Sunday, May 20th
We arrived about 10:30 am Paris time at the Charles de Gaulle airport. We stayed at the Hotel de Brittanique right
in the middle of everything in downtown Paris. Mark found it on the Internet. Its one of the nicest places we saw
and was booked completely. Our room was the middle window on the second floor. Link to Hotel Britannique
We arrived about 10:30 am Paris time at the Charles de Gaulle airport. We stayed at the Hotel de Brittanique right
in the middle of everything in downtown Paris. Mark found it on the Internet. Its one of the nicest places we saw
and was booked completely. Our room was the middle window on the second floor. Link to Hotel Britannique
It was a tiny room but most adequate. A double bed, two shelves
for the nightstands, a tiny shelf over a mini-refrigerator, a 12” t.
v. attached to the wall up above it, two drawers with enough
room for t-shirts and socks, room enough to hang 10 shirts in a
small closet, and one chair. We had enough room to walk
around the bed, but if you wanted to get into your suitcase, you
had to put them on top of the bed. We were actually able to
unpack everything and by doubling up on a lot of hangers and
using the chair and under the bed for dresser space, we made
everything fit. We knew space was at a premium in Paris, but
this was the beginning of our lessons in how much we can do
without.
for the nightstands, a tiny shelf over a mini-refrigerator, a 12” t.
v. attached to the wall up above it, two drawers with enough
room for t-shirts and socks, room enough to hang 10 shirts in a
small closet, and one chair. We had enough room to walk
around the bed, but if you wanted to get into your suitcase, you
had to put them on top of the bed. We were actually able to
unpack everything and by doubling up on a lot of hangers and
using the chair and under the bed for dresser space, we made
everything fit. We knew space was at a premium in Paris, but
this was the beginning of our lessons in how much we can do
without.
We stayed in room #14. We had to turn in our room key to the front desk every time we left the hotel. Once when
we came back we asked for room #14 key and the desk attendant said “quatorze”. We both looked at her
completely clueless. All we knew was that we were tired and wanted our room. We thought she was going to tell us
the room wasn’t ready. But she just kept repeating quartorze, quartorze. Then she asked Mark (in English) if the
shocked look on his face meant he was afraid to hear a French word…and that what she was saying was our room
#14 in French! We all got a nice laugh at her teasing us.
we came back we asked for room #14 key and the desk attendant said “quatorze”. We both looked at her
completely clueless. All we knew was that we were tired and wanted our room. We thought she was going to tell us
the room wasn’t ready. But she just kept repeating quartorze, quartorze. Then she asked Mark (in English) if the
shocked look on his face meant he was afraid to hear a French word…and that what she was saying was our room
#14 in French! We all got a nice laugh at her teasing us.
We were one of the lucky couples in the hotel with a bathroom in our
room…and we didn’t have to share with the rest of the floor. There was a small
sink, toilet of course and a shower with no shower curtain. Mark did quite well
learning how to shower and not flood the bathroom with no curtain, but I
created quite a splashing event every morning. If you wanted to use the toilet,
you had to put your feet in the shower before you could sit down!
room…and we didn’t have to share with the rest of the floor. There was a small
sink, toilet of course and a shower with no shower curtain. Mark did quite well
learning how to shower and not flood the bathroom with no curtain, but I
created quite a splashing event every morning. If you wanted to use the toilet,
you had to put your feet in the shower before you could sit down!
We had two French patio doors that opened inward and another small one to
the side of the room. They overlooked the street below us and we would sit at
the window and watch the activity go on at night before we went to bed. Parking
was also at a premium so we would watch people double-park and fight over
the parking positions that came open. It was great late-night entertainment.
There was no air-conditioning, so we would have to leave the windows open to
keep cool enough to sleep. Sometimes our late-night entertainment kept us
awake for several hours.
the side of the room. They overlooked the street below us and we would sit at
the window and watch the activity go on at night before we went to bed. Parking
was also at a premium so we would watch people double-park and fight over
the parking positions that came open. It was great late-night entertainment.
There was no air-conditioning, so we would have to leave the windows open to
keep cool enough to sleep. Sometimes our late-night entertainment kept us
awake for several hours.
The first afternoon, we found a small café close to our hotel and
had a quick lunch. We had no clue what we were ordering but we
knew that “fromages” was cheese because of all the different
kinds…cantal…camembert…cheddar…swiss, etc. And that
“rouge” was red. Bread…and lots of it…was free…always…for
every meal.
had a quick lunch. We had no clue what we were ordering but we
knew that “fromages” was cheese because of all the different
kinds…cantal…camembert…cheddar…swiss, etc. And that
“rouge” was red. Bread…and lots of it…was free…always…for
every meal.
We slept most of Sunday in our room…trying to let our bodies catch up with the time changes. But later that
evening, we did walk along the Seine River and looked at what the people were selling in the booths…books,
souvenirs, pictures, drawings and postcards.
evening, we did walk along the Seine River and looked at what the people were selling in the booths…books,
souvenirs, pictures, drawings and postcards.
Everyone…EVERYONE…had a cellphone and was constantly using it. Everyone had a tiny little car…barely big
enough for 2 people, let alone 3 or 4…and they would drive fast and stop fast. The cars kind of all looked the same,
like little square VW’s. I think they were mostly Renaults. There were no real lanes for the cars to drive in and they
would zip in and out and around each other. There were also a lot of scooters and motorcycles. We even saw the
one-person-mobile-unit I have been wanting to invent…basically a motorcycle with a roof.
enough for 2 people, let alone 3 or 4…and they would drive fast and stop fast. The cars kind of all looked the same,
like little square VW’s. I think they were mostly Renaults. There were no real lanes for the cars to drive in and they
would zip in and out and around each other. There were also a lot of scooters and motorcycles. We even saw the
one-person-mobile-unit I have been wanting to invent…basically a motorcycle with a roof.
The smaller your car, the better…because you could parallel park
much easier and had a more likely chance to find a spot to park at
all. Parking was free if you ever did find a place to park. We really
had to watch where we walked because these cars and cycles
would just zip around corners and we never knew if they would
stop or not.
much easier and had a more likely chance to find a spot to park at
all. Parking was free if you ever did find a place to park. We really
had to watch where we walked because these cars and cycles
would just zip around corners and we never knew if they would
stop or not.
There were “toilettes” or WC’s (water closets) EVERYWHERE. But they all cost 2-3
francs and they expected to be tipped 1-2 francs when we left. They weren’t
usually very clean…but they were definitely there on the corner when you needed
them. I think all but two bathrooms we went to were in the basement of the
restaurant or museum we were at. We got pretty good at finding the stairs down
because they weren’t usually very prominently located…more like an afterthought.
One bathroom that we went to on the main floor was very interesting. I had to crawl
over the toilet to close the door. And once inside, the light was motion-detecting.
So if I sat still for too long, it went out. Very interesting concept. Mark’s bathroom
was also very interesting as it was a urinal that had been imbedded into the
ground. He was gone a long time as he tried to figure out just what he was
supposed to do with a urinal in the ground.
francs and they expected to be tipped 1-2 francs when we left. They weren’t
usually very clean…but they were definitely there on the corner when you needed
them. I think all but two bathrooms we went to were in the basement of the
restaurant or museum we were at. We got pretty good at finding the stairs down
because they weren’t usually very prominently located…more like an afterthought.
One bathroom that we went to on the main floor was very interesting. I had to crawl
over the toilet to close the door. And once inside, the light was motion-detecting.
So if I sat still for too long, it went out. Very interesting concept. Mark’s bathroom
was also very interesting as it was a urinal that had been imbedded into the
ground. He was gone a long time as he tried to figure out just what he was
supposed to do with a urinal in the ground.
We didn’t get too adventuresome the first night. We did wander around a bit and stumbled onto a very busy area for
dinner. SO MANY outdoor cafés. They were everywhere. This particular restaurant didn’t have any available seating
outside, so we accepted an indoor table. We started seeing the reason why there are no fat people in France. If
they were any bigger, they wouldn’t fit into the restaurants…let alone the bathrooms. And its true. There are no fat
people in France. The only people we saw that were bigger than me…well, they always turned out to be tourists.
During one of our first meals, the ladies next to us told us just how “truly gross” they thought Americans were getting
because they were all so fat now.
dinner. SO MANY outdoor cafés. They were everywhere. This particular restaurant didn’t have any available seating
outside, so we accepted an indoor table. We started seeing the reason why there are no fat people in France. If
they were any bigger, they wouldn’t fit into the restaurants…let alone the bathrooms. And its true. There are no fat
people in France. The only people we saw that were bigger than me…well, they always turned out to be tourists.
During one of our first meals, the ladies next to us told us just how “truly gross” they thought Americans were getting
because they were all so fat now.
At our first restaurant, there was a bench along one wall, with
4 tables about an inch apart and 4 chairs on the other side of
each table. They pulled out a chair and table so I could scoot
behind it and sit on the bench. Then they scooted the table
back in toward me and Mark sat in the chair. There we
sat…able to hear the entire conversation of the couple next to
us on both sides. It was warm, but not uncomfortable. Our
waitress knew very little English and what English she did
know was spoken with such a heavy accent that we didn’t
understand what she was saying. Fortunately, the 2 ladies
from Dover, England next to us came to our rescue. She got
us the menu and bread and translated the menu to us and
pointed out what they had ordered. The two French men next
to us on the other side, pointed out to us the special wine of
the day that they had ordered and poured some from their
bottle in our glasses for us to taste. And we were on our way
to our first dinner in Paris! Every meal we had was different
and delicious. We had lots of fish (poissons) and chicken and
pasta. Lots of veggies and desserts that were made mostly
from fruit. We basically ate our way through Paris!
4 tables about an inch apart and 4 chairs on the other side of
each table. They pulled out a chair and table so I could scoot
behind it and sit on the bench. Then they scooted the table
back in toward me and Mark sat in the chair. There we
sat…able to hear the entire conversation of the couple next to
us on both sides. It was warm, but not uncomfortable. Our
waitress knew very little English and what English she did
know was spoken with such a heavy accent that we didn’t
understand what she was saying. Fortunately, the 2 ladies
from Dover, England next to us came to our rescue. She got
us the menu and bread and translated the menu to us and
pointed out what they had ordered. The two French men next
to us on the other side, pointed out to us the special wine of
the day that they had ordered and poured some from their
bottle in our glasses for us to taste. And we were on our way
to our first dinner in Paris! Every meal we had was different
and delicious. We had lots of fish (poissons) and chicken and
pasta. Lots of veggies and desserts that were made mostly
from fruit. We basically ate our way through Paris!
While sitting at the café, we noticed no one wore jeans. We were kind of prepared for this, but it was true. Everyone
was in swingy skirts, or casual dress slacks. Lots of jersey knit materials for tops, pants, skirts, shirts. We may have
seen 5 people the whole trip that wore jeans and they were probably all tourists too!
They may have pretended not to know English, but nearly everyone we talked to knew English. And usually more
than just English. One teenager at a ticket booth knew 4 languages…Japanese included. Amazing. But before you
could get them to talk English, you had to pretend you knew how to talk French to them. If you asked them in French
if they understood English, they would respond in English that they did. And we would generally have no problems.
But if you just walked up to them and started talking in English, they would be snippy and sometimes rude…and
some would say “No English” and walk away. It was extremely intimidating at times. But by the end of the week, we
were starting to figure some things out and got the hang of some of the language. We are both glad we listened to
the French CD’s before we left. That was the only reason we knew that VOUS ETES ICI meant YOU ARE HERE on
the maps!
was in swingy skirts, or casual dress slacks. Lots of jersey knit materials for tops, pants, skirts, shirts. We may have
seen 5 people the whole trip that wore jeans and they were probably all tourists too!
They may have pretended not to know English, but nearly everyone we talked to knew English. And usually more
than just English. One teenager at a ticket booth knew 4 languages…Japanese included. Amazing. But before you
could get them to talk English, you had to pretend you knew how to talk French to them. If you asked them in French
if they understood English, they would respond in English that they did. And we would generally have no problems.
But if you just walked up to them and started talking in English, they would be snippy and sometimes rude…and
some would say “No English” and walk away. It was extremely intimidating at times. But by the end of the week, we
were starting to figure some things out and got the hang of some of the language. We are both glad we listened to
the French CD’s before we left. That was the only reason we knew that VOUS ETES ICI meant YOU ARE HERE on
the maps!
There is so much
history in Paris, its hard
to grasp it all. I’m not
sure what impressed us
the most. Everywhere
you look there is more
history and everything
about the buildings,
churches, statues,
fountains, and names of
streets, etc…it all
means something and
came about because of
an historical event.
history in Paris, its hard
to grasp it all. I’m not
sure what impressed us
the most. Everywhere
you look there is more
history and everything
about the buildings,
churches, statues,
fountains, and names of
streets, etc…it all
means something and
came about because of
an historical event.
I can see why artists and history buffs love this city. At times we felt very much
like Paris was wasted on us, because we knew so little of the history. I was glad
Mark was with me as he knew a LOT more than I did. I must have been sleeping
during history in school!
like Paris was wasted on us, because we knew so little of the history. I was glad
Mark was with me as he knew a LOT more than I did. I must have been sleeping
during history in school!
Paris trip in May 2001