These days despite many transgressions - supposedly no photography is allowed - therefore all I have are a few shots of the architectural features which continue to WOW the visitors to the converted train station - now a leading world art museum with one of the most amazingly collections of paintings anywhere-
from the windows on the top of the d'Orsay you could see Sacre Coeur- our afternoon destination-
We exited the museum around 12:30 and for lunch we stopped across from the Metro stop before heading up to Montmartre... I had oysters which were fabulous - and a Croque Monsieur which was not... it was a pedestrian meal - chosen for location versus food quality. We headed down stairs to buy a series of tickets for our afternoon of travel on the metro and the funicular up to Sacre Coeur - and returning back to Rue du Bac.
everyone else in Paris had the same idea on a sunny Saturday afternoon so we drank in the center of the Place du Tertre along with several hundreds of others and enjoyed our afternoon. After refreshing ourselves we did a short walk around some of the sights (the vineyard, the windmill, some art coming out of walls or art ON the walls LOL
for dinner we tried a new place called Les Climats - it focuses on Burgundian food and wine (in preparation for the barge trip in Burgundy this coming week)
the place was absolutely gorgeous and the food suited the setting as well- and I should mention the wine list - which was stellar-
a beauty of a wine cellar and a stunning deco bar-
as we exited - a man inquired whether we had enjoyed the place and we said "we had - very much"...he then proceeded to tell us that the building had been the dormitory for the women who worked the telegraph and telephone office back when women couldn't live without chaperones LOL
we headed back to the hotel to collect our laundry and pack for our week on the barge- only to find that everything was returned except my black pants- needless to say this hotel will never be a repeat experience
The good news was that they had located them before we checked out on Sunday morning after yet another good breakfast... from there we headed to the Hotel Raphael for our 2 PM meeting point for the barge trip. We did a quick walk on the Champs Elysee and remembered why we always stay on the Rive Gauche. We headed to the hotel bar for our free drink and a quick bite (2 salmon club sandwiches split between the four of us.)
while in the bar we met Joe and Pat from Santa Barbara and Jerry and Ellen from Philly - and were greeted by Stephane the pilot (rather than Anna the captain we expected..) - The transit is now by van (motor coach) rather than TGV (not an improvement) Stephane rounds up the group for the Adrienne twelve people can be accommodated in the six cabins so we are already 1/3 of the group - we have met another 1/3 and the remaining members join us in the van outside - they are another Joe, and his friend and former neighbor Jack and Joe's wife Gayle (who I always wants to call Gladys- LOL)
We head into the heart of the countryside and the world's premier wine growing region Burgundy... now some may argue otherwise but most aficionados - even if Bordeaux drinkers - will admit the truth. Centuries of exploration of terrior create - when all the stars are aligned so to speak- the most sublime wines on the planet. We're spending the next week exploring the area in a boat that goes 35 miles in 6 days- LOL...
so follow along with us - as we take a journey which could not be any better in any way---
hardly anything in life is perfect - but this is one week that was completely perfect...from our arrival at the Adrienne until our departure for Lyon at the TGV station in the countryside of Burgundy- and you will be able to follow along as we enjoy our journey....
No comments:
Post a Comment