Archives

All posts for the month May, 2016

Our old neighbors Bart & Ann in Claude Monet's old garden in Giverny

Our old neighbors Bart & Ann in Claude Monet’s old garden in Giverny

The original plan was to spend one week in Paris. But, when we got tired of South America – and in particular the fall weather there – we decided to go to Paris a week early and spend two weeks there, spending the second week in an Airbnb apartment with our old Cambridge neighbors Bart and Ann. We’ve had great fun with them in a couple of far-flung locations since leaving the States in 2013, sharing a house in Bali, Thanksgiving in Costa Rica, and even dinner at their house on a trip back through Boston.

We love Paris; it may be the only city that deserves its own “tag” on this blog instead of just the country tag. And no question about it, two weeks in Paris is quite the luxury. For one thing, as I told Mark before we left Buenos Aires, with two weeks we could be certain of getting at least a few days of good weather. Well, that one didn’t work out so well. We did have brief patches when it wasn’t cold and wet, but it rained nearly every day we were there, for fourteen days. Occasionally the sun would break out, but overwhelmingly it was cold and wet. At any rate, now I know that I love Paris even when the weather is crappy.

The Luxembourg Gardens are always beautiful, no matter the weather

The Luxembourg Gardens are always beautiful, no matter the weather

Spending a week with Bart & Ann was great fun, too. Played lots of Hearts, with Mark the big winner. The big event they got us up for was a train ride out to Giverny, the town in Normandy where Monet lived and worked for over 40 years. There’s a nice 40-minute train from Paris to the neighboring town of Vernon and from there it’s a beautiful three-mile walk into Giverny. The walk alone would have been worth the trip; the smell of spring as we walked along a country trail was intoxicating. As great as that was, though, Monet’s old gardens in Giverny were in a whole different class. It was like strolling through the biggest abstract painting you’ve ever seen.

Water lilies in Giverny

Water lilies in Giverny

One of the things we learned is that Paris is a great city to socialize in. We’d been in touch with Bill, a friend from previous travels, and he and Angela were going to be in France the same time we were. So they made a two-day detour through Paris so we could enjoy dinner and catching up. This is the second time we’ve met up with Bill on this epic adventure – we spent a week in South Korea with him, too – and it’s the second time we’ve gone without getting a picture of him. Strange.

Meanwhile, Mark noticed on Facebook that friends of ours from London – we worked with them both in setting up the Liberal Democrats’ VAN site – were in Paris for the weekend, too. Unfortunately both we and they had dinner plans all scheduled, but we still snuck in drinks before dinner to catch up on all the goings on in London.

Austin & Katie joined us for a drink during their too-short hop over to Paris

Austin & Katie joined us for a drink during their too-short hop over to Paris

The good news about the week in the rain with Bart & Ann was that we had a huge loft-type apartment and, if you didn’t feel like going out in the rain you could always relax around the house. There was lots about the apartment to love: cool design, enormous space, nice kitchen for making breakfast, massive windows for letting in light even on rainy days. It was a little quirky – no closets or even a single hook to hang anything on, no dressers or shelves for clothes, a big master bathroom with no toilet (seriously; very odd) – but all in all it was a great space. The bad news about the apartment is that at the very end they accused us of breaking one of their beds and are going to take several hundred dollars from our damage deposit.

Part of the enormous space in our Paris loft

Part of the enormous space in our Paris loft

More of the apartment, with bedrooms and bathrooms through the door in back.

More of the apartment, with bedrooms and bathrooms through the door in back.

On our last full day in Paris – Mark’s birthday, no less – we were walking down one of the boulevards when his phone rang. It was the property owner (or more likely property manager) saying the cleaning lady had told him we’d broken the bed. What? That made no sense at all. Mark & I joked about it as we walked home, thinking there must have been a mistake.

Sure enough, though, when we got home and took a look the bed frame was broken, a big break in the wood frame on the box spring. Now, at 60 years old I really don’t jump on the bed any more. It made no sense. We called the landlord and asked him to come over. He did, said the cleaning lady had discovered it that morning, and that he was going to file the cost with Airbnb and have them take the replacement cost out of our damage deposit. As Bart – a real estate developer by trade – pointed out, it would be easy to fix; just screw another piece of wood along the existing one and it would be good as new.

The manager wasn’t budging: the bed was broken while we were staying there and we were going to pay for it.

My theory is that they set us up. The break was big enough – the wood was thick enough – that something pretty traumatic had to have happened; it wasn’t just some gentle crack or anything. And as big as the break was, we’d have heard something if somehow we’d sat on it and the frame had given way. That frame was broken before we got there and presumably propped up. Until our last day when suddenly the housekeeper “discovered” it. It’s possible, of course, that the previous tenants broke it and then cobbled things together so it wouldn’t have been discovered until after they left. That’s not likely, though, given how thoroughly broken the frame was; it’s not likely it would have held for six nights and then finally gave up the ghost on our penultimate night.

Bart relaxing in our big loft. We liked the place … until the end.

Bart relaxing in our big loft. We liked the place … until the end.

Like I said, my theory – given that we know we didn’t break it – is that the nice landlord set us up. And, given that Airbnb undoubtedly has a policy that if furniture is discovered broken during your stay you presumably broke it, they’e going to take the damage deposit. Really puts a sour note on our stay, and kind of messed up Mark’s birthday.

People are sometimes surprised that we don’t use Airbnb more during this three-year-and-counting adventure of world travel. After this experience we’re not really eager to use it more often.

OK, that’s it for our two weeks in Paris and a great visit with Bart and Ann. After they get their son Wil shipped off to college somewhere they’ll have the freedom to visit us more often. In the meanwhile, we’re off to Kiev for a few days – cheap flight, old friend to visit – then on to Vienna and Venice. Here are some more great pictures of a beautiful, if remarkably wet, city.

A selfie to celebrate our first day walking around the city together

A selfie to celebrate our first day walking around the city together

In case you weren't sure we were really in Paris, this should dispel your doubts. There's a big ferris wheel set up in Place de la Concorde, from which we had this view.

In case you weren’t sure we were really in Paris, this should dispel your doubts. There’s a big ferris wheel set up in Place de la Concorde, from which we had this view.

From the top of the ferris wheel, this view of the Tuilerie Gardens and the Louvre. If you know where to look you can see Notre Dame and even the Pantheon.

From the top of the ferris wheel, this view of the Tuilerie Gardens and the Louvre. If you know where to look you can see Notre Dame and even the Pantheon.

The walk from Vernon out to Giverny was a highlight

The walk from Vernon out to Giverny was a highlight

And once we got there the gardens were glorious

And once we got there the gardens were glorious

Mark & Jim selfie in Giverny. It rained that day, but we were incredibly lucky that while we were touring the gardens the weather was great.

Mark & Jim selfie in Giverny. It rained that day, but we were incredibly lucky that while we were touring the gardens the weather was great.

One more colorful shot. You had the sense that surrounded by that much beauty anyone would be a great artist.

One more colorful shot. You had the sense that surrounded by that much beauty anyone would be a great artist.

Then of course there was all the eating and drinking. Here we are at a café on the Seine, during a rare break in the weather.

Then of course there was all the eating and drinking. Here we are at a café on the Seine, during a rare break in the weather.

Who wouldn't want a Korean lunch while you're in Paris?

Who wouldn’t want a Korean lunch while you’re in Paris?

Wrapping up lunch

Wrapping up lunch

Finally, our last night was Mark's birthday dinner. We don't make a big deal out of these things, but Bart & Ann had found little 5 and 1 sparklers to celebrate his 51st birthday. Thanks guys!

Finally, our last night was Mark’s birthday dinner. We don’t make a big deal out of these things, but Bart & Ann had found little 5 and 1 sparklers to celebrate his 51st birthday. Thanks guys!

While the weather has been overwhelmingly overcast, often raining, in the late evening the skies tend to clear. Here we are around 8:00 PM crossing the Seine with Notre Dame in the background.

While the weather has been overwhelmingly overcast, often raining, in the late evening the skies tend to clear. Here we are around 8:00 PM crossing the Seine with Notre Dame in the background.

We’re halfway through our two-week stay in Paris and it is, as one would expect, fabulous. With this much time we can take things easy and just wander around the city almost aimlessly. To the extent that there have been aims, I’ve been trying to explore the many beautiful parks in the city. Some of them – Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries, Parc Monceau – are long-time favorites. But now I’ve had the time to get into parks that I’ve never been to before and they’re all pretty great. Paris is a funny city in some ways: expensive, packed with tourists, and yet a city where huge numbers of very ordinary families live. Given that no one has a yard here I guess it makes sense that they would have such great public spaces, seemingly everywhere.

Parks they’re good at, but not so much cocktails. One night in our hotel they’d offered us a free cocktail because our shower wasn’t working right. To our surprise and delight the bartender made great martinis. So the next night we decided to stop for a drink before dinner and pay for one. Unfortunately there was a new bartender. Still, we figured if one guy could make a martini the other guy could, too, right? The first clue was when I said I wanted it shaken and he asked “With ice?” Yeah, should have tipped me off that we’d end up with something that was two parts vermouth to one part gin. We’d asked to have them with a twist and got a twist … and a slice of lemon … and olives. And a straw. Note to self: don’t order cocktails in Paris.

Otherwise, it’s a great city. Here are a few of our favorite scenes from our first week in Paris.

I don't know how long it'll be up - it wasn't here in October - but there's a huge ferris wheel in the Place de la Concorde. We haven't been up there yet, but we will be one of these days.

I don’t know how long it’ll be up – it wasn’t here in October – but there’s a huge ferris wheel in the Place de la Concorde. We haven’t been up there yet, but we will be one of these days.

Grand Paris buildings and trees in the spring

Grand Paris buildings and trees in the spring

More grand buildings and beautiful trees

More grand buildings and beautiful trees

Luxembourg Gardens, one of my favorite places in Paris.

Luxembourg Gardens, one of my favorite places in Paris.

Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Gardens

Park Clichy-Batignolles is a new park, still under construction. In the northwest part of the city - 17th Arrondissement - it was supposed to be the main campus for the 2012 Olympics. When London was selected as the host city, they decided to turn it into a huge park. In a different section was a big ramp area for kids - little and big - for skating and skateboards. Lots of kids using it, and not a helmet to be seen.

Park Clichy-Batignolles is a new park, still under construction. In the northwest part of the city – 17th Arrondissement – it was supposed to be the main campus for the 2012 Olympics. When London was selected as the host city, they decided to turn it into a huge park. In a different section was a big ramp area for kids – little and big – for skating and skateboards. Lots of kids using it, and not a helmet to be seen.

Just a couple blocks from the new Parc Clichy-Batignolles is the older and more classic Square des Batignolles

Just a couple blocks from the new Parc Clichy-Batignolles is the older and more classic Square des Batignolles

Paris in the spring

Paris in the spring

Parc Monceau, another of my favorite spots in all of Paris

Parc Monceau, another of my favorite spots in all of Paris

Parc Monceau

Parc Monceau

Just across the river from the Eiffel Tower we came on this statue of George Washington and LaFayette

Just across the river from the Eiffel Tower we came on this statue of George Washington and LaFayette

The Tuileries

The Tuileries

In Parc de la Belleville Mark finally found a place where his coat works as camouflage

In Parc de la Belleville Mark finally found a place where his coat works as camouflage

Don't tell me we don't know how to be tourists

Don’t tell me we don’t know how to be tourists

On a rambling walk we found this street of very un-Parisian buildings that looked more like Tokyo than Japan

On a rambling walk we found this street of very un-Parisian buildings that looked more like Tokyo than Japan

You can always stumble onto a market somewhere in Paris

You can always stumble onto a market somewhere in Paris

Colorful graffiti (graffito?) in Parc de Belleville

Colorful graffiti (graffito?) in Parc de Belleville

It's not just the buildings that can have colorful graffiti

It’s not just the buildings that can have colorful graffiti

The interior of the Church of St. Augustine, just one of any number of huge churches you can stumble into

The interior of the Church of St. Augustine, just one of any number of huge churches you can stumble into

Paris any time of the year in any one of untold thousands of cafés, bistros, brasseries, and restaurants

Paris any time of the year in any one of untold thousands of cafés, bistros, brasseries, and restaurants

On a rambling walk we found this street of very un-Parisian buildings that looked more like Tokyo than Japan

On a rambling walk we found this street of very un-Parisian buildings that looked more like Tokyo than Japan

That's a door. When you pass into his mouth you move into a hidden bar featuring Indian tapas and - most unParisian of all - fabulous Manhattans.

That’s a door. When you pass into his mouth you move into a hidden bar featuring Indian tapas and – most unParisian of all – fabulous Manhattans.

Mark along the Promenade Plantée. The city - traffic and all - is below us.

Mark along the Promenade Plantée. The city – traffic and all – is below us.

It was a very long flight from Buenos Aires to Paris. So long, in fact, that we went from fall to spring, just skipping over that pesky winter thing. But then we were in Paris. Without my luggage. Yes, for the first time since the adventure began – for the first time in many years, in fact – Mark’s bag showed up on the belt and mine didn’t. It’s one of those things you just don’t think of much, but if you travel with everything you own and your suitcase is lost, you’re left with not much at all.

Air France was really good about the process. Told me immediately that I could spend up to €100 on clothes and other necessities, that they normally find lost bags pretty quickly, and that they’d deliver it to my hotel. So after checking into our hotel I went to Banana Republic and bought a shirt, pair of shorts, socks, and underwear and it came to €102.79. Later that night I learned that they’d found the bag and by the next morning we were reunited. A little bit of worry, but in the end I have a free shirt, shorts, underwear, and socks. Not bad.

Walking from the train station to our hotel we passed the Church of St. Vincent de Paul and it's blooming trees. We had a sense we'd be happy here.

Walking from the train station to our hotel we passed the Church of St. Vincent de Paul and it’s blooming trees. We had a sense we’d be happy here.

Beautiful blossoms around the Tower of Saint Jacques

Beautiful blossoms around the Tower of Saint Jacques

Now, as for Paris in the spring? It’s pretty nice. Within an hour of getting into the city we were at this great little sidewalk café having wine and steak tartare. Of course, everywhere you turn you see another little café that probably has great food, too.

We’ve had a lot of rain, though; in fact, it has poured for at least a while all three days we’ve been here. That was a problem the first day, when my umbrella and raincoat were in the lost suitcase. And kind of a problem today when the Yahoo! weather forecast indicated a 0 percent chance of rain. That’s zero, as in no chance at all. Couldn’t happen, so no need to bring an umbrella, right? You know where that’s going: while I was walking home sure enough the heavens opened up.

This is what Paris looks like in the afternoon when rain is forecast

This is what Paris looks like in the afternoon when rain is forecast

And this is what Paris looks like when there is zero percent chance of rain

And this is what Paris looks like when there is zero percent chance of rain

But … it’s spring in Paris. There are still some lilacs in bloom. Lots of other flowers and trees blooming. The parks are lush and green. Besides getting some errands done our highlight so far has been a long walk along the Promenade Plantée, a 3-mile elevated linear park along an old railroad viaduct. Mark & I first discovered it in 2002 and it remains one of my favorite places in Paris. And it’s not just me; the Promenade is the inspiration for New York’s High Line, among other linear parks in the world. Now in the spring, 14 years after we first walked along the park, it’s more lush and filled in and beautiful than ever. I couldn’t have been happier.

Happy Jim in front of some lilacs

Happy Jim in front of some lilacs

Then it started raining again. When there was zero percent chance. Sad.

That’s the first three days of our 14-day stay in Paris. When we get to Week 2 we move from our hotel in the southwest corner of the 10th Arrondissement to an AirBnB apartment in the 11th where our old Cambridge neighbors will be joining us so we’ll have lots of time in this part of Paris where we’ve never stayed before. I see lots of walking in our future.

There is no shortage of beautiful buildings and trees here

There is no shortage of beautiful buildings and trees here

I don't know who the dead white guy is, but the garden in the Tuileries was gorgeous

I don’t know who the dead white guy is, but the garden in the Tuileries was gorgeous

Cool architecture seen from the Promenade

Cool architecture seen from the Promenade

The Place de la Bastille in skies that suggested something greater than zero percent chance of rain

The Place de la Bastille in skies that suggested something greater than zero percent chance of rain

And one last shot of Mark enjoying the Promenade

And one last shot of Mark enjoying the Promenade