Cave Talk

Another bright sunny day. Very warm afternoons. We're looking a little wilty by afternoon each day. Supposed to get warmer each day through Saturday and then drop 20 degrees Sunday.
Very pretty countryside. Hilly, lush, and green. A distinctive vernacular architecture--one of the things we love about France. Every region is quite distinct from another--different stone, different roof shapes, etc.









Today, we visited two prehistoric caves. The first was Rouffignac. We had an appointment at 9:30am. We rode a little train about 1/2 hour into the cave, stopping periodically to see marvelous drawings or etchings of woolly mammoths, woolly rhinos, ibex, bison, and horses. No color in this cave, but fabulous pictures. We went even further into a second "gallery". Quite an experience. We then went to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, where we visited the National Museum of Prehistory. Following lunch, we then drove over to Lascaux. Much smaller cave. It is a faithful reproduction of the original, which is just 200 meters away. More color represented here.

Entrance to Grotte de Rouffignac:




Les Eyzies, looking up at the prehistory museum:




This cave portion of our trip was not a segment I was looking forward to. I'm not really a cave person. I'm glad to report that, on emerging from Rouffignac, I told Jerry I couldn't imagine not having seen those marvelous paintings. Very affecting. The painters went to so much effort to create these works, some of which are beautifully detailed. Not to mention, who knew there were rhinos in SW France? I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time so deep in the earth, but it didn't bother me at all and I hope to forever remember these paintings and think of early man differently.

It's kind of odd being a part of a group. We're not used to being herded around on a big bus. But the bus (a Mercedes Benz) is big and very comfortable and only about half full, so we don't feel cramped. I think we're the only tour virgins in the group. We've met some very nice people, but of course every group has its quirky sorts, and we're no exception. Lots of Portland connections--either people who currently live there, or who grew up there, or whose children live there. Jerry is definitely the resident wine geek in this group. And a surprising number of people have not been to France before. This was our first full day as a group. I'm sure we'll start to settle in nicely.

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Market Day in Sarlat

Saturday is the big market day in Sarlat. I'll have to see it to believe it, because the Wednesday market was very big and very full of people.

















We spent most of the morning in the market, me snapping pictures like crazy. We explored myriad narrow, winding streets. This is a very old town and a very picturesque one. It has turrets and half-timbered houses and conical structures. A little of everything in one town.














We met up with our tour group tonight. They didn't arrive until around 6:15pm, and they were looking a tad road weary. We are a group of 25. One other couple from Portland and a handful from the west coast or the west in general. We got to visit with a number of them, and I think they will prove to be an interesting group. We're novices at this tour thing, so we'll have to see how we adapt.

Tomorrow, we're off to visit the prehistoric caves of Rouffignac and Lascaux.

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Transition Day

We had to bid a fond adieu to Paris--and to Kathe, who flew back to the States today. Picked up our rental car at Orly Airport and made our way through the maze of autoroutes on the fringe of the city and a major airport. Took about 6 hours to reach our destination of Sarlat in the Dordogne region. We've never visited here before. Pretty, green hills and very historic towns. Definitely a change in scene from the mind-bogglingly busy streets of Paris.








Dropped off our car. Plan to connect with our Road Scholar tour tomorrow afternoon. Will be a very new experience for us.

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Au Revoir, Paris

It's time to wrap up our time here. We decided to head off to a neighborhood we hadn't spent time in before. We visited the Parc Monceau, then strolled through the beautiful surrounding neighborhoods.

















Being nearby, we paid a visit to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Élysées.




This was followed by one of the more interesting taxi rides of our lives. Our lady taxi driver (which is not all that common) seemed to believe that driving at crazy breakneck speed was the preferred mode, and hanging on for dear life wasn't an option but a requirement. We were all pretty wide-eyed. She was listening to ABBA, so I couldn't resist engaging her in a little ABBA talk. We learned that she'd seen Mamma Mia three times!

On this our final night in Paris, Kathe picked a perfect little brasserie--Cafe de Paris--on the nearby rue de Buci. From outside, it was a bustling sidewalk cafe. On the inside, it was quite refined, and the food was "just right." We each decided that this was the perfect place to have good old-fashioned steak frites--in this case, "entrecôte grille maitre d'hôtel." It was perfectly prepared and served. And Jerry found an unassuming Bordeaux to accompany our meal (practice for the next leg of our trip?). Mmmmm....






















It's hard to believe that our week in this unique city could possibly be over already. Kathe's already planning her next visit, so I think it's safe to say she's enjoyed her time here. Jerry and I may have visited a few times before, but did things we hadn't before and ventured into arrondisements we've not seen before. A lovely combination of old and new and the thrill of getting to share it with someone we cherish. What could be better?


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Sunday in Paris

We started our day with a stroll to St. Sulpice for a portion of the morning mass, followed by the postlude and a short concert by the venerable organist, Daniel Roth.




We wandered through a remarkable antiques market that had set up around the fountain in the Place St. Sulpice. Many temptations, but you'd better come prepared with breathtaking quantities of cash.



We shopped for our dinner then visited Saint Germaine des Pres (the church) enroute to Luxembourg Garden.











We rounded out the day with a nighttime stroll along the Seine. Thousands of people out, enjoying the evening, picnicing on the bridges or quayside.



Rough work, this being a tourist!

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A Quieter Day

We decided we needed a day that was just a bit more low key. We started the day more slowly--a visit to the corner fruit stand for some fabulous strawberries from the Dordogne and a fresh, still-warm baguette from the bakery.

We walked to the Musee d'Orsay, where we spent several hours absolutely awash in Renoirs, Pisarros, Sisleys, Monets, and so many more. A sensory delight!





We also visited the Place des Vosges. Such a pretty spot. After strolling the lovely square, we toured the apartment of Victor Hugo, which whetted our appetite to read more about him.









Tonight, we had a special treat. Thanks to a recommendation from friends, we visited their favorite neighborhood eating spot, Restaurant Belisaire, in the 15th Arrondisement. When we arrived, I gave them greetings from "Jack and Caroleigh of the United States" and told them our friends had recommended their restaurant. What a charming place, and what a nice meal. Very little English spoken, but they made sure we were comfortable and very well treated. When we got teased (in French), we knew we had passed muster. We were the only non-local people in the restaurant, which is an experience we wouldn't ordinarily get to have. Thank you Jack and Caroleigh, and greetings from Patrice and Aurelia.









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The Best of Times...The Worst of Times

Jerry and I have long had a theory that there is always a day during a vacation that is a real low point. We are hoping we just had it. We went to the train office to make our TGV reservation for next Tuesday, when we leave Paris and head for the Dordogne region. After taking a number and waiting 45 minutes, we found out that there were no seats available on any of the 16 trains going to Bordeaux except one: one that would have us arrive at 10pm, way past any possibility to make a connection to Sarlat where we have a prepaid lodging for the night and where we have to connect with our Road Scholar tour the next morning. The news was just as grim if we tried traveling a day earlier or later. This left us pretty deflated. Certainly deflated the value of our France Railpass, this being one of our primary uses of the thing. After several misfires, we were able to reserve a car to drive the 750km to Sarlat next Tuesday. Major shift in plans. Not happy about the added expense. But the problem is essentially resolved and the trip moves on.

Now to the "best of times" part. Another beautiful day in Paris. In between wrestling with train hiccups and rental cars (in French, I might add), today we visited the Luxembourg Garden. We love the Medici Fountain and looked forward to sharing it with Kathe.




We also mingled with the thousands of people visiting Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. Loud, bustling, and full of energy.




We ventured into the 7th Arrondisement for dinner tonight. Once again, a perfect setting and an enjoyable meal.




After dinner we walked (and walked) to the foot of the Eiffel Tower and got to see the nightly light show--a first for us all. Quite spectacular.



A marvelous finish to a challenging day.

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Visiting the Louvre

Today was all about the Louvre. What an overwhelming place--in every sense of the word. It is the "largest museum in the western world", filled with an incredible array of art in every genre, and you have never seen so many people in one place. Our Paris museum passes got us in the door in record time, but they did nothing to alleviate the impact of so many people flowing in every direction--and on a very warm day with 92% humidity. We managed to cover the usual suspects--Winged Victory, Venus, and of course Mona Lisa--but also saw lots of Greek statuary and Italian paintings and Napoleon III's apartments, filled with gilding and the most fabulous chandeliers imaginable (if you're into that sort of thing).













I have now tried three times to see the Louvre's legendary Islamic art. The first two times, the exhibit was temporarily closed. This time around, they're constructing a whole new space to house their collection, but it won't open until 2013. I'm beginning to suspect the collection doesn't really exist. At least it's becoming clear that I'm not slated to feast my eyes on their Islamic treasure trove.

We walked through the Tuilleries and visited the Orangerie, a museum that has never been open during previous visits. Got to see two large rooms covered from wall to wall and floor to ceiling with Monet's water lilies. Quite a sight. Then there were the rooms of Renoirs and Gauguins and Cezannes, etc. Wow!

We ended the day with a marvelous dinner in a tiny restaurant just a couple blocks from our apartment. They were turning out some beautiful and very tasty dishes.





Another lovely day in a delightful city!




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Quintessential Paris

Today, we saw some things that are icons of Paris. We strolled across the Seine to Sainte-Chapelle, famous for its stained glass. After crepes on the Ile St. Louis, we visited a garden then queued up to get in to see Notre Dame.


When last we saw Notre Dame, it had scaffolding and netting. It was nice to see it "unrobed" and looking quite spiffy.




It was a warm and sunny day and a bit muggy. We decided that riding a Bateau Bus (water taxi) on the Seine sounded refreshing--not to mention easier on our feet that had covered some distance, stood in multiple lines, and climbed many narrow, twisting stairs. We found no shade and few breezes, but we all agreed the sights--the Louvre, the bridges and statues along the way, the Musee d'Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower--were well worth the trip. Though perhaps not iconically Parisian, another sight from our boat trip was a young man sunbathing completely au natural on the quay. While his unexpected presence was not exactly to be compared to first sighting the Eiffel Tower, he did certainly raise our eyebrows and bring a smile to our faces.


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Bonjour Paris

We arrived, a little bedraggled and very tired after a full 24 hours enroute (the price of our tickets bought with miles!). Kathe had arrived hours ahead of us and had gotten us checked into our apartment. We walked to the Saint Sulpice area, where we had a kir and did some serious people watching. We explored the cathedral and got to hear the bells play for evening mass. Then we shopped for breakfast basics and visited a boulangerie (bakery) for a baguette and pastries. We (who were fading rapidly) rounded off our evening by visiting a historic corner cafe near our apartment for a plate of charcuterie--some wonderful pates, terrines, rillettes, ham, sausages, and cornichons. We're looking forward to exploring the city with fresh eyes in the morning.


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