Paris, aaah Paris!

[Laszo]

I'm a bit lost ....    you are driving the autostrada?? To Le Havre to find a smelly metro and a death gay, american artist   

What is happening?.. The french like to call there highways ..autoroute, or are you in Italy? Who is the smelly american gay who they burried in the never (as far as i know) finished metro of le havre (I)

What is happening over there   

[Luigi]

LOL...I can imagine a better smell than inside a crowded metro train with all the people sweatening at those temperatures 

[uncletom]

Luigi knows what I'm talking about. It is supposed to be a holiday but it turned out to be more like a mission of being a custodian to a mad ape trying to make a documentary on the city. It started out really super, I was driving a Nissan Quashcai with all the luxury accesories, the alpes were awesome, as was the festival in Switzerland. But now in Paris we're stuck in this appartment, no aircon, and no car, with only the subway and our shoes.

"Autostrada" or "Autoroute" same thing. Or "motorway" in swedish, and "autobahn" german. On the road was better, or if I would hang out in a airconed arcade would be better. Everybody here is so thin and that makes me feel fat. I think I ought to start smoking but I need a pipe. For the moment I am stuck here with Camilla's ipad.

Today will probably be another walking day as C wants to see the arch, again. I fear she's mentaly ill but we bought another 5-day visitor's subway pass so it looks like we'll be tourists for 5 more days. All this is just piling up in my brain to create an overload. I hope time will fly, or I will be flying.

Last night we were at the "grand canal", a sort of cool reservoire of water in the middle of town. But there were so many people there, students or something, some playing on guitarrs and singing, it was too crowded. Camilla wanted to sit down at the canal like everybody else eating and drinking, so we went to buy a baguette and something that looked like cheese. It is confusing in the grocery stores as you never know what you are buying because of the language. Anyway, we never sat down by the canal due to the crowded state it was in, everybody seemed to have their picnic at the same time, baguettes and cheese everywhere, so I ate while walking. C was taking photos of anything and everything, and well back at home I put the rest of the cheese in the fridge - a very bad thing to do. As I opened it this morning to get some juice I was struck by a horrible smell, ofcourse I had to buy the smelliest cheese in the store. So it has to go. No more cheese for me this month.

There's more, so much more, I'm getting it all mixed up though, the temperature is coolest in the mornings so the best time to think is between 08 - 11. The afternoons and evenings ought to be spent at a beach or by the pool. But where can I find that here?

[Luigi]

After the smell in the metro you had the smell of the cheese in your fridge....

Seriously...write a (thin) book about it...this turns out to be one of the funniest travel reports I've ever read

[funkycochise]

Looks like "lost in translation" in french with cheese...

Seems to be like that everytime someone goes in a foreign country.
Le havre wasn't the place I would have adviced to visit. There are so many nicer place to see in France.
Maybe you should have ask here before planing your trip. Even some Paris inhabitants outta here would have guide you. Paris is always full crowded. It's the most visited town in the world. So....
But I agree, the metro is one of the most horrible thing to use in summertime. Heat and smells. 

And about cheese, believe it or no, it's one the thing (with wine) that makes me think "thank god, I live in France". Especially when I come back from a trip in a foreign country.

If you want some advice, feel free to ask !

Regards,
Pierre

[uncletom]

Thanks, Pierre. But it is't our first time in Paris, or France. However it is our first time actually living here. Even though I can make myself understood in english, as well as understand some of the french I hear, I feel that the city is too big for me, any large city is.

The times we've been here before was maximum a week, and then we lived in a hotel closer to the centre. Camilla has always been the one to drag me along, I always came with her but only for her purpose, not mine. I try to avoid large cities. I've seen the tower now maybe four times, the arch also, and taken the sight-seeing busses surely five times.

Le Havre was actually a somewhat relaxing side trip for me as I got to drive again. Why Le Havre: because Camilla saw a film once called "Le Havre" and wanted to see more of the town. Which subsequently brought us to Omaha beach and the small town villages there. That was really awesome, getting lost in those little streets of ...ville Sur Mer was just like driving GTI Club again. I love driving.

Now we've been here in Paris for almost two weeks, and because I don't have anything to do other than follow Camilla around town, doing her stuff, I feel lost and trapped. All We do is ride the metro, or the buss, or walking to some shop or just getting lost. And now Camilla is complainig that her feet hurt, ofcourse. And there are so many tourists everywhere.

Today Camilla wants to go to a shop called "Repetto" to buy some shoes, and then to monmartre again for the third time in one week. Very well, this is like running through a quake level ten times without shooting. But by now I'd much rather prefer to play some football or basketball with any of our african neighbors here. I mean anything just to get out of this tourist trap. I don't take drugs, I don't drink alcohol (even though we have a bottle of great port wine in the fridge), I don't eat cheese or even smoke here anymore. I only want my life back. All my energy is gone. We are flying back to Sweden in three days but I thik it will take a long time before I will get back to normal. I doubt even sitting in a Star Wars Racer drinking a cool juice will make me well now.

[Luigi]

Sorry, I really laughed when I imagined you stumbling behind your missus through the streets of Paris, being sticked in the metro between sweatening people.....


Oh dear, two weeks in Paris? Would be too much for me as well. I know what you mean 'the city is too big'. New York is an amazing city, but for me it's faaar too big, too crowded, too loud.

Crossing fingers you will survive this trip and that you can relax after that 'vacation'

[funkycochise]

I agree, holidays in such big cities (whetever city it is) isn't really for rest !
and yeah, tourist traps is really a shame !

Trip to Caen and D-day beaches is a must.

I'm sorry that it's such a pain trip for you, uncletom.

If you want to bring back nice (and not too expensive) macarons, I can advice you a good address:



Maison LARNICOL
132 bd St Germain
75006 Paris

or
14 rue de Rivoli
75004 Paris

depends on were you're closer.
imho it's better than any other overpriced brand like "La durée".

These amazing specialities will make you forget your cheese nightmares.
you won't regret...
http://www.chocolaterielarnicol.fr/content/12-nos-boutiques

[uncletom]

I've been to New York too, just a couple of years ago. They have order in their streets, wide sidewalks and alot of space. NY felt much easier than Paris for me, and I really loved the chinese  buffets open 24/7. Even though I couldn't find one arcade there all was cool. The smells were pleasant, either hotdogs and pretsels, or roasted sweet almonds around every corner. It really was a happy time for me. Oh but they did have an arcade... That "Mars 2112" or something. Or was that a restaurant? And they did have a few smaller arcades in chinatown, I remember now.

Paris:
Well, it isn't quite that dramatic, infact I have become more fit walking up all those stairs and slopes. I have no problem with my feet or legs. It's just that feeling of pointlessness and the fact that I cannot do what I am used to at home.

We've bought some bread at Spar, and some eggs, so every morning we have omelett with toast and instant coffe. Then usually during the day we get a sandwich or kebab. In the evenings it is usually pasta with some sauce and added veggies and some chopped pork.

Thanks for the tip on the macarons. However they are everywhere, in every patisseri and boulangeri. They are very sweet so I cannot eat them. Camilla loves them though, macarons have only recently started selling in sweden. For quite a while only one shop had macarons, now they're in almost every cafee in every mall so they have become sort of 'passe' being so overexposed.

Yesterday we were at Repetto, a specialized shop for dance-equipment and also women's shoes. Camilla bought herself a pair of very expensive black shoes, ofcourse 'made in France' (not made in China). Then we wanted to try to walk home from Opera, but somewhere after montmarte Camilla freaked out and we had to take the bus. But somehow the bus took a wrong turn somewhere and we ended up walking home quite a distance anyway. I actually happened to see a pinball machine on the way in a restaurant, "Monster..." something.

Tomorrow we're leaving for sweden, so today we need to clean the appartment and also not forget to feed the fish. There's a goldfish here. Quite a social little fellow, every morning it swims around in a cheerful way. Camilla named it "Amellie", I named it "Camilla", it wasn't untill two days ago we were informed that she is a he, and that he has killed three of his previous goldfish friends and now there are only three alge-suckers left, they seem to survive ok because they are quick enough to swim away when 'he' attacks. So, I renamed him "Killer Karl".

Camilla is still shooting stuff around her, the spice shelf, the kitchen, the furniture, even the old floor... Like some mental freak, anything she thinks she can blog about regarding our Paris stay. I just want to get out of here now.

[Luigi]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

I don#t know these macarons at all...I only know those Madeleines...very tasty and not that sweet at all.

Have a safe trip home!!

[funkycochise]

It's quite funny, as I'm living in the area where these specialities were born :

http://www.macaron-de-nancy.com/boutique_us/liste_produits.cfm?type=19&code_lg=lg_us&num=0
In fact those macaroon are a bit different as the one above, as there is no fodder inside, it's like a soft almond cookie.

Madeleines (top with tea) :
http://www.madeleine-commercy.com/
http://www.madeleinesdelorraine.com/

Commercy and liverdun claim as being the true genuine origin. In fact both are great and slightly different.

Not only wine and smelling cheese outta here 

I feel a bit like a tourist guide 

[uncletom]

Thanks for all that info, I will educate Camilla.

I see, so you live in Nancy, Funky? I think I have passed that metro station a few times here. So you are living and working in Paris? What to you do? You're not one of them crazy scooter drivers flying around the streets? ... eating alot of macarons?

Personally I try to avoid the sweet stuff as it makes me hyperactive at first but then very tierd. I mean, try eating a few of them macarons and then play Crysis or something that requires attention. At first you will rock, but soon you will become lazy and make mistakes. If at all sweets then only as medicine, and only a little piece just enough to gain some health. However in this case fruit is better. Or a glass of juice.

Yes, today we're leaving for home. I am looking forward to get back to my home, my PC, my games and our three cats. They are at my motherinlaw's now, Birgit has been their guardian while we were on holiday. I think it has been very difficult for her as those little trolls have no respect for her, and one of them has destroyed some items.

Anyway, I will be posting some pictures tomorrow, or so. I need to sort the pictures from all our trips through Europe, there is alot.

[funkycochise]

Thanks for all that info, I will educate Camilla.

I see, so you live in Nancy, Funky? I think I have passed that metro station a few times here. So you are living and working in Paris? What to you do? You're not one of them crazy scooter drivers flying around the streets? ... eating alot of macarons?

Yes, uncletom. But nothing to do with Paris.
Nancy is about 400 kms away in the east of France. It's not far away from belgium, especially the nuno's Lair !

It's the home of "Art nouveau", materialized in Paris by some stylish Metro gate, direct from the early last century :



the designer, Louis Majorelle and his school are from Nancy, So here there's a lot of famous buildings in this style outta here...

Brasserie Excelsior (with its famous "Gigerish" organic ceiling) :



and yeah you can have a drink or lunch here, even for an affordable decent price. No tourist trap here.

street view :

https://maps.google.fr/maps?q=place+stanislas&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&client=firefox-a&gws_rd=cr&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=fr&sa=N&tab=wl

Villa majorelle :



street view :

https://maps.google.fr/maps?q=place+stanislas&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&client=firefox-a&gws_rd=cr&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=fr&sa=N&tab=wl

place Stanislas :



Street view :

https://maps.google.fr/maps?q=place+stanislas&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:fr:official&client=firefox-a&gws_rd=cr&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=fr&sa=N&tab=wl

Personally I try to avoid the sweet stuff as it makes me hyperactive at first but then very tierd. I mean, try eating a few of them macarons and then play Crysis or something that requires attention. At first you will rock, but soon you will become lazy and make mistakes. If at all sweets then only as medicine, and only a little piece just enough to gain some health. However in this case fruit is better. Or a glass of juice.

Agree, I almost only eat this once or twice in the year

Compared to Paris, Nancy is a quiet peaceful City. i Couldn't live in Paris and its crazy taffic jam and pollution.  
As an example, the "place Stanislas" is now only for walkers. Motored Vehicules of any kinds have now denied access.
It was a great breakthrough.

Anyway, I will be posting some pictures tomorrow, or so. I need to sort the pictures from all our trips through Europe, there is alot.

event if it's tedious, once it's made, it changes life.
iPhoto, aperture, lightroom or picasa (depends also of your operating system)


have a good flight !
Pierre

[uncletom]

Thanks for all the pictures and info, Funky. Really interesting to see, we should have gone to Nancy instead.

I've been home now a couple of days and I'm still totally flushed 

Tomorrow I hope to start doing the pictures section by section; Berlin, that castle, Insbruck, the alps... and a separate section for the arcades in Paris. That's what I remember most anyway.

[uncletom]

And now, I have compiled a webpage with many pictures with brief descriptions for you. Thank you very much for your tips and advices so that I could visit a few of the arcades in Paris.

http://www.albyhus2.se/_paris/arcades/