5/6/2014 - Paris France

We sat an alarm clock so we could get up early, but we ended up waking up a little before 6 a.m. anyway.  We were shooting to be able to leave around 7.  After we all got ready and had a bite to eat for breakfast we managed to get out the door by about 7:20.  We headed down the street to the Metro and made our way across town to the train station.  We actually made it to the train station by 7:45.  Our train arrived and we boarded and were on our way to Vernon by about 8:20. 

The train ride to Vernon takes about 45 minutes.  The train was very smooth and we enjoyed the views of the countryside along the way.  Once we arrived in Vernon we had our choice of three ways to make the final leg of the journey to Giverny, the small town where Monet’s house and garden are located.  Our options were to take a bus, a taxi, or ride a bike.  We had decided beforehand that it would be fun to rent the bikes and ride along the river to Monet’s Garden.  This is where the excitement begins for today.

The bike rental shop (which was also a café) was directly across from the train station.  It was not difficult to find at all.  All the information I had obtained on renting the bikes I had gleaned from Rick Steves’ Paris 2014 guide book.  According to Rick Steves you “follow a paved bike path that runs from near Vernon along an abandoned railroad right-of-way (figure about 30 minutes to Giverny.)  Get the easy-to-follow map to Giverny when you rent your bike, and you’re in business.”

This sounded like a piece of cake.  So we walked across the street and rented the bikes.  We were worried about how we would lock up the bikes once we got to Monet’s garden, but thankfully they gave us locks.  So we selected our bikes from the rack and after I adjusted my seat height we were off.  We managed to make it around the corner from the shop before we got lost.  We managed to weave our way through the small town asking someone on each street corner which way to Monet’s garden. 

Before we ever even made it to the river my chain had come off my bike and we had discovered what POS’s we had rented.  The rear rims on Guy’s bike and mine were so bent that it was like riding something you would see a bunch of clowns riding around in a circus show.  Because the rims were so bent, that also meant that the brakes rubbed for half of the revolution.  As soon as I started off on my bike I also noted that the front of the seat was angled up so much I thought I was going to die from soft tissue damage. 

After weaving our way through town like a bunch of drunken tourists asking for directions at every corner, we finally found our way to the river.  That still did not help us much.  We continued to have issues finding the “bike path.”  Once we finally found the path, it was actually quite nice.  We rode down the paved path, which eventually turned into a dirt cattle path and then back to a bit wider dirt path for about 3.5 miles.  We pulled over at one point and tried to decide weather we had gone too far or not far enough.  After everyone had expressed their differing opinions on which way they thought we should go, we lucked out and a water company truck pulled up and we asked him which way to Monet’s garden.

Back on the path we went and sure enough not too much further down the road we came across the parking lot.  So it only took us an hour to get there instead of 30 minutes…

We managed to find a bike rack and locked up our bikes—not that anyone would want to steal them, though.  However, our wandering aimlessly did not end there.  We made our way down another road trying to decide where we were and where we might find the group entrance (which we could use since we had pre-purchased tickets).  We finally stumbled across the entrance, purely by accident. 

We made our way first into the walled garden.  It was very beautiful with just about every type of flower possible blooming.  After wandering around the garden for a bit we made our way into Monet’s house.  You can tour all around in the house and see his works of art and sketches (no pictures are allowed inside his house).  Then we made our way back out into the garden. 

Shortly after exiting Monet’s house, Jody realized she had lost her money belt which contained all of her money, her credit cards, her passport and also Guy’s money, credit cards, driver’s license, etc.  She thought back to the last time she had it, which was either at the café where we rented the bikes or at the bike rack where we locked the bikes up.  So they frantically raced back to the bike rack to check, while we waited for them in the garden.  We gave Jody my cell phone so we could keep in contact.  Luckily, it was still on the bike seat.  She had taken it off and laid it on the seat of her bike (it was black and her seat was black) and it was still there. 

After that crisis was averted, we all breathed a sigh of relief.  We decided after all that excitement it was time to have some lunch.  After our lunch at a café near the garden, we headed back into the garden to see the Japanese inspired Water Garden made famous in Monet’s paintings.  By this time it had started to rain lightly.  There were still quite a few people around even in the rain and we made our way around the water lily covered pond. 

It was so beautiful, words just can’t describe.  Even in the rain it was spectacular to see.  We sat on some benches for a while and enjoyed the view.  We then decided we had better make our way back with the bikes to catch the train.  At least on the way back we had a better idea of where we were going, but that did not make the bikes any better.  I finally switched bikes with Eric because I could not take the seat any more. 

Once Eric sat on my seat he discovered why I was about to die.  I think his voice is a couple octaves higher now…  He also discovered that the bottom bracket was loose, the headset was loose, and the brakes were bad.  I guess we were lucky to make it back in one piece…..Ha!!  We managed to find our way back to the café where we rented the bikes and returned them.  We checked the train schedule and we only had about 20 minutes to wait until the next train back to Paris.

Eric and I had a beverage and Jody and Guy had an Ice cream at the Café before we headed back over to the station to catch our train.  We boarded the train, found some seats and Eric, Guy, and Jody proceeded to be rocked to sleep by the train whilst I took photos of all three of them with their mouths hanging open. 

After getting off the train we made our way back across town to the 4^th district where we are staying and stopped at the boulangerie to get a couple more baguettes before finally arriving back at the apartment around 4:30 p.m.  It was another fun and interesting day in Paris.        

5/5/2014 - Paris France

We all slept in this morning until about 9 o’clock.  We were pooped from our all-day trip yesterday and not getting to bed until after midnight.  Our plan for today was to go to the La Tower Eiffel and the Pere la chase cemetery. 

After we got up Guy and Eric ran to the grocery store and Boulangerie and brought some stuff back for breakfast.  Unfortunately, we did not get out the door and headed on our way for the day until around 11 o’clock.  Since we had decided to go to Giverny (Monet’s garden and house) tomorrow, the first items on our agenda were to get train tickets and the admission tickets to Monet’s garden in advance. 

So we went to the Tabac shop near our apartment to buy a carnet of metro tickets (10 tickets).  Then we found the metro (subway) entrance in our neighborhood and headed across town to the train station.  Once we got to the train station we got in line to get our tickets to Giverny. 

After getting our train tickets we headed outside in search of the FNAC store (department store) to buy the advance tickets to Monet’s garden and house so when we get there tomorrow morning we won’t have to wait in line. 

After we got all our tickets straightened out for tomorrow we decided to walk to the Eiffel tower.  It was at least a three or four mile walk across the city from where we were, but the weather was beautiful and we got to see a lot of the city that way. 

By the time we finally reached La Tower Eiffel it was around 2 o’clock so we found a café one block away from the and had a nice lunch with a wonderful view of the tower.  After lunch we found our way to the base of the tower and got in line to take the stairs up.  The line was not too long.  It is a much shorter line to take the stairs than it is to take the elevator (and cheaper).  You can take the stairs to the first and second level.  If you go all the way to the second level by stairs it is 720 steps. 

Jody and I were worried about doing that many stairs, but it was not as hard as I thought.  I actually completed the 720 stairs in 10 minutes.  The weather today was perfect and the air was very clear.  Jody and Guy decided they wanted to take the elevator the rest of the way to the top.  I was okay with just enjoying the view from the second level, so Eric and I hung out while Guy and Jody waited in the really long line to go up to the top.  While Eric and I were waiting we enjoyed some ice cream and strawberry gelato. 

We gave my cell phone to Jody so we could stay in contact and we could pick a place to meet up.  We hung out on the first level and met up with them as they came down.  By the time we made our way to the bottom it was around 7:30 p.m.  We thought maybe we could take a river Taxi down the Seine river to get back to our apartment, but it was really expensive, so we decided to just come back on the Metro. 

We finally made it back to our apartment around 8:30 p.m. and picked up a few things at the grocery and boulangerie and had a snack when we got back to the apartment. 

As it type this it is 9:45 p.m. and we need to get to bed so we can get up early tomorrow.  We need to be to the train station by 8 a..m. for our 8:20 train trip to Vernon.    

5/4/2014 - Paris France

Today is Guy’s Birthday. 

We were really tired and I think everybody was in bed by 6 p.m. on Saturday night.  We had set our alarm clock, but it did not go off.  Luckily we woke up about 7 a.m.  Jody brought packets of oatmeal, so we had oatmeal with fresh strawberries and banana for breakfast.  We were supposed to be downstairs at our front door by 9:30 am to meet our guide for our Vespa tour to Versailles. 

We got downstairs around 9:30 and waited for about 10 minutes and no one appeared to be showing up.  Finally someone showed up on a Vespa and told us he was just dropping the scooter off and our guide should be arriving shortly.  Sure enough, our guide pulled up not too long after that.  After filling out all the paperwork and Eric getting the GoPro cameras put on the scooters, we set off with Jody and Guy on one scooter and Eric and I on another. 

The route for our tour took us down the Champs-Elysees and around the Arc de Triumph and then out toward the countryside.  Because it was a Sunday the traffic in town was pretty light and we got lucky and hit all the green lights, so the trip out of town was pretty fast. 

After a stop at the gas station to fill up the scooters, we made our way to Versailles.  We were attempting to get there in time for the fountain show.  We made it with a half hour to spare but then we would have had to wait in line to get into the garden.  So we decided to go and get lunch and then take a tour of the countryside instead. 

Our guide took us to a creperie in the oldest part of Versailles for lunch.  We had the most amazing lunch.  Jody had a huge salad with fresh cheese, apples, and walnut, Guy had a savory crepe and then they both had a dessert crepe.  Eric and I had a pizza style sandwich followed by a chocolate and strawberry crepe.  I have to say it was the best crepe I have ever eaten—simply amazing.

After lunch we headed back to the scooters to make our way into the French countryside.  It was so beautiful.  Everything is so lush and green with yellow fields of blooming canola flowers.  We took a small country road back to a castle and parked and got out and walked around a bit.  It had an amazing view of the valley below. 

We got back on the scooters and made our way even further into the countryside and through some hilly wooded valleys and stopped at another little café in the hills.  After Jody and our guide had some coffee and espresso we took a short walk across the road down by the river.  It was so beautiful with huge oak trees everywhere and fluffy moss covering the huge rocks and tree trunks.  There were wildflowers blooming all around.  It was a very peaceful and beautiful place. 

After our walk we got back on the scooters and made our way even further down the road to another chateau with a lovely garden and lake.  By that time it was about 5 o’clock in the afternoon so our guide said it was time to head back.  We zipped our way through the countryside back toward the city.  We rounded the Arc de Triumph and made our way back down the Champs-Elysees on the way to our apartment. 

It was a magnificent way to spend a day.  The countryside is so beautiful and what better way to see it than on a Vespa.  I don’t think Jody and I could have taken much more riding, though.  When Eric and I owned a Vespa several years ago there was only one problem I could find with it—it is not very comfortable for the person riding on the back as the way it is designed is provides for an awkward place to put your feet.  Jody said by the time we got home she did not think she was going to be able to close her legs and my knees, hips, and feet were really killing me. 

After parking the scooters we made our way back to the apartment and we all got cleaned up to head out and look for some dinner.  We did not get back on the scooters until after 7 p.m. so by the time we made it out into the neighborhood to look for dinner it was close to 9 o’clock.  Since it was Guy’s birthday we let him pick the restaurant.  We ate at Thai restaurant just down the street.  By the time we got done it was around 11 o’clock.  We finally made it back to our apartment and headed for bed just after midnight.        

05/02-03/2014 - Paris France

Jody and Guy picked us up at our house at 8 a.m. and we headed to the Nosh for breakfast.  After breakfast we made our way to the airport .  We took Guy’s truck and parked in the covered parking across from the terminal. 

Security was pretty fast for Eric and I at the airport now that we have our Global Entry with TSA precheck—it is well worth the money.  Of course we had to wait for Jody and Guy to make their way through the line at security, but it moved fairly quick.

We went to the United lounge and filled our water bottles for the first leg of our journey.  We did not stick around in the lounge too long as it was packed and there was really nowhere to sit.  We did not have too long to wait anyway before our flight departed for Chicago. 

Three hours later we landed in Chicago.  We had a pretty tight connection to our next flight to Paris so we grabbed some Pretzels to eat before we jumped on the plane and were off on our approximately 9 hour flight to Paris.  Shortly after takeoff we were served dinner and then the lights were dimmed for people to sleep.  I managed to sleep for a good amount of time, but I don’t think anyone else got much sleep. 

We arrived in Paris around 9 a.m. in the morning Paris time.  We had arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport and take us to our apartment.  The ride from the airport to the apartment was about 45 minutes—which is not bad because it was a Saturday.  Apparently it would take even longer during a weekday. 

We arrived at our 18^th century apartment.  The woman I had made the reservation with had to go to Louisiana for her daughter’s engagement party, so she had someone else standing in for her.  Unfortunately, she was not at the apartment when we got there, but we managed to get in and get our bags up to the room, where we waited for her.  Shortly thereafter she showed up and took our payment for the apartment and gave us the keys. 

Since none of us had had much to eat all day, Eric and Guy ran downstairs (our apartment is on the fourth floor) and got some items at he grocery store, which is directly across the street from our apartment. 

After they brought the groceries back to the apartment we all decided to go out and check out our neighborhood a little.  Around the corner from our apartment we came across an open air market with fresh fruit, meat, wine, etc. 

Guy and Jody bought some nuts and Eric and I bought some organic apple cider.  We then wandered down the street, lined with cafes and shops, and came across one of the Velib locations.  Since we all signed up before we left home so we could have 8 days’ access to the Velib bikes, we thought we would give it a try.  It took us a while to figure out the system, but we finally succeeded in getting our four bikes checked out.  Of course we had no idea where we were and no idea where we were going.  The Notre Dame cathedral is only about a mile away, so we rode across the Seine River and checked our bikes back in near the Notre Dame.  The line was crazy long to get into the cathedral so we just looked at the outside and then wandered our way back towards our apartment. 

On our way back to the apartment we came across the cupcakery that Eric had read about online that was opened by an American couple who moved to France.  Eric and I each had a cupcake.  They were REALLY good cupcakes.

It seemed much shorter walking back from Notre Dame, but in reality it was only about a mile away.  We decided to go back to the apartment and drop off our bike helmets and then head to one of the cafes to get some real food to eat for dinner.  You don’t have to go far around here to find a café—they are everywhere. 

We had a nice dinner of pizza and wine.  Jody noticed Eric’s eyes rolling into the back of his head at dinner, so we decided before we had to carry him back to the apartment Eric and I had better head back.  So Eric and I made the short trip back to the apartment and got cleaned up and Eric pretty much headed off to bed (with it only being about 5 p.m. Paris time).  Jody and Guy came up to the apartment a short time later.  After I type up the blog I think we are probably all going to bed.  We are pooped.  We have to be down at our front door tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. for our Vespa tour to Versailles.     

P.S.  Jody says it is frickin awesome here…and she has thanked me profusely for finding such an awesome apartment for her…