We drive thru pine forests that smell good, by rich farm land in valleys, some desert, vineyards, orchards, garden crops, and pretty villages to Lisbon and the Tivoli Hotel. We stay here and make day trips out for the rest of our initial stay in Portugal.
The first day trip starts at the Monastery of Jeronimos with its beautiful cloisters. Then on west along the Costa do Sol to Oeiras, Carcacavelos, Estoril, Cascais, and Guincho (the western most point of continental Europe). On thru beautiful hilly country, by nice beaches, and thru aromatic pine forests, as we go inland to Sintra and up a winding narrow road to the Palacio de Pena.
Pena is the last residence of the Royal Family. The palace has fantastic tiles outside and inside; beautiful furniture from India, Japan, Czechoslovakia, and Italy; and lovely gardens with camellias and fuchsias.
One day we take a taxi to the fine Gulbenkian Museum that we enjoy very much. There are 18th century furniture, and many artifacts from the Orient, Persia, and Egypt. We walk back to the Tivoli thru the pretty Eduardo Vll park.
Portugal is in the midst of political turmoil in 1975; there are graffiti everywhere; groups marching in formation with red flags; sound vehicles with red flags tossing out pamphlets that add to the litter in the streets. From the Tivoli none of this is visible as we look over Avenue Liberdade with its trees hiding bookstalls to the Castle of St. Jorge on a distant hill.
One day is spent in museums. The Coach Museum has fancy old royal coaches; a pleasant docent shows them and tells their history. The Ethnological Museum is quite interesting with artifacts from Roman and prehistoric times to the present. The Maritime Museum has fascinating models of Portugal’s larger old ships, actual smaller ancient ships, and maps of routes of Magellan, Cabral, & Vasco de Gama.
A trip across the Tagus on the long suspension bridge and south to Sesimbra and Setubal occupies a day. There is good farm land and pretty, colorful, & tiled buildings; mountains too, and nice views of the bay. We see a pretty harbor with fish (sole) being unloaded from a fishing boat; at a small restaurant we eat good sardines asadas we have read about; and we see many people on the beaches of the pretty and blue Atlantic.
The Castle of São Jorge has very pretty grounds, and great views over the city and the river. Lisbon reminds us a little of San Francisco, with its’ hills and views of the water.
Our flight home takes us via London, with an overnight stay at the Sheraton Heathrow. We take a bus into town and walk by Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abby, Houses of Parliament, and #10 Downing Street. We taxi to Grosvenor Square where Glenn’s office was during WW ll, and walk some more before riding on the top of the double deck shuttle bus back to the hotel.
The flight from London to Seattle is exceptionally clear most of the way, and with window seats we have beautiful views of Iceland, Greenland, and northern Canada. After customs we fly on to San Francisco, with a beautiful view of the city and bay as we descend. A short flight to Sacramento brings us home, exhausted, after being up for more than 24 hours.
Monday, March 31, 2008
PORTUGAL PHOTOS-LISBON AREA
Coach Museum, Lisbon
Eduardo Vll Park, Lisbon
Castle São Jorge Hill Beyond Ave. Liberdade, Lisbon
Unloading Sole, Sesimbra
Fishing Boats, Sesimbra
Commercial Plaza, Lisbon
CHAPTER 7. PORTUGAL CONT.
In mid October of 1987 we come into Portugal from the north after seeing Santiago de Compostela (#19). We enter along with a storm from the Atlantic bringing heavy rain and strong winds, so we drive straight thru to Denis Hotel in Leiria, with overnight stops in Parades, Spain and Esposente, Portugal.
On arrival at Leiria, Glenn finds his passport has been left at the Suave Mar Hotel in Esposente! The Denis Hotel people suggest we contact the Leiria tourist information (I) office; they call the Suave Mar Hotel and have the passport mailed to the Leiria I office, where Glenn picks it up the next day. What great service!
From Leiria we take a day trip to Batalha, Alcobaca, and Nazaré. After days of rain and wind the weather is sunny; how fortunate since Batalha is so photogenic.
The Michelin Green Guide describes Batalha Monastery: It “stands in a green valley, a mass of gables, pinnacles, buttresses, turrets and small columns - the rose gold outpouring of its architecture is one of the masterpieces of Portuguese Gothic and Manueline art.” Alcobaca and its Santa Maria Monastery are nearby; attractions here are the tombs of Inez de Castro and Dom Pedro in the transept.
On the way to Nazaré we stop for lunch at a countryside resort we find in our several year old Michelin Red Guide. There are some people sitting on a bench outside; we ask where the dining room is, and they point to the building. Going in, we find the dining room on a top floor, we sit at an empty table, and are immediately given food and wine. Things seem peculiar, but the food is good. After finishing we ask our server for the bill, and she doesn’t know what we are talking about. We are finally able to pay for the meal down at the first floor office. We decide it had changed from a resort, and is now some kind of institution - we guess a mental hospital!
The return to Nazaré is a disappointment, as we reported earlier. No longer are the picturesque boats on the beach; a new harbor contains the fishing fleet. Some favorite sights are better if not revisited!
From Leiria we drive east thru hilly country with lots of grapes and olives to Tomar and the fortified castle, seat of the former Knights Templar, and in the 1300’s changed to the Knights of Christ. It is an interesting castle to tour, particularly the 12th century Templars Rotunda.
We continue on by the Almoural Castle and thru cork oak tree country to Montemor where it is late and we stay in the not good at all Monte Alenlejeno Hotel, rather than look for a better place.
On arrival at Leiria, Glenn finds his passport has been left at the Suave Mar Hotel in Esposente! The Denis Hotel people suggest we contact the Leiria tourist information (I) office; they call the Suave Mar Hotel and have the passport mailed to the Leiria I office, where Glenn picks it up the next day. What great service!
From Leiria we take a day trip to Batalha, Alcobaca, and Nazaré. After days of rain and wind the weather is sunny; how fortunate since Batalha is so photogenic.
The Michelin Green Guide describes Batalha Monastery: It “stands in a green valley, a mass of gables, pinnacles, buttresses, turrets and small columns - the rose gold outpouring of its architecture is one of the masterpieces of Portuguese Gothic and Manueline art.” Alcobaca and its Santa Maria Monastery are nearby; attractions here are the tombs of Inez de Castro and Dom Pedro in the transept.
On the way to Nazaré we stop for lunch at a countryside resort we find in our several year old Michelin Red Guide. There are some people sitting on a bench outside; we ask where the dining room is, and they point to the building. Going in, we find the dining room on a top floor, we sit at an empty table, and are immediately given food and wine. Things seem peculiar, but the food is good. After finishing we ask our server for the bill, and she doesn’t know what we are talking about. We are finally able to pay for the meal down at the first floor office. We decide it had changed from a resort, and is now some kind of institution - we guess a mental hospital!
The return to Nazaré is a disappointment, as we reported earlier. No longer are the picturesque boats on the beach; a new harbor contains the fishing fleet. Some favorite sights are better if not revisited!
From Leiria we drive east thru hilly country with lots of grapes and olives to Tomar and the fortified castle, seat of the former Knights Templar, and in the 1300’s changed to the Knights of Christ. It is an interesting castle to tour, particularly the 12th century Templars Rotunda.
We continue on by the Almoural Castle and thru cork oak tree country to Montemor where it is late and we stay in the not good at all Monte Alenlejeno Hotel, rather than look for a better place.
PORTUGAL PHOTOS-BATALHA-TOMAR
Batalha Monastery
West Side, Batalha Monastery
Tomb of Inez de Castro, Santa Maria Monastery
Knights Templar Castle, Tomar
Entrance, Knights Templar Castle, Tomar
CHAPTER 7. PORTUGAL CONT.
It is then on thru cork oak forests, and some open ploughed fields with a few cork oak trees, to Evora. En route we see trucks loaded with the cork oak bark on their way to processing plants.
Even without reservations we are able to get a very nice, but small, room in the Evora Pousada, a remodeled 15th century convent adjacent to the cathedral. The dining room has excellent food and a pretty view of the interior court.
The nearby 2nd century Roman Temple of Diane is said to be in the best condition of any in Portugal. Evora was a Roman town, and also shows evidence in its architecture of its long occupation by the Moors.
After a drive over twisting mountain roads in dark and heavy rains we stay the next night in the Pousada at São Braz del Portel. From there it is a short trip to Monte Gordo on the Algarve beach.
Betty had read of the Albergaria Monte Gordo in the International Travel News, and we are able to get a room for five nights, although they would only promise two nights at a time. The room is on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the beach and the Bay of Cadiz.
The hotel is full, and caters to tours from Britain. The restaurant has excellent fresh fish meals. On Friday there is a fun dance and sing-along in the bar. The Brits are very friendly and easy to talk to. The beach in front of the hotel has a colorful fleet of fishing dories that are almost as picturesque as they were once at Nazaré. Here the boats are pulled from the water by a tractor. There is rain all one day and still the boats are out working.
The beach, other than where the boats are, has lines of poles with canvases to provide wind breaks. It is fairly cool in October, but with the least bit of sunshine the Brits are out in bathing suits on the beach.
At Monte Gordo we rest a lot and make short trips to supermarkets for snack materials and to pick up the Herald Tribune which we read throughout Europe. We normally eat breakfast in our hotels, our main meal in a restaurant, and a snack in our room or on the road for the secondary meal, finding that one menu a day is all we want.
We like Monte Gordo and its wide flat beach at the eastern end of the Algarve. Leaving it to drive west the beaches are mostly close to the base of a cliff. At the extreme western end there are no beaches and high cliffs arise from the blue water.
We take three days going to Lisbon, staying at Praia Da Rocha the first night after seeing harbors and much new building along the way. The second day we continue west and see cliffs and rocks carved by the ocean at Ponta de Piedade and then 300 foot sheer cliffs above the ocean at Cabo de São Vicente. At Sagras we have a very good lunch at the Hotel Baleeira where the dining room overlooks a beautiful fishing harbor. we drive north thru rain to Santiago where we first try the Pousada, but go on to the Gabriel Hotel for a larger room at a much lower price.
The trip ends in Lisbon with two days at the Eduardo VII Hotel, with its 10th floor restaurant giving good views over the city. We are able to return the Avis rental car at the Sheraton Hotel four blocks away. The TWA office is nearby where we reconfirm our flight and get boarding passes. The remainder of the two days is spent resting, Betty having her hair washed and blow dried, and generally getting ready for the long hard day of the flight home.
.
Even without reservations we are able to get a very nice, but small, room in the Evora Pousada, a remodeled 15th century convent adjacent to the cathedral. The dining room has excellent food and a pretty view of the interior court.
The nearby 2nd century Roman Temple of Diane is said to be in the best condition of any in Portugal. Evora was a Roman town, and also shows evidence in its architecture of its long occupation by the Moors.
After a drive over twisting mountain roads in dark and heavy rains we stay the next night in the Pousada at São Braz del Portel. From there it is a short trip to Monte Gordo on the Algarve beach.
Betty had read of the Albergaria Monte Gordo in the International Travel News, and we are able to get a room for five nights, although they would only promise two nights at a time. The room is on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the beach and the Bay of Cadiz.
The hotel is full, and caters to tours from Britain. The restaurant has excellent fresh fish meals. On Friday there is a fun dance and sing-along in the bar. The Brits are very friendly and easy to talk to. The beach in front of the hotel has a colorful fleet of fishing dories that are almost as picturesque as they were once at Nazaré. Here the boats are pulled from the water by a tractor. There is rain all one day and still the boats are out working.
The beach, other than where the boats are, has lines of poles with canvases to provide wind breaks. It is fairly cool in October, but with the least bit of sunshine the Brits are out in bathing suits on the beach.
At Monte Gordo we rest a lot and make short trips to supermarkets for snack materials and to pick up the Herald Tribune which we read throughout Europe. We normally eat breakfast in our hotels, our main meal in a restaurant, and a snack in our room or on the road for the secondary meal, finding that one menu a day is all we want.
We like Monte Gordo and its wide flat beach at the eastern end of the Algarve. Leaving it to drive west the beaches are mostly close to the base of a cliff. At the extreme western end there are no beaches and high cliffs arise from the blue water.
We take three days going to Lisbon, staying at Praia Da Rocha the first night after seeing harbors and much new building along the way. The second day we continue west and see cliffs and rocks carved by the ocean at Ponta de Piedade and then 300 foot sheer cliffs above the ocean at Cabo de São Vicente. At Sagras we have a very good lunch at the Hotel Baleeira where the dining room overlooks a beautiful fishing harbor. we drive north thru rain to Santiago where we first try the Pousada, but go on to the Gabriel Hotel for a larger room at a much lower price.
The trip ends in Lisbon with two days at the Eduardo VII Hotel, with its 10th floor restaurant giving good views over the city. We are able to return the Avis rental car at the Sheraton Hotel four blocks away. The TWA office is nearby where we reconfirm our flight and get boarding passes. The remainder of the two days is spent resting, Betty having her hair washed and blow dried, and generally getting ready for the long hard day of the flight home.
.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
PORTUGAL PHOTOS-ALGARVE
Cork Oak Tree
Roman Temple of Diane, Evora
Fishing Dories, Monte Gordo
Beaching a Fishing Dory, Monte Gordo
Saturday, March 29, 2008
CHAPTER 8. FRANCE-PARIS
France is our favorite country to visit for several reasons: it is less expensive than most; it is easy to go without extensive advance reservations which ties one down; it is a beautiful country with much to see; almost any restaurant is excellent; and our encounters with the French people have generally been very pleasant. As a result we have been there seven times, and have spent a total of over six months in the country.
Our first trip is in the fall of 1982, when we visit Paris, Normandy, Brittany, and Burgundy. We travel after September 15th because airplane fares drop then, and we thought the tourist crowds would not be so heavy. On the recommendation of friends we make arrival reservations at the Hotel Neva a few blocks from the Arc de Triumph.
The Neva is adequate, with bath & w.c. and the location is good. We look at other places, but make reservations at the Neva for our Paris stay at the end of the trip. Their hot chocolate at the continental breakfast is the best in France! We have hot chocolate for breakfast throughout this 6 week trip in lieu of coffee, but decide that is a mistake when we get home and find we have each gained 10 pounds.
Just across the street is a small restaurant, the Étoile Vert, a non tourist place that has excellent food. We eat there many times. Glenn tries his first escargot, and doesn’t mop up the flavored butter with bread; the waitress promptly instructs him on this!
We get around Paris mainly on the Metro, buying carnets of tickets. It is quite easy and convenient, but with many stairs, and a lot of walking to get from the street to the stations, and when changing lines there is often a long walk involved.
Our first Metro ride is to Place Concorde & the adjacent Tuileries; both are very impressive. After a look at the Seine we walk back up the Champs Elysées past the American and British embassies and the presidents palace. There is an interesting exhibition of old British and French cars from 1914 on the sidewalks near the Rond Point.
Paris in mid September is quite hot and humid; one day the paper reports a high of 86 F, and we believe it! We stay just four nights before going by rental car to Normandy, Brittany, the Loire valley, and Burgundy. We return to Paris for an additional 10 nights in mid October when the weather is considerably cooler and with more rain.
Two good spots to look over Paris are from the top of the Arc de Triumph and from the Eiffel Tower. The elevator in the former isn’t open all the time and requires several return visits before we get to the top; it is good that we are staying near it.
We do a lot of walking in our hotel area; see a street market with much fruit, vegetables, wine, cheese, meat, and fish; we look at a couple of hotels before deciding on the Neva for our October return; the Champs Elysées with its’ stores and restaurants is close; it’s a good area!
Our first trip is in the fall of 1982, when we visit Paris, Normandy, Brittany, and Burgundy. We travel after September 15th because airplane fares drop then, and we thought the tourist crowds would not be so heavy. On the recommendation of friends we make arrival reservations at the Hotel Neva a few blocks from the Arc de Triumph.
The Neva is adequate, with bath & w.c. and the location is good. We look at other places, but make reservations at the Neva for our Paris stay at the end of the trip. Their hot chocolate at the continental breakfast is the best in France! We have hot chocolate for breakfast throughout this 6 week trip in lieu of coffee, but decide that is a mistake when we get home and find we have each gained 10 pounds.
Just across the street is a small restaurant, the Étoile Vert, a non tourist place that has excellent food. We eat there many times. Glenn tries his first escargot, and doesn’t mop up the flavored butter with bread; the waitress promptly instructs him on this!
We get around Paris mainly on the Metro, buying carnets of tickets. It is quite easy and convenient, but with many stairs, and a lot of walking to get from the street to the stations, and when changing lines there is often a long walk involved.
Our first Metro ride is to Place Concorde & the adjacent Tuileries; both are very impressive. After a look at the Seine we walk back up the Champs Elysées past the American and British embassies and the presidents palace. There is an interesting exhibition of old British and French cars from 1914 on the sidewalks near the Rond Point.
Paris in mid September is quite hot and humid; one day the paper reports a high of 86 F, and we believe it! We stay just four nights before going by rental car to Normandy, Brittany, the Loire valley, and Burgundy. We return to Paris for an additional 10 nights in mid October when the weather is considerably cooler and with more rain.
Two good spots to look over Paris are from the top of the Arc de Triumph and from the Eiffel Tower. The elevator in the former isn’t open all the time and requires several return visits before we get to the top; it is good that we are staying near it.
We do a lot of walking in our hotel area; see a street market with much fruit, vegetables, wine, cheese, meat, and fish; we look at a couple of hotels before deciding on the Neva for our October return; the Champs Elysées with its’ stores and restaurants is close; it’s a good area!
FRANCE PHOTOS-PARIS
Arc de Triumph, Paris
Tuileries, Paris
Champs Elysées from top of Arc de Triumph, Paris
Seine downstream from Eiffel Tower, Paris
Seine Upstream from the Eiffel Tower, Paris
Chaillot Palace from Eiffel Tower, Paris
CHAPTER 8. FRANCE-PARIS CONT.
The Ile de la Cité has much to see; we walk the quays as suggested by the Michelin Green Guide seeing many barges, both freight and sightseeing. You get good views of Notre Dame, the Palace of Justice, La Conciergerie, La Hôtel de Ville, and much more. At Place St. Michel, with a good view of Notre Dame, is the Rotisserie Perigourdine where we have several good meals of rack of lamb and garlic potatoes. It has shiny wood and brass, a cold maitre d’, but very tasty food.
A day threatening rain is a good time to visit the Louvre. It is also a Wednesday in mid October and admission is free. It may be off the peak tourist season, but there are many many people; we wonder what it is like “in season”. The Mona Lisa impresses us, but the Venus de Milo is a disappointment. We walk and walk and walk; see statues, paintings, the Egyptian area, and crown jewels. We eat in a small expensive tea room, then walk some more. One day is NOT enough to see the Louvre.
Another art museum well worth seeing is the Jeu de Paume, near the Place de la Concorde. It shows impressionist paintings by Monet, Van Gough, Renoir, etc. It is much smaller than the Louvre but is just as crowded. Afterwards we walk by the Opera and to the Galleries Lafayette, a fabulous large department store where we buy some French soup bowls with their smaller top opening that keep the soup from cooling too fast.
A metro ride to Place Pigalle and a funicular brings us to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica high on Montmartre. The gleaming white structure is visible from many vantage points in Paris, and takes its’ place with the Eiffel Tower as a major part of the Paris skyline.
A day threatening rain is a good time to visit the Louvre. It is also a Wednesday in mid October and admission is free. It may be off the peak tourist season, but there are many many people; we wonder what it is like “in season”. The Mona Lisa impresses us, but the Venus de Milo is a disappointment. We walk and walk and walk; see statues, paintings, the Egyptian area, and crown jewels. We eat in a small expensive tea room, then walk some more. One day is NOT enough to see the Louvre.
Another art museum well worth seeing is the Jeu de Paume, near the Place de la Concorde. It shows impressionist paintings by Monet, Van Gough, Renoir, etc. It is much smaller than the Louvre but is just as crowded. Afterwards we walk by the Opera and to the Galleries Lafayette, a fabulous large department store where we buy some French soup bowls with their smaller top opening that keep the soup from cooling too fast.
A metro ride to Place Pigalle and a funicular brings us to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica high on Montmartre. The gleaming white structure is visible from many vantage points in Paris, and takes its’ place with the Eiffel Tower as a major part of the Paris skyline.
FRANCE PHOTOS-PARIS
Notre Dame, Paris
Notre Dame, Paris
The Louvre, Paris
Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Montmartre, Paris
CHAPTER 8. FRANCE-PARIS CONT.
Another metro ride brings us to the main post office. We use poste restante to get mail while traveling in France; even getting and returning an absentee ballot once. Near the post office is the Forum, in ‘82 still under construction, but an immense shopping mall with lots of curved glass and metal. Nearby is the futuristic and surrealistic architecture of the Pompidou Center, with jugglers, artists, mimes, poets, etc. performing in the plaza outside. We don’t go in, but hear the center is very interesting if you like modern art.
We have supported the IAMAT (International Assn. for Medical Assistance to Travelers) and travel with an updated copy of their list of doctors who are trained in the US, and speak English. In Paris they list the American Hospital, which was created by Congress in 1918 for anyone less than 50% French. We go there one day when Betty is having pain and for a nominal fee she consults an English woman doctor and is given a prescription.
Versailles is close to Paris; we pick a sunny day to go, taking the Metro to Pont de Sevres and a bus the rest of the way. The sun stays out, but a cold wind is blowing, so the long walk up a hill from the entrance is unpleasant, and there is a huge crowd waiting to enter. When we finally go in we find it overly gilded and not impressive, with little furniture and few artifacts. We decide to skip the guided tour of the Royal apartments, and after a cold walk in the extensive gardens, return by bus and Metro to Paris.
Another partly sunny day we ride the Metro to the Clemenceau station and walk across Pont Alexander III and up the Esplanade to the Invalides. (A closer stop might have been better, since we are tired when we arrive.) Services are underway at the Church of St. Louis, so we go on and see the Dome Church with Napoleon's tomb which is very grand. Back at the Army Museum we see a small part of a fantastic collection of armor, swords, and guns.
The Étoile Vert is the place we eat most of the time, but we also try some of the restaurants near our hotel listed in the Michelin Red Guide. By going early we don’t need reservations at Mere Michel, Ma Cusine, and La Petite Aubergue and have excellent meals at each.
On the flight home from Paris the TWA “computer” puts us in the plane’s smoking section; after take off we are able to trade seats into the nonsmoking section, but find it full of college age young people (maybe a tour) and many of them are smoking. The flight attendants eventually control the smoking during the 8 hour flight to New York’s JFK airport, but then we arrive 20 minutes late, are held on the plane for 40 minutes because customs is full, and get a taxi driver who doesn’t know where Western Airlines’ terminal is located; as a result we miss our flight on to Sacramento. The TWA customer service agent gives us a voucher for a hotel room, and takes the Western ticket for a TWA flight the next day to LA and a PSA flight on to Sacramento. In the future we don’t schedule connections as close!
We have supported the IAMAT (International Assn. for Medical Assistance to Travelers) and travel with an updated copy of their list of doctors who are trained in the US, and speak English. In Paris they list the American Hospital, which was created by Congress in 1918 for anyone less than 50% French. We go there one day when Betty is having pain and for a nominal fee she consults an English woman doctor and is given a prescription.
Versailles is close to Paris; we pick a sunny day to go, taking the Metro to Pont de Sevres and a bus the rest of the way. The sun stays out, but a cold wind is blowing, so the long walk up a hill from the entrance is unpleasant, and there is a huge crowd waiting to enter. When we finally go in we find it overly gilded and not impressive, with little furniture and few artifacts. We decide to skip the guided tour of the Royal apartments, and after a cold walk in the extensive gardens, return by bus and Metro to Paris.
Another partly sunny day we ride the Metro to the Clemenceau station and walk across Pont Alexander III and up the Esplanade to the Invalides. (A closer stop might have been better, since we are tired when we arrive.) Services are underway at the Church of St. Louis, so we go on and see the Dome Church with Napoleon's tomb which is very grand. Back at the Army Museum we see a small part of a fantastic collection of armor, swords, and guns.
The Étoile Vert is the place we eat most of the time, but we also try some of the restaurants near our hotel listed in the Michelin Red Guide. By going early we don’t need reservations at Mere Michel, Ma Cusine, and La Petite Aubergue and have excellent meals at each.
On the flight home from Paris the TWA “computer” puts us in the plane’s smoking section; after take off we are able to trade seats into the nonsmoking section, but find it full of college age young people (maybe a tour) and many of them are smoking. The flight attendants eventually control the smoking during the 8 hour flight to New York’s JFK airport, but then we arrive 20 minutes late, are held on the plane for 40 minutes because customs is full, and get a taxi driver who doesn’t know where Western Airlines’ terminal is located; as a result we miss our flight on to Sacramento. The TWA customer service agent gives us a voucher for a hotel room, and takes the Western ticket for a TWA flight the next day to LA and a PSA flight on to Sacramento. In the future we don’t schedule connections as close!
FRANCE PHOTOS-PARIS
The Forum, Paris
The Pompidou Center, Paris
Entrance to Versailles Palace
Dome Church, Invalides, Paris
Pl. Concorde Fountain, Paris
CHAPTER 8. FRANCE-PARIS CONT.
We spend three more days in Paris in 1986 when we are driving around Europe for 3 months in a new VW. We stay at St. Germain-en-Laye at the end of a RER line, and take the train into Paris each day; we have no desire to drive in Paris!
One day is at the Rodin Museum where there are copies of many of his famous sculptures including The Thinker, Burghers of Calais, and Ugolino nicely displayed in the very large gardens. Afterwards we go by Metro to St. Michel and have a good as ever rack of lamb at La Perigourdine, then walk to St. Chapelle and see the interior, which had been closed in 1982. It is unique in the light from the extensive stained glass windows.
The second day we go to the Marmottan Museum near the Bois Boulogne. It has many Monet paintings and a few by Renoir and others. It is very good, and in an interesting old mansion with decorative furniture pieces.
The third day of our ‘86 visit we take an interesting bateau ride on the Seine; this gives a different and good look at the river and city landmarks. Afterwards we go to the Étoile Vert for a good lunch of escargot and nicoise salad before riding the RER back to St. Germain.
One day is at the Rodin Museum where there are copies of many of his famous sculptures including The Thinker, Burghers of Calais, and Ugolino nicely displayed in the very large gardens. Afterwards we go by Metro to St. Michel and have a good as ever rack of lamb at La Perigourdine, then walk to St. Chapelle and see the interior, which had been closed in 1982. It is unique in the light from the extensive stained glass windows.
The second day we go to the Marmottan Museum near the Bois Boulogne. It has many Monet paintings and a few by Renoir and others. It is very good, and in an interesting old mansion with decorative furniture pieces.
The third day of our ‘86 visit we take an interesting bateau ride on the Seine; this gives a different and good look at the river and city landmarks. Afterwards we go to the Étoile Vert for a good lunch of escargot and nicoise salad before riding the RER back to St. Germain.
FRANCE PHOTOS-PARIS
The Thinker, Rodin Museum, Paris
Ugolino, Rodin Museum, Paris
Saint Chapelle, Paris
Saint Chapelle, Paris
Pont Alexander III, Seine Bateau Ride, Paris
Eiffel Tower, Seine Bateau Ride, Paris
CHAPTER 8. FRANCE-PARIS CONT.
We return to Paris in the fall of 1994 for a week. This time we stay in a B&B that was advertised in the International Travel News and reserved with a phone call. The B&B is on the left bank of the Seine, a short bus ride from the river. Madam Lacroix has an extra room in their living quarters, which is above her doctor husband’s office.
Our travel this trip is to be partly by train, so we have only one small roll on suitcase apiece. This proves to be too much for Betty since there are many steps and escalators to negotiate in the railroad stations. We do manage to take the RER from De Gualle airport to Denfort station, and then a taxi on to the B&B. From then on we use taxis to go to and from the stations.
The D’Orsay art museum opened after our previous Paris visits, so we go this time. The conversion from a train station is very interesting; there are many little rooms and different levels; the top level has 5 flights of escalators going up to it. We get quite tired walking so we have a good lunch at the restaurant, but still not rested, we leave the museum soon after eating.
The new pyramid entrance to the Louvre is another thing we want to see. After an excellent lunch at Les Fountaines St. Honore Restaurant nearby we see the new entrance. It is really very pleasing and very modern & exciting architecture. There are many, many people including a host of Japanese tours following their guide’s flag.
While going thru La Cité we see a short line at the entrance to La Conciergerie and go inside. It is Gothic construction and has cells with heavy steel bars. Marie Antoinette’s cell is featured.
We go back to La Perigourdine Restaurant for a lunch of lamb chops and french fried potatoes. It is good, but not as good as we remember from prior visits. We have another lunch at the Étoile Vert Restaurant. It looks just the same as it did in 1982, with the same waitress, and the same good food.
The B&B works out OK; it is cool in late September and is much nicer when the heat is finally turned on. Down in the kitchen area we have continental breakfasts of powdered coffee, fresh baguette with home made jam, and usually some added home made rhubarb stew, apple sauce, or pudding. The neighborhood is good, with bus service a half block away, and with restaurants, Laundromat, supermarket, and bank nearby. Madam Lacroix insists on making sandwiches from our materials for the train ride when we leave.
Our travel this trip is to be partly by train, so we have only one small roll on suitcase apiece. This proves to be too much for Betty since there are many steps and escalators to negotiate in the railroad stations. We do manage to take the RER from De Gualle airport to Denfort station, and then a taxi on to the B&B. From then on we use taxis to go to and from the stations.
The D’Orsay art museum opened after our previous Paris visits, so we go this time. The conversion from a train station is very interesting; there are many little rooms and different levels; the top level has 5 flights of escalators going up to it. We get quite tired walking so we have a good lunch at the restaurant, but still not rested, we leave the museum soon after eating.
The new pyramid entrance to the Louvre is another thing we want to see. After an excellent lunch at Les Fountaines St. Honore Restaurant nearby we see the new entrance. It is really very pleasing and very modern & exciting architecture. There are many, many people including a host of Japanese tours following their guide’s flag.
While going thru La Cité we see a short line at the entrance to La Conciergerie and go inside. It is Gothic construction and has cells with heavy steel bars. Marie Antoinette’s cell is featured.
We go back to La Perigourdine Restaurant for a lunch of lamb chops and french fried potatoes. It is good, but not as good as we remember from prior visits. We have another lunch at the Étoile Vert Restaurant. It looks just the same as it did in 1982, with the same waitress, and the same good food.
The B&B works out OK; it is cool in late September and is much nicer when the heat is finally turned on. Down in the kitchen area we have continental breakfasts of powdered coffee, fresh baguette with home made jam, and usually some added home made rhubarb stew, apple sauce, or pudding. The neighborhood is good, with bus service a half block away, and with restaurants, Laundromat, supermarket, and bank nearby. Madam Lacroix insists on making sandwiches from our materials for the train ride when we leave.
FRANCE PHOTOS-PARIS
D’Orsay Art Museum, Paris
D’Orsay Art Museum, Paris
Restaurant, D’Orsay Art Museum, Paris
New Louvre Pyramid Entrance, Paris
Street Mime, Louvre Area, Paris
Paris B&B Room
CHAPTER 8. FRANCE-PARIS CONT.
We spend some time checking on rental cars and trains for our trip to Brussels and Brugge. Trains are much less expensive; we want to try the TGV fast train but it requires transferring and takes longer than the regular one. We take a taxi to the Gare du Nord and arrive about an hour early, so we sit on a bench and wait until our train’s track is announced. The train is long, but our 2nd class car is not nearly full. The seats are narrow but have much more leg room than air coach.
The station in Brussels is a disappointment, dark, and with not much help from the “Info” people. Then we see a sign for “Hotel Reservations” where we get a room at the Ustel Hotel; the owner drives us there in a van. The room is small, but new and nice, and has an electric heater! We have an excellent menu as the only guests in the dining room; the food is good and attractively presented. The nice and friendly owner is an American from upper N.Y.
It is a warm and sunny morning as we take a taxi downtown, but turns to rain in the afternoon. We walk around Grand Place, the old city hall, and a shopping arcade where we buy some Belgian lace. Taking a taxi back to the hotel the driver goes a roundabout way so the fare is 325 Belgian Francs. We go into the hotel without paying to get help with the language. The driver settles for 200 francs.
We gain an hour today as Europe goes back to standard time on a bright and sunny day. The hotel owner’s son takes us to the station where we catch the train for Brugge. At that station “Info” office we get a room in the small Fevery Hotel; the owner comes and picks us up at the station. After a rest we eat at the nearby Terrastje Restaurant, sitting out front in the sun. A parade of bikers flying purple balloons comes up the street on the other side of the canal, holding up traffic for a while. Later they come back on our side of the canal.
We take a bus on downtown and see the great Market Square. We walk some and eat an ice cream cone amongst many, many tourists before taking a bus back to the hotel.
The breakfast room at the Fevery is pretty full, with an international group of Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Americans. We are served hot toast with meat and cheese as well as jelly, orange juice, and coffee. There is a high fog with a few raindrops as we bus downtown, walk by the Burg and on to the canal. We take a very pretty and interesting half hour boat tour on the canal. Back at the Market Square we have a good lunch at the Central Hotel; we saw a menu posted earlier with tongue so go for that and it is very good. Back at the hotel we rest, and later go out to a nearby deli and a market for a seafood salad, apple, cheese, and wine which we snack on in the room. We find one restaurant menu a day is enough!
In the morning the Fevery owner takes us to the train station where we catch a train to Lille, France. We see nice green farm land with many cole crops and cow pastures. The Lille station is in the middle of a large city; we find a small restaurant near the station and have an OK, but not great coq-au-vin menu. We walk a couple of blocks to the Hertz office to pick up the car we reserved. We will drive it south thru France for two weeks, drop it off in Perpignon, and continue to Barcelona by train, thus avoiding a car drop off charge, which can be substantial.
Thus we leave Paris (and a bit of Belgium) sadly, because it probably is for the last time.
The station in Brussels is a disappointment, dark, and with not much help from the “Info” people. Then we see a sign for “Hotel Reservations” where we get a room at the Ustel Hotel; the owner drives us there in a van. The room is small, but new and nice, and has an electric heater! We have an excellent menu as the only guests in the dining room; the food is good and attractively presented. The nice and friendly owner is an American from upper N.Y.
It is a warm and sunny morning as we take a taxi downtown, but turns to rain in the afternoon. We walk around Grand Place, the old city hall, and a shopping arcade where we buy some Belgian lace. Taking a taxi back to the hotel the driver goes a roundabout way so the fare is 325 Belgian Francs. We go into the hotel without paying to get help with the language. The driver settles for 200 francs.
We gain an hour today as Europe goes back to standard time on a bright and sunny day. The hotel owner’s son takes us to the station where we catch the train for Brugge. At that station “Info” office we get a room in the small Fevery Hotel; the owner comes and picks us up at the station. After a rest we eat at the nearby Terrastje Restaurant, sitting out front in the sun. A parade of bikers flying purple balloons comes up the street on the other side of the canal, holding up traffic for a while. Later they come back on our side of the canal.
We take a bus on downtown and see the great Market Square. We walk some and eat an ice cream cone amongst many, many tourists before taking a bus back to the hotel.
The breakfast room at the Fevery is pretty full, with an international group of Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Americans. We are served hot toast with meat and cheese as well as jelly, orange juice, and coffee. There is a high fog with a few raindrops as we bus downtown, walk by the Burg and on to the canal. We take a very pretty and interesting half hour boat tour on the canal. Back at the Market Square we have a good lunch at the Central Hotel; we saw a menu posted earlier with tongue so go for that and it is very good. Back at the hotel we rest, and later go out to a nearby deli and a market for a seafood salad, apple, cheese, and wine which we snack on in the room. We find one restaurant menu a day is enough!
In the morning the Fevery owner takes us to the train station where we catch a train to Lille, France. We see nice green farm land with many cole crops and cow pastures. The Lille station is in the middle of a large city; we find a small restaurant near the station and have an OK, but not great coq-au-vin menu. We walk a couple of blocks to the Hertz office to pick up the car we reserved. We will drive it south thru France for two weeks, drop it off in Perpignon, and continue to Barcelona by train, thus avoiding a car drop off charge, which can be substantial.
Thus we leave Paris (and a bit of Belgium) sadly, because it probably is for the last time.
Friday, March 28, 2008
CHAPTER 9. NORMANDY & BRITTANY
There Is no trouble leaving Paris (#8); Hertz delivers the rental Peugeot to our hotel, and we head towards Rouen. Traffic is very heavy at first, but we make it! It is the last week of September, 1982, and the weather changes from hot and humid to cloudy, cool, and windy. We eat a picnic lunch in the car then drive thru pretty little villages and cultivated rolling land with crops of strawberries, sugar beets, cabbage, wheat, pears and peaches, and round bales of hay.
The first two hotels we try in Rouen are full, but the second one calls and gets us a room at the Arcade Hotel, in a structure with a parking garage and a shopping mall. It is modern, with room and bath that looks like a ship cabin, but is functional and comfortable. It is raining hard, so we have a nice dinner at the hotel.
The next morning we take a bus to the town center, see the cathedral, walk thru Old Rouen, past the Pl. du Vieux Marché where Joan d’Arc was burned, to a market where we buy pears, and to the tourist office. We had asked to stay at the Arcade another night, but it is full, so we decide to reserve ahead for rooms. The tourist offices are handy for this; for a small fee they will telex ahead for reservations and collect a deposit. Small offices don’t have telex and only handle local hotels. In most of France it is easy to get a hotel room by stopping fairly early in the afternoon, but not in tourist areas.
Back to the Hotel Arcade to check out, then after lunch we drive into Rouen. Betty goes to the Flaubert Museum of Medicine while Glenn rests and reads the car manual. Then to the Beaux Arts Museum to see interesting displays of Rouen ceramics as well as paintings and other objects d’arte. Then it is on to Honfleur and the Belvedere Hotel.
The first two hotels we try in Rouen are full, but the second one calls and gets us a room at the Arcade Hotel, in a structure with a parking garage and a shopping mall. It is modern, with room and bath that looks like a ship cabin, but is functional and comfortable. It is raining hard, so we have a nice dinner at the hotel.
The next morning we take a bus to the town center, see the cathedral, walk thru Old Rouen, past the Pl. du Vieux Marché where Joan d’Arc was burned, to a market where we buy pears, and to the tourist office. We had asked to stay at the Arcade another night, but it is full, so we decide to reserve ahead for rooms. The tourist offices are handy for this; for a small fee they will telex ahead for reservations and collect a deposit. Small offices don’t have telex and only handle local hotels. In most of France it is easy to get a hotel room by stopping fairly early in the afternoon, but not in tourist areas.
Back to the Hotel Arcade to check out, then after lunch we drive into Rouen. Betty goes to the Flaubert Museum of Medicine while Glenn rests and reads the car manual. Then to the Beaux Arts Museum to see interesting displays of Rouen ceramics as well as paintings and other objects d’arte. Then it is on to Honfleur and the Belvedere Hotel.
CHAPTER 9. NORMANDY & BRITTANY CONT.
The Honfleur inner harbor has gates that retain its water while the outer harbor at low tide is ten feet lower and boats are setting on the mud. We drive along mostly deserted beach areas with apartments and homes closed for the winter. The beaches are wide and flat at low tide with occasional horseback riders, a fisherman, and a bundled up girl walking a dog. On to Caen for lunch and to the tourist office for reservations in Bayeux and Dol de Bretagne. We are tired, so drive directly to the Bayeux Hotel where the room is on the third floor; with no elevator, we leave the suitcases in the car.
The next morning we notice photographs of Eisenhower and Cronkite on the Normandy beaches, an autographed photo of Carter with thanks for hospitality on his stay here in ‘75, and a thank you letter from Nancy Reagan in ‘82.
We arrive at the Bayeux Tapestry museum when it opens, and rent earphones for an English description of the monumental tapestry of William’s conquest. We see another museum with art, ceramics, and lace; then the cathedral with some memorable windows. Going on to Arromanches, a pretty fishing village, we see remains of the D-Day harbor. At Port en Bressin we eat a picnic lunch at the quay overlooking picturesque fishing boats.
At the impressive and extensive American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach Glenn checks the register for the name of a friend who died on D-Day in Navy service and finds he was not buried overseas. The coast of Normandy still has evidence of the bombing and concrete German defensive positions; Point du Hoc has bomb craters around gun emplacements and a command post. It is easy to see why the coast was so difficult to conquer.
The next morning we notice photographs of Eisenhower and Cronkite on the Normandy beaches, an autographed photo of Carter with thanks for hospitality on his stay here in ‘75, and a thank you letter from Nancy Reagan in ‘82.
We arrive at the Bayeux Tapestry museum when it opens, and rent earphones for an English description of the monumental tapestry of William’s conquest. We see another museum with art, ceramics, and lace; then the cathedral with some memorable windows. Going on to Arromanches, a pretty fishing village, we see remains of the D-Day harbor. At Port en Bressin we eat a picnic lunch at the quay overlooking picturesque fishing boats.
At the impressive and extensive American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach Glenn checks the register for the name of a friend who died on D-Day in Navy service and finds he was not buried overseas. The coast of Normandy still has evidence of the bombing and concrete German defensive positions; Point du Hoc has bomb craters around gun emplacements and a command post. It is easy to see why the coast was so difficult to conquer.
FRANCE PHOTOS-NORMANDY D DAY AREA
Bayeux Cathedral, Normandy
Arromanches, Normandy
American Cemetery, Omaha Beach, Normandy
Omaha Beach, Normandy
German Pillbox, Lounges sur Mer, Normandy
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