Saturday, June 30: Rome
We landed safely in Rome at around 11 a.m. and were met by our driver from Zelit Limousine to take us to Civitavecchia, which is the port of Rome, about 45 minutes away. We had to wait about half an hour but boarded our “yacht” at 2. We were greeted with champagne, which set the tone for the entire cruise. The boat is stunning. It has a capacity for only 99 people and has a staff of that same number. There is a small but lovely swimming pool complete with Jacuzzi. Plenty of seating and lounging areas for sunning, conversation and eating. There is an extensive library of books and DVDs, computers, a golf simulation room, a small casino room, a spa. All your “basic” needs….We signed up for some of the land excursions and managed to book Thai massages that afternoon. Quite an experience to be receiving a massage as the coast of Italy sails by…We dressed for dinner and had a delightful dinner in the Main dining salon. The food is not exceptional, but quite good, and the service is impeccable. We met a large family from Chicago, with interesting connections to us. Two of the kids had gone to Tulane and one of the girlfriends had attended Belmont where I was dean. Quite a small world….We depart around 6 pm. for on overnight cruise…
Sunday, July 1. Capri, Italy
We travel all night and anchor off the Isle of Capri around 9 a.m. Linda and I have a wonderful breakfast on the deck overlooking the island. Our travel agent, Happy, has given us as a wedding present this particular excursion called Discovering The Island of Love. We are picked up by a tour boat and taken for a cruise around most of the island. The water is absolutely astounding – such a deep clear blue. The island is beautiful, with its large white cliffs, with caves. We come to a very large rock sitting in the water and ride through it. Having my recent experiences navigating our small boat in Savannah, I am quite impressed with the skills of our captain. We then land, take a small bus up to Capri and then get onto individual lifts which take us up to Anacapri, which overlooks the entire island. It literally takes your breath away, it is so beautiful as you look down at the cliffs you have just looked up, and the motor boats all leaving their white wakes in the bright blue water. It is springtime and all the flowers are in bloom. Anyway, the overall impact is overwhelming. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be with someone you love….and on your honeymoon. Definitely overcoming…
We take the lift down to Capri and walk around the quaint town full of shops – like Armani, Guess, Ferragamo, etc. We stop into a little restaurant recommended by our guide. We are ushered back into a lovely patio and have some delightful dishes. On the wall are photos of famous people who have eaten there. We are not one of them. But the food is delectable. On the way “home” we decide we need more comfortable footgear, and it turns out the island is known for its sandals (who knew?). We then got into the line for the funiculare (which is neither fun nor calore) – the trolley back down the mountain to the marina – not fun, but eventually we made it – and the drinks on board the Sea Dream helped us to overcome our stress….it IS a rough life…
At 5 pm. we depart for our next destination…which is only 2.5 hours away – Sorrento. We anchor and have a wonderful dinner on the deck. We have been invited by the Chief Engineer to have dinner and we dine with him and two other couples. Again interesting: one of the wives is a speaker/consultant like myself, and the husband of the other couple is a professor at Temple in Philadelphia. We had quite a lively discussion, and a great meal. And right in the middle of the conversation I am looking onshore as I see a full moon rising over Capri- magical! Linda has gotten some DVDs from the ship’s library, and we are now officially addicted to Nip/Tuck. On our return to the room they had a special surprise for us – a cake with Happy Honeymoon written on it, a single rose in a vase, and on the bed: rose petals and heart-shaped glitter, topped with towels sculptured in the shape of swans. Very, very nice… This day was enough; anything after this is gravy…
Monday, July 2. Sorrento, Italy, Pompeii
We awake in the port of Sorrento, Italy. We havesome Eggs Florentine on board, and then take our little ship’s boat (“tender”) to land, where we board a large bus and head for Pompeii, which was covered with live tinder and ash from Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79, basically embalming an entire city of 30,000 people. This is an amazing place; one can only imagine the excavation job that was done – and still being done. It is phenomenal to see the chariot ridges in the rocks of the main street. The local brothel is also an interesting stop…oh those Italians! Evidently the city had many warnings about Vesuvius, but chose to ignore them; I may build this into my speech/book upon our return.
Linda returns to the boat and I remain in Sorrento to shoot some photos.
Of course, I had to stop and have a pizza, which are great here in Italy. Then I decide the only way to tell who the locals are is to shoot those on scooters. I had a fun time standing on a busy corner and shooting guys, girls, and families on the scooters. After a chocolate and coconut gelato, I returned home to the boat, where I had a foot massage after my tough day at the office…Linda, bless her heart, had a combination Thai/Swedish massage, kind of an international thing…But it was wonderful sitting on the deck as my feet were massaged watching the Amalfi coast go by….
We sailed down as far as the town of Amalfi and then did an about-face, sailing now northward and closer to the coast. As the sun began to set, the coast was magnificent. I had no idea the coast of Italy was so beautiful, with its high cliffs and quaint little towns, and all connected with vineyards. Truly gorgeous. Finally we docked at the little town of Positano, and Linda and I stood on the deck to watch the town light up as the sun went down. Very magical and romantic. We had a wonderful dinner in the dining room, and then hurried back to watch our Nip/Tuck…
Tuesday, July 3. Positano, Italy
We take our tender into town. There is a small beach, and vacationers abound. The town is small, but quite pretty. You basically walk up a winding pathway lined with wonderful little shops, and then you have a beautiful view of the little port and town. We are taken with the colorful Italian linen clothing and buy us some. Of course, the dollar is not favorable to the Euro (about 1.5 times), so we are being a little cautious with our spending. But we simply MUST have some of the ceramics, so we buy a few little items we need for our Savannah cottage – creamers, oil containers, etc, which are from Ceramica Assunta, a local company. We do elect to have this shipped to us there. But it’s back to the boat. Today is water sports day, so I have a chance to ride a jet ski and then take my first swim in the Mediterranean. It is SO deep blue – and very refreshing. In the evening, after a fine dinner, we set sail for the island of Elba, where Napoleon was exiled – the poor fellow. The night is more on the open seas than we have been and for the first time, it’s a bit “rocky” – but neither of us get seasick, so all is well.
Wednesday, July 4. Portoferraio, Elba Island, Italy
We awake to the island and they do a bit of a sail-around and dock around noon. We take the tender to the town of Portoferraio on the island of Elba, where Napoleon was exiled in 1814. Linda and I walk around and then tour Napoleon’s mansion, which he had built for him here. It is on a small mountain/hill with an incredible view of Corsica, which was his home. We actually ran across some shops with shark’s teeth, but they were closed this day. The Europeans also have this bad habit closing from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, which is terribly inconvenient… There are some very large yachts/boats docked here, so it is fun to eavesdrop on them…This is the first stop where we have actually docked, so that was interesting to watch – and a lot more convenient. We walk to the beach on the other side of the island, which is filled with these dalmation-colored smooth stones…on the way back to the ship, we stop at an outdoor vendor and have a slice of watermelon. That afternoon, there is a Fourth of July celebration by the pool, with hamburgers and hot dogs and 50’s music. Quite fun! Tonight we have dinner on the deck with an “Italian theme” dinner. Very nice cuisine as we sit and watch the town of Elba. The desserts were absolutely scrumptious – I can’t pronounce them, but one was with egg yolks over very fresh berries. Unbelievable! Not to mention the “baba” and tiramisu! We set sail tonight for Livorna, Italy, which is in the Tuscany area, as we move north up the coast…
Thursday, July 5. Livorna, Italy. Lucca. Pisa.
We dock early morning at Livorno. It is a commercial port (second only to Genoa). Linda and I set off early to walk around the town and wind up at an open market with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and other wares for sale. We then find a taxi to take us to the town of Lucca, which is about 40 minutes away. The countryside is beautiful and then we arrive in Lucca, which is a walled medieval city. Inside the driver lets us out and we wander the little streets for a couple of hours, checking out the shops, and then stop in the amphitheater to have a wonderful, wonderful pizza and a coke. We then meet up with the driver and drive to Pisa, where we see the Leaning Tower, and sure enough, it IS leaning. But after a photo opportunity, we decide to leave all the other tourists and head back to our ship. It has been a wonderful day, but we need some R&R – and maybe a little N/T(that’s Nip/Tuck you dirty-minded thing you).
We joined up for dinner with a couple from Miami, and it turns out they come often to Atlanta. WE hope to hook up with them there. Tonight’s dinner is a tasting, so we get to taste lots of dishes… Tonight we set sail for Portofino, continuing north.
Friday, July 6. Portofino, Italy
We arrive at the beautiful port of Portofino. The weather is, as it has been all week, perfect. Nice breezes, sunny skies. I am looking forward to this stop, as it is supposed to be so picturesque. And it IS. As we enter the port on our tender, I am shooting like crazy – so many angles, little boats, colorful buildings. The colors in Tuscany are delicious! We walk around a little in the town then strike up the hill to the Splendido Hotel, where the rich and famous stay and dine. It is indeed splendido, with gorgeous views of the port below. We head out further towards the next town of Santa Margherita, but only make it halfway, as we want to get back to Portofino before the shops close at 1 (see how inconvenient it is??!). We find this great little jewelry shop called Baccarini (uh-oh!). But we find some striking little local stuff and Linda is smiling. She will look stunning in these.
Then it’s back to the ship for some R&R (again). Linda has “stuff” she wants to do, so I head back around 4 to pick up our jewelry (we had to get our dollars we had on board). Unfortunately the sea is too rough for watersports, so I sit by the pool and read…it has been a wonderful excursion, and a fitting end to our journey, as we arrive at Monte Carlo tomorrow morning. After dinner we finalize our packing (so THAT was what Linda was doing!), and settle in for our last disk of Nip/Tuck…as the Sea Dream sets sail around 11 pm.
Saturday, July 7. Monte Carlo, Monaco. Nice. Provence, France
We arrive at Monte Carlo around 7 a.m. It is quite large by our last week’s standard of ports. Full of modern buildings – and casinos. We have our final breakfast and say goodbye to Mirza, Silvio, Andi, Gary, Albert, Gina – the staff on board have been truly exceptional. And of course to the friends we have made…
Unfortunately, our driver service got the information wrong and tried to meet us at Nice, but that is where we are GOING. We have about an hour wait, which was not fun, but we are too, too far from getting stressed. Finally he arrives and takes us to Nice to get our car. Unfortunately, this place was another mess-up. We sign up, then go back to get our car. Well, evidently here they wash your car after they get it for you…anyway, it is not until 11:30 that we pull out of Nice. Not fun, but hey, we are on our way. Now the real fun begins – driving in France! Yikes. What does THAT sign mean? WE drive along the beachfront in Nice, which is nice, and then miraculously find our way onto the interstate, or whatever they call it here (interprovince?).
We make our way up to Provence, which is not what we expected. It looks like Colorado in parts. But we make it to Aix-en-Provence and exit the highway, hoping we could find our way back. We find a place to park (amazing!) and then walk into the main part of the city. Unfortunately the open air market is just dis-assembling (it’s one o’clock you see!). We make it up to the main street with the major shopping and street cafes. We find a table and manage to be ignored just long enough for us to leave…but we find a smaller, more intimate café and have the most delicious Salad Nicoise we have ever eaten. We then head on back to our car and miraculously make it back to the highway. We head north to Cavaillon where we exit for our destination of St. Remy de-Provence. Following our directions we make it to the Domaine de Valmouriane, which is a delightful chateau with only 11 rooms. It is quite warm today. We settle in a bit but decide to try out St. Remy. We are astounded at its beauty! The old district has this maze of old buildings, with lovely squares and ancient alleyways lined with galleries, boutiques, and specialty food shops. And the colors!
I find this cute little dress shop and we meet Anne-Catherine who makes these lovely tops and dresses. Linda tries on a couple at my prodding, and we have a wonderful time – and a few purchases. Anne-Catherine gives us some ideas for dinner, so we head off to the Gousse d’Ail and make a reservation for tonight at 8. Then it’s home to freshen up. We return for a delightful dinner. Linda finally gets her bouillabaisse, which she has been dying for – and it is well worth the wait. Everything is delightful.
We finally get to talk with Barbara, who is our guide tomorrow at Avignon. We have realized tomorrow is Sunday and would love to get to a market. Well, instead of touring the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, Barbara tells us of a famous market provencal held on Sundays at L’isle sur la Sorgue, which is nearby. We are very excited about doing this, as it is something we both love to do.
Sunday, July 8. L’isle sur la Sorgue, France. St. Remy de-Provence.
We are up at the crack of dawn (though I never actually heard it crack) so that we are at the market early. We head out toward the town of L’isle sur la Sorgue, and arrive in
time to have a great coffee and pastry and then wander around as the vendors set up their booths. The entire city center is bustling with activity – and we are taking it all in. Wonderful sections of fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, sausages, cheeses, fresh meat, and then many, many other local goods. The smells, sounds, and colors are overwhelming. We were supposed to meet up with Barbara that afternoon in Avignon, but we see that is not going to happen, so we call and cancel. Once again the lure of the market overtakes us… close to noon we find a café seat and enjoy a wonderful salad – full of things we have seen in the market. It was truly
outstanding….afterward, we had agreat time talking to a couple who owned an antique store – saw a piece from Mongolia that was a great buy – but just too big for our place in Atlanta… exhausted we make our way back to our car and head home for St. Remy. We refresh and then are drawn back into St. Remy, which we can’t get enough of. We walk about the old town…there is a refreshing breeze…a delightful evening. We find a wonderful little patio restaurant called Auberge de la Reine Jeanne. We have another fabulous meal, with artichokes, escargot, and tournedos, along with some great local wine. Dinners here start late (well, 8 for us) and last at least two hours. No one is in a hurry to leave. Very nice custom.
Monday, July 9. Provence, France: Vaucluse area. Crillon Le Brave
We pack up our things and head out toward Crillon Le Brave. We decide to take the roundabout way through the Luberon Mountains and the Plateau de Vaucluse. It is unbelievable. We first find the little town of Bonniex, sitting up on a high hill. We get out and walk around. So quaint, with winding narrow roads and very, very old buildings. Spectacular! I should mention that the lavender fields abound. We then find a little town called Rousillon, which is set on top of an ocre cliff. It is very, very beautiful, but packed with tourists – and it is raining, so we find our way out of town (not a small deed), and head north til we reach Mur, which was nearly deserted. But we happened on a cute little restaurant and had a fantastic lunch. It turns out this area produces 80% of the world’s truffles, so we had some great truffle raviolis. The meals just keep getting better, if that is possible…
Finally we find our way to our destination, a little village on top of a hill, called Crillon Le Brave. The view is spectacular, surrounded by fields of grapes. The hotel (Hostellerie Crillon Le Brave) is at the very top next to the old church. We are escorted to our room (“Carignan”) and we are overwhelmed. It is simply exquisite, and the windows and French doors open to provide a fantastic view of the countryside below and Mont Ventoux. We could not possible have a better place to stay. There is a beautiful pool below us so I go out to get a little sun…. We refresh ourselves and prepare for dinner at 8 in the hotel dining room. We get a perfect table near the fireplace where the lamb is cooking. The atmosphere is very romantic and the service is outstanding. Each time they bring us another dish, we look at each other in amazement. Linda’s chicken and my lamb were delicious. And of course, the wine…again we roll out around 10:30, absolutely feeling wonderful…It has been a simply wonderful, wonderful day. What an adventure! Overwhelming to the senses…
Tuesday, July 10: Vaison la Romaine, Mont Ventoux, Crillon Le Brave
We have a wonderful petit dejeuner overlooking the valley. We hear from a couple in the lobby of a wonderful market at Vaison la Romaine. We drive through some beautiful country and find the little town awash with people who have come for the marketplace. It literally overtakes the whole town, alley after alley, street after street. We miraculously find a parking space and head off with the crowds. Almost immediately we find a fossil/gem shop and we buy some things for our collection. Linda is having a ball! I am, as usual, shooting like crazy….the people, the goods, it’s wonderful. We wander and wander, past soaps, perfumes, cheeses, fish…and suddenly we hear these angelic sounds of voice and harp, and see this simply refreshingly beautiful young girl playing her harp and singing for change. She could perform anywhere, but here she was. I look over and Linda is crying, she was so moved by the whole scene. We reluctantly head off…I am getting hungry, so I buy a very fresh, bright red tomato, some very large and succulent figs, and some red and yellow peaches. When we find a space, we sit down and enjoy our purchase…But now we have had our fill and want to get on our way. Unfortunately our GPS has gone kaput since Mur, so we are on our own. Well, we get lost somewhere in the mountains, but it is all beautiful and eventually we see the sign for Crillon Le Brave and meander our way home. Linda has been a little nervous with my driving in the mountains (well, a lot nervous), not because I was driving fast (no, really), but it’s just the roads are so narrow and I’m trying to see it all. So we reach a compromise (she drives). Anyway, we get in around 2 pm. and sit down at the bistro next to our room. We have a wonderful salad… and bread. I ask for butter, then the waiter looks puzzled.. He then says “burre”, but I hear him say “buttehr” which I repeat in my best Pepe Le Pew French accent. Linda gets a good laugh out of it…
We have had another great day and look forward to another Provence meal. The woman at the hotel has recommended a little place in the town nearby (Bedoin). When we get there, it looks like a dive, but once we get inside, it is unbelievable. It is a very old stone barn that they have turned into the Chez Hortense. There are only eight tables. The waitress Silvi speaks some English so she translates the menu for us. As for the wine, I mention the word Bordeaux and I thought she was going to choke. We are in the heart of Rhone country – what WAS I thinking. So we take her recommendation and it is delicious. I have lamb that was cooked for 12 hours (like buttuh – or buttehr), and Linda has a tender sea bass. It is all wonderful. Of course, she comes out with the cheeses and I am already stuffed. But I manage to taste some, trying to hold out some space for our chocolate dessert. We are getting very tired, but once again, no one is in a hurry. I think it’s almost eleven before we drag ourselves out and drive up the hill to our home for the night. Whew!
Wednesday, July 11. Crillon Le Brave. Drive to Burgundy region. Chambolle-Musigny, France.
I wake up early and decide to take advantage of the morning light for some shots. I have a great time finding some spots and shooting. Great fun! When I return, Linda is up and we enjoy our petit dejeuner on the patio. It has cooled considerably, so now we are in jeans and jackets. We pack up our things and prepare to head north. We have quite a trek ahead of us, as we leave Provence and head up near Dijon in the Burgundy region. We truly have loved Provence, and would love to spend more time there, though we read today the Euro has reached an all time high against the dollar, and they expect it to double or triple in the future. Maybe going back to Buenos Aires is a much better option….
We find our way to Orange and to the A7 highway north. The countryside is very beautiful, as we pass fields of sunflowers and wheat and lavender – and lots of corn (who knew?). We stop in Lyon for a quick lunch and arrive in Burgundy around 3 p.m. at the little village of Chambolle-Musigny, which is about halfway between the town of Beaune and the larger city of Dijon. This is on the Route des Grand Crus, which reminds me of Napa, in that there are many Chateaus offering wine tastings, and you are surrounded by fields and fields of grapes, which are now very green and loaded with grapes. We find our hotel relatively easily (with some twists and turns). It is the Château Andre Ziltener, one of the finest chateaus in the region. There are only a few rooms here and we are given a beautiful one. We unpack and take a brief stop in the wine museum on the first floor and have a wine tasting of their wines. We take a walk around the small village. The sun is finally out and it is simply breathtaking. We have had a long drive so we ask for a very local restaurant recommendation, which turns out to be ½ block away. It is a VERY local place, but nice, and the wine and food are good, but not outstanding. But it is a pleasant evening, as we walk home and collapse in our lovely room.
Thursday, July 12. Bourgogne (Burgundy), France
We are excited about driving around the countryside. We have our map of Burgundy and plan on getting lost nonetheless. We have worked out our relationship now – Linda drives and I get out and take photos. It works for both of us – I get to spot shots, and she gets to, well, not see me drive. (I can hear Margaret and Jenn saying, “Boy, you got THAT right!). We take off into the hill region, through towns of Reulle-Vergy, Messanges and Bouilland, headed (generally) northwest. At one point we go full circle, and Linda starts calling me Clark Griswold, of Chevy Chase/European Vacation fame. Very funny. We make our way on the superhighway for a while, but there are no exits…finally we get off at Poiully-en-Auxois, and then backtrack. We are trying to see the beautiful Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, which sits high on a hill overlooking the valleys below. We find it, park the car the walk around the quaint little village area. It is chilly and we are wearing jackets at this point. We then get back in the car and start navigating southward. As we head down D970, we start seeing signs about the Tour de France, and at one point realize, we are actually driving on the road the cyclists will be taking – TOMORROW. We stop for lunch in Bligny-sur-Ouche, and have a great little lunch of salade and pizza. We then head off into Beaune, which is a larger town, with a bustling centre village. First, we find the famous Hospices de Beaune, where nuns cared for the sick. We walk around and as we are heading back home, Linda finds a fossil shop, and off we go. It turns out that the proprietor is a fossil digger like we have become, so she and Linda have a grand old time – and we end up buying sharks teeth and other “must have” rocks(Ticket agent: “what do you have in these suitcases, rocks?”). Well, yes we do – now.
I also realize that I have not been checking my bag for our valuables. I do so, and realize that we are missing Linda’s wallet and our US dollars. We are sick, but are hoping we have had a senior moment and left them in the luggage. We return home and are disheartened to learn they are not. We have been very careful, but obviously not careful enough. So we have the fun task of calling to cancel our credit cards. Fortunately, I still have one that is valid and, most fortunately, they did not take our passports, which were in the same zippered compartment. Now that would have been a major mess.
That evening we head off to a nearby restaurant called The Chef Coq, in the Hotel La Gentilhommiere, and it is a more upscale place in the nearby town of Nuits-St.Georges. We have a spectacular meal with great service, though it still amazes me that young waiters here speak almost no English. We drive back to the hotel; it has been a great day, but the pall of the theft still lingers in the air…
Friday, July 13. Bourgogne, France.
We awake to a beautiful day and are excited about our trip to Saulieu and our stay at Relais Bernard Loiseau, which is one of the great hotels of the world. We check out early and head north. We realize that the Tour de France will actually traverse the area we need to cross (it runs directly between Chambolle-Musigny and Saulieu. But we decide that it is too great an opportunity to pass up, so we head west to get on the Saulieu side so we won’t be cut off. Linda wants to head on up to our hotel first, so we (she) drives us , first down the Grand Crus to Beaune, then to La Rochepot, then up D906 towards Champignolles. At this point we start seeing people tailgating and gendarmes along the road – and we realize that we are now traversing the road the Tour de France will be coming later today. I am getting nervous we will hit a roadblock somewhere, but we suddenly are past this road and on our way to Arnay-le-Duc, which is names after, well, never mind. We continue on up D906 till we reach Saulieu. The hotel is right on the main drag, and they are very welcoming – and are letting us in our room early. It is stunning and we have a lovely patio that is very private. We unload our luggage, freshen up a bit, then get in our car and head east to find the Tour de France. We head north to Precy-sous-Thil, and then east on D70 towards Clamerey until we see cars parked on both sides of the road. We are very excited that we actually are going to see the Tour de France – and all this totally unexpected. Who knew? We make our way to the turn that is barricaded off (intersection of D970 and D70) and arrive just as the last of the advance “parade” is coming by – throwing hats and flags and other stuff (reminded us of Mardi Gras – but without the obligatory lifting of the shirts…). So then we wait…every few minutes cars come by, each some kind of sponsor, and occasionally cars with bike holders on top. Each time the crowd waves and yells, but there are no more trinkets. About an hour passes but then we see helicopters coming near, like bees overhead. We know the moment is about to come. Then we see the first rider; he is well ahead of the pack – and surrounded by cars. Then the excitement – and noise – builds as we see the helmets of the pack of riders. There they are! They come around the turn and pass by us, as we stand on the curb. It is so colorful and exciting, as they are talking to each other and all so close together. It is amazing! And then, it’s over. They are gone. We then meander our way back to Saulieu to prepare for our BIG dinner. Bernard Loiseau was one of the top chefs of the world – and this is his hotel/restaurant. We arrive early for dinner and sit at a lone table on a deck overlooking the courtyard, as we have some wonderful champagne and hors d’oevres. We then head down to the dining room where we have a table overlooking the courtyard. And we are treated to the most delicious meal I have ever eaten. From frog legs to sweetbreads to veal to duck – each portion more delectable than the last. Some things we could not identify, but were amazed at all the flavors. Set off, of course, by a wonderful wine from the region. And then, just as we were finishing desert, we heard fireworks outside. We all rushed outside to be treated to a lively Bastille Day celebration practically over our heads. Magical indeed! Then upon our return, at our table was a little plaque on a stand upon which was written – Happy Honeymoon – and all of it in pure chocolate. It was indeed one of the most memorable evenings of our lives.
Saturday, July 14. Saulieu to Dijon to Paris - Bastille Day
We are up early as we need to drive to Dijon to catch the train. We walk out for a brief walk and have a petit dejeuner at a local café. As we finish we offer our waitress a bottle of wine we had been given at Chateau Andre Ziltener. They were thrilled – and we enjoyed doing it. Then in our loaded VW we headed off to Dijon. We dropped the car off at the train station and navigated the ticket counter and headed out to Paris. We are very excited to be going to this wonderful city together. We have had a simply magical time in the countryside, in Provence and in Burgundy, but it is time to move on to the big city…and all that awaits. We have an uneventful ride (about 2 hours) and at the Gare D’Austerlitz look for our driver who was to pick us up – but to no avail. So we find a taxi to take us to our Hotel. It is now around 3 in the afternoon. Paris is absolutely teeming with people – it is, of course, Paris in the summer, but it is also Bastille Day weekend, so it was, well, full. We check into our room, which is delightful – at the Relais Christine – in the heart of the Left Bank, just a block of St. Germain, and two blocks to the Seine. The hotel has been converted from a 16th century monastery – and the location is perfect. We quickly refresh ourselves and head off to enjoy the City of Light. We don’t make it a half block when I spot a great little (Terima Kasih) and we meet Takima the owner and end up buying some spectacular (but inexpensive) jewelry for Meez Leenda, made by a woman named Chantal. Then we walk along the Seine and enjoy all the booksellers and their little booths. We cross over to the Notre Dame Cathedral, and as we are standing there, we hear, “Bill, Linda!” It is our next door neighbor, Paula, from Atlanta. What are the chances?? We have a nice little visit and then we just wander around mostly, but end up at the Luxemburg Gardens, which is abundantly appointed in flowers of every color and texture. Having had enough for now, we make our way back to the hotel and rest up before dinner. We have heard great things about the restaurant next door, which is also called Christine (both hotel and restaurant are on Rue Christine, which is one short block – which is where both Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas lived). This restaurant is very small, about ten tables, but the meal is truly great – with some wonderful duck with raspberry sauce. And of course, a lovely Bordeaux wine. We walk home quite full and collapse.
Sunday, July 15. Paris
We have been looking forward to today, as it is a big day of flea markets. We take the Metro south down to the Marche au Puces de la Porte de Vanues. It is early and the vendors are setting up their booths. This is mostly a true flea market, with some things that are valuable and some things that are definitely not. I run across a vendor selling old photographs and some of them are quite amusing. 20 minutes later I walk out with a handful that I hope to use in my next creative project. We see some nice old African art that Linda knows well, but we pass on these. We then decide to head north to see the much larger Marche Les Puces de Saint-Ouen. We walk a ways to the Metro stop and take the train up north. We exit and find our way to the market, though it is hard to miss. There are hundreds and hundreds of booths and a section of antique stores. We have a great ole time walking around, but nothing really catches our eye. We did find a store that sells old watch parts, and webought a handful of watch faces, with which we will do – well, we have absolutely NO idea. We find our way to the train and go back to the hotel. We then head out again, first to the Musee des Lettres that had a small Titanic exhibit, which was interesting, though everything was in French – how rude! It was neat to see some of the last letters written by passengers, as well as the last menu offered on board.
We then head out toward theJardin des Tuileries, past the Louvre and up to Musee de L’Orangerie, where we sit and enjoy Monet’s Water Lilies, and then other works, mostly of Impressionists. We then walked home. It is dry and hot in Paris, so it doesn’t take much to tire you out. We crash in our hotel and then head out again to the La Mediterranee (near Place de L’Odeon), where Linda is looking to cure her lust for Bouillabaisse (not to mention, an old haunt of Marlene Dietrich). We have a delightful meal, again with another great Bordeaux. We then decide to check out Pigalle Place, which is the, well, “adult district.” We walk around for awhile – it is packed with people, including a horrendously long line of people waiting to get into the Moulin Rouge. We go into the Erotic Museum, which was 7 floors of, well, eroticism. Very fascinating to see this in all cultures throughout the ages. We decide to go in to see a show, and after paying our cover charge to get in, get our drinks along with a bill for 80 Euros (about $110)! Furious, we storm out amidst the not friendly chants of the personnel there. Oh well. We have had a very full day and it is time to take a taxi home and put our sore feet to rest….
Monday, July 16. More Paris
Today is our outright window shopping day. We head back to the street where we had seen some neat shops the day before. But they are closed, either because it was Lundi (Monday) – who knew? – or because it was too early (10 a.m??). Oh those French! We walk on to the area around St. Germain and Rue de Sevres, and enjoy the window shopping and I shoot people doing the same. Linda finds a neat little store and while she tries on stuff, I am shooting people through the show window, which was fun. Linda gets a couple of small items and we are off. We end up at Café Au Deux Magots, which is not as bad as it sounds. Actually it has been a great meeting place of the rich and famous (Hemingway), and well, so are we. We have some great salads and I have a Croque Provence, which has some of those Herbs de Provence we bought when we were there…I continue to shoot people on the street whenever I can get away with it….trying to capture Paris street scenes if possible. I have been having fun shooting, but no time to even look at what I’ve captured. Too much to do, and fortunately, I am sleeping more, so I don’t have the time I had during our last trip, when I rarely slept…
After lunch, we head back to the Christine for some (brief) rest, and head out again. We have been told there is a new African museum and Linda, the African Art Collector, wants to take advantage of the opportunity. Our taxi driver locates it – next to the Eiffel Tower, on the south side of the Seine – it is called Musee du Quai Branly . It is an unusual structure, and it looks like giant colored building blocks. The exhibit is fascinating. I am learning from Linda about the influence of African Art on other artists, including Picasso and others. Ignorant people like myself don’t think of Africa as being much of a hotbed of creative energy, but Linda has changed my thinking about that. After our “tour,” we walk over to the Eiffel Tower; it is very, very crowded, so we opt not to navigate upwards….
After some rest, we get primped up and head off around 6 pm via taxi to the Georges V Hotel. Linda was here in her distant past (for a lunch with her ex and Sophia Loren!), and wanted me to see it. It IS incredibly beautiful, with lots of glass, mirrors, natural wood, and cut flowers. There are a couple of large flower displays that are simply breathtaking, and we ask someone to take our picture in front of them. We have a delectable champagne in the bar, which was quite romantic. Then we head off to our evening adventure, the Lido on the Champs Elysees. We have heard the dinner is not fantastic, but we hope it will get us good seats. We end up in a great little booth not far from the stage, and have, as expected, a decent but not exceptional meal. Then the show began. Frankly, we were disappointed. Yes, there were elaborate costumes, and bare breasts, but beyond that, it was loosely choreographed and rather canned. We were also expecting something a bit more erotic, but it surely was not. After the show was over, we found a taxi and headed home to Christine….
Tuesday, July 17. Still Paris…
We have our nice little breakfast in the basement of the hotel, which is like eating in an old castle. But the coffee is rich and creamy and the breads are very fresh and light. This is our last full day in Paris. Fortunately yesterday and today are much cooler.
We head off on foot to a site of great expectation, the Musee D’Orsay, which is my favorite museum in Paris. It is a rehabbed train station, and the structure of the building is beautiful in its own right, and the contents, mostly Impressionists, are beyond description. And we are lucky today because there is a special exposition called “From Cezanne to Picasso: Masterpieces from the Vollard Collection.” It consists of all the works “handled” in one way or another (exhibited, commissioned, owned or sold), by the Parisian art collector and art broker, Ambrose Vollard (1866-1937). He had relationships with Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, and others, and these are all those works he had something to do with, gathered from all over the world. It is indescribable, and once again, we just happen on to something that is so wonderful. After taking in the exhibition and what we can digest from the regular collections, we head off to walk along the Seine…then all over, then back to Relais Christine…. We stop in a few shops, and Linda finds a great little shop with hundreds of scarves, called Diwali.
Linda has another place she visited before and wants me to see – Foot of the Pig. No really. So we taxi off to Le Pied de Cochon for dinner. Now their specialty is Pig’s feet and a huge seafood platter, but we opt for more boring options of duck and beef. The meal is a good one. We then decide to walk to Les Halles and Marais. It is amazing how full of people it is, mostly sitting in outdoor cafes. A whole other scene. We walk and walk and when we can walk no more, find a taxi and head home….
Wednesday, July 18. Return to Atlanta
We do our final packing and head out via taxi around 8:30 am. It takes about and hour to get to DeGaulle Airport, and as we drive, half asleep, we leave Paris reluctantly – though we are ready to come home. We unload our luggage and just before we get to the Delta check-in, we see a policeman moving people back. We learn there is a piece of luggage they cannot identify, so they are clearing the terminal. We all wait there with our luggage carts, held at bay by policeman with machine guns. Oh those French! Fortunately, the wait is not too long, and we get checked in and through security and onto our plane for our journey home. It has been a simply magical honeymoon, one that we will never forget, and keep enjoying for years. It has been a great mix of boat, car, and foot/train/taxi. We laugh at ourselves for how little we prepared for this trip (language, research, etc.), but, to our defense, we did have a lot going on, with housing and, oh yes, a wedding. But as a result we have had some incredible happenings, great adventures, and, as usual, met some wonderful people along the way. And best of all, Linda and I grow closer and closer day by day. We definitely mesh together well, and our life together is so effortlessly seamless.. I know, it’s only been two months of marriage, but still it is wonderful to experience and enjoy.