Our Spring Break trip to France, Allie’s first visit and in honor of our 25th anniversary. We visited Paris, Normandy and the Loire Valley, packing a lot into 7 quick days. This post covers our days in Paris. Part Two covers the remainder of the trip in Normandy and the Loire Valley.
Saturday, March 15
We flew United out of Dulles on Saturday evening, departing at 5:10pm. I used points to upgrade our seats to Economy Plus which gave us a little more legroom but was not really worth it, especially since two-thirds of us had very short legs to begin with.
Sunday, March 16
We arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy at an ungodly 5:30am. I decided to spring for a taxi into Paris since we had a fair amount of luggage and we wanted to arrive at our hotel in some sense of style.
This being a big year for us, we decided to splurge on the Four Seasons Georges V, one of the finest hotels in the world. The husband (Chris Hunsberger) of one of Barb’s co-workers (Amy) was a Vice President at Four Seasons Resorts and helped get us an upgrade. It was the first time we took Amy and Chris up on their standing offer to help sweeten a stay at a Four Seasons, but it would not be the last. We didn’t know exactly what Chris’s pull would mean for us, but as soon as we entered the lobby and said our name, we were treated very nicely. There was no room ready so early in the morning but we were allowed to shower and change in the Spa which was very lovely. Later in the day, we learned that for the price of our standard room we were given an Executive Suite on the top floor with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Thank you Chris!!
Our plan was to make the most of our couple of days to introduce Allie to Paris. Barb and I had been in Paris ten years before and did many of the basics, but it was Allie’s first time in the City of Light. Our main orientation for the day would be through a bicycle tour which was highly recommended on TripAdvisor and other guidebooks. The tour, however, didn’t start until 11am so we had a few hours to see some things on our own.
We turned right out of the Four Seasons and headed toward the Eiffel Tower. The weather was cool, overcast and wet from overnight rain but fortunately the skies were forecast to clear. I’m not sure if we had a backup plan to the bike tour if there had been rain. In fact, I think it was a rain or shine kind of thing and we would have been pretty miserable in the rain.
We crossed the Seine at the Pont de l’Alma. For Allie’s sake, we didn’t dwell on the fact that this was where Princess Diana had been killed in 1997, but it was a bit spooky for our first stop to see the Flame of Liberty which had become something of a memorial to the accident.
We arrived at the Eiffel Tower just as it was opening at 9am. I took the opportunity to attempt a few artsy photos from the bottom of the Tower.
There was no line at that hour and we were one of the first ones up to the top. It was great to get oriented and point out the sights that we were soon to see. We also wandered a bit through the exhibits and shops located in the tower.
After touring the tower, we made our way to the nearby offices of the Fat Tire bicycle tour, first seeking out Rue Cler, the “most famous market street in Paris.” We window shopped and found some croissants and other small treats along the way.
It had been quite a long time since Barb and I had ridden bikes, but it was not difficult to get started and the weather was clearing, so off we went in a group of about ten fellow tourists trying to keep up with our guide.
This was more or less the route of our four-hour tour:
We successfully navigated the Paris streets to Les Invalides and Napoleon’s Tomb. We didn’t go in any of the sights on this tour, but used it as an orientation. We made a later trip back to see the Tomb.
We headed back to the Seine, crossing on the fancy Pont Alexandre III, a wedding cake of a bridge. The bridge along with the Grand and Petit Palaces were built for the 1900 Paris Exhibition or World’s Fair.
We cycled onward to the Place de la Concorde, risking our lives to cross the car traffic whipping around the circle.
Onward through the Tuileries Garden to the Louvre, stopping to see the I.M. Pei pyramid and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, built to honor Napoleon’s victories. We took a break for a snack in the Tuileries Gardens where we first discovered French hot dogs covered with baked melted cheese and the wonderfully simple but delicious ham and cheese on baguettes. Yum!
We headed back across the Seine, this time on the Pont de la Concorde.
Our tour concluded back at the Eiffel Tower with a final photo op. Jet lag was setting in for each of us by the end of the tour, but we did pretty well and the tour was a good orientation. I’m not sure I would recommend doing it after a red-eye flight but it proved a good way to get us started in Paris.
We were dragging by the time we walked back to the hotel. It was a relief to get into our room and we all took a short rest. The suite was very nice, as were the complementary Champagne and sweet snacks. The view of the Eiffel Tower was not as expansive as I hoped but we could see it by craning our necks through the window and looking across some other rooftops. We didn’t bother to take any pictures of the view which surprises me considering we took pictures of so many other things.
We knew not to really fall asleep — it was important to at least get an early dinner and get on the Paris time zone as quickly as we could. We couldn’t afford an extended period of jet lag.
We wanted to get a quick and easy early dinner. Barb may remember the specifics of this better than I do, but I think Amy Hunsberger had clued us into the steak frites specialist near the hotel, Le Relais de L’Entrecote (TripAdvisor). Barb and I (most especially Barb) had been fans of steak frites since our college days when there was a small place (sadly, long departed) called Le Steak in Georgetown. Barb was also a big fan of the dish at the Cafe de Paris in Columbia (also, sadly, long departed at this point) and later at Medium Rare in DC and Bethesda.
L’Entrecote was one of the progenitors of the restaurant formula where pretty much the only item on the menu was steak frites and your only decisions were to what degree of doneness you wanted your steak and what to drink. It was our plan to go there on our second night, but we decided to give it a try this first night instead. The restaurant did not take reservations, not even with the help of the Georges V concierge, but we were happy to line up early for the first seating. We got in and loved every bite of the salad and then the steak frites entree, and of course the second helping. It was a five-star meal as far as each of us were concerned.
After dinner, we (or was it just Allie and I?) had enough energy to take a short walk on the Champs Elysees, headed over to the Arc de Triomphe a few blocks away. I’m pretty sure that’s where I bought our Paris Museum Pass for the next few days, a highly recommended purchase to skip lines and tickets at most of the big Paris museums.
We went to the top of the Arch and enjoyed the spectacle of the City of Light at night. I was pleasantly surprised that the platform was not terribly crowded and not terribly chilly. My jet lag evaporated for a while as we stayed and admired the view. Especially dazzling was the Eiffel Tower with its sparkling lights and eerily evocative revolving searchlight. Allie and I did our best to capture it on film. It may not be the best camerawork but it still seems pretty special to me — a moment for calm and happy memories. It was a terrific way to end a terrific day.
Monday, March 17
After a good night’s sleep and a reasonable effort to shift to the Paris time zone, we woke early for a day of sights. I can’t remember what we did for breakfast…most likely we grabbed croissants on the Champs Elysees, which seems like a reasonable choice. Our route for the day:
We strode down the Champs Elysees, stopping by the Grand Palais and a statue of Charles de Gaulle striding just like us.
We crossed over to the Place de la Concorde for more photos. Allie wanted shots by the Fountain of the Rivers in honor of The Devil Wears Prada.
While at the Place de la Concorde we attempted a KidsPost photo but didn’t end up using it — cute shot but not Paris enough, I guess.
We headed on to the Louvre and happily bypassed the line with our Museum Passes. We got a closer look at the Louvre Pyramid, the courtyard entrance to the museum. We, along with many others, stopped for photos at the inverted base of the pyramid — the clever architectural joke made even more famous in the final scene of The Da Vinci Code (the movie came out in 2006).
We did a strategic several-hour trot through the highlights at the Louvre, knowing we could not do the whole museum its full justice. We made sure to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Coronation of Napoleon, Liberty Leading the People, The Death of Marat, and a number of other Greatest Hits. I refrained from taking pictures in the museum, but Allie took a crack at many shots. Most of them came out blurry because her camera was not forgiving in low light. But she got a few keepers, some of them more impressionistic than others. It’s all art.
Truthfully, I’ve taken longer to put together this little summary than we actually spent in the Louvre, but that’s part of the joy for me of working on this website. Between Barb, Allie and myself we turned our visit into more of a treasure hunt than an appreciative look at the art. It has taken more than a dozen years for me to get around to learning more about Napoleon and the French Revolution. I now have a somewhat better appreciation of what we saw, from a historical perspective more than an artistic one, but at least that’s something. I would like to revisit the Louvre and take more time, but given the ever-present crowds and my own shortcomings, I’m not certain I would appreciate the art in the moment. Now, years later, I can relive having been there, seen many of these masterpieces and appreciate them more fully. I’m more than happy that we made at least this one visit with Allie and hopefully whet her appetite to learn more.
After our introductory encounter with la creme of Western civilization (and others), we needed some sustenance. We found a crepes stall outside the Louvre, manned by the jolliest crepe vendor ever. The crepes were delicious and he was terrific, straight out of central casting.
Fortified, we headed onward to Notre Dame. We did the basic tour, especially admiring the flying buttresses and the Rose Window. One of my favorite things was out front in the courtyard: the Paris Point Zero marker from which all measures in France are made. I’m not sure why we didn’t take a picture though it was just a simple bronze marker on the ground. After the tour, we wanted to get up to the rooftop view but that entailed an extra wait.
Barb and Allie elected to wait in line, meanwhile, I hustled over to nearby Saint Chappelle to see the famous stained glass. The chapel and the stained glass were indeed glorious, far more beautiful than Notre Dame, and I daresay one of the most beautiful little jewel boxes in the world. I might be more inclined to believe in religion if I could spend more time there. I tried taking pictures to show the girls what they missed, but ended up with a lot of crappy shots. The pros do a much better job.
Meanwhile, back at Notre Dame…the girls were still waiting in line. Our turn finally came and once we got to the top (was it stairs? an elevator? I can’t remember) the view was worth it…though not all that different than from the Eiffel Tower. As a bonus, we enjoyed the gargoyles nearly as much as the view.
To round out our perspective, we walked to the east end of the Ile de la Cite, the island on which Notre Dame stands and the historic heart of Paris. The view of the cathedral is even more majestic, in my opinion, though with the trees and garden it’s hard to get a really good perspective from ground level.
We’d had a full day and it was time to head back to the hotel for a rest. As we walked back, we decided we had time to stop in the Orangerie Museum to see Monet’s Water Lilies. I’m glad we did. The paintings were gorgeous and the museum itself was beautifully peaceful.
We got back to the hotel in the late afternoon, time enough for a little rest. We discussed dinner options and mutually decided to do L’Entrecote one more time. I think it was the first and maybe only time we’ve ever eaten at the same place twice in a row (except maybe McDonald’s on some road trips). We were not disappointed but we agreed the next night we really needed to try someplace else.
Tuesday, March 18
The main event for this day was Versailles…but it was not the only event. The girls also had a tea scheduled in the afternoon at the hotel, so we had to hustle a little bit through Versailles. That was OK as far as Barb was concerned — while she was very knowledgeable about British royalty and history, she had surprisingly little patience for the French.
Whereas I’d been in Paris and had seen many of its main sights at least twice as a kid with Mom and Dad, and once with Barb, I’d never been to the vast palace grounds at Versailles. I also had little real knowledge of French history at that point, though I’ve learned a good deal more since. At the time, I was a more than a little intimidated by Versailles but wanted to at least have a look.
We braved the Paris Metro and caught a train (technically, the RER C, a train line that operates out of some of the Metro stations) to Versailles. A 30-minute ride and 10-minute walk took us to the gates of Versailles. Our first impression was of a lot of renovation taking place in the main front courtyard. It will be a nice place when they finish it. It was cute how they painted the scaffolding to look like the palace.
We first took a tour of the palace, I think relying on Rick Steves rather than getting the audio guide or a guided tour, which may have been a mistake…but I think we were in the mode of seeing things quickly. We went through the main rooms getting at least some explanation of what they were. There were a lot. The Hall of Mirrors with the throne at one end was most impressive.
I was fascinated by this globe which was evidently commissioned in 1786 by Louis XVI for the Dauphin’s education. It shows a terrestrial map of the world on the outer shells and a relief map of the land and ocean floors inside. I would have loved to have a closer look. The National Geographic would be proud. I always loved the National Geographic’s maps of the ocean floors. They made it seem like a new idea but here is one from the 18th century.
We then headed out to the gardens, which frankly I was more excited to see. We wandered around quite a bit, though as I recall now, I think Allie and I got separated from Barb and she was none too pleased about it. No cell phones back then. Eventually we found each other again, but the reunion was frosty.
Allie and I were assigned with the responsibility to take a decent KidsPost picture. Mission accomplished. One of these was published. Now, I just have to find our copy.
So concluded our visit to Versailles. We got the girls back to the hotel in time for their afternoon tea which I think they thoroughly enjoyed. While they were at tea, I scouted out the location of our rental car office for the next day and potential restaurants for dinner.
There was enough time after tea to squeeze in a quick visit to Les Invalides and Napoleon’s Tomb. I found it odd that Napoleon was still held in obvious reverence by France, as indicated by this austere but quite magnificent resting place in a prime Paris location. I had grown up with the English-influenced notion that he was pretty much a villain of history but clearly the French, or at least many French, didn’t see it the same way. It was not until years later that I learned more about Napoleon and his complex legacy in French history. I have to say, the sarcophagus is quite beautiful.
I have several notes in my Paris trip planning document for options for the rest of the evening and afternoon. We were considering taking Metro to Montmartre and Sacre Couer or taking a boat tour of the Seine. I remember doing both things at some point (or points) in my life, but I can’t confirm if we did either on this trip — we have no photos of either which is a bit suspicious. We took pictures of everything else, it seems. Barb doesn’t think we did either of these things on this trip. She’s probably right.
I also have a note that we were thinking about dinner at La Fermette Marbeuf, a historic French restaurant near the hotel. I don’t think we actually ate there. Instead, I think I chose another lower-key place on the Champs Elysees because Barb and Allie were still mostly full from tea. It wasn’t steak frites, through.
Wednesday, March 19
On our final morning in Paris, we headed to the Musee d’Orsay, a wonderful museum dedicated to the French Impressionist era. Barb and I visited this museum for the first time when we were in Paris a decade before and I was eager to return. The building itself, a former train station, is huge and a sight to see in itself. The collection of paintings is overwhelming, especially considering they nearly all from a concentrated 60-year time span in the late 19th and early 20th century. Plus, many of the paintings are simply gorgeous. Rather like the Louvre, it’s a greatest hits of Western art, but most the d’Orsay’s paintings and sculptures are direct products of a specific, remarkable period of French culture.
Allie and I tried taking a few pictures of some of our favorite paintings, but they came out blurry and it’s rather beside the point anyway. You can reference them on Wikipedia or other sites, or better yet, go visit the museum yourself when you get a chance. It remains one of my favorite museums in the world.
We reluctantly checked out of the Georges V and prepared for the next leg of our journey: renting a car and driving to Normandy. We will pick up the rest of the story in the next post.
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