12th-chapter-Paris Xmas
NOTE : Go back to Cannes Page for the remainder of December.
Bordeaux/Cannes, Tuesday, December 27, 2022
We were up at 8:30 AM to get ready for the day. We had a Volotea flight from Bordeaux to Nice at 15:25.
I went to my favorite barber (Salon Vincent) in Bordeaux for a haircut at 10:00 AM and I set up a meeting with our banker to get a debit card for Rebecca also at 10 AM
I arrived early for the haircut and finished a bit after 10 AM so I went with Rebecca to the bank. The process went smoothly and we walked back to the hotel to check out. From there we cleverly went to the wrong bus stop to catch a ride to the Bordeaux airport. Resolving the situation we made it to the airport with time to spare.
The flight was uneventful, just over an hour and a half landing at 16:55
In Bordeaux we stopped in at the Free Mobile store to visit my friend James to say hi.
We took a B tram from the airport (1.50 eu) to town. Caught a quick bite outside the tram stop and walked to the train station. Then took a 17:33 train (34 minutes) back to Cannes (7.40 EU each) and a bus to our apartment (1.5 EU each).
Our only challenge was fumbling for my keys in the depth of my backpack outside the door to our apartment.
It was good to be back in our apartment after living in a hotel for a bit over a week.
Bordeaux, Monday, December 26, 2022
Today was an important day for us and was the purpose of our going to Bordeaux.
We had an 11 AM appointment at the Bordeaux Prefecture (Government building) to pay our Visa renewal cost (225 EU each) and pick up our long-stay visa cards. It went smoothly as the clerk was very accommodating. These have been ready since July but our travels did not allow up to complete this transaction.
To celebrate we headed back to the scene of last night’s dinner restaurant – Le Grand Cafe – and reordered our chicken casserole.
It was delicious. We struck up a chat with a nice and elegant lady from Paris sitting next to us who was visiting her son in Bordeaux. She offered Rebecca some helpful Paris shopping tips.
To walk off our lunch we wandered around town and explored L’église Notre–Dame (1707).
Afterward, we visited one of my favorite thrift shops in Bordeaux, Ikos, where I acquired a nice winter coat for 18 EU and Rebecca snagged a beautiful scarf.
Tomorrow we board a 14:50 Volotea flight (1.5 hrs) from Bordeaux back to Nice.
Paris/Bordeaux, Sunday, December 25, 2022
We took the Paris metro (14 line to 13 line) to connect from Gare de Lyon to Gare Montparnasse via Gare Saint-Lazare stop. We traveled through three of Paris’ train stations that day.
From there we took the 14;05 TGV train from Paris Montparnasse station to Bordeaux St James about 365 miles. It was a quick just over 2-hour trip hitting 186 MPH, which is about an average lap speed for a Grand Prix car. Gotta love the TGV train.
Upon arrival, we checked into the Best Western Grand Hotel Francais in the center of town and headed out for a stroll on a warm dry evening taking in the Christmas sights. While out we caught dinner at Le Grand Cafe in the center of town which was excellent, especially Rebecca’s chicken casserole. The bill 30 EU.
Paris, Saturday, December 24, 2022
I headed out early to get my steps in and shadowed an English speaking tour group for a few stops. Here is the oldest clock in Paris.
I walked back around noon to pick up Rebecca. On the trail Rebecca bought a new hat.
We headed out doing our random walk thing and decided to have a Christmas eve afternoon lunch at a little French bistro near the Louvre (Bar le Florentin Brasserie) . Rebecca had duck and I streak. We chatted briefly with a couple from LA/Austin who sat next to us.
Heading home we chanced across some interesting Christmas lights and Rebecca stopped into a bookstore for a final fix.
Tomorrow we catch an early afternoon train to Bordeaux (2H/6M ride/,59 EU each) to wrap up our Visa renewal. We will be there two days before heading back to Cannes.
Paris, Friday , December 23, 2022
A day of discovery.
The weather was a bit dryer and a bit warmer, with a high 50’s’s today. Most of the earlier week has been constant drizzle. The Midwest in contrast is being hit with record low temps and snow.
I walked Rebecca to the Paris Apple store so she could upgrade her iPhone 7 with a new model. After, I headed off for another Sushi lunch (Sushi Club, 5 Rue de Lappe).
We teamed after our individual adventures to wander abound the street of Paris with no real mission in mind. Our travels took us past booksellers on the Seine, the Louvre, the Palais Royal & Gardens, a local market and Le Grand Colbert, the restaurant where they filmed “Somethings Gotta Give”.
Mid afternoon our wandering took us to the BnF or Bibliothèque Nationale de France – Richelieu Library.
The Richelieu site of the Bibliothèque nationale de France is both a new place of cultural life in the heart of Paris and a new site to discover, in an unsuspected heritage setting. The garden, the terrace, the Rose Bakery café, the bookshop, and of course the Salle Ovale allow free access, time to reflect or to work (tele)quietly in an unusual space, nestled in the heart of Paris in the Louvre-Opéra district.
The rooms of the museum (Berthouville treasure, Salle de Luynes, Salon Louis XV, etc.) reveal precious objects in unexpected settings.
Rebecca’s jaw dropped as we entered the building. As a book enthusiast, she was overwhelmed by the look and quantity of books there. It had very impressive architecture. We spent several hours there. I visited the museum there as well.
That evening I was delighted to receive a call from my two daughters who are visiting their mom in Chicago.
Château de Fontainebleau, Thursday, December 22, 2022
Today we took a day trip to Château de Fontainebleau a 1,500 room palace. It was a 5 EU, 40 minute train ride to Avon, and a 2 EU bus to the grounds. The Chateau and grounds were amazing.
Fontainebleau is the only château to have been inhabited by all the monarchs from the twelfth to the nineteenth century, and is the most richly furnished of all the French royal châteaux.
Napoleon was the great restorer of the château of Fontainebleau, which he completely refurnished immediately after the French Revolution. Having breathed new life into the palace, this was where he abdicated in 1814. In his memoirs, he had no hesitation in describing it as “the true abode of Kings, Palace of the ages”.
Fontainebleau houses masterpieces of the Renaissance commissioned by Francis I, the refined interiors of Marie-Antoinette, the state apartments of Napoleon I and décors reflecting the taste of Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie. A hunting lodge and retreat that bears witness to the lives both official and private of the sovereign heads of state.
Words hardly describe the opulence of this magnificent chalet. It retains many of its original furnishings.
Rebecca and I both feel it is better than Versailles.
Paris, Wednesday, December 21, 2022
It began raining again about noon. Rebecca took a bookstore day, and I went to a Sushi buffet for lunch and then took a long walk to the Eiffel Tower along the Seine river.
The rail continues to provide excellent reflections of color on the streets.
Today we received a call from our real-estate agent that an apartment we were looking at in Cannes was available for an extended period. This is exciting as it means that we may finally have a long stay place in Cannes. It is a one bedroom the sea view and terrace.
Rebecca and I went out later in the evening for some Vietnamese food.
Paris, Tuesday, December 20, 2022
We headed out with a rough agenda to walk to The Tuileries Garden and buy our TIMBRES FISCAUX, a tax stamp (Actually a QR code) that we need to renew our long stay vise in Bordeaux. My first stop was to buy an umbrella (12eu) at a Monoprix store.
The wet pavement made for some nice pictures.
As we wandered we were distracted by bookstores and photo opportunities. We also stopped in at several Christmas markets.
We stopped into a currency exchange to inquire if they knew of a place to buy the stamps and they suggested a near by Tabaco shop. Their directions however were a bit confusing so we ended up retracing our steps a bit. We did finally succeed.
After walking over 20,000 steps out travels did take us to the The Tuileries Garden and les Champs Élysées. At that point we were a bit tired so we took the A line metro home (Franklin Roosevelt stop) to our hotel.
I crashed with a nap but Rebeca took a book to the restaurant/bar area to read. There she took up a conversation with our check in host Charlie. He had spent a year in Cannes and gave us some great advice on where to meet expats in Cannes and some tips on where the sailing crowd hangs out there.
After refreshing Rebecca and I took the Metro back to les Champs Élysées to see the Christmas lights. We also went to the top of l’Arc de triomphe for a splendid view of the the La tour Eiffel at night.
A lovely day in Paris
Paris, Monday Dec 20, 2022
It was a rather easy travel day from Cannes to Paris. We took a noon train from Cannes and arrived just after 6 PM.
The train ride was smooth and relaxing. They had a great club car that offered a great view along the way.
We checked in to our hotel Citizen M, with no problems. It is an interesting hotel located at the Gare de Lyon Train station.