The trip from San Francisco to Paris is over ten hours, and I’ve been told that it takes one day per hour change to get over jet lag. I’m at day four. Six to go.
GOOD NEWS: I slept six hours straight last night, from 4:00 am to almost 10:00 am. Of course that means that I was up for much of the night before the Sleep Fairy did her job.
Settling in means doing a little bit every day.
When I arrived on Wednesday, I got to my destination at about 1:00 pm. I literally ran into my hostess as she was coming back from the boulangerie and presented me with my first croissant as well as some wonderful bread and jam. It really hit the spot! You saw the photo in my last posting.
After putting some of my stuff away, my hostess and I did a short walk to run some errands in the neighborhood: go to Monoprix ( the French version of Target) and learn a bit about the options available for food and drink nearby. Later on in the day we stopped at a local café and enjoyed catching up with the past several years and doing some people watching.
We’re in the 8th arrondissement, or district, close to the Church of the Madeleine and walking distance to many highlights such as the Place de la Concorde , the Champs- Elysees, the Garnier Opera house and the big department stores. Metro and bus access is excellent for all of the city.
it was an early night. Sleep came for a few hours and then I was up for the rest of the night.
We went further afield day two, taking the local bus to see the new Samaritaine department store. I used to go there because of the beauty of the architecture, the reasonable costs of its retail offerings and the view from the right bank over the Seine from its cafeteria terrace. It closed in 2008 because the structure didn’t meet building codes and reopened again, but this time with a five store hotel attached to the property.
We began by taking the bus and zipped through the area near the Louvre; however, when the bus driver went to the Left Bank we knew there’d been a mistake. Passengers were confused. We got off as soon as we could and retraced our way back to the Seine and the Right Bank. We thought of it as an extra walking tour. When you get lemons, make lemonade and all that.
One of us was taken by the artist’s paintings of the river and took the occasion to pick up some art work. It was a glorious fall day and the light was exceptional.
Hunger overtook us so we stopped for a delicious lunch in the scenic Place Dauphine before heading on to the department store. It was a wise choice.
We examined menus around the square and picked a spot. The food was delicious but the wait was long, which was cutting into our sightseeing time.
NOTE : The waiter will always ask to see your French health pass – passe sanitaire – indicating that you’re fully vaccinated before serving you. I had my health pass uploaded from my CDC vaccination card. It took almost a month but it came through. Other Americans weren’t as lucky, but most ( but not all) of the time they were allowed in with their American CDC card.
Back on the road, it was just a short trek to the department store where many others were also checking out the grand opening. It’s European school vacation time so it’s busy in central Paris. The renovation of this former art nouveau/deco masterpiece is a sight to see!
We were limited on time, as my friend had a 4:00 appointment, so we taxied back. She went to her appointment and I wandered the neighborhood, stopping at the Madeleine church. The facade is being renovated but the lovely inside remains intact, with a slew of visitors.
Our lunch was huge so dinner was very light. We had to get ready for a new tomorrow. My friend left for the weekend; Diego and I will be waiting for her.
