A Bumpy Ride for Our Last Days in Paris
Bonjour mes amis,
Well, we’ve had an interesting 24 hours. Perhaps, it is life’s way of applying some reality to our fairytale visit this year! These are definitely first world problems given all the issues in the world right now. But, nonetheless, they are frustrating and stressful.
It began with an email from our airline, La Compagnie, telling us they had cancelled our flight out for this Saturday morning and had moved us to a Sunday flight at 3pm. Of course, you can play that all the way out in regard to our connections in New York. Poor Bernie has been hunched over his digital pad trying to figure it out. Bottom line is that we will leave a day early on Friday at 10:30 and think we have all the connections worked out!
Then we received an email from our landlady telling us (not asking us) to leave 50 euros on the table for the maid for cleaning. We have NEVER had to do that before. It’s not the money but rather the insult to our long-term friendship, and the fact that we have been excellent tenants. The message is clear: we will not stay here again! We’ve been looking for another apartment within blocks of rue St. Paul which is not easy to find.
We also had booked reservations for the famous Light Show at Chateau Chantilly for this evening and were going with Richard Nahem by train. There’s an 80% chance of rain tonight, and they will cancel the show. We had booked a hotel room at Auberge du Jeu de Paume, a 5-star delight. We discovered that the room is non-refundable so we’re out a boat-load of money. Oh, well. Again the “price” we pay for all the good times. Bernie likes to say, “Do you want a little cheese with your whine?”
Yesterday was the great reveal for the wrapping of L’Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs-Elysées was jammed with people enjoying a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. I know that some don’t appreciate this project as art but for those who do, here is the last set of photos. We did get multiple pieces of fabric which is made of metallic silver thread. 
For giggles, I thought you might enjoy seeing where we do our laundry. Many of you have accompanied me to the old one. Though four long blocks away, this one is much nicer.
I will send out the blog tomorrow morning with instructions on how to vote for your favorite theme photos. It will make us happy to see you participate, and you have several days to vote. Thursday morning, I’ll share the results. On Friday morning before we leave, I’ll send my final farewell post.
Bon Weekend,
L & B
September 19, 2021 @ 9:10 am
For giggles, what do you pay to do your own laundry.. I live in a NYC pre-war and cant have a machine, but thankfully we have machines in the basement, Interesting, every apartment I’ve looked at in Paris has had a machine! either a one piece machine ( I dont like that ) or a separate W/D. Your landlady was probably trying to squeeze out extra money with the excuse of covid. But stupid,,, If you are such a repeat renter, she had a quarantee practically in her pocket,,,,
I am missing the Christos wraping. My trip to Belgium had to be cancelled Thursday because of quaranting if I didnt get results from the covid test in one day. right now Belgium is not accepting the covid test one does here in US and requires you to take one at airport on arrival. I had already gone thru hoops to get my papers for France and get whatever, so doubly annoying Brussels, the first stop , wasnt on par!
Safe homje! And sorry I didnt find out about your blog until now!
September 19, 2021 @ 10:28 am
I’m so very sorry that your trip got cancelled. Traveling ain’t easy these days and may never be again. As to laundry, we have a washing machine in the apartment but use the laundromat to dry. It’s a euro and a half for 11 minutes. When we began years ago, it was 50 centimes! Inflation for sure.
September 19, 2021 @ 9:11 am
Dear Linda,
We’re so sorry you have had to leave a day earlier. We can’t believe 3 months have gone by already! We have so enjoyed reading your posts every single day and experienced the delights of Paris vicariously through you. Enjoy the last week. We miss you both! Love, Antonia and Malcolm xx
PS: love Bernie’s comment ‘would you like a little cheese with your whine’.
September 19, 2021 @ 10:25 am
Love you guys! L’anné prochaine
September 19, 2021 @ 9:19 am
I am sorry to hear about the flight and concert, it happpens, but agree about the landlady telling you to leave money for the cleaning person. We know you will, otherwise they will find a way to Tour out of your deposit. I have always wondered about laundry and you answered my question, we got to figured out how it works. Thanks for all the blogs. I only been reading them for the past few weeks so I will go back and read them all until next year. Bought your book on Amazon Kindle a few days ago. Let you know what I think soon, for now its good.
September 19, 2021 @ 10:24 am
Enchante! Thanks for getting our book and following the blog!
September 19, 2021 @ 11:45 am
I know you and Bernie have enjoyed your apartment and it is a shame your time there seems to be finished, but perhaps there is another one out there you will enjoy as well. Travel woes are the bane of those fortunate to be able to travel these days. I’m happy Bernie was able to see the finished wrapped Arc. Interesting project. I hope you enjoy your last few days in your favorite place.
September 19, 2021 @ 12:03 pm
Guess. My philosophical thinking hasn’t changed, but, DAMN, I think it is stunning!
Can’t wait to see my piece of it. Much as Gracias, Linda.
Diane
September 19, 2021 @ 1:54 pm
Bernie was a bit disappointed that the lines were not perfectly straight! Engineer mind. I thought it would have popped a lot more if it had been a brighter color like red or the French blue. Lots of people around us were saying the same thing. It faded into the sky and surrounding buildings. But still stunning to see!
September 19, 2021 @ 12:24 pm
OMG- what to say? “When it rains it pours!” So much $$$ out the window. I pray you will have an enjoyable last few days and will have an uneventful, albeit early, return home. A perfect pic of Bernie at the Arch. And hopefully a nice, new apartment will arise.
September 19, 2021 @ 1:54 pm
Yes!
September 19, 2021 @ 12:41 pm
Thanks Linda and Bernie for sharing your three months with us. Sorry you must look for another place but hopefully you find a place even better-sometimes change does just that!
Safe travels home.
Faye
September 19, 2021 @ 1:55 pm
Merci!
September 19, 2021 @ 12:56 pm
So sorry about all the troubles at the end. Part of the way we live these days, but also there are those wonderful “evaluations,” that put a lot of pressure on those landlords and service providers who don’t treat their guests very nice.
I’ve enjoyed your blog and your trip, but as always, it will be nice to have you home again soon.
September 19, 2021 @ 1:57 pm
Merci, Charles. Unfortunately, we go direct with our landlady so there is not a platform for evaluation. I think we just remember all the good, forget the bad and move on to a different venue. Sometimes, we can overstay a good thing, oui?
September 19, 2021 @ 2:05 pm
Do you remember a long fence like thing that was made of cloth/fabric that ran across the hills of California? Probably, at least, 20 years ago. It was an art form that not everybody got, but was a lot of fun to talk about.
September 19, 2021 @ 5:32 pm
I don’t know about that. Was it a Christo work?
September 19, 2021 @ 2:40 pm
Linda and Bernie, merci for the delightful, descriptive account of your three months in Paris. Traveling vicariously via your colorful blog has been a treat, and I hope your apartment search yields a perfect site your 2022 adventures. Wishing you travels home.
September 19, 2021 @ 2:46 pm
So sorry about the light show cancellation! In addition to all the money wasted, you missed something you had been looking forward to. What a disappointment! I get the travel mess! Our flights have been changed so many times for our trip in October that poor Jim has had to spend hours on line changing hotel reservations, car reservations, arrival notices etc. I guess you are right. It’s the new reality of traveling in the times of Covid! To Ellyn, who had to cancel your Belgium trip, I am so sorry! Another big disappointment! I think we all deserve a big cheese and whine session!
September 19, 2021 @ 4:00 pm
The months went so quickly! You did seem to pack your time there full of fun and friends and food! We enjoyed watching every bit of it, while we stayed in our nice uncomplicated home and life. The Arc wrapped is dramatic– I think it shows the pure lines underneath, and will cause people to look more closely when it is unwrapped. Something put out of sight for a bit might have more charm and meaning later. Love and SAFE travels to you and Bernie.
September 19, 2021 @ 5:33 pm
Great perspective, Monica! Hope to see you guys soon. Let’s talk about October.
September 19, 2021 @ 4:14 pm
Linda and Bernie — the photos of the wrapped arch are STUNNING and I love the one of Bernie with his arms out. I cannot imagine anyone quarreling with this project because “it isn’t art.” But I said my piece on this earlier. You all will remember this for the rest of your lives. You were a part of a French happening.
Sorry about the bummer news on these last days but try to drink in Paris as much as you can before you return to Alabama. You will want that fortification! I hope to see you all sometime in North Alabama when things are a little less dangerous for gathering and hear all about the trip from you in person! You are so generous to take time to share with us — believe, me I know how much work goes into the blogs! Thank you, my friends!
Love,
Jeanie
September 19, 2021 @ 5:34 pm
Love back, my friend!
September 19, 2021 @ 5:17 pm
Linda, when you get home find this morning’s CBS Sunday Morning. A piece on Christo and Jean Claude and the Arc. Amused that it called them the first wrappers.
September 19, 2021 @ 5:35 pm
Will do and thanks!
September 19, 2021 @ 5:36 pm
CBS Sunday had a segment this morning on Cristo, his wife and works. Their were shots of Paris this weekend. I looked for y’all in the masses.
September 19, 2021 @ 6:52 pm
Ha!!
September 19, 2021 @ 6:09 pm
Actually yes it was a Cristo. Ran 24.5 miles in Wine Country in northern California in 1976. Time does fly. I had looked that up before can couldn’t find it. Went right to it today. I enjoy folks that can think out of the box a little. Even though, I must admit, I don’t always understand it.