A Difficult Paris Day That Ended Well
Bonjour,
Yesterday (Monday) was very hot again in Paris. It was an out-of-sorts day with a beautiful ending. Here’s the story.
I have a horrible blister on my left heel from so much walking in a pair of shoes I thought would be perfect. Au contraire! So yesterday, I had to wear an open-backed shoe that wasn’t the best for the five miles we surely walked. It was hot and I dressed for dinner upon leaving in the early afternoon. Way too many clothes which were left to be carried around all day.
We found our final selection of an Art Nouveau house at 33 rue Champs de Mars very near the Eiffel Tower. This lovely house was designed by Octave Raquine in 1904 and is nicknamed “maison des arums” or house of the lilies. You will see why from the pictures. Even the outside vent was elaborate and in keeping with the design. Many of you have expressed an appreciation for this section of the blog. Perhaps we’ll look at Art Deco as our next project.
So, the shoes were getting more and more uncomfortable, the temperature rising, my outfit less and less suitable but off we went to a new park called Parc Montsouris in the 14th arrondissment which I had found on the internet. Not only was it a new discovery (55 hectares or 112 acres) but also was supposed to have one of the loveliest sections of the now defunct railroad which used to circle Paris called Le Petit Ceinture or belt of Paris. We walked and we walked and we walked with little success. We asked and we asked and we asked, and noone had any idea where this was located. It was on the park map at the welcome center but we never found it! After an hour of walking, I was completely exhausted; my feet were screaming; my body was scorched and we left in pursuit of the Metro. Beware when someone in Paris (including Bernie) tells you that something is “just down the street” or “only five minutes away.” That’s a sure sign you will be lumbering along for blocks and blocks and blocks. Such was the case yesterday. It would have been so much more bearable if we had found what we went looking for but alas, we were truly empty handed, hot, and frustrated. So, no photos, Charles Gattis…sorry.
However, the evening was more than salvaged by our face-to-face meeting of a new friend in Paris. Ann Jeanne started following our blog last autumn and has been my Facebook friend with frequent exchange of pictures and messages. We met for dinner at Le Recamier, a restaurant on the Left Bank whose speciality is all kinds of souffles. Very lovely and very good choice, Ann. We spent several hours getting to know all about Ann, who is a former teacher and now starting her own business. If you follow me on Facebook, you have seen some of her wonderful posts. We will continue our friendship and have her over to our apartment later in July.
Not to be undone, our day continued to be frustrating with additional walking when we realized that our subway choice included a connection at Concorde which was closed. Funny how that always happens. We staggered into our apartment around 11:15 pm.
Ann, you were the highlight of our day!
A bientot,
Linda & Bernie
P.S. I forgot to mention that the Art Nouveau house is now occupied by a plastic surgeon!
July 7, 2015 @ 11:32 am
I feel your pain, Linda. I experienced that same exhaustion after stumbling back to the apt. late that night after our bike tour. I’ve really enjoyed the Art Noveau homes. Can only imagine the costs involved for the owners. Mon Dieu!
July 7, 2015 @ 11:57 am
Linda,
It sounds like you need a day to prop your feet up in front of a fan, after having soaked them in a healing foot bath. My goodness, what an adventure!
Again, your Art Deco building was a treat. It makes me think that as Bob and I travel this country, that we should seek out cities with exceptional pockets of unique architecture.
Be kind to yourselves today.
July 7, 2015 @ 12:12 pm
That’s exactly what we’re planning to do today! Great advice, well taken.
July 7, 2015 @ 2:37 pm
I, too, feel your pain. I wore brand new patent leather shoes years ago in New York. My feet abounded in blisters! For a few days, of course, my feet hurt, but when I put those shoes back on, they were the most comfortable shoes I ever owned!
The one time we rode the train to Paris from England, we stayed in a hotel next to a Holiday Inn, not far from the Eiffel Tower. We walked down a beautiful street and the apartments were beautiful. In the dark, as we looked at them, they looked seriously expensive and beautifully
decorated when a window was open. It’s been a very long time since that trip, but someone had told us when we were talking about it that lots of diplomats lived along there. Of course, I’ve no clue which which neighborhood, but it was very near the tower and beautiful.
I hope today is cooler and more comfortable.
bbc
July 7, 2015 @ 3:03 pm
It is much cooler but still no rain.
July 7, 2015 @ 11:28 pm
What a miserable day! I hope tomorrow is better. Time to take it easy for awhile.