I%26#39;ve just returned home from Paris yesterday after a ten day trip, my second trip to France since Dec. %26#39;08.
This time I went on my own to meet my son. I arrived on the morning of April 28th and easily made it from CDG to St. Michel-Notre Dame and then a short walk to the highly recommended Hotel Diana (95 E twin room) on rue St. Jacques where my room was ready by noon. The room was small but quite adequate and very clean. As others have mentioned, there isn%26#39;t a shower curtain or door on the tub so it is a little tricky avoiding spraying water everywhere.
After a bit of a nap I walked for several hours and found this helped with the jet lag and was quite exhausting.
My son arrived the next morning and we headed back to CDG and caught the TGV to Strasbourg where we cleaned out his apt. and then went for an authentic Alsatian dinner consisting of several varieties of sausage, potatoes, and saurkraut. even the salade mixte hada large white sausage on top!
We caught the TGV back to Paris the next day-to Gare de l%26#39;Est, walked to Gare du Nore and caught the RER back to St. Michel-Notre Dame and headed back to the Hotel Diana where we had a different but virtually similarly laid out twin room.
For the next three days we enjoyed the sights, walking everywhere for hours and hours. We twice went to the Holocaust Museum but it was closed. It is closed on Saturdays and holidays.
We stopped to enjoy a sandwich (Lina%26#39;s on rue Soufflot facing Luxembourg Gardens), a beer, preferably at one of the many Happy Hours:(La Gueuze 19 rue Soufflot-best to hit Happy Hour when beer is 2 for 1, from 4 or 5 to 7 pm, particularly when the going rate for a pint can be +/-7 euros; Le Galway 13, Quai des Grands Augustins very close to St. Michel-Notre Dame where, during Happy Hour, their %26quot;House Beer%26quot; could be had for 3.50 E; Au Trappiste (4 rue Saint Denis which describes itself as %26#39;La Royaume de la bière%26#39;; if you venture N. on rue St. Denis you will get your eyes filled as many doorways are filled with well endowed hookers!); a glass of wine-anywhere, anytime.
We had some great and some not so great meals. We had one dinner, the 23E menu at a very nice and well recommended restaurant-L%26#39;espadon Bleu, 25 rue des Augustins, in the Latin Quarter. My son and I both chose the roti chicken. However, I got a chicken leg, the waiter brought the wrong bottle of wine and gave us the wrong bill. Our final dinner in Paris on May 6 was at L%26#39;ecluse, right next door to Le Galway (where we watched some of the Manchester-Barcelona soccer/football game), was also interesting. No French onion soup anymore even though it was on the menu. Lovely wines available by the glass. My son had filet de boeuf %26quot;facon carpaccio%26quot; (raw beef) while I had a cheese sampling which was interesting if you are a bit adventurous. Normally, a meal of four kinds of cheese with some baguette isn%26#39;t what I would have chosen for my main course which is why, when the waiter came for my playe, I told him, %26quot;Je suis constipe!%26quot;
Pizzas/Gyros anywhere were great and the chain Patisserie %26quot;Paul%26quot; became our base for early morning coffee and croissants/pain aux raisins. Another chain, LA BRIOCHE DOREE, offered fresh OJ (Tropicana), a pastry, and a coffee for 3.90E.
Well, on Sunday May 3 we caught a train to Bayeux so we could better familiarize ouselves with the Normandy invasion. I%26#39;ll write about those three days alster.
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I am falling on the floor laughing,, you told the waiter %26quot; I am constipate%26quot; .. .. why on earth...LOL too funny. Waiters must hear some hilarious things!!
I am glad you obviously enjoyed your trip,, and thanks for the trip report, they are always fun to read, yours especially,, LOL
P.s. Nice to hear about Hotel Diane as I will be staying there this summer!
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Thank you for the trip report, tips and a good laugh.
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I enjoyed reading and hope you post the rest soon!
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I enjoyed reading your report, thank you! You made me laugh!
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