Yes Miss This is France 🇫🇷! June 18-July 1, 2023 (Disneyland Paris and other parts of France)

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 24

The drive back was mostly a freeway type ride, which was fine but I think someday I would like to go back and explore some of the more country roads to get the true beauty of the Loire Valley. We got to experience some of it but not enough, I wanted to see more vineyards. A nuclear power plant wasn't the same as a winding vineyard.

Soon we were back in Paris and our guide took us back to the tour office via a road along the Seine. So we got some nice views. We also drove in the tunnel in which Princess Diana had her car crash in which was a little morbid to think about but interesting to know where it took place.

A copy of the Statue of Liberty

Once we were dropped off at the end of the tour we slowly made our way back to our apartment. And all of us were hungry and we happened upon a restaurant along the river. We didn't have a reservation but they found us a table. It was fun to eat right along the Seine. The food was surprisingly good.

The food was served tapas style. Brad and I shared a short rib which was pretty tough but the flavor was good. The mashed potatoes and the sauce next to it was great though.

We also go beef empanadas and these were fantastic! We should have ordered another round. T and A got their own orders of them and loved them too.

They had a mango drink for Brad.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 24

This was the view from our table for dinner that night.

And another view

After dinner we walked across the Pont Neuf and headed back to our apartment and enjoyed some nice views.

This was the street our apartment was on.

Looking down our street to the apartment

View from the apartment that evening

Brad and I enjoyed dessert at the apartments with macrons from the shop we went to in Montmarte the other day.

Coming up: another Disney/France link....Versailles and it's majestic gardens!

 

[erstwo]

I have spent my morning happily reading this report! Thanks so much!

My husband is from Chicago and he eats Ketchup on his hot dogs!

You are so right about the line for Mickey Mouse at DLP - the slowest ever. I clearly remember having to half-drag my then 9 year old daughter out of that queue because she was about to fall asleep on the carpet (jet lag) from waiting so long. What's crazier is - you walk in and it seems like there's only 25 people in that giant room, so you think 'this won't be that bad...'

I can't believe how much trouble you had with your Eifel Tower tickets! I have no memory of ever having trouble with tickets.

I wonder if the 'intertwined D's' in tile in the bedroom of Chateau Chenonceau stood for Diane de Poitiers. She was Catherine de Medici's rival at one point (which I learned from an old TV show or movie too! ) but Wikipedia says her emblem was something different, so who knows???

Excited to read about Versailles and Normandy!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

I guess I was wrong in my last post our next day wasn't Versailles, it was our Musee d'Orsay day. But first breakfast at Les Deux Magots. Magots doesn't refer to any insect type but to the two carved Chinese figures in the restaurant. This cafe is fairly famous from the Hemingway days and it was about a 2 minute from our apartment.

Cafe creme for me.

Inside the restaurant. Brad and I had eaten dinner there when we last were in Paris and we sat in the area in the upper right of the picture in the corner area which we were told was a common seating spot of Ernest Hemmingway when he used to frequent the cafe.

We sat outside and enjoyed the view of the Saint Germain area

My croissaint

I got an omelet for breakfast, off to the side is Brad's bacon and eggs. T & A just ate croissants but B and I wanted something more filling since we would be spending a lot of the day at the Orsay.

We did not have reservations for the Orsay but we did have "tickets". I had bought the Paris Museum Pass, which provides access to a lot of stuff around Paris and on the outskirts (including Versailles & the Louvre) and can be a great deal. So that was our ticket but unlike the Louvre and Versailles reservations couldn't be made in advance, in fact the Orsay's site said just to show up with the pass. So good and bad there I guess. We decided to rope drop it and there was a separate line for people with the museum pass. Here are some fun statutes from the outside.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

Once the museum opened we quickly passed through the security and remembered to grab a museum map. If there is a contest of best museums between the Louvre and the Orsay the Orsay wins for me all the time. Impressionism and the type of art featured here is much more interesting to me. Going through the Louvre I had thoughts of "If I ever come to Paris again I don't think I need to come here again." but I never had those thoughts in the Orsay. I took many more pictures of the art but I will spare you and just post a few. The Orsay also used to be a train station and I just love all the big clock windows that are still there.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I have spent my morning happily reading this report! Thanks so much!

My husband is from Chicago and he eats Ketchup on his hot dogs!

You are so right about the line for Mickey Mouse at DLP - the slowest ever. I clearly remember having to half-drag my then 9 year old daughter out of that queue because she was about to fall asleep on the carpet (jet lag) from waiting so long. What's crazier is - you walk in and it seems like there's only 25 people in that giant room, so you think 'this won't be that bad...'

I can't believe how much trouble you had with your Eifel Tower tickets! I have no memory of ever having trouble with tickets.

I wonder if the 'intertwined D's' in tile in the bedroom of Chateau Chenonceau stood for Diane de Poitiers. She was Catherine de Medici's rival at one point (which I learned from an old TV show or movie too! ) but Wikipedia says her emblem was something different, so who knows???

Excited to read about Versailles and Normandy!

I'm glad you are enjoying the report. And good to know that your husband eats hot dogs the right way!

Good to know that I'm not the only one frustrated with that Mickey line, at least there was air conditioning and cartoons to watch while waiting. I was thinking the initials in the Chenonceau floor was Diane de Poitiers too but kind of cool anyway.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

A few more pictures from the Orsay.

Another version of Vangough's Starry Night. I didn't know there was more than one version. My sister was excited to see Starry Night but didn't like this version because there weren't what she called the starry swirls.

I think it was a little after noon that we left the museum and started our walk near the Seine.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

We continued on and our goal was to get to the department store of Galleries Laffayette. I wasn't too enthused about going to a department store in Paris but I read that the food hall was something to check out and that the domed ceiling in the main department store was cool. All true. The store would be on my must do list for next time, especially for the food area. However, on our walk we were all starting to get hangry and ended up stopping at a cafe for lunch. Eating at the food hall at Galleries would have been great but this cafe was not a mistake either.

A nice blanc bier for me.

Brad and I shared some truffle fries

And a truffle ham and cheese sandwich. Sharing was the way to go but I wish I had eaten it all myself.

The salad was fine, the dressing was good but it was salad.

 

[Kevin_W]

We visited the Galleries Laffayette at Christmastime and the displays in the windows and the giant tree they hang under the dome were really neat. We didn't visit the food hall either. Next time!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

So we did make it to Galleries Lafayette and we found the big dome which was very impressive and we went to the roof viewing area which offered an amazing view of the city. It also offered escalators up to the floor with the viewing area, that was a welcome relief from all the stairs in Paris. We did make it into the food hall area but and if we had been able to hold out on lunch it would have been an amazing place to get food. We did buy a few snacks for later and to take home.

After the store we hopped on the metro and headed to the Champs Elysees to go to the Arc de Triomphe. At first I couldn't remember why I took this picture and then I remembered that the waiters were taking a smoke break after dropping off food at some tables and I thought that seemed very French to me.

Along the Champs Elysees we stopped at Laudree for macarons! We tried quite a few macarons in France and Laudree was still our favorite place to get them from.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

We made it down to the Arc and safely crossed via the tunnel. Then we climbed the 284 steps to the top, we did stop twice. Oh and did I mention that this was the hottest day we experience in Paris it was around 90 degrees. The view was great though and admission was included as part of the Paris Museum Pass. B and I had done this on a previous trip and only did it again because it was A's first trip and it was something she should experience. If we go again though, we can skip those 284 steps to the top!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 25

After the Arc we made our way to dinner. An instagrammer I follow for Disney stuff had recommended the restaurant Le Relais de Venise - son entrecôte. So we headed to the restaurant location that was near the Arc. I guess there are a few of them around Paris but I think the one we headed to was the original location, but we later found one about 2 blocks from our apartment at the end of our trip.

There are a couple interesting things to know about this restaurant.
1. There are no reservations. Just show up and stand in line until it is your turn. The line wasn't as long as I expected. We only waited about 50-55 minutes. Brad and I stood in line the whole time, A and T sat on the curb across the street because they were tired and they weren't very hungry.

2. The only main dish on the menu is steak and frittes. It is served in a sauce with bread for the table and a salad. There are desserts but they cost extra. Also you are served two helpings of steak and frittes. So your only choices at this restaurant are drinks, the cooked temperature of your steak, and dessert. I told my sister this many times before we went and when we finally got a table she asked why there was only one main dish. Then she wanted to share a meal with A, that wasn't allowed (and I think the request irritated our waitress), and then spoiler alert the two that weren't very hungry ate both helpings and dessert.

3. Third thing to know....this was delicious! It was our second favorite meal of the trip (Le Souffle was our top meal). If you go to Paris go here!

This was the drink menu. I just pointed to something and got a nice glass of wine. Our waitress didn't speak much English so I figured I would just take a guess and it worked out. The waitress was very confused when my niece tried to order a Cherry Coke (which to be fair to A, she had been able to get almost everywhere) but Cherry Coke wasn't a thing here and A settled for a regular Coke.

My wine and salad

Round One of steak which was plated table side for us. And our waitress had written the steak temps we wanted on the table paper so we were served exactly what we wanted. That sauce.....so good.

Inside the restaurant, there were tables outside and a few upstairs by the bathroom.

My dessert, profiteroles stuffed with ice cream and a yummy chocolate sauce. My sister got the same as me, Brad got a cake type thing with ice cream and chocolate sauce but the cake was a little hard and A got ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Another round of steak (sorry just a little out of order)

After dinner we were stuffed and waddled our way to the metro station but there was some construction and we got a bit lost. I eventually found the right path after B told me a couple time that I wasn't going in the right direction, but I just ignored him and got us where we needed to go. By the time dinner was done and we got back to the apartment it was close around 11pm and we crashed for the night.

 

[Tuvalu]

What a wonderful way to spend your anniversary day!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

What a wonderful way to spend your anniversary day!

It was a nice day full of good food and fun!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 26

Today was another exploration day around Paris. We would be centering our exploring on around Notre Dame, Ile Sainte-Louis, and the Marais neighborhood.

As we set out towards Notre Dame we were on the search for breakfast. We found a bakery open, that I guess is a chain but the almond and regular croissants we had there were very good.

This fountain was near the bakery and the Saint_Michel metro stop.

The chocolate brioche was just okay but I'm a little on the fence about brioche anyway. I'd rather have a croissiant.

We did a couple quick pictures by Notre Dame before moving on to our first major stop of the day Sainte Chapelle.

There was some refurbishment of Saint Chappelle going on to the outside but the inside was amazing.

This was a favorite of ours the last we were in Paris and since Notre Dame is closed it is a must do for tourists now for sure. But we got the second time slot of the day so it wasn't too crowded. And since it had been a favorite before we were already planning on going to see it again. It is also included in the Paris Museum Pass and reservations in advance are highly recommended.

The church is beautiful, it is like stepping into a jewelry box but more beautiful. Pictures just don't do it justice.

Even the floors are highly decorated.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 26

More of Saint Chapelle. I think I could stay in there for hours examining the stained glass. I told my husband that I would go to church more if our church was as pretty as this. Which I think is a funny statement because my husband is a pastor and I usually just watch the services on Facebook. He just rolled his eyes at me.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 26

A few more pictures of Sainte Chapelle.

I'm always a little mesmerized by sculptures and carvings. They are not my favorite art but I marvel at how detailed they can be, how hard it is to make them, and all the patience involved in making them. I would not be patient and if I made a mistake it would be too frustrating to me to have to start over or something.

Original gargoyles

There was a big courthouse/judicial center next to the chapel and shared an outside courtyard with the church. I thought it was funny that all the lawyers were out taking smoke breaks, again seemed very French to me. My sister saw them and asked me if there was going to be a choir concert in the church soon and if we should go back inside. I had to tell her that they were lawyers and were not going to give us a concert.
Near this area were the restrooms for the church and while I stood in line a lady from Orlando started talking to be. They had just arrived in Paris yesterday and she wanted to know if it was always this hot in Paris and if it would cool down soon. She just didn't think she could take the heat and the lack of AC much longer!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 26

After Saints Chapelle we walked back to Notre Dame to see what we could and watch some of the construction. There were bleachers set up for people to sit and watch.

Brad and I were lucky enough to climb the 400+ steps to the top the last time. It was amazing. When we had been on top by the gargoyles we were looking at the city and the bells rang. Top moment for sure! The inside was spectacular as well, we had gone super early in the morning before the crowd and were there with mostly worshippers and enjoyed the beauty without the crowds. I remembered leaving and thinking that I couldn’t wait to show my niece Notre Dame on her grad trip in a few years and I would be willing to climb those 400 steps again. When the fire broke out I was devastated and balled like a baby. I was and am so glad that the French people are resolute in restoring it, Notre Dame is just so special.

The construction and damage was incredible to see. I know the goal is for it to be open for the Olympics in 2024 but even with their round the clock construction it seems far fetched to me.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 26

More looks at Notre Dame and the construction as we walked toward the Marais neighborhood. We also passed a book stand along the Seine. The book stand had some naughty books and magazines which can't be shown on this family friendly site.

Brad pointing out a couple things about Notre Dame to T and A.

You can see how hot the fire was with the damage to the spires in the pictures below.

And in these pictures you can see the temporary housing built for the construction workers.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

June 26

As we crossed the bridge toward Ile Sainte-Louis and to the Marais neighborhood we encounters a jazz band playing. They were great and we watched them until the end of their set, so about 15 minutes or so. They were selling CD's and T bought one as did we. I was hoping they weren't selling blank CD's but it was only 10 Euros, so I guess not too big of a loss if it was blank. The cd was not blank, I packed it in my carry on bag and on the way home from the airport we listened to their wonderful music. That is one really cool thing about Paris, all the street music. Now that Sainte Chappelle had been visited we had no other thing or place we had to be at today, so it was a day to wander and take whatever Paris threw at us.

We danced and A took some pictures and video of us dancing.

As we entered the Marais neighborhood we encountered the Holocaust Museum there. We decided to check it out. There was a buzzer and gate system to enter the courtyard type area but no other security. The front area was peaceful and a nice place of remembrance.

The wall of names

We have all been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and while that museum is more intensive, the displays here were just moving and well done. It also seemed a bit more real in that we were in a spot (and continent) in which these things actually happened. There was some stuff in English but most was in French. We could have spent more time here but it was the right amount for us. The museum was free but accepted donations.

Pictures of some of the people from the wall of names out front this was located at the end of the exhibits.