A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

Headed out for Paris Thursday morning, and the first adventure was about an hour into the train trip to Chicago, when an engine fire on a train on the tracks ahead of us stopped us in Dwight.

An hour later, after being informed the delay would be at least a couple of more hours...while the burned engine was removed and another put in place ...I pooled with a family from Spain to hire a car to take us on to OHare.

Mike Rippy with Direct Limo arrived quickly and got us there in good time. The Spanish family and I pulled out our google translator apps, which worked beautifully in relaying info between us and to/from our driver.

One of the hazards of train travel, but I still love it.


The first leg of my flight, to Dublin, was very pleasant with a friendly and chatty seatmate on his first plane trip...until I got apparently air sick, which has never happened before.

That passed , transferred planes in Dublin and arrived in Paris. No sign of the coronavirus outbreak, but for virtually all Asian travelers being masked.

Had booked a shared shuttle from the airport, which was exactly as I expected...a driving tour of the city while getting to my hotel.

Seriously crazy motorcycles here, as has been true everywhere I have been overseas...they weave in and out of traffic and go pretty much wherever they please. Yikes.


I am in a beautiful hotel, which had given a substantial discount for an extended stay ...lots of personal and welcoming touches, and they upgraded me to a kitchenette at no additional charge.

I would have been delighted just with a coffee maker and frig, but there is actually a tiny kitchen with a one burner stove, as well, and dishes/pots and pans available on request.

The hotel is in a bustling area of restaurants, shops, etc., but I did not have the energy to do any real exploring yesterday.

Found a nice grocery nearby and picked up some yogurt and things for light breakfast, etc., bravely selecting what it looked like I wanted, as everything was of course in French only.


Stayed up as late as I could manage, after 1 1/2 days without sleep, settled in rather early last evening and slept for 12 hours.

Figured out the espresso machine for morning coffee, and will clean up and head out a bit later for a day of sightseeing.

Light rain going on outside this morning...I am glad I brought for outerwear a long, lightweight microfiber coat with hood.

Maggie

[Foiled Again]

Well this thread gets us all thinking.
Get a flu shot if you haven't already, because flu could weaken your immunity to this virus and you could become much sicker. So far, fatality rate is about 10% so even of you get sick, getting treated aggressively improves your chances of recovery. Fatality rates should go down as our learning curve improves too... and people.treating patients ARE learning from every single one.

I got hooked on Downton Abbey when it ran on PBS and read quite a lot of related material, especially about the world wide pandemic of a highly lethal influenza virus at the end of the war. Returning troops spread the infection world wide in weeks, and virtually all of them traveled by ship. Airplane travel now spreads contagious in hours and days. At the end of WWI, we didn't know that viruses existed. Those who say masks don't work against viruses are correct on one respect. Viruses go through a mask like shooting birdshot through a tennis racket. Masks DO offer some protection against you spreading your infection to others simply because they catch most of the released moisture from a cough or sneeze. Wearing one is good manners if nothing else. I think I will be burning my tissues in an old coffee can rather than dropping them in waste baskets, too. Getting hand sanitizer too, though it dries my skin, but will use caution and put a bandaid on even something as minor as a hangnail.

Maggie, take care, but go. Just don't let any romantic French guys slobber while kissing your hand.

[Hittenstiehl]

Maggie, thank you for taking us on this trip with you we look forward to your postings and adventures.

be safe have fun.

[Lily&Me]

I got to the Resistance Museum yesterday morning, which was very emotional and sobering.

Such bravery, such suffering, such catastrophic destruction of life and way of life.. it is difficult to comprehend even with the written record, photos and movies.

People secreted away evidence of what was happening, so the truth could someday come out...which of course, it did.

A long walk after up cobblestoned streets to a nice lunch, a yarn shoppe, then the Musee d’Orsay, which after 7+ hours on my feet about did me in for the day.

Paris is a mixture of the old, the very old, and the more modern. A beautiful and unique city.

I couldn’t get myself to brave the mass transit system, Metros being something I have very little experience with, and absolutely none by myself...it was intimidating, particularly with the language barrier, so I Uber’d and walked. Maybe today.

Lots of tourists, like me. No one asking about what’s going on at home, and I don’t bring it up.

[Lily&Me]

I didn’t sleep well Saturday night, so felt a bit peckish and never quite got an energy level up and going yesterday, but did walk down to the Bastille area to look at the market that is there on weekends, and spent some time perusing.

So unique and beautiful....seafood of an astounding variety, laid out on ice, poultry of all kinds, pork, sausages, cheeses, eggs, fruit & vegetables, breads, flowers, etc.

All the fresh things you can imagine, sold outside in covered stalls.

A few food vendors and non food items for sale. Full of people on a Sunday morning, most pulling these little carts.

I believe you must generally bring your shopping bag or purchase one in the stores here, as I had to purchase one at the market my first day.

A good lunch next to a chatty lady from Scotland who has lived here 35 years.

The cafes all seem to have outdoor seating, frequently covered and with a gentle heat.

A cappuccino after, because it just looked so pretty.

[Lily&Me]

I visited the Memorial de la Shoah yesterday, also known as the Holocaust museum here in Paris.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mémorial_de_la_Shoah

There are no words, really...sobering, nauseating, frightening, sobering.

A good lunch in a lovely restaurant on the Seine...I’ve been eating one meal out, yogurt and juice in my room for breakfast, cheese and crackers at night if I need it.

Then a 3 hour group WWII history tour, which was excellent.

https://www.localers.com/our-tours-i...SABEgLqo_D_BwE

The only others were a young couple from Charleston, SC.

She is Jewish, her grandmother was 5 years old when her parents left her in a monastery that hid her for the duration, while the parents fled, then returned for her after the war. She knew nothing of her grandmothers history until after she had died.

Romain was our most excellent guide...highly knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic, it was an excellent tour.

He reports that Parisians are still coming to grips with the facts of WWII, much like our country did/is still regarding slavery.

An insiders perspective on something I’ve only learned about from school and reading.

[Lily&Me]

Included was a stop in a cafe, where I had hot chocolate served the Parisian way...melted chocolate, into which you stir hot, steamed milk,

These are the two oldest homes in Paris, dating from the Middle Ages.

My friend has arrived, and we met up for dinner.

A good day, and after lots of walking another very good nights sleep.

[Lily&Me]

Toured Sainte-Chappelle yesterday...an astonishing, 13th century feat of architecture and massive expanses of stained glass. Humbling and beautiful.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle


Then, the Deportation Memorial.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mémo...la_Déportation

[Lily&Me]

Lily would love the cafes in Paris...

[Lily&Me]

I did a load of laundry a half block from my hotel this morning.

Ummm, yes, it took me a minute to figure this out, but I got it done.

This is Sammy, who came along while I was in process, spoke very good English, and stayed to chat awhile as his laundry dried.

[Lily&Me]

Lunch at a restaurant known for its crepes yesterday, poked around a massive BHV department store, and then a literary walking tour where Hemingway, Fitzgerald, et al, spent their time.

My friends pedometer had us at about 12,000 steps when I bailed into the third hour...the tour went overtime into a fourth, after which when she called me from her place I had already had a soak in a hot tub and a couple of extra strength Tylenol.

Yikes.

My crepes meal had fresh cheese, a few potatoes, and bacon, with fresh greens over the top....delicious, and unlike anything I have ever eaten before.

Lots of narrow cobblestone streets still exist here, buildings that date to the Middle Ages and imbedded history everywhere you look.

An amazing city.

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Lunch at a restaurant known for its crepes yesterday, poked around a massive BHV department store, and then a literary walking tour where Hemingway, Fitzgerald, et al, spent their time.



My friends pedometer had us at about 12,000 steps when I bailed into the third hour...the tour went overtime into a fourth, after which when she called me from her place I had already had a soak in a hot tub and a couple of extra strength Tylenol.



Yikes.



My crepes meal had fresh cheese, a few potatoes, and bacon, with fresh greens over the top....delicious, and unlike anything I have ever eaten before.



Lots of narrow cobblestone streets still exist here, buildings that date to the Middle Ages and imbedded history everywhere you look.



An amazing city.

Thanks for sharing your travels!

Dana

[Al and Missy]

Enjoying walking along with you!

Al

[GratefulGal]

I’m enjoying this so much! Thanks for the updates and photos.

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, folks, for reading, for enjoying and for cheering me on.

We did I believe 5 of the covered passages in Paris today, which are absolutely beautiful creations from the 1800’s and unlike anything we have in the US.

We took the metro, but still lots of walking, but more stops today and I am not nearly as tired.

I had a croque monsieur for my lunch and then a glass of kir late afternoon. Paris things.

I will post pictures in the morning...right now catching up on the news.

Tomorrow...Provins on the train.

Maggie

[nsbcpa]

Thanks for sharing your travels with us !!!

[DaveP]

Kir is a special treat!

[Lily&Me]

The covered passages are really extraordinary...little shops and restaurants, antique dealers, old book sellers, etc., along these covered corridors..

[Lily&Me]

Lunch, and later a glass of kir...

[Foiled Again]

I can almost taste it. Almost.