Sunday, July 26, 2009
Paris and Normandy
By the time we set out to explore Paris, Jack had ensured that we ate a really great huge homemade breakfast. There was oatmeal made from scratch in milk, jazzed up with giant raisins and loads of cinnamon which made it really yummy. Large quarters of cantaloupe, plums and white peaches were placed at our seats and there was yogurt all washed down with excellent Harrods tea. Indeed, it was a meal that would keep us going for hours, we knew, as we left our apartment for a day of sight seeing.
And when we reached the Champs Elysses, well, guess what? There we were right in the midst of the Tour de France, the famous French cross-country bicycle race that ends at the Champs Elysses with the riders making nine rounds of the famous boulevarde to the wild cheering of the fans. Such an opportunity to take in such a famed sporting event could not, of course, on any account, be missed. And so we resolved to return at 4.00 pm when it was expected that the first “sprinters’ would reach the area. Oh how exciting and how unexpected I thought that we should have the chance to stand and cheer in the midst of folks whom we usually see on TV at the tail end of this great event!
Seeing the Tour Effiel Up Close and Personal:
Well, I guess you cannot leave Paris without seeing the Tour Effiel and even though we have seen it from many angles and in many parts of Paris, this was really the first time I went and stood right beneath it. Llew has actually been up the tower but in the years gone by (first while a grad student back packing around Europe when I could not afford the excursion to the top and later when I could not afford the time as there were so many other things I wanted to see in Paris), I never did get down to riding those elevators that take visitors to the top for stunning 360 degree views of Paris.
However, it was fabulous just to be able to stand by the very foundations of the tower and to receive the marvelous first view of it as our metro train took us on a bridge over the river Seine.The long lines (an hour’s wait) deterred me once again, so I never did get to the top. We took the mandatory photographs instead and then made our way across the Pont d’Ilena towards the Palais de Chaillot for some more pictures of the Tower. Now this was a first time excursion for Llew who had never been to the Palais de Chaillot or seen the tower from this really great vantage point.
It was while we joined the throngs of first time tourists eager to have their picture taken that we were approached by a young couple from Texas who asked us to take their picture. They so loved the picture I took that they asked if I could take another—this time of the two of them kissing in front of the Effiel! Of curse, I said, and posed them in such a way that their faces were placed just at the bottom rung of the tower. And, as so often happens, they then turned to ask if we’d like to have our picture taken by them and of course, we said yes, and so they asked Llew, if he’d like to have a picture “kissing”! And, of course, Llew said, “Sure”! So, next thing I knew, there was I being posed against the tower locking lips with my darling husband and thinking how lucky I was to be in this city with the one I love!
Then, it was time to walk towards Rue de Passy towards the campus of New York University in Paris that I so wanted to visit before I left the city. It was quite a steep uphill climb towards the location but in about fifteen minutes, we got there and standing outside Number 56 wondered why there was no signboard or indication of any kind that the campus of NYU was located at that spot. Did I have the wrong address, I wondered, as I looked about me. Being a Sunday, however, the place was deserted. It appears (as Jack informed us later) that there was a bell that, if rung, would have admitted us into the quadrangle inside where the office and classrooms are located. Well, it was a pity we did not know this but at least I did get to see the exact location at which this campus is based—good to know in case I ever get posted to teach in Paris!
Lunch at Montmartre:
Our next stop was the lovely mountain top called La Butte Montmartre on which stands the white marble edifice with the many domes of the Church of the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart). Once can arrive here through the metro stops of Abbess or Anvers and then take the funicular train to the summit. We chose, instead, to scale its heights on foot and, in doing so, treat ourselves to the joys of watching the city of Paris unfold itself at our feet.
At various points on our ascent, we stopped to catch our breath and take pictures of the rooftops of the city. The day was lovely with bright sunshine illuminating the various attractions of the area including the white domes of the church that gleamed. People were sprinkled all over the green lawns and gardens that surround the church. Since it was a Sunday, we had hoped to catch Mass at Sacre Coeur, but all we could manage was a visit as the masses had finished for the day. Still, it was wonderful to encircle this very beautiful church with its Byzantine like mosaics (including the large central one of Christ).
When we had accomplished this intention, we walked behind the church towards one of the most famous squares in Paris, the Place du Tertre which is usually filled with amateur artists who provide sketches of the visitors for a few sou.
The Place du Tertre was also packed as it happened to be lunch time and the many bistros and brasseries that line the four sides of the square were doing roaring business. We decided to stop and have lunch here ourselves and selected Chez Mere Catherine which is the oldest of the bistros. Seated beneath a red, white and blue umbrella (for Paris is still celebrating Bastille Day), we decided to have the Formule, i.e. the prix fixe menu that included one appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. Llew chose the Mixed Salad while I went for the Quiche Lorraine. For his main, Llew chose the Roast Chicken, while I went for the Moules Frites (mussels with fries) and for dessert, Llew had the ice-cream while I had the Crème Caramel. At 16 euros per head for the package, I have to say the quality was rather disappointing. My quiche was burned at the bottom and I had to send it back. The replacement slice was half the size of the original (were they trying to get rid of the burnt one by serving double the size of the normal portions?). I have eaten far better Moules at Leon de Bruxelles and the crème caramel, well, I am pretty certain that I can make a better version myself! So our Parisian lunch was a bummer and I have to wonder why we chose such a touristy part in which to eat our meal. Had we chosen a small bistro in an unfrequented area, no doubt we’d have had a better repast.
Witnessing the Tour de France:
It was time to return to the Champs Elysses to take in the last of the Tour de France and, when we arrived there just past 4.00pm, we found that the first riders had already arrived and taken their preliminary round of the boulevarde to the mad cheering of the crowd. Jack had suggested we take a ladder or at least a step stool down to the boulevarde and that was exactly what we did! So with the stool positioned in the midst of the crowd and with Jack joining us, both Llew and I were able to get great views of the finalists as they pedaled away around the route (as well as a few good pictures). Of course, we were thrilled to see the legendary American Lance Armstrong among the finalists and though he did not win the race, he made it in quite a respectable third place. This was another high point of our travels and we are so glad we managed to get this treat in as well.
Off to Normandy:
There was enough time for us to get back home, pick up our backpacks and head off to the Gare St. Lazare where we had made train bookings for our journey to Normandy where we would spend the next few days. Our train was scheduled to leave at 7. 10 pm and taking the metro there, we arrived on time for the two and a half hour run into Normandy.
At the station at Lison in Normandy, our friend Jacques awaited us with his 7-year old adorable son Marius whom we were meeting for the first time. Though we reached there at about 10. 00 pm, there was still enough light left for us to see the passing fields and farms and the small town of Saint Lo before we arrived at Quibou, the little village in which our friends live on a sprawling 8 acre farm. We arrived there at about 10. 45 pm, hooked up with Jacques’ wife Florence and their other kids, son Jean and baby daughter Julia and as we enjoyed an affectionate reunion and a glass of wine, our hosts busied themselves getting our dinner organized.
We partook of good French baguettes served with jambon fumee (for our friend Jacques runs a business in traditional Normandy smoked hams called Jambons d’Antan). With deli meats and a salad, and a platter of French cheese, we had a very homely meal and then, without more ado, made our way up to our room eager to explore our surroundings the next morning in stronger light.