PARIS 2009 DAY THIRTEEN

Today has been a nice easy day just exploring the neighborhood
and doing a little shoping. The day started with lunch which was
a learning lesson. We ate at Au Pied de Cochon. See the menu below.
the waiter asked if we wanted a menu in English. I said no. After all
I've been here almost two weeks and have done just fine. Big
mistake. I recognized a lot of the entrees but I noticed veal. It was
Rognon de veau in Cognac. I like veal so I ordered it. I was
expecting a veal cutlet, or pieces of veal in a sauce.






Click on the picture to enlarge it and then look at the black print
between the two red print entries on the right side under Viandes.




Here's what I got. Rognon de veau is calfs kidneys.
I sent it back. It was an expensive french lesson but I
learned a new word.


I reordered and got a steak

Our apartment is in the building at the end of the street. Click

to enlarge the picture and the window to the right of the yellow

awning is where we've stayed these two weeks.

PARIS TRIP 2009 DAY TWELVE STREET SCENES NEAT THE APARTMENT

Today was a day to stroll through the streets near the apartment.
We just walked through the neighborhoods and took pictures.

St Eustache Church built in the 1600's.

This looked like they were filming a video for this group. I have

no idea who they are but I listened for two songs. They are pretty

good.

I think this is the old entrance to the Les Halles Market.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD MARKETS

This is Rue Montorgueil, a block down from the apartment.
This is the market street where we bought our groceries.
It's the last vestige of the old Paris market Les Halles.

This is where we bought our fruit. You don't touch the fruit in

front. You tell the vendor what you want and he picks it for you.

We got yelled at for touching the oranges. When we spoke english he

realized we didn't know better and gave us each a free orange.

Bought our wine here.

This is where we bought our baguette. The price changed daily. It

went from 1.2 euros to .80 euros. I have no idea why.

PARIS TRIP 2009 DAY ELEVEN

Today I set out to discover Paris from on high.
Took the train to Montparnasse to see Paris from 59n stories
high. Next on the agenda was a walk down the Champs-Elysees and I
finished the day at the EiffeL Tower taking the elevator up to the top.
1063 feet above Paris.

View from the top of Mont Parnasse. Taken about 1:30 pm.
There was a bit of a haze but still a wonderful view.

Arch de Triomphe. Traffic around the arch is insane.

There are 13 streets that merge into this circle, with no lanes marked

or traffic signals. There is a video posted further down. It was great

fun to watch. Never, never will I drive in Paris. Jamais!!!!

Cafe on the Champs Elysees where I had lunch.

Traffic at the Place de la Concorde. I actually crossed this

mess to get to the metro stop. It was wild!!!

Eiffel Tower at dusk.

EIFFEL TOWER TWINKLE

Place de la Concorde traffic jam after the Eiffel Tower twinkle.

VIDEOS DAY ELEVEN

VILLAGE OF GIVERNY

The main street in the village.

Our view while eating lunch.

Le menu!!!

MORE OF THE WATER GARDEN

I don't know what this is but I thought it was interesting.

MORE PICTURES OF GIVERNY

Took a lot of pictures of the Water Garden with the
willows and the lily pads.

LILY POND

The light is beginning to change,

PARIS 2009 DAY TEN GIVERNY

Took many pictures at Giverny. These are a few.

PARIS BY TWILIGHT 2009 DAY NINE

Today I got "dragged" to the Hotel de Ville Bazzar (a hugh department
store that has anything you could possibly want and to a tea shop called
Mariage Freres to have tea. I must confess, it actually was pretty
good.

Street scene as we are walking to the metro.

Same street different direction.

You can barely see Notre Dame in the distance.

In the metro as we came down the stairs. They were playing

a selection from "Carmen". They were very good.

St. Eustache Church at the end of our street.

PARIS TRIP 2009 DAY EIGHT

Monday was the last day that our museum passes were valid so
we decided to finish our left bank walk and see St. Chapelle and the
Conciergerie. When we arrived we found out that St. Chapelle was
from 1:00 to 2:15 so we had lunch at a cafe across the street.

Street scene as we emerged from the metro.

Palace of Justice in the background. There was a demonstration

in front of the palace while we were having lunch in a cafe on the left.

The Conciergerie is where prisoners were held before they were

guillotined. There is a list of 2780 names of those who went to their

death.

I looked for Charbonneau but this is as close as I came.

Exterior of St. Chapelle.