Tuesday 25 June 2024

An early start this morning as we head to Paris on the TGV. A great, fast and clean train with comfy seats and 313 kmh at one stage and 296 kmh most places. We arrive at Gare Montparnasse and find the Metro connection, buy two tickets from the machine for the trip to our home exchange apartment in the flash 16Arr, enter the corridor to the platform using said tickets and are nearly at the platform, when we encounter a three inspector road block with little ticket readers hanging off their shoulders, demanding to see said tickets. 

Flashy's is fine; Lady P's comes up as invalid. ‘Hardly, she says, it let me through the gates and I bought both tickets together from the same machine. Here's the receipt.’ ‘Madam, your ticket is invalid, fifty Euro fine. Now, on the spot.’ Well, you can imagine what was about to happen. The only English speaker, probably the boss, was getting a bit flustered to say the least. In order to avoid arrest and imprisonment or a riot, Flashy paid the fine. 

The bloody ticket still let us in and out the next lot of gates but in a little panic we actually bought another single ticket for the last leg. They'll be sorry. Lady P is now on the refund and apology warpath. Perhaps a case to the European Court. We'll see. Stay tuned. 

This must have knocked her off course a bit, because we are staying at building number 25 in a nice boulevard, next to a big park, just around the corner from the RER rail station. As you know, Lady P is the navigator. Flashy sometimes carries the bags. Turns out that we turned left instead of right from the RER and commenced a nice stroll through the neighbourhood in the wrong direction. 

Eventually we retrace our steps, spotting a couple of good restaurants and shops along the way for later, so not all lost, and arrive in said boulevard. Flashy can at least count, so he helpfully counts down the building numbers. 37, 35, 33, 31, 29, 27. ‘Ah, that's 27, next one will be 25.’ Sure enough it was. 

Now, there's two code pads. One for the front door and another for the inside door to the lift/stairs. The code for the front door doesn't work. A nice young man however is coming out and says ‘You're not burglars are you?’ We assured him we were not and he let us in. The second door code didn't work either. It would be fair to say we were in a bit of a daze by now. 

However, a tradie was coming out, so he let us through the second door. He couldn't give a toss. We don't dare try the lift, so walk up to the second floor where we are faced with two identical blue doors with no names on the door pads. Stuff it, we push both buttons, expecting as instructed, the nanny to come out and let us in, show us around, give us keys. Usual drill as per the emailed instructions. 

No answer from the door on the right. A slim Chinese lad answers the door on the left. The nanny is a young Ukrainian girl, so looks like this is not the right apartment either. Our host is in Bali, Indonesia. Lady P nonetheless phones her. ‘Ah, you're at the wrong 25,’ she says. There are three 25’s. The first is 25 ter, the second, immediately adjacent, is 25 biz and then there's 25. Just plain old 25. 

Slinking out through the security, we at last, get there and the front door code works. The second door code also works and we try buzzing the apartment to tell nanny we are here. She apparently only speaks Ukrainian and French. She magically appears and we finally get into the apartment via the old, secret lift, behind the door with the mirror, as the two modern lifts in the foyer are being repaired and not working. 

She has a little English and we get the low down and the keys and get to explore the apartment. ‘Isn't it supposed to have two bathrooms?’ says Flashy. Afterall, Linda and David are arriving from Oslo tonight and staying for three nights. There's a master bedroom and attached large ensuite. There's a second kids room set up with a double mattress on the floor. There's no second bathroom or even a dunny in a cupboard. 

As we have agreed to give David and Linda the master bedroom, going to the toilet in the middle of the night will be interesting. Maybe we just do a Bob and Carol, Ted and Alice? Lady P checks the home exchange listing, as she's sure it said two bathrooms. Yes it does. 

Another message to our host in Bali. ‘Oh, yes, we're sorry we need to correct that. Problem with the translation into English. However I have left you a good bottle of red and lots of half finished fortified wines in the door of the fridge.’ 

Not a second toilet confirmed, but the booze won't go astray, thinks Flashy. After settling in we go back to the street and have a delicious gallette, Aperol Spritz, beer and red wine for lunch. Then to the little supermarket for some supplies for tonight. The Kirchners arrive late at 9.30 pm and after dining and some beverages, we get to bed around 12.30 am.

Wednesday 26 June 2024

A long day of wandering around the Paris suburbs, ending at at Au Pied Fouet restaurant. The same old favourite we visit most times we are in Paris. Packed to the rafters and no bookings taken. Nonetheless we get a table upstairs and enjoy canard confit, pork fillet, goats cheese salad and a tartine of vegetables. A bottle of Cote Ventoux was excellent. Home trip is planned via he RER only, on checking the internet, we find it closed in places. So, a cooling beer by the Seine is called for to discuss alternatives. This results in a short walk to the Metro line and eventually home for dinner in the apartment. A cool Champagne, a Rhone Red and some smoked salmon and prosciutto and cheeses, followed by Haagen Daas ice cream and we are all satisfied.

Thursday 27 June 2024

A Metro trip into town this morning is planned for Linda and Lady P to do the June discount specials at Gallrie Lafayette and other stores. Flashy and David have awine tasting at Archibon Restaurant. This is highly recommended and much anticipated. 

Despite concerns from some members of the party, the lads do find said restaurant and, being a bit early, adjourn across the road for a beer. It is while sitting here that a phone message arrives saying that Archibon has had a water leak in the bar and so the wine tasting is cancelled.  

Not sure if this is true and just being across the road, the boys visit the restaurant only to find Henri in a state of despair with water on the floor. Oh well, a refund is due. 

So, we adjourn to a nearby restaurant and order a bottle of Pinot Noir, chorizo  risotto, a rare steak, frites, salad and a couple of extra glasses of shiraz and indulge in a long lunch.

The evening brings us all to a rooftop bar at Brach Hotel chosen by Lady P, where we meet Orlando. He is the youngest son of Laura Jane Ogilvy (the eldest of the Ogilvy clan nannied by Lady P 50 years ago!). This is a wonderful garden rooftop where we enjoy a number of cocktails, overlooking the Tour Eiffel.

Dinner was a short walk away to la Causerie restaurant. This is a pretty typical Paris Bistro with stiff staff, no tourists, limited menu on blackboard and a bit of a reputation. Nonetheless the food was good and the Rhone Syrah excellent.

Friday 28 June 2024

The Kirchners depart today and we leisurely head into town with a good walk to the Metro where Lady P sticks it up an Indian transport attendant, This English speaking attendant sells her two Navigo passes instead of one. Neither is taking a backward step.

Tension eventually decreases and we get one pass for Flashy - who refuses to have one on his phone. As it turns out, his nice plastic coated paper pass works perfectly all day. Lady P's phone pass has some difficulty but she blames the gates! 

We are heading for the Seine and Isle de Citie with the intention of researching some walking shoes for Lady P's Camino walk. This was achieved in the end with the help of a very nice young man in the camping store. 

We also enjoyed a wonderful late lunch at a little back street bistro called La Dame de Paris. A stunning salad Nicoise and a linguine dish with an Aperol and a large Chardonnay. As the day drifted into evening, we headed for the river to find the throngs of Parisians sitting in the sunshine drinking and eating from the pop up bars and kiosks, just like our last visit. It was after work Friday night after all. No. Gone. In its place were manicured lawns, gardens, paths and the odd ‘boat restaurant' on the river. 

Ah well, we find a little pop out space over the river and joining the sit down at tables, hip Paris youngsters, we have a Champagne and a long discussion with a well dressed young man from Hotel Bristol, a very up market joint at $3,000 per night. He had perfect English and had been to Sydney when he was 18. He'd like to go back but is scared of spiders! 

On the way home, heading to a Metro, we stopped at Ma Biscoque Bar, a joint on the street looking very Middle Eastern. No English here. Flashy manages to order two beers, even though, not hearing too well the old chook's response, gets two pints of beer instead of two half pints. He manages one and three quarters; Lady P the balance and we waddle off to the train and tram home.

Saturday 29 June

A late start with a walk to Studio Harcourt and the bistrot there. This was just around the corner and recommended by our hosts. Fabulous building. Art Deco style and brilliant interiors. Turns out that we (2 pax) and another table of 4 pax were the only ones for lunch. A young and excellent English speaker waiter looked after us and we enjoyed a couple of Champagnes, followed by asparagus with egg mousseline and mayonnaise and a brilliant tuna tartare with sesame oil and guacamole. Brave French chef there! Stunning entrees with a lovely Viognier. 

Our mains were Quais veau (veal) and pintade (Spatchcock) both enjoyed with a pinot noir Bourgogne and another Viognier. Very good food, wine and service in a spectacular space. Home to change shoes and walk off to catch the public transport to town to look for maybe some winter gear for next season at UniQlo. Not successful. But a late Negroni at restaurant Elementaire on rue Leoplod Bellan (2arr) helped us home for smoked salmon, baguette, pate and the last of the gin.

Sunday 30 June 2024

A slow start to the day with a walk up Avenue Victor Hugo to find a place open for brunch. It’s Sunday in the ‘burbs of course! Le Pain Quotidien café fits the bill and we line up to get in.  It has a Syrian themed menu and we must have looked the part because the waiter kept winking and nodding to us and found us a table, ordered before many others and was delighted when Flashy ordered the Huhammud flat bread and turmeric ginger and carrot juice. Lady P’s baked eggs on flatbread came with the traditional French soup bowl of café au lait. It was a fantastic brunch and we wandered back to the apartment to pack and leave at 2.00 pm.

The RER (an older and different system to the Metro) to Invalides was on time but Flashy’s new Navigo 10 ticket card failed to let him through to Montparnasse. Just when you need it! Shit system and much talked about on Facebook. Had to go through the glass door specifically set up for such situations and we had to run for the train to Surgeres and home.

You can imagine that Flashy was not amused, as he doesn’t run anywhere and certainly not for bloody trains! Someone once said, “I’d  rather be drinking Champagne in the lounge two hours before departure than stuck in traffic five minutes from the gate.” A wonderful sentiment, wholly endorsed by this writer.

The trip home was not this time on the TGV, so no 315 kmh. But a good trip anyway. Sunday in rural France and there is nowhere open in Surgeres to purchase gin. Oh, yes and other stuff for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. Lady P’s research comes to the fore again and the only thing open is McDonald’s. Yes we bloody well did. Average to bad as expected, but it filled a hole.

Asparagus at Studio Harcourt

Veal

A cafe au lait!

Baked eggs on flatbread