Encore Paris - 2018

It's a long drive south, nearly 7 hours, to go to spend Thanksgiving with Bill's family so we've tried to incorporate side trips into it.  Four years ago Burgundy.  This year Lyon. We've long been curious about Lyon because even the French say it's the best food city in the country. And it was.  From a randomly picked bistrot on a snowy arrival night onwards we were impressed with the food.  Just one caveat -- be sure you know what part of the animal you're ordering, especially in the traditional bouchons/restaurants since organ meat and other innards are very popular here! It was also a really nice city with a picturesque old town and some interesting sites.  Some pictures:

Our friend Danny was in town last week.  He is sound engineer for Bobby McFerrin and got us tickets for Bobby's Paris concert.  The performance was completely improvisational -- very entertaining and totally unique.  It was a fun evening and also nice to see a friend from Los Angeles.  Thanks again, Danny!

There is one restaurant that has been on our Paris must try list for over 4 years -- Septime.  TimeOut Paris calls it "the hottest table in the world" and also says that "getting a table is like being a contestant on the Hunger Games."  So Maxine has been on a quest since we arrived in Paris.  Seats are released at 10am, 3 weeks and a day in advance.  After several unsuccessful attempts, we got a lunch reservation (easier than dinner) for yesterday.  Yes, there was a lot of anticipation! Lunch service started slowly and we were afraid we'd been forgotten.  We were feeling disenchanted until Tom spoke to someone -- major apologies and complimentary glasses of champagne to make amends.  And then we had a great lunch! With our champagne, we enjoyed a melted gouda dip with homemade breadsticks Raw scallops with squash and squash broth infused with black cardamom served with a Sicilian orange wine Tom doesn't eat fish/shellfish so his first cours

This weekend marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.  Lots of ceremonies acknowledging it.  Four years ago, we attended Armistice Day observances at the Arc de Triomphe, but that was just a short walk from the old apartment.  This time we watched on TV -- and most certainly saw more of it.  Although we'd have preferred that French television show captions identifying  people so we'd know who they are. On Saturday night, Macron held a state dinner for the heads of state who were attending -- somewhere between 60 and 80 of them.  It was at the Musee d'Orsay and, from looking at Google Maps, I figure that Trump, Macron, Merkel, Putin and etc. were eating dinner 600 meters from us.  We tried to be tourists and were stopped 2 blocks from the museum by police who not only didn't want us to cross their line, they wanted us to just move on.  And, late in the evening when I took Emmy for a walk, we talked to the policeman who was guarding the larger perimeter w

Along with Chartres Cathedral the most amazing stained glass.  Go on a sunny day!

Maxine took a special tour of the reception rooms at the Hotel de Ville.  This is the Paris City Hall but, its much more elaborate than the usual city hall in a U.S. city.

We feel like we're finally hitting our stride -- after being here over seven weeks.  The stages of a long-stay trip like this might be something like: 1) All this stuff to do!; 2) It's changed and we've seen it all...; 3) Wow, we remember what we like about Paris!; 4) OK, we're ready to go home...; and 5) But when will we get here next? Walking around on this, the first Sunday of the month.  Very limited car traffic -- Mayor Hidalgo has prohibited most non-commercial traffic.  Saw a guy playing a 10' didgeridoo on the sidewalk in the Marais District.  Saw a Chinese kid with dreadlocks at Notre Dame. Purple dreadlocks.  Continue to see WAY more people than this same time 4 years ago.  Continue to notice WAY more empty store fronts and wonder why?  Continue to notice how "boutique" experiences (chocolates, breads, etc.) have become chains and wonder about the French having discovered American commercialism. Is Paris becoming Disneyland (or Venice, Italy)

Maxine and I went to this exhibit.   Pictures don't do the experience justice but then  neither do words.   From the exhibit's website:  To mark its opening, the Atelier des Lumières will present an immersive exhibition devoted to the main figures in the Viennese art scene, of which Gustav Klimt was a key figure. To mark the hundredth anniversary of the painter’s death, and that of Egon Schiele, their works will be brought to life to the sound of music on the former foundry’s immense projection surface.