(Conclusion)
…and weaving multi-faceted memories to last a lifetime, and then some! The first weekend I spent in Paris, I went to Champagne in the south of France (Saturday) for some bubbly toasts to Dom Perignon (who “invented” champagne) whose tomb we visited among the vineyards of Vadin-Plateau near Epernay, in a region made fertile and breath-taking by the meandering majesty of the river Marne. On Palm Sunday, the official start of Holy Week, I went through the north of France, to Bruges in Belgium – a four-hour travel by motor coach from Paris. This city of Flanders is famous as “the Venice of the North” for its charming waterways and ancient cultural traditions. I brought home some blessed evergreen stalks (equivalent to our palm stalks) from the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which was the highlight of my tour.
After doing my errands in Paris for a couple of days, by Wednesday I again made a full day tour to the north, in Normandy, to savor the Medieval bastion – a marvelous pilgrimage center in the Middle Ages – called Mont St. Michel. Words cannot do the experience justice. Only the quintessence of photographs can somehow capture the wonder that is Mont St. Michel. Anyone who had the privilege of a visit will agree with me that the experience really beggars description. (A photo collage of my visit will come out in the Lifestyle section.) I was so perked up by my Mont St. Michel trip that I opted to walk from the drop off point – no hotel pick up for this tour – at Rue de Rivoli, crossing central Paris, up to my hotel in Rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle. Stopping for a late dinner, at 9:30 pm, I soaked in the cherry ambiance of a good (plenty of locals) café adjacent to the metro station near Trinite Church, as I enjoyed the plat du jour along with a glass of robust burgundy. It was a welcome break from the long walk in bracing winter cold.
Then on Thursday evening, I was fetched by my guide – it turned out I was the ONLY ONE! – for my Musee d’Orsay visit. I made sure to have this in my itinerary since Louis Thevenin of Les Amis de la France pointed out that it is a place not to be missed for lovers of impressionist art like me. I was glad I did because, this time, I spent almost three hours through the galleries before I had my gourmet dinner (inclusive of drinks) – part of the tour -- at an exclusive club known as Maison des Polytechniciens, in a grand 18th century mansion near Musee d’Orsay.
Despite my having been visually sated by the works of Van Gogh, Matisse, Monet, Manet, Renoir, et. al., I reluctantly left to meet my guide (he facilitated my museum visit, which was fortunate, as long queues of students snaked outside – on Thursdays, free entrance to students) who was waiting for me at a corner bar for the short walk to my dinner venue on Rue de Poitiers. One has to know which courtyard to get into, then which locked door to knock. It was that exclusive!
The restaurant Le Club at the Maison only accepts diners with reservations since the place is not big, but very cozy. The pretty and attentive maitre d’hotel, Julie Aulax, promptly led me to my reserved table after my guide left. After which, quick moving waiters poured Evian water into my crystal goblet, then red wine into another – per my preference. All eagle-eyed, those waiters always refilled any half-empty goblet.
Le menu du marche for that evening: brandade de morue et piquillos, coulis de poivron(a cold gelled fish soup that melted on the tongue, made of the freshest fish as there was just a hint of it), fraicheur d’haricots tarbais, royal de bacon(green beans with pork) and presse de boeuf au foie gras, gelee de balsamique poivree(beef loaf with goose liver and balsamic) – as entrees or first courses; for the main courses, I had lamb sausage, Poelee de Saint-Jacques or fat, juicy scallops, and a dish of delicious mushrooms with gratin de courgettes a l’orange or in orange sauce; after dinner, I was served a plate of French cheeses, then some chocolates that I did not touch, plus apple pie with vanilla ice cream (crumble de pommes vanille noix, mascarpone au citron) and a nougat glace et son coulis which I refused. I was bursting!
As Julie helped me into my coat, I thanked her for a truly enjoyable dinner with excellent service. Kudos to the director – Mr. Sebastien Sevila!
I then looked for my guide who was waiting in the car for me by 11 pm. It was like having my driver with me in Paris!
Before I knew it, my 10 days were gone and I was in the airport car I reserved with the hotel concierge for 35 Euros. Since I left early, I was able to get my tax (from purchases made with proper forms attached) refunded at the airport with enough time to browse through some duty free shops before I boarded my flight…on business class, as they could not find my name in the computer…or so they claimed. But that’s another tale to share.
Tour details:
Paris Vision Plus, brochures available at front desks of most hotels (www.parisvision.com)
A Day in Champagne – 12 hours with lunch & wine tasting =162 Euros Bruges, Belgium – 13 & a half hours = 142 Euros (winter); 146 Euros (summer- with a cruise on the canals)
Mont-Saint-Michel – 14 hours, with lunch = 174 Euros; without lunch = 157 Euros Orsay Museum + Dinner – 6 hours = 157 Euros
The regular tours, when you have to go to their office to catch the motor coach, cost somewhat lower. But the Mont St. Michel is a regular tour, no hotel pick up.