Ah, Paris.....

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Bonjour!

I know! What happened to Saturday?! Well…up around 7 and down for breakfast about 7:30 a.m. Our train leaves Bordeaux-St. Jean at 10:26 a.m. but we are the types that want to be everywhere early, especially places we’re unfamiliar with. So, about 8 we checked out, Emmy found a nearby gas station for us to top off the tank, and then to the train station. Have to admit that it took a few minutes to find the Avis office, which isn’t in the station, but rather on a side street with VERY bad signage. However, eventually found it (after circumnavigating the station) and turned in the car. We are really going to miss that little Citroen Picasso! It is a manual transmission, and so incredibly smooth! Would like it to be our next car!!

Into the train station, and found the waiting room to sit the hour or so before our platform was posted. At last the train – and of course, our car was the very LAST one on the train! Oh well! What’s a little more schlepping? The Bordeaux to Angueleme portion of the trip was very comfortable, but then it really began to fill up! At Poitiers (which looks like a lovely town to visit, by the way!) a man got on sitting across from Robert with a kitten in a crate! He (the kitten, that is) was so CUTE! I was tempted to open the crate, but then faint but persistent murmurings told me that it probably wasn’t a really good idea…so I didn’t…but I wanted to…
Arrived at Paris Montparnasse right on time at 1:45 p.m. and walked…and walked…and walked…to the taxi rank outside on the lower level. Not a terrible queue for the taxi’s (fortunately!) and then out on the streets and headed to Rue Royer Collard. Graciella was actually waiting for us on the street, as we did NOT remember the building code to get in … (note to file: It is 7-3-1-9-b ) SO good to see her again!! It of course took a couple of runs with the tiny elevator to get everything to the top, but at last we made it. SO nice to be back again; it has been a year or two! (And of course the first thing I did was step out on the balcony to make SURE that the Tour Eiffel was still there! And by golly, it was!) Graciella then invited us to dinner, as Alain, her husband, is leaving on a business trip today. So – obviously yes!

After Graciella left, we made a quick inventory of the house and a shopping list. Since our last visit, the shopping bags have disappeared, and R wanted an extension cord for the computer. However, as we weren’t cooking last night, the list wasn’t too hard to put together. Then across the street to catch the #27 bus, which goes right by the Rue Monge/Moffetard markets. Picked up a few things – butter, O.J., raspberry jam (which we go through CONSTANTLY with the wonderful croissants in Paris!) and the like – all stuffed into our brand new string bags which we bought at the hardware store! Back on the bus to the apartment, and while I put in our first load of wash (just to see if I remembered how to do it! I did!) and R went around the corner to Caves du Pantheon, our favorite local wine shop to get some wine to take out to St.Leu-le-foret for dinner (and some for us). He also went into the little cheese shop next door and brought back some tete-du-moins (“head of the monk” cheese) and a baguette and croissants from the boulangerie across the street. We had a nice snack of cheese and bread out on the balcony, as we hadn’t had any lunch to speak of on the train.

As we were heading out to the suburbs, and didn’t want to be late, we headed over to Gare du Nord to catch the train. Like always, our U.S. credit cards will NOT work in the French machines, so we had to wait in line at the ticket booth. Fortunately, the line wasn’t too long! Very nice lady sold us our tickets and directed us to the right platform. And, at the platform was waiting a train to St. Leu! On we hopped, for the lovely trip out of town. Called Graciella when we got there – saying we were sorry we were early! – and she and her father came and picked us up.
Sat with wonderful glasses of red wine from Gaillac (where Alain has his “other” house) and caught up on all the news! As it turns out, Alain is retiring at the end of September, and we are hoping that they will plan a retirement visit to Arizona! Dinner was, as always, excellent and served at the kitchen table. Started with pates of boeuf and duck with toasted bread, then main course of incredible buttered leeks, mashed potatoes and a lovely white fish/salmon baked fish dish en croute. From there to the cheeses – GREAT Roquefort and chevre, and finally, a tarte citron! Whew! What a great meal!

We stayed until almost 10, at which time Alain took us back to the train station a few miles from St. Leu – more trains back to Paris! Got back to the apartment about 10:45 p.m. – just in time to see the Eiffel Tower illuminate and sparkle at 11 p.m.! Wow!! We were both so tired, however, from a very long day, that absolutely NO blogging whatsoever! Just went to bed!!
Up this morning about 8 (told you we were tired!). Had croissants, raspberry jam and O.J. on the balcony, and are now gathering ourselves for a new day! (And, I have a load of wash going as well – which will soon be scattered all over our flat!) We’re planning on heading to the Bastille Sunday market and picking up one of the incredibly wonderful roast chickens they make … and we’ll see what else! (Note: Just looked at the pictures – and you can see the Eiffel Tower over my shoulder!)

More later!
Much love,
m
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