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!