Category: Gap Year – Europe

The decision on what to do for New Years Eve was actually quite difficult and easy at the same time. Paris – lots of different places we could have gone, parities, fancy dining, and restaurants with fantastic views abound. However, we decided to return to Le Réminet and booked a table for the 7:30. This place, which we have already been to on this trip and reported earlier, is only a few steps from Norte-Dame and Ile Saint Louis.   This place is a semi-gastromic bistro with chic seating serving gourmet meals in a candlelit-vaulted room.

Just a few steps away from the restaurant is a cute music box store we stopped into prior to going into the restaurant. Avanti la Musica was filled with different music boxes and beautiful toys. Claudia picked out a lovely little gift for herself and we all enjoyed the place. 

Chris and Claudia in a little shop by the Restaurant that had LOTS of music boxes and interesting toys.

 

 

Now for the main event of the evening.

Le Réminet is really a small place with maybe 30 seats and we had the table of honor (being the biggest party) at the round table in the corner of the place. Over the course of the next FIVE HOURS we were served a delightful dinner of maybe 8 courses. I did get a little carried away and ordered four bottles of wines during the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At midnight we all rang in the New Year with Bonne Année and had a moment with the Chef to thank him for a lovely evening.

 

December 28^th – three days after Christmas and 3 days before the New Year starts and we found ourselves taking a tour of the Paris Opera House.

The Palais Garnier is a 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It’s called Palais Garnier in recognition of the opulence created by the architect, Charles Garnier. Historically known as the Opéra de Paris or simply the Opéra it is the primary home of the Paris Opera and it’s associated ballet until the Opera moved into a new building Opéra Bastille in 1989. The Palais Garnier has been called one of the most famous opera houses in the world and is the setting for the novel The Phantom of the Opera and the subsequent plan by the same name.

The interior of the building is filled with gold leaf, statues, decorative ceilings, huge entrance stairs and lots of other stuff that will impress the visitor. Our audio guide tour was well worth the cost and very informative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been in several opera houses during our various adventures (Budapest, Venice and Prague over the last few years) and this is one of the most impressive ones we have seen.

After our tour it was time for lunch and we went to the Dome at the Galeries Lafayette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, while we were there, we did stop and look at the decorations on the inside of the building and particularly the fancy ceiling. Always an treat to visit and take a gander at beautiful art.

The Dome Restaurant is exactly that – plastic domes on the roof of the building. While there we of course had to take several pictures of the buildings around us. Lunch was actually quite good – given there really isn’t a kitchen on the roof and the hot stuff came from down stairs – a lovely way to spend the afternoon as the rain passed by.

 

After lunch we headed back to the apartment to rest up for the next adventure.

We have been in a lot of churches over the course of our travels but nothing equals Sainte Chapelle with its stain glass displays of Biblical stories. Built at the direction of King Louis IX over the course of seven years, it was and completed then consecrated on April 26, 1248. Built to hold the King’s collection of holy relics from the Crusades, it has become a must see destination for anyone visiting Paris. The Crown of Thorns, however, is now at Notre-Dame.

Located not far from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame it was originally part of the King’s Palace, it was originally intended to house the relics acquired by King Louis IX he acquired including fragments of the True Cross, the Holy Lance and the Crown of Thorns. The Church is divided into two levels –

a lower level was a place of worship for the Palace Staff and others while the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

upper level that is truly monumental and sumptuously decorated with stain glass was for the King and Regent Queen. Around the upper level are among the finest of their type in the world, are the great stained glass windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you first walk in, on the lower level, you see the structure of the building, some stain glass above the lower walls and a statue of Saint Louis. Along one side are souvenir stands and some commentary but nothing really dramatic. However, after navigating the spiral stairs (that were originally for the servants as the King entered at the upper level) you get to the main event.   Fifteen huge mid-13^th century windows fill the nave and apse while a large rose window with flamboyant tracery dominates the western wall. There are 1,113 stained glass windows! Much of the chapel, as it appears today, is a re-creation, although nearly two-thirds of the windows are authentic.

The Audio guide takes you though most of the windows, the sculpture and other features of the room. We spent the better part of a couple of hours going over the place – listening to the audio guide, reading the information and generally taking it all in. Each stain glass widow tells a story – most from the bible but a couple about King Louis and his life. All in all it is really an impressive place – almost overwhelming with the beauty.

 

After we finished up with Saint-Chapelle we went next door to the Conciergerie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formally part of the palace it became a prison,  a revolutionary court and Marie Antoinette’s prison until her trial and execution.   The upper floors of the building now house various courtrooms and government offices while the basement has representative rooms showing the cells that were used and information about the revolution and the Reign of Terror.

After finishing up here we headed out for lunch across the Seine river at L’Epi Dupin. This was a recommendation from a friend in LA, Randy, and it was not a disappointment at all.

Ryan acquired the chef’s cookbook. We chose to have the tasting menu and three bottles of wine!

 

After enjoying our lunch, we took the bus to the Eiffel Tower arriving early evening (6ish or so).

Janeen and I headed back to the apartment while Ryan, Chris and Claudia waited in line for tickets to go up the tower to the second level of observation.

 

Christmas in Paris – yes, we have been able to stay long enough that it is actually Christmas in Paris.  Gift giving was limited as you might imagine – what with our flying back to the US in a couple of weeks and Ryan and Chris not in their final apartment yet it didn’t make sense to buy a lot of stuff now.

 

 

 

 

And it wouldn’t be really Christmas with out Rice and Curry as the main meal of the day.  So, Ryan and Chris have put together a lovely lunch with all the various side dishes and tasty things to go with it for our late lunch.

After relaxing and getting everything cleaned up we headed out for an evening bus tour of Christmas Lights.   There are lots of lights and the double deck bus with an open top was the way to go.  An hour and a half trip around some of the neighborhoods and shopping areas was a nice way to take in the sites.

 

Of course we went by this place a couple of times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we went by this place a couple of times.

Our friend, Claudia from Morro Bay has joined us for a couple of weeks at the apartment.  When we visited with her in late June I had invited her to join us for Christmas and New Years.

Well she did and what a treat it is for all of us to have her here.  During her first full day her, after having dinner with us when she arrived, we all boarded the metro and went to the market.  Just like the last time we went it is an experience to walk up and down the rows of stalls and see all the wonderful foods available – all fresh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following day, Claudia, Ryan and Chris took a couch to the Beaches of Normandy and Janeen and I stayed home and relaxed.  The following day we were off again to have brunch at Angelina’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angelina is a famous tea house and is known primarily for its almost pudding-like hot chocolate and for its Mont Blanc dessert. We sampled all of that along with bunch prior to heading out to the Christmas Market

The Christmas market was a huge affair at the end of one of the metro lines.  There must have been several hundred different stalls with all kinds of stuff for sale.  Some of it interesting others not so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are roasted chestnuts everywhere including on shopping cart grills along the street.  This was a much more formal spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were lots of places selling food items – sausages in all sizes and types were available here.

 

 

 

Of course, there were places to eat and drink.  Mulled wine seemed to be a favorite given the 45 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the last several days we have ventured out to various parts of Paris – looked upon wonderful sites and had some good times.  Lots more to come over the next couple of weeks!