Welcome to my blog!


This is blog is about me dabbling with a little bit of everything, and not being particularly good at anything. And about the places I've been either on vacation or SAG:ing my husbands bicycle trips.


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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Day 17 - Paris to New York - Thursday - July 18, 2013

Time to head home today. After breakfast we finished what still needed to be packed and headed out. We walked from our hotel to Gare du Nord. It was only a 15 minute walk, which we didn’t realize earlier, we could have walked here when we arrived in Paris. We took a train from Gare du Nord to Charles de Gaulle airport. The train didn't come in couple of minutes as the board said, nor was it the express train either. It took about 20 minutes before the train arrived and it stopped at every single stop and was packed when we got in.


We flew back on Iceland Air via Reykjavik. Their counter was not open when we got to the airport but was supposed to open in 10 minutes, that turned out to be closer to 30. Luckily we got to the airport on time, since the line-up was huge later on. Nor did the plane leave from the gate they told us. Hmmm there’s starting to be theme in here. . .  Charles de Gaulle airport is actually really nice. I have to say that the European airports puts American ones, especially JFK to shame. JFK looks so dirty and outdated. Going through the security check at de Gaulle was a breeze, no line-up at all, we just walked there and were checked right away. At JFK we would be still standing on line. And the reason for this is that the security was not right there where you check-in with everybody who comes to the terminal going through it, but it was on the wing where your gate is, so only the ones whose flight leaves from those gates will be screened in there. Why can’t American airports do that and avoid all that lining ups. Since we knew that Iceland Air doesn't serve (free) food on the plain we had our lunch there and brought a sandwich with us too.


The flight from Paris to Reykjavik went well, but this was the first time I've heard them ask if there was a doctor on board. That happened when we still had an hour of flying left. There was a doctor or some sort of other medical person, but I don’t think it was anything too serious. There was an ambulance waiting when we arrived to Reykjavik. We got off the plane and found our next plane. While they were checking our next boarding passes the lady said something to me, but I had a bit hard time of understanding her, but then it hit me. I've been asked to go through a separate security check. For some reason I've been pulled over quite often, more than others. Maybe I look like a very suspicious person, or maybe it is that my first name backwards is an Arab name, or maybe it’s just my good luck. Anyway, Jeff had to wait while I went to a separate room where they checked out my purse and carry-on and then I have to step up on a platform where they patted me down. We finally were able to board that plane and we took off. The flight was a bit choppy with turbulence, but nothing too bad. I felt like lots of the people on the plane were restless, getting up and down and the girl behind me kicking my seat, the guy on the window seat was opening and closing the shades all the time, he was the most restless. He couldn't figure out the TV screen and got frustrated with that too, luckily his daughter who sat next to him helped him out.


We finally got to New York. The flight from Paris to Reykjavik was 3 hours and the flight from Reykjavik to JFK was 5 ½ hours, plus about an 1+ of waiting time, so it’s a bit longer than the direct flight, but it also costs a lot less. We took the Airtrain to the car rental. For some reason Jeff’s name was not on the list of cars that were ready, but the car was there waiting for us. We started driving home and the rental car was making this weird grinding noise, like metal on metal. We were already on the Van Wyck and didn't want to turn back to get another car. Sometimes the noise was really loud and then it went away just to start again. We were wondering whether we would  get home OK without the car breaking down. We did, but it was doing it on and off the whole time. We had one happy dog waiting for us at home, but I don’t think she slept well while we were gone, since she’s been very tired.


P.S. When Jeff returned the car the next day and mentioned the problem to them, they gave him a free car rental since he is a good repeat customer.

Day 16 - Paris - Wednesday - July 17, 2013

After breakfast we headed back to the Montmartre area. I really like that part of Paris. I decided that since I didn’t see it on the first time, I would go and see the Musee de Montmartre this time. We took the metro to the Abbesses station. This metro station is one of last original Art Nouveau stations left. Even the glass roof is still the original one. We walked past the other windmill that is still there, the Moulin de la Galette. And then we also went by Au Lapin Agile restaurant where lots of famous artists used to go. I went to see the museum while Jeff went shopping and looking around the area. The museum was not as good as I thought, but still nice. They had a lot of paintings, sketches and posters from Toulouse Lautrec and other painters from that era. Several used to live in that building and the one next to it, some of them were Renoir, Valadon and Utrillo. The building next door is not yet available for touring. They also had a small vineyard right next door. There used to be several vineyards a long time ago, but this is the only one left. They have about 2000 vines and they sell the wine they produce for charity. From there we did some shopping and then decided to walk to the Chateau Rouge metro station, since it was the direct line to where we were heading. The area from Sacre Coeur to the station was not the nicest in Paris. It was run down with lots of ethnic families living and working in the area.     

Climbing up from the Abbesses Metro station

Abbesses Metro station



The Moulin de la Galette

Au Lapin Agile

Au Lapin Agile



Montmartre Vineyard

Musee de Montmartre

Musee de Montmartre

Musee de Montmartre

Musee de Montmartre
Montmartre sightseeing train

We got off at the Cite station which is on the Ile de la Cite. We had a lunch at the same restaurant we ate when we were here a year and a half ago, just across the Ste Chapelle church. After lunch we walked to the Crypt near Notre Dame church. It was neat to see all the old ruins underneath the street level. Paris was occupied by Romans and they used to call it Lutetia. Both Ile de la Cite and Ile St Louis were several islands and the Seine shores where all marsh. They still had ruins from the roman baths and other buildings, same as some medieval ruins and old wells. We went to see the Notre Dame but the line was too long and we didn’t want to wait in the heat. The temperature must be again over 90. We ended up taking the metro back home and just cooling down before getting something small to eat.


Cite Metro station

Flower Market, Ile de la Cite, Paris

The Crypt, Roman ruins

The Crypt, Roman ruins

The Crypt, Roman ruins

The Crypt, Medieval well

The Crypt, Roman baths

The Crypt, Roman baths

Tribunal de Grande Instance

Now we have to finish packing  since we are heading back home tomorrow morning. Poor Casey must be missing us a lot and wondering what happened to us.



Day 15 - Paris - Tuesday - July 16, 2013

After breakfast we headed out again. This time we took the metro and went to St.Paul subway station and walked from there to Musee Carnavalet. It is two mansions that house the history of Paris. It was also free today, I don’t know if it is always free or if it was because about ⅓ of the museum was closed to the public due to some work they were doing. At any rate it was still big and a bit confusion with so many rooms. One good thing also was that it was not crowded and they also had couple of lovely gardens inside the walls. From there went to Place des Vosges, which is a nice park surrounded by 36 “houses’ built in early 1600’s. Cardinal Richelieu, Moliere and Victor Hugo used to live there once upon a time.

Strange looking horse eyes at
Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Fancy chair from the 1740's at the Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Musee Carnavalet

Very big hydrangea at the Musee Carnavalet



Victor Hugo's apartment in what used to be a hotel is now a museum. We went and did the apartment tour, which was also free. The apartment is not what it was like when he lived there, nor did it have any of his furniture there. They had arranged the rooms as some of the rooms in other places he’d lived looked like and used similar furniture which he used to have since his original is not around anymore.


Victor Hugo Museum

Victor Hugo Museum

Victor Hugo Museum

Victor Hugo Museum

Victor Hugo Museum
We went and picked up lunch from a store and ended up taking it to the park at Place des Vosges and eating it there. We had a lot of company since the local pigeons seemed to be very hungry and bold too. But the sparrows were very quick and were able to steal lots of the morsels Jeff was feeding them. There was one particular pigeon that was actually eating right from his hand and would have probably come and stole stuff if we were not looking.


Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges

Place des Vosges

A very friendly pigeon, Place des Vosges



After our lunch we started walking towards Centre Georges Pompidou. It was not as long a walk  as I thought. We also stopped at the National Archives and they have a couple of very nice gardens inside their walls  too. Lots of people were having their lunches there. The Pompidou center was closed on Tuesdays so we didn’t go in. We did have a quick look around the church that was close by, Eglise Saint-Merri. It is a gothic church that was built in the 1500's.

National Archives

National Archives gardens

Hydrangea at the National Archives garden

Pompidou Center

Pompidou Center































































From there we started walking aimlessly towards our hotel. We went past the Burse and St. Eustace church and up Rue Montmartre and before we knew it we were around the corner of our hotel, Cosy’s Cadet. In total we walked almost 6 miles. After getting cleaned up from all the heat and dust we went for a quick drink at a bar/cafe around the corner. Then to the local grocery store to get some dinner stuff. It’s been very hot here the whole time we’ve been in Paris and we are not too hungry.


The Burse



St. Eustace church



Day 14 - Paris - Monday - July 15, 2013

Our hotel includes a breakfast and soon after that we decided to head out. Since it is Monday some of the museums are closed and because we were here a year and a half ago and saw most of the bigger museums we decided to not go and see them, but to do stuff that most tourists probably wouldn't do. We took the subway to Sacre Coeur (yes I know it is touristy, but we didn't see it last time). We went through the church but didn't climb up to the tower. Then we walked around the Montmartre and I actually really liked that area. Wouldn't mind going back there. From there we walked down towards Rue de Clichy and the Moulin Rouge. Some of the stores in that area are pretty seedy looking and it is not nearly as nice as the Montmartre area.



Sacre Coeur 

View from Sacre Coeur

Montmartre

Montmartre

Place du Tertre, Montmartre

Place du Tertre, Montmartre

Place du Tertre, Montmartre

Montmartre

Moulin Rouge, Montmartre

Montmartre

Montmartre

Montmartre

Pretty expensive cheeseburgers, Montmartre



We took the subway again to the Place de la Concorde. We  walked around the Tuileries Gardens and had a crepes for a quick lunch/snack. Looked like they were getting all the spectator stands ready for the Tour de France finish line along the Champs-Elysees. We ended up walking along the river Seine and found the Bateaux Mouches river cruises and decided to go on one. The cruise was a nice way to see the city from a different perspective. By the time it was done we were hot and thirsty and it was getting to be later in the afternoon. The whole day has been sunny and hot, it must be in the high 80’s or low 90’s, at least with hardly any wind. We took the subway back to our stop and had a beer at a local cafe/bar before going back to our room for a quick rest before dinner. We ended up having our dinner at a local pizza place. Neither one of us were too hungry and we were tired and didn't want to look for a more exciting local place.


Seats for the upcoming Tour de France final day

Seats for the upcoming Tour de France final day

Ice-cream truck near the Seine

The Eiffel Tower

Jeff on the Bateaux Mouches river cruise
One of the many bridges over the Seine

One of the many bridges over the Seine. This one is Pont Neuf

Notre Dame

One of the many bridges over the Seine

Notre Dame

One of the many bridges over the Seine

Neat light fixtures on one of the many bridges over the Seine

Eiffel Tower

Bridge of locks

One of the many bridges over the Seine, Pont Neuf

Old chocolate store just around the corner from our hotel

Compressed air cars plugged in around the corner
from our hotel