New Year Resolution

Renew, Regenerate and Recycle - Okay it is time to start making all of those good resolutions for the New Year. I know I am. Paris does it right. Each city park is taking back Christmas trees for mulch. They make it easy to 'do the right thing'.

I know, I know. If only my (or your) neighborhood made it so easy in the good ol' USA. Maybe our New Year's resolution is to 'do the right thing' even if it isn't so easy. Who knows - maybe our neighbors will catch up with us!

Best wishes for 2009!

Musee Jacquemart Andre

This year we returned to the Musee Jacquemart Andre to see the special exhibit of works by Van Dyck. His paintings are from the early 1600s. For me - the most impressive feature of is paintings is the moisture in people's eyes. I swear they look like they could cry given a sad song or story. The collection is hanging until the end of January 2009 and contains worldwide works. The ones from St. Petersburg Russia were among my favorites. Wildly different from most of the works - Portrait Des Princesses (1637) leaves you breathless.

This museum is another on the 'must see' list in Paris. The mansion was built to hold one of the most amazing private collections in the world. BTW - one of the best features is the house itself. Walls are designed to disappear into the basement or other walls to help accommodate guests.

I am telling you - not only did these guys (and gals) know who to collect - they also knew how to show it off. The audio guided tour is free.

Nice Stop

I always enjoy finding small friendly locations for lunch in Paris. Today was no exception. We happened to find just the right Brassiere. Best of all - the service and food were fast, a rare occurrence in Paris.

Musee Marmottan

I cannot believe that we have never visited this museum. It has a terrific collection of paintings, decorative art (aka furniture), and architecture. If you love Monet - it is a must visit. If you love Napoleon period furniture - it is a must visit. If you love good architecture - it is a must visit. Also - the museum hosts a few surprises. First - it has a good collection of 13th to 16th Century Illuminations (that is - religious writings gilded in gold). Second - even if you don't love Monet (which is difficult to do after seeing this collection) the museum is host to some other impressive works. I fell in love with the Paul Gauguin hanging above Paul Marmottan's desk.

The museum is a surprising maze of hallways and rooms. All filled with art, furniture, and features worth observing. The 3E self-guided tour is worth the investment.

Most of all - the 6 block walk from the train/metro station is worth the time. BTW - the museum opens at 11H, not 10H.

The Woods

Paris version of Central Park. Okay, we really should do this part of the tour in the Summer.

Trains

I have never been a huge fan of trains. In Paris - I prefer the metro and my heart sinks every time I realize that my itinerary requires use of the RER. I know, I know. The RER is wonderful. I promise - I am SLOWLY getting use to it and becoming a fan. Another good feature of our hotel is the direct link to both the RER and Paris Metro. Today we head West on the RER C train towards the 'Woods' - basically Paris' version of Central Park. Our destination is Musee Marmottan to see the collection of works by Monet. My first trip on the RER C train ended in disaster - who knew the line split North and South? Or that I was on the wrong train? No troubles this morning!

Happy New Years Eve! Mine started at 3:45 am – yes, I woke up, jumped out of bed and even started the coffee maker – then realized it was too darn early. ARGHHHHH! I am going to need lots of coffee today!

We are off to see works by Monet and Van Dyck today. The d'Able lobby is lightly decorated for the Season (pictured). Barbara and I found ourselves locked out of the hotel yesterday evening while the single attendant ate dinner. Good news - our clothes and Rob (sleeping) were safe. Bad news - we were on the wrong side of the door. Only in Paris!

Good Intentions

We stopped at an old favorite haute for lunch today (pictured here). It is Le Petit Pontoise on the Left Bank. I had two of my favorites - foie gras and escargot - yes, duck liver and snails. Both dishes are a must when visiting Paris and I love them. Rob ate a salt crusted sea bass.

We found the FNAC store (like USA Tower Records) to pick up our tickets. After a few false starts - I maneuvered through the store and found the billets counter. I really should learn to speak and understand French. Off to the Arab Institute to view the Napoleon in Egypt exhibit. The museum is located on the Left Bank and near our hotel. The exhibit is very good. It is hard to believe Napoleon conquered Egypt at 26 years of age.

Time change and traveling has us weary today. It is tough getting old! Laughing! We lost Rob to the 'call of the bed' around 3:30 pm. Dinner will be early tonight and close to hotel. I think we all need a good night sleep to recharge our batteries.Thankfully - I bought a 9E coffee maker for our room. Add 5E in Starbucks ground coffee and we are nicely stocked for the morning.

Paris - Day One

Our first day in Paris was rainy and cold.

The RER train ride from CDG to St. Michel went without a hitch - although those pesty stairs reminded me that my suitcase was HEAVY! Like me, it needed to drop a few pounds.

The Hotel d'Able is serving as our home away from home. The easy location on the Left Bank gives us ready access to everything. Besides - it is a nice treat to return to the same hotel year after year. We take this to an extreme by requesting the same rooms too! We dropped our bags and hit the streets. The first goal is to stay awake and fight the urge to lay down.

First Lines

Oh Paris! we are here. Train line was not too bad. Soon we are off for
the city.

The Trip Begins

We made it past check-in, through security, and are being lazy in the
Admirals Club with plenty of time.

Winter Weather

Damp and cold weather has come to town just on time for the Holiday.
Only good news is no snow or ice in the forecast.

Winter Arrives

Temperatures are going to drop tonight just in time for the Holidays.

Remembering Spring

Well behaved for the Holiday

Aren't they good kids? even with the cat temptation!

Count Down

Time is passing quickly. It is hard to imagine our trip to Paris is less than 30 days away. I admit to have fallen behind on a few of my planning responsibilities. My Christmas shopping and Thanksgiving celebration made for good distractions! Oh well - time to finish up the tasks.

Can you believe we are already planning for our Cancun trip in Fall 2009? I could not get good AA Advantage miles tickets even when trying to book this early. Isn't that wild?

Dog Days

You have to love it when the weather turns warm in December. Today is
one of those days. The kids are back from Petsmart and baths. It is
impossible to resist getting dirty again.

Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt

Our first stop after arriving in Paris on Dec 30 is to view this exhibit at the Institut du Monde Arabe.

Paris : exposition Rouault

We have tickets to see this exhibit on Thursday, Jan 1.

Home

Donovan House is a new boutique hotel from Thompson Hotel. Tonight it is home. I like the extreme modern design. It is located on Thomas Circle and a CVS pharmacy is directly across the street (for all the items you forgot to pack).

This hotel is worth a stop. The restaurant and bar had not opened. The rooftop pool was closed for the season. All said - I'd put it on the list of place to stay.

Travel Break

Enjoying a break from travel planning this week. I will spend a few
days in Washington DC. This is DC Coast on 14th NW. It is worth a
visit when staying downtown.