by Venice standards and has more the feel of the churches in. Berlin. High ceilings but heavy. The old city is behind the battlements and is all narrow paved alleyways. We came out near an elementary school that was out for lunch. The playground was open tp the square we were passing through and the kids were having a wonderful time chasing one another and giggling and generally being kids.

Next we boarded buses and headed down the coast ot Split. The coast is lovely with pines still running up to the shore. The groind is Frey rocky and our guidecsaid not veer fertile so there are these tiny plots of land all up and down the hills to true to avid erosion so that they can grow somethoongg.. There are vineyards son the hills but many are dying. The guidecsaid in the early 1900s there was a blight in the vines so many vin tars left and went to the US. She claims that one of them took a reisling grape and that it is from Croatia that the reisling comes.

We next stopped at the museum of a Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. His work is wonderful. We all enjoyed the stop very much. He taught ant NotrecDamevat one point and has statues in Grant Park in Chicago. He returned to his country at some point but died on 1962.

We returned to the ship for lunch and bit of wine. After lunch we went into Split to tour the Palace of Diocleation. He was a Roman emperor and is known as the last Emperor to persecute the Christians. The palace was huge covering 3800 square meters. The under levels remain and according to our guide are the same proportions as the upper levels. Over the centuries others built on top of the palace ruins and of course Christians eventually destroyed some to make their churches. The original mausoleum of Diacleatian is now the smallest Cathedral in the world. It is quite lovely and in parts you can still see the original decorations.

We then went out and through other squares including one where we were able to listen to a quartet singing. We also saw a number more of Mestrovics work including one won we had to rub the big toe of for good luck.

After the tour ended friend two and I went to the third oldest synogogue in Europe. It is om the second floor of a building on the old ghetto. We had to knock and be let in. There was another tour there who were being tod about the Jews in this p zit of the world. We lessened that there are only 80 jews in Split and that they do mot have a rabbi, now ever they ,eet ever Sabath and then have a kosher meal together.

Friend two and I decided to walk back to the ship rather than take the bus. It took us all of five minutes. All the others in the tour group took the bus.

After dinner they had a show in the theater on the 4th deck. There were four women and one male dancer and a singer. They were dressed in harlequin costumes for the most part. One dance had the, wearing all black except for black lit masks on their faces, hands and knees. It was very effective. Anyway it was a lot of fun. Not many of the passengers can stay that late however so the theater was only half full.

More Venice

On our first full day of our Tauck tour we were first raced through the Basilica of St Mark. St Mark is the patron saint of Venice. He replaced St. Theodore who still appears on one of the two columns at the entrance to St Marks square. The other column has the winged lion which represents St Mark. Back to the Basilica, it is covered with mosaics, the illustrate the life if Christ. There are millions of gold leaf squares. In each the gold leaf is encased in glass.

The square was flooded again this morning and even the mosiac floors at the entrance to the basilica was covered. The chichi was at first the private chapel od the Doge but when Napoleon conquoree he opened it to the public. He also built the palace at the end of the square.

We were back at the hotel and prepared for our day on the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is a fishing island where the famous lace is made. The wIves would wait for their husbands by making lace. They also painted their houses bright colors so that their husbands would be able to find the right home and wife when they came home. The village is charming, it isn't really a village, as it is a part of Venice but it has a village feel.

The lace is beautiful and quite expensive, despite that fact, I did feel that some members of my family needed a lace top. I can hardly wait to see them in them.

Murano is also a charming place. It is still home to the making of Murano glass and some is quite lovely and expensive. While I did feel somevhad to come home, I have to admit that lovely as some of it is and how incredible the artistry is, I was quite able to leave most of it there.

We were now water taxied to our ship. The La Boreal. Our tour is about half of the folk on the ship. We had a lifeboat exercise where we had to put on our life vests and head to our gathering point. Then off to dinner. The dinig room is large and was very noisy, on top of which they served lamb as the meat entry. Hopefully tomorrows dinner will be more to my liking.


Tomorrow Croatia!

Venice

We began with a tour of the Doges Palace. It is raining and the tide is high. They have put out raised walkways because the water from the lagoon is splashing on to the streets. The doges palace is a complex of government offices and three rooms in which the doge would live. There are frescos by Titan, Tinteretto and Veronese. Including the largest canvas in the world a painting by Tinteretto which is in the Senate chambers. I domt think it is called the senate but that was as close as i could come to the description. The doge was an elected position and all the nobels, 2000 of them, were charged with the governing of the city.

Because it is Sunday we must wait until tomorrow to see St. Marks church. It was originally the chapel of the doge and housed the relics of St Mark because the men who rescued them preferred to give them to the doge rather than the church. They came in handy at one point when the pope thought he would excommunicate the entire city and the doge used his considerable political power and the relics to persuade the pope to lift the ban.

We walked across the bridge of sighs. The guide explained that the covering is all advertising for the commercial sponsors of the restoration of portions of the city. Seems to me they are the replacement for the rich noblemen who insisted that they be portrayed in the buildings they built or sponsored. The good thing about our sponsors is that their pictures won't stay up the completion of the restoration.
The guide told us that the city is built on thousands of pillions. The church across from the hotel has over one million pillions supporting it. As she said a forest of trees under the water.

After the tour, friend seven and I struck out on a shopping and touring expedition. We wandered around a nimbler of new streets and ducked into lots of fun shops. When we were finally to hungry to go any further we dropped off our purchases and went to a cafe to eat and people watch.

Tonight we forage in the rooms for dinner.

Nor and I are definitely going to have to come back here!

Bologna

The day began gray and didn't change throughout. Breakfast in the dining room was delicious. Eggs, meats, breads, fruit, etc,etc.

We had a bit of a snafu with our guide. A woman nameed Annalise who is reputed to be the best guide in Balogna was to be our guide but when we went downstairs to meet her she wasn't there. Friend four tried to call her as did her agency but she was not answering. Finally they figured out somehow that she had basically passed us on to another guide but had misdirected him about where to meet us. He came to the hotel and was incredibly apologetic. We assured him we were not angry. Then he started guiding and he was amazing. The best guide. We have ever had. He is an art professor and his speciality is ancient art. He was able to tell us so much about the things wevwere seeing and he made it so interesting in part because he was so interested. We decided that we were very fortunate that Annalise dumped us.

In the main plaza there is a large building that was used by the pope. He had a porch from which he would greet the people. Under the porch are statutes of two eagles. One by Michelangelo. He asked us to guess which one -- I went way up in his estimation when I got it right! Docents eat your hearts out! Right across from the porch is a beautiful Neptune fountain. The story is that thevartist wanted to build the fountain in Rome ute pope thought it was too sexual, Neptune is a very muscular nude and around his feet are four mermaids with water coming from their breasts. Since he couldn't build it in Rome he built it in Bologna, right in front of the pope's porch.

There are two towers in Bologna, these towers apparently are built by wealthy noblemen to show their power and wealth. The two towers settled in the soft sand beneath them and are both leaning toward one another.

At the end of the tour, Maximo, took us to a place to get traditional Bologna mests and cheese. It was great! He got a very generous tip. Did I mention that he was as nice to look at as the sights?

After lunch four of us tried and failed to go to three different museums but we had a lovely stroll around the city. Our guide in Verona told us that although football is supposed to be the national sport of Italy, the true national sport is strolling.

After the mandatory pre dinner proseco we strolled to Da Nello and had an amazing mushroom salad. The rest of the dinner was good but the salad was unique and amazing.

Padua

We took the train to Padua today.

We were met by our guide Angela. She walked us from the train straight to the old part of town.

As we crossed the bridge over the canal she explained that we could take the canal and river through a series of locks over six hours time and get to Venice. Just across the bridge was a memorial to 9-11 it is impressive the number of European cities I have been to that have a memorial to that day.


Our first stop was making reservations to see the Giotto Frescos. Then we went to the church very nearby.The church is very plain and again lovely.

We walked on to the university and watched the doctors graduate. Each of the doctor graduates wore a wreath of laurel leaves around their shoulders. Once they left the university square there were cartoons hung on the walls making fun of the graduate. We also saw a statue of the first ever woman to graduate from the university. She died young and alone because her family abandoned her and no man would marry her.

We walked through the market square and the ghetto area of town. We stopped at a cafe that has three rooms green red and white for the colors of the Italian flag. The green room does not serve food but the students and others are permitted to sit there as log and whenever the wished. It was originally built as an open air cafe but they have since glassed it in. The green room is still always open I believe.

One church we entered was bombed during the war and has been completely restored. The yhave rep laved many of the frescos and used computer generated cartoons from old photos. They then using the computer located all of the fragments that they had to allow them to reproduce the frescos. There was scaffolding in one side chapel and the artists were working on the walls. It was fascinating to see. Made me think I should try to contact Chris and serif he is anywhere near here.

We went back to see the Giotto frescos. The church was paid for by a Paduan for himself and his father who were usurers and trying to avoid hell. They are some of the first paintings to use perspective and the modling of faces using shadows. In order to see them we had to sit and watch a film while our body temperatures accla mated thrnvwe went in and were then permitted 15 minutes in the chapel.

We discussed the important topic of which Shakespearean play was in Padua and Verona. I checked up and learned the answer. It is the Taming of the Shrew.

Back to Verona and more Spritz on the piazza.

We went to a restaurant on the piazza. This was by far the best restaurant so far. I had a wonderful risotto and everyone raved about their meals. The chocolate dessert friend four and I shared was heaven. It was sort of one of those volcano cakes but the chocolate was so much better that the US variety.

We had wine, of course and slept well our last night in Verona.

Verona day two

Today is Columbus Day (observed) . So we are off to discover Verona.
We began with a really good breakfast, including eggs and bacon.

We met our guide. Valaria and took off for a four hour walking tour. Wwe bagman with the church right outside our hotel. St. Anastasia. It was built for the church by a veer wealthy man whose sarchoghi is elevated outside the front of the church. We learned that our hotel was at one time the quarters for the Signores guards.

The church is Romanesque in style. It is unfinished on the outside and you can see around the doors and windows how there is obviously more work to be done but since the man died before it was completed apparently that is how it will remain.

Next it was on to the river across the river is the old Roman theater. The ruins can still be seen and it is still used for out door concerts. On the top is an old monastery. It is built on the ruins of the old wall of the theater.

On to the Duomo. Each city we learned has it's own duomo which is the seat ofvthe bishop. This church is lovely. It is quite large and heavily painted. It to is built on the ruins of an early Roman church. It was built by Helen (Saint Helena) the wife of Constantine. This is now the home of older priests who serve in many capacities in the parish. We walked through the cloister and the baptistry. The baptistry is a chapel all to itself. According to Valaria the parents will stand outside the door of the church with their child to ask that they be admitted and then enter for the ritual. The font had eight bas relief images from the story of the birth and youth of Christ ending with his baptism by John. It looked like a full immersion would gave been done in the font but they also had a smaller basin within the font. At the entrance to the church was the basin for holy water. The basin sits on the shoulders of a hunchback. We all rubbed his hump for luck.

Of course no tour would be complete without a stop a Juliet's balcony. It is a place purchased by the city for just that purpose, for tourists to walk to. It is in a very small courtyard and people were having their picture taken rubbing the breast on the statue of Juliet. We did not spend much time there.

We next walked to Erbe Piazza which iscthe main square. It is ringed with snoops and cafes and of course apartments above. At one end is a very impressive building tat looks like a government building but itbwas actually the home of some rich folk who in the earlier times wanted to impress the citizens. The fountain is a combination of a mideavel basin, a Roman statue and an eighteentj century head. In the very middle os a raised platform that was used for crying out the news and for public punishments.
We ended our tour at the Roman arena. Arena wee learned means sand because that is what covered the bottom of the area. The arena is used for large summer operas and rock concerts. We went in and I went with the groupvto the very top. I even took a picture to prove I did it.

As it was now one and we had had only one snack since breakfast we stopped for lunch. Two of us split a wonderful pizza. And five of us shared a bottle of wine.

After lunch some of us crossed the river and wandered around the theater and monastery. The views of the city from the top were lovely even though it had turned a bit gray. About five, five of us wandered back to the plaza for a glass of wine. Actually tow or us decided that we had to have the local drink called a spritz. It is made with vermouth, fruit juice and a sparkling water. It is. Ow my second favorite drink discovered on this trip. Orangeina being first.

Dinner was at a locals restaurant. I had a gnocchi that was excellent. Apparently both horse and donkey are favored meats. So we have all learnica the Italian for both so we can avoid them on the menus. The place filled with locals drinking and eating risotto. I enjoyed our meal and we were very well treated but the nine women really stood out in this small local cafe.

Back to the rooms and to bed.

Sunday Travel to Verona

Today we got up early and traveled to CDG for our flight to Venice and then on tp Verona.
We had been unable to reserve out seats in advance so had to take our chances at the airport. Friend two and I had no problem and both got window seats but friend one who ALWAYS travels first class but was flying economy this leg ended up in the middle seat in the very last row. I think thoughthat this has to be the last bad thong that happens to her on this trip.

We arrived at Marco Polo airport and were met by the rest of our traveling companions. They were just in from the States and were definitely feeling the flight.

We all marched off like little black ducklings following our mother duck to catch a bus to get to the train. The bus took is through some very UNlovely areas and dropped us at an even more unlovely train station.

We all got in line to get our eurrail passes stamped. While wevwaited we were "entertained" by some legendary Italian anger. A traveler was not gettingbwhat he wanted from the clerkvand started yelling. The clerk and the traveler got going arms waving and shouting. Not sure if the traveler ever got what he wanted but eventually he and the woman he was traveling with went off somewhere.

The train ride was un crowded so that made it nicer. It was a local so we did stop abbot ever y five minutes .. Again the scenery was mostly nothing to take a photo of. When we arrived in Verona we took a cab to our hotel, actually we took three cabs but however it was we got there. This partvof Verona is clearly the old city and finally something lovely.

The hotel is on a square with a church. The Hotel Due Torre. I am that means two towers. Still looking for the second tower.

We in checked and somecof us went for a walk. We found a festival. The werecselling local cheeses, meats, wine and crafts. It seemed to be in part about preserving old ways so there was a man makingvcheese and another who was iron mongering and weavers and them there were dancers and singers. We were invited to dance butvducked out before the music started.

Dinner was thevwhole group at a restaurant recommended by the hotel. The food was good and the company great! Back to the hotel and to bed.

Monet at the Grand Palais

For our last evening in Paris we went to the Monet Exhibit. We went just after 6 pm because we knew the lines would be much shorter. And they were, we walked right up to the front door through the maze that during the day would have held hundreds of patrons . Of course the exhibitvwas still crowded but you could see every painting. Some with only a slight wait for someone to move along.

The exhibitbwas huge. Most of the Orsay paintings by Monet as well as canvases from around the world were hung over three floors and countless rooms and walls. So many of his most famous paintings were there and several of each from his various series of images. The haystacks, Rouen Cathedrsl, the lily pond were all there. The show was to demonstrate at least in part the progression of his art. He began as a very young man to be recognized for his talent and there were paintings front 1864 forward to 1919. The paintings of the houses of parliament and my favorites of the lunch ion the grass were there.

The exhibit ended as so many do with the monumental lilypond canvases.

Afterward we dined at the cafe Grand Palais and swallowed the last of the Paris cigarette s,oke with our very fine wine and meal.

On the way back to the hotel we saw the EifelTower sparkle one last time-- our tradition is intact 5 nights five sparkles

On to Verona!

Last Day in Paris October 9

Today we traveled to Place des Vouges a lovely square in the Marais. This the square with with Victor Hugos joke on one side. Again because the weather is so nice the locals were out in force drinking wine and sunning. We next walked to a small walled park that someone had told friend one about. It was trapped between four high white buildings and was approached only through an alley or the buildings. There were the past of the seasons roses still lovely but moving to blousey.

We went on to the Carnevelet, which houses a free museum of the history of Paris and some wonderful "belle époque" paintings. This museum too has a wonderful garden that we enjoyed for a bit before moving on.

We went to Rue Cler which is a permanent market street. There was some sort of festival going on and there were two brass bands playing. We stopped at a crepperiere for a crepe and coffee.. If was a wonderful spot for people watching and friend one and imade up some great life stories for the people passing by.

I did finally get my boulangerie croissant. It was so much better than the hotel variety.
Back at the hotel we continued the saga of the wrong dinner cruise.. The desk man is trying to get the charge reversed but so far has only gotten them to reduce the charge by one half. Not sure how this will finally work out. I only hope ww don't end up paying for two dinners. It really wasn't THAT good a dinner!

Tonight the Grand Palais and the Monet, I hope.

The Bateau Mouches Adventure

October 8

One of the highlights of this week was to be our dinner on the river. Friend one arranged with the front desk to have reservations made.

Ww dressed up at bit, and headed off for the 8:30 departure. The boat sailed from a spot not far from our hotel. In fact just carps from Cafe Francis. We tried the first boat and it was a private party so we went to the next which had Bateau Mouche on the side. They diretched us to yet a third entry.

By now it is 8:20, we present our voucher for our reservations omlyvto be told we were at the completely wrong company. Our reservations were with a company that sailed from near the Orsay, a good twenty minute walk away. Friend one got on the pjomevwith the hotel atvonce, as friend two and I bought the last few tickets for Bateau Mouche.

Apparently our hotel works with this other company and thought that we just wanted dinner on the Seine and were not specifying the company. Friend one will be fussing with the hotel and here credit card company for a bit over this snafu.

Anyway on to dinner. We jumped on just as the boatvwas departing. Our table for all the consternation was perfect. We were not sharing with other folk and were rigth by the window. We departed and headed toward the Eifel Tower, just as it started sparkling. We toasted our excursion with champagne . Having seen the Eifel Tower four nights in a row it is now our tradition and we will have to see it one last time Saturday night.

We ordered our dinner. I had beef as did friend two . Friend one decided on the fish. She has concluded that too much sugar and red met are adding to the inflammation that is making her back hurt. (we are hoping it does help)

We floated past the Louvre, Notre Dame and most importantly for me the people dancing tango on the Seine! I took a movie that is no doubt fuzzy but it is an important memory for me. Next time with my tango partner!

Right after our coffee and cognac we returned to shore and walked back to the hotel.

I really think I have finished with my eating in Paris.

A beautiful day in the neighborhoods October 8

Today after our Spartan breakfast of bread, coffee and fruit we traveled to the Musee d'Orsay. We learned during dinner the other evening that we should say Orsay not d'Orsay, which makes sense but we had never considered it. Any way our entrance into the RER was far less entertaining today. Friend two and I are feeling quite accomplished as we insert out tickets and push through the stiles.

The museum was as stunning as the last time I saw it but most of the Monet paintings are at the Grand Palais for the Monet exhibit there. We will go there tomorrow. The van gogh and gaugain paintings were all on the lower floor because the upper floor is being redone. I think this museum is in a constant state of remodel. Last year large portions were closed and again this year. But disappointingly both years the photography galleries were closed. I will simply have to come again. Oh darn!

I walked through the furniture galleries and thought of N. The wood work was stunning -- I got some great ideas for our bedroom . I wonder if I can talk N into inlaid and carved wood--hmm.

We ate in the restaurant at the Orsay. (see what a quick study I am). Oinion soup for me. It was delicious!

A quick ride on the RER and we were at the Luexembourg gardens, but before we walked through them we went to St. Etienne Church. Wonderfully un crowded we wandered through the soaring aisles and enjoyed the play of light through the stained glass.
Right beside the church is the Pantheon in which many famous people are buried. We did not go in preferring the stroll around it. To one side of the Pantheon was the law school of the university of Paris. We walked into the couryard of this building that was started in the 1700s. It was all yellow stone and the center was open to the sky. -- hey my law school had a rotunda too! Not quite the same I have to admit

On the way down the hill to the gardens we noticed that the various book stores had lots of law books. Interestingly not one of us felt the urge to buy one.

Back to the gardens. They were first laid out by Katherine de Medici. There are a number of large fountains and shaded promenades. Tennis courts and children play yards dot the space as well. If I hadn't seen thousands of folk sitting in the cafes I would have said that all of Paris was sunning in the Gardens. I think I forgot to mention that the days is clear and crisp and really just perfect.
We walked across the gardens to the replica of our Statue of Liberty she is much smaller than our Lady Liberty but still quite lovely.

Now on to St Suplice. A lovely church known for its Delacroix painting. It was lovely but could use a good cleaning. All of these churches need someone to give them a good dusting. It is too bad to see these amazing pulpits and other treasures half obscured by dust.

Friend one and I hopped on a bus to back toward the hotel. When we got off we decided that we needed a cup of tea and something to hold us to dinner. We sat down at Chez Francis and had tea and a light sandwich. (we shared the sandwich--lest someone think that we were just eating our way through Paris. While we sat there about 50 gendarmes in full riot gear marched up. Some of them chased off a crowd of very loud men and then the police ringed the street in front of us. They did not seem too worried about everyone sitting at the cafe, but they were certainly dressed for trouble. When we walked on toward our hotel we walked past one of the big hotels, I forgot the name, and there were lots of men in black suits standing around talking into their shoulders with coils of wire growing out of their ears. I hope I can find out what it all was about.

Last night after I posted we had a light dinner and then went to a tea room on the Champs Eleyses called LaDurer. We had tea and dessert in the open air. The place is famous for it's macaroons I understand but it could be known for it's lemon tart. Oh My, sweet and tart and wonderful.

As I read over all of this I realize that we really are eating our way through Paris and tonight we are having dinner on the Seine on one of the dinner cruises. Eating and sightseeing! Should be fun. I will let you know.

Paris October 7 Notre Dame

This morning we managed, the the help of an alarm clock to get up on time. We even beat friend one into the breakfast room.

I haven't yet described our room. You enter our room off the lobby. Room number 1, is ours. We have an anteroom which is also the dressing room. . Then through another door into our chamber. We have twin beds that are pushed together at one end of the room and a lovely red velvet settee and chairs with a round table and small desk at the other.

The bathroom is floor to ceiling white marble, with a footed tub and two sinks. No bidet, thank god!

After our breakfast we took the RER to Jardin des Plantes. Wevhad a bit of trouble with the machine trying to get our tickets. The machine did not like any of our cardss and would only take pieces, no paper money, we finally managed to scrap enough change up among us to get the necessary tickets and as soon as we got off the train we bought tickets from a live person who had no trouble running our cards.

The process of getting onto the RER took about 20 minutes and the ride was about 15. When I had used my Metro app on my phone it gave me arouse by metro that would take about 33minutes. Friend one knew that the train would take less time so that is how we travelled. But with all the trouble we had, we about broke even.

From the Jardin we walked the Seine to Notre Dame. We walked past the Ile Ste Louis and overeat the Ile de la Cite. We stopped briefly at the Deportation Memorial. A very somber memorial to those who were removed from France by the Nazis during the second world war.

Then we walked around to the front of Notre Dame. We shuffled through with 10,000 of our closest friends. The stained glass is magnificent. I lit a candle for Nors mom and mine and then shuffled on out. Do you get the feeling that I didn't get the feeling of awe and beauty that I have had before? It is true. With all the tourists and cameras and posing in front of statues of saints it was hard to get a sense of peace or reverence.

We next went across the river to the rive gauche. We went into a book store to true to find some books friend one wanted. We did find some of them but she is still thinking about them. We walked on to a small bistro for a light lunch and an orangenia. Then on to place Dauphine and the tip of Ile de la Cite.

This evening we again dine light with an eye toward the Eiffel Tower and then perhaps dessert on the Champs Eleyesses.

Paris Day 2 Monmartre

We began today by sleeping in. We weren't supposed to but since friend 2 and I neglected to set an alarm. We slept until friend 1 knocked. Wevjumped up and were ready to go very quickly. Our breakfast was okay. Not really up to Holiday Inn express standards but the coffee was goo and it was enough to get us started.

We began the day at the Wilson Street Market. We walked the length and marveled at the variety of fruit, meat, fish and people. Of course we didd have to buy a couple of things and at one place the man gave us each a little Eiffel Tower key chain and you would have thought we had just received a very valuable gift. With a smile he told us that is was very special gold.

As we walked back down the market friend one bought us a type of crepe thing that was covered with a thumb paste. My it was good. Friend two bought me a lovely scaffold that I wore the rest of the day.

We took the bus to Opera Garnier and wandered through Gallaries Layfayette for a bit. Wevwent on to the roof and were treated to an amazing, though misty panorama of the city.

Did I forgot to mention that it is a bit rainy today? The temperature was great but it was a bit misty all day.


We took the bus to a lovely park. Parc Monceau. We sat on a bench and people watched for a bit. And then we went on to Montmartre and Sacre Couer. We wandered the streets of Monmartre for a bit and stopped for an Orangeina at a small cafe. The drink is sort of orange juice with seltzer only better.

We walked down to a little place called, Entre' Acte for dinner. Were joined by two of friend one's friends Silve and Daniele. They were absolutely charming. We sat and talked for nearly three hours. I wish we could have spent more time with them. They were both teachers who have now retired and are really enjoying the troiseme age. Silve is studying painting and takes painting workshops and Daniele is learning Italian.

We took a cab back to the hotel and then walked to the Siene to watch the lights on the Eifel Tower.

I have set the alarm so maybe we won't sleep in tomorrow. But hey we are on vacation and don't have to catch a plane or anything so if we do oh well, just one more tale for frend one to tell at dinner.

Paris 2010

Today we began our time in Paris. The three of us met up in line for customs which was a happy coincidence given the increasingly complex alternatives we had for fining one another in an exceptionally large airport.
Our drive to the hotel was quick and uneventful. The weather is gray and will likely be again tomorrow but as friend 2 noted. All the cheesiest images of Paris are of Paris with rain reflections.
The weather though gray is wonderful. Cool and crisp. What more can a desist rat ask.

We Checked into our hotel which feels like a very traditional hotel just mintues from the Champs Eleyeses and the Eifel Tower
We walked down the Champs .

Dinner was at the Cafe Andre. We toasted friend one's life family memories and friends.
Afterward we walked to the Champs Eleyeses to see the lights and the to the Eifel Tower to see more lights
Back to the roo. And to bed early. ( or late depending on how you look at it)