December 21, 2009

Blogging from Paris! Day 2!

Posted to Pam Dakan

The time difference really got me and it is hard to wake up from a dead sleep at a reasonable morning hour when it is the middle of the night in California. It was very cold so we wrapped up real warm to get out and take the Paris Metro for the first time over to Place de Madeleine for a walk around the famous Paris shops.

The Metro is a network of underground train lines that take you anywhere in Paris, some connecting to other major train stations that will take you all over the French suburbs and countryside, others that will take you clear to other countries. It’s not unlike the London Underground or the New York subway. This is definitely something that the West Coast leaves to be desired. It’s very difficult to get around without a car, and you feel very stuck sometimes if you want to get around by public transport. It’s one of the things I love about Europe, it’s so easy to get around, and cheap…for about 11 Euro you can get 10 train rides anywhere.

We got off the Metro at Place de Madeleine. The streets were crowded with bundled up Christmas shoppers. We stopped into Printemps, it’s like Nordstrom on steroids, with every single luxury brand you can think of under one roof; Gucci, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Tiffany & Co, Chopard, and my favourite shoe designer, Manolo Blahnik.

There was a Russian dance show, giant Russian dolls with the Chanel or Dior logo on them. Very interesting.

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December 19, 2009

Paris in December

Posted to Pam Dakan

After an exhausting, very long flight from San Francisco to Chicago, then Chicago to Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, the plane landed onto ground covered in snow. I was surprised; it hardly ever snows in Paris! It was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. I was certainly glad I had overpacked with warm clothes.

I had been practicing my French and brushing up since I booked my flight. I took 4 years of French in high school in the U.K., but if you don’t get to practice a language it’s easy to forget. I managed to let the taxi driver know where I wanted to go, and he didn’t speak any English, but we did have a conversation about the snow being “tres jolie” and where I was from and how long I was staying in Paris.

I am staying with a friend who has moved to Paris for a year from Pleasanton, CA. After instructing the taxi driver to take me to Rue Petion, in the 11th Arrondissement, and his surprise at my over-tipping him, I arrived at a 6 story concrete building. I let myself in with the door code my friend had given me and walked through to a little courtyard with cobbled bricks. My friend came to meet me and warned me about the 5 flights of spiraled stairs we would have to carry my bags up! We managed to get there. My friend has a cute little place she has rented. When I say little, I mean “little”. It’s probably no more than 500 square feet, with one bedroom, a tiny living room, a tiny kitchen and tiny bathroom. For this, my friend pays about 1200 Euro per month, approximately $1500.

I unpacked and she went to get us a typical French lunch, consisting of baguette, cheese, pate, little tiny pickles and olives, accompanied by some really good red wine.

In the evening we went out to dinner at Le Rey, a neighborhood restaurant located near Voltaire metro station in the square. Again, the wine was delicious and I had a steak with potatoes and mushrooms. Delicious French comfort food. My French friend Jacques told me how regulated the beef is here and that there are no artificial hormones or anything else allowed in the meat, like they allow in the States. After a mediocre Creme Brulee, we walked back to the tiny apartment as snowflakes fell on our faces.

I think I’m going to have a great time!

Posted by:Pam Dakan