Well, we had to go to Paris. (Yes, sometimes our burden is so heavy.).
Actually, when our Crystal cruise concluded in Lisbon early in December, we took the opportunity to visit Paris before we returned home. We wanted to meet with our local contact in France who will help us arrange our October 2012 villa program in Provence. And, well, that’s as good an excuse as any for a few days in Paris.
We have more or less avoided Paris for the last several years in favor of the charms of France’s countryside. When we landed at Charles de Gaulle, it was cold and the grey skies were heavy. The congested traffic slowed our transfer into the city to a crawl. Had we made a mistake in coming?
Finally we reached our boutique hotel, the Espirit St. Germain near St. Sulpice (the church that played an important role in the Da Vinci Code) on Paris’ Rive Gauche. In spite of a slow check-in, the hotel looked great. On each side of the small registration desk, we found two welcoming lounges; they seemed more like living rooms than hotel lobbies. Each guest is invited to help themselves throughout the day to complimentary cocktails, wines and champagne and a good variety of soft drinks. When we reached our attractive room, the manager pointed out the complimentary fruit, a complimentary bottle of red wine, and mini-bar stocked with soft drinks and, finally, good Wi-Fi (all complimentary). The magic of Paris was beginning to arrive..
That afternoon we began the first of our three days wandering and exploring the delightful neighborhoods of Paris’ Left Bank. Just a block or so away we found a great indoor market. We drooled at the dozens of cheeses, wonderful varieties of meats and fresh seafood, even a section with Italian specialties. As we explored the surrounding area we encountered dozens of tempting little boutiques: chocolatiers, fashions (Christine loved the outrageous hat shop across the street), children’s toys and clothing etc. We also found dozens of highly specialized shops. One, for example, only sold little toy figures such as soldiers, kings, queens, politicians, farmers etc.; another shop specialized in first editions of old books, a third only sold hand-crafted writing papers. All offered superb quality.
The weather was cold but clear. It was a small price to pay for all the pleasures of our visit. Tourists were few but the locals were out shopping for Christmas. On December 8 we thought we heard carolers outside our hotel. When we opened the curtains, hundreds of Parisians were singing in a procession as they headed to St. Sulpice to celebrate the religious holiday of the Immaculate Conception. On another evening, when we crossed the Boulevard St. Germain des Pres, we saw that the entire street had been decorated with lights in the shape of champagne flutes with bubbles rising to the top. It was three of our best days of 2011.
Over the years we have really enjoyed our visits to Europe as the holidays approach. Dress warmly and savor the pleasures.
Scenes from the Paris Metro
