Day 30

Our last day and I don't want to leave although Ross has said he's had enough.
This photo is one of the fruit and vegetable markets on Rue Montorguiel at the end of our block.  Rue Montorgueil is full of restaurants, all kinds of food markets, from fruits and vegetables, fromage, vin, boucheries, patiseries, boulangeries.  It is the haunt of in the know millenials, the young and hip. It's predominently pedestrian although the occasional car slowly and very, very carefully makes it's  way down.  Sometimes we feel as if we are running a gauntlet with all the tables along the street filled with people.

 Still hadn't purchased gifts for my grandsons so walked to Rue de Rivoli to C&A to look for tshirts.  This was an art installation that appeared overnight.

 Walked down by the Seine and across to Notre Dame.

 Picked up a couple of panninis for lunch and ate in the gardens surrounding Notre Dame.  There were flat after flat of flowers waiting to fill the beds.  The last time we were here, they were raking out the bulbs from the spring flowers, piles of them.

Walked to the garden around Tour St Jacques and sat there for awhile.  Decided to visit the garden behind Le Palais Royale but they were closed either for an event or planting.  There was a large group of suits in the entry courtyard of the palace but there was also a truck along the side loaded with very large rose bushes in clay pots that were being transported inside the garden.

Picked up a toy for Keller at the little toy souvenir, etc shop at the corner of Rue Montorgueil and Rue Louis Ballein, our street.  This shop is chock a block full of board games, little toys, children's books, journals, notebooks, pencil sets, odds and ends and outside racks of cards, pictures, funny erasers, magnets.....

Day 29

Still on the hunt for presents for my grandchildren.  Decided to visit Sympa in Monmartre.  There are several shops with bins inside and out just heaped with new clothing often from designers or upscale ready to wear.  Shop after shop after shop.  Also visited a shop called Tati, similar to a Walmart in a department store setting on multiple levels.  Did find tops for Chloe and Emma very inexpensively.

 Decided to eat lunch in front of Sacre Coeur.  Picked up a paninni saumon et fromage.

 Walked down some of the side streets to an area with fabric store after fabric store.  Many advertise coupons or flatfolds.  Some of the fabrics are designer goods and others not so much.  Picked up a piece of cotton for myself, maybe a shirt.

 Very proud of myself to finally be navigating the metro system through multiple line changes.  Decided to visit one of my favorite places again, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.

 Got the nerve to visit La Temple de la Sybele.  It's  on top of a cliff overlooking the artificial lake and across the city.  The path is quite steep and people have made a skinny path past the baricade that is supposed to be blocking the main path.  These two young men were up here with their bong and ipods along with some other folks.

Stopped at one of the cafes within the park for a glass of syrah which was served with a little bowl of green and black olives.  Sat for awhile looking out over the hillside, listening to the birds and watching people and their dogs walk by.
 The park has almost three and a half miles of paths, weaving in and out, up and down hill, play areas, a small merry go round and even a carny type booth.  While I was there by the lake a photo shoot of a young lovely Arabic looking young woman dressed in a sumptuous gold gown was taking place. One guy with cameras, another with the reflector shield, a slightly older woman and a teenage girl in jeans on her cell tagging along.

Dinner in tonight, using up what we have left.  Did pick up a salad mix and mache, a golden tomato and a demi baguette to have with our omelet.  Sauteed onion and courgette and leftover cheese.  Will repeat tomorrow. Finally tried a meringue perfume.  Not like the meringue on a lemon meringue pie.  Very dry, think dried out cotton candy and just as sweet, very pretty but.....

Day 28

Got up and going earlier than we have been to catch a train to Vernon.  Well, should have bought them the night before.  Had a two hour+ wait sooo, wandered through the mall that is attatched Gare St. Lazare.  Still searching for gifts for grandchildren that I can afford or that Ross is willing to fund.  That took about an hour so we walked around outside.  Most of the shops don't open until 10a or sometimes 11a.
Following a 40 minute train ride through the outskirts of the city, along the Seine in places, past a couple of small french towns, we arrived, flooded out of the station to the buses to take us to Giverny and Monet's gardens.
This area had several rows of perenial beds, iris, tulips, poppies, lush.  The beds were about 6 foot wide and maybe 200 foot long, they went on and on.  Trellises, apple trees and more and filled with people, swarms of people on limited pathways.

The area with the lily ponds was surrounded by shrubbery and trees.  I loved how the colors progressed through the gardens, a yellow section with touches of orange would move to a section predominantly red and on around the pond.  A little rivulet led to the ponds.  It was challenging to take photographs.  People taking selfies or portraits of friends and families, vying to take that special shot of the scenery, cheek by jowl in many instances.  And yet....fairly quiet, birds singing.

Enjoyed the gardens but decided to forgo museums and getting hungry so went back into Vernon.  Giverny itself is very pretty and has beautiful gardens like this gift shop.

As we came through town we noticed a street fair.  We followed a mom and her children.  The first thing we saw were kids in bungee cord harnesses jumping on trampolines.  Ross immediately noticed lots of happy people drinking beer in large mugs sitting in front of La Guinguette de Bad Kissengen.  Had a couple of biere brun de monastere, delicious, camembert on brown bread with a pretzel stuck on top and Frankische Rostbratwurst im brot, a long skinny sausage in a short baguette.  And then these guys came around.  The rest of the street fair was very like our own, carney games, local businesses promoting their products from home improvement to wine.  Just a lovely, lovely afternoon.  We brought home some pepper sausage and another with saltpeter dusting the casing, I asked, for dinner that night.

Day 27

I love it when technology decides for itself what is appropriate.  I watched this photo flip itself sideways.  I've  fixed it in my gallery but.... This gentleman had a stall in the Paris Marche au Puce where I  purchased my gift for Gary.  Ross said I was taken to the cleaners but I think its cute.

 Had a bit of a disappointment  here at Chez Louisette, a restaurant in the Flea Market.  I had my favorite dish here during our last visit, Les Trois Couers, hearts of celery, palm and artichokes.  The music was very french and loud with many singing along, swaying to the music.  The restaurant was extremely busy, very understaffed and we didn't  see anyone working there under the age of 60.  We sat for at least 15 minutes in a corner waiting on menus, another 10 to 15 to place an order during which our server was interrupted to pass out diners to a couple of other people.  Finally got water and bread and during this first half hour requested by two different chanteuses for tips.

 This gentleman and his party sat down, their order was immediately taken, received their aperitif and within 10 minutes their entire order including at least two bottles of wine was delivered and being enjoyed.

 And Ross had not yet received his Heineken.  Then our server came to us not with our meal but with some issue about my moules.  I've  never done this before but at this point got up and left, wasn't willing to wait another 15 minutes or more and be solicited to pay the chanteuses.  And we were not the only party whose meal should have preceded the serving of this party.  Ross said he is ready to return to the states.
We went and had a very satisfying burrito and salad at Chipotles next door to a McDonald's then a Starbucks and then a Hardrock Cafe and one of them was promoting Ben'n'Jerry's.  On our way home we saw a teeny tiny Domino's shop.  Up the street from the flea market we passed a KFC and a Subways.

Inspiration for Lyndel.

Day 26

Having some additional issues with my heel spur and opposite hip, probably in compensation.
Weather is coolish with intermittent cloudiness.  Finally decided to go for a walk to visit Le Petit Palais and view the exhibit.  Saw a building covered with metal framework that referenced Art Deco and decided to take a closer look.  Became thoroughly turned around and added several additional blocks walking in the wrong direction.  Finally realized what had happened and ended up by the river and entering the "back" entrance to the Louvre.  Had to sit in the sun awhile in the main courtyard.  Then walked on into the Tuilleries.

 Lovely sun, blue skies and clouds.  Since hip was still aching and we won't discuss the foot, I decided to sit and have a glass of wine at one of the little cafés.

 Walked across the Place de la Concorde onto Les Champs Elysees, and over to Le Petit Palais, which to my disappointment  was closed for the day.  Looked at the line at Le Grand Palais and headed straight to the metro.

 This station was the first I've  seen this trip with the ceramic artwork.

Day 25

Slept in for awhile this morning.  Then did couple of necessary loads of laundry.  Went down the street to pick up some necessities and some things for lunch.  A rotisery chicken from one of the boucheries on Rue Montorgueil, one of three within two blocks. A lovely golden, deeply ridged heirloom tomato from one of the fruit and vegetable vendors, almost right across the street from each other.  Cheese and salad mix, yoghurt and cherry jam, salami and mortadella from Uexpress, one of several small grocery stores in the immediate area. A baguette from our favorite patisserie and boulangerie, Collette's, our favorite for baguettes anyway.  Stohrer's has our favorite desserts.  I love being able to step out of the house, walk a block or so and be able to choose many options.
Spent a couple of hours posting at least six days of blogposts. Interesting what you remember or almost forget in such a short time.
Tried to go to the movies at Les Halles but couldn't find where to purchase the tickets in cash in time.  Evidently most of the indy movies are subtitled in French rather than dubbed.  It was interesting to listen to a spanish language Homer Simpson in Barcelona.  Ross was watching some interesting stuff in Spain, cartoons, old sitcoms just to get a hit of "English" tv viewing.  In Paris all we seem to find is BBC news and may be one more news channel in English.  Early on I clicked through the 700-800 or so channels, basically if its a country, it has a channel except for the USA and maybe Canada.
We decided to split. Actually Ross is tired of Mom stopping every " five minutes or so" to take pictures.  So I took a few photos in the area.  Exciting clouds and gray skies.

I visited a small street fair in a square adjacent to Les Halles Forum, a massive shopping mall built on 4 levels, mostly underground.  Les Halles is also a major Metro and RER station.  The line for Security to check your bag prior to going down on the escalator gets quite backed up.

This is Rue Louis Ballein, our street after the rain.

Day 24

Walked to the beach for breakfast.  Sat for a couple of hours just enjoying the sun, the breeze, the parau vendors pushing their goods over and over and over.

Worked our way over to the Gothic Quarter.  Discovered this ancient cathedral, Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi.

It's  amazing to see cars and delivery vehicles manage some of these streets.  There are a tremendous amount of motorcycles, substantially more than any other European city probably due to their salubrious climate.

Beautiful flowers everywhere, in gardens, flower boxes, springing from rocks...

 Another cathedral in the gothic quarter, Catedral de Barcelona.

There are two markets in the Gothic Quarters.  Mercado de La Bouqueria is right off Las Ramblas and we ate lunch there, a mixed seafood platter with Razorback clams, langoustine, scampi, and mussels. Swamped with tourists, almost uncomfortable. A much more enjoyable experience was wandering through the more upscale, modern Mercat de Santa Caterina.

 With the time remaining before we had to pick up our bags from the Hostel, we explored Parc de la Ciutedella again, discovering more paths, a small lake where some people were boating, this enormous fountain and busload after busload of children, even a small group of little child in a row napping under their blankets.

 Unfortunately the fountain wasn't running, also the case of many here in Paris.  Still very impressive. Then off to the airport with a taxi driver who passed everything on the road.  The speedometer hit at leasst 120kph.  Ross said it felt like 80mph and he should know.

Uneventful flight, getting back around 8:30p.  Took what we thought would be a quicker RER train to Paris with only two stops before our station, wellllll. Picked very tasty Falafel on the way home, stuffed ourselves and I crashed.

Day 23

Got up fairly early and walked the waterfront. Saw the worlds largest cruise ship, numerous huge yachts and assorted ships.  There are over 4K of beach, all open to the public. Rain was predicted but it cleared mid- morning.  We had noticed that the weather reports could change almost hour by hour.

 This one is for you Lyndel.  Not a close up but just thinking of your collection.

 After the beach we decided to take the hop-on hop-off bus and so glad we did.  Saw so much of the city.  It is a wonderfully diverse compelation of old, modernisme and new architechtural styles. And parks and green spaces, sculpture, playgrounds everywhere.  And of course, we decided we hadn't  walked enough today....We hopped off at the spot to take one up to Torre Beauregard? or Tibidabo? the highest point in the city via a bus transfer and then a tram.  But being the contrarians we are, we walked into the most delightful garden waiting right there, Jardins de la Tamarita.  After the beach, my favorite place here. There were only a few people here, very quiet,  rambling paths, up and down the hillside, surrounded by beautiful homes and a few elegant stone buildings on the grounds.

 Decided it was past time to eat as we walked on to the next bus stop and found this open plaza with a couple of restaurants with tables under the trees across from a very old cathedral and had a deliciuos lunch of tapas at El Canalla.  Salmon tartar with fresh ricotta and guacamole, toasted ciabatta with olive oil and tomato pulp with Iberian hamon, and this weird dish of shrimp carpaccio, pine nuts topped with shoestring potatoes think of the ones you get in a can but fresh.  I started a sketch of the church while waiting but the food was too good.

Got off the bus to walk down Las Ramblas.  Way too many people for our tastes and lots of touristy stuff.  Late afternoon went back to a beachside restaurant for sangria and the view.

 Much later after looking a  couple of other beachfront restaurants and walking along the beach ended up in a little square, plaza at  Casa Delfin that Ross had discovered the night before.  This was probably the best meal of the trip so far.  Sauteed potato wedges with aeoli and a spicy red pepper sauce, chorizo in a decadent red wine, honey reduction ( one of the best things I have ever tasted), The toasted bread with tomato pulp, Ross had ceviche and I had creamy paella with langostines.  Desert was creamy goat cheese, drizzled with honey and pine nuts and pistachio cheesecake with passion fruit. And a delicious white wine from Spain.  We were serenaded by a couple of guys one on a clarinet and the other with an accordian, annoying, and later a guy from Germany playing sax, very nice. Lovely evening.  All the while a bearded heavy set guy, who reminded me very much of Gary pontificated with a variety of people who would stop by his table, drink a glass, smoke and converse.

Day 22 Barcelona

Got up very, very early to catch our 7:30a flight to Barcelona.  Was able to doze a little on the hour and 40 minute flight. Ross decided to take a taxi to the hotel as there was not a metro station very close.  It was rather nice to ride in a car again.

 And again our view is a light well.  There was a sad little courtyard at the bottom.

The entry on the other had was very old and dramatic. On the third flight up the marble changes to stone.  The staff at Hostel Orleans Barcelona was wonderful, very friendly and helpful.

Dropped off our bags and of course began walking.  Parc de la Cuitadella was nearby so we started there. The zoo is also in this park. This is apparently the largest zoo in Europe.  And then began following the green for awhile.

Began wandering north through the Gathic quarter and eventually caught a sign directing us to La Sagrada Familia.  It is amazing and overwhelmed with tourists.  With a 4hour wait to purchase tickets we declined and just wandered around the cathedral and the gardens across the steeets.

The layout of the city is so open.  Many, many boulevards, wide, wide streets, sidewalks, over 100K of bike lanes, gardens and parks everywhere.

I believe this is the Cathedral de Barcelona in the distance.  We were so tired and someone was very grumpy so we went back to the Hostel and crashed in the late afternoon.