Suzette lives in Philadelphia and decided to visit Paris over her 40th birthday...

That pretty much says it all. We hit the ground running (thx to some good jetlag advice online), and the only things we "missed" were Arene Lutece for me and Jim Morrison's grave for DH, which ain't bad. Hit the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, which made for one fun evening, did practically all the "majors" (museums and monuments), pub-crawled thru the Marais and Bastille, ate well, slept well, took LOTS of pix, the usual...

Quickie Notes:

MON pm -- flew out 6PM, crashed pretty much the whole flight, woke to eat a surprisingly-not-bad 3-cheese lasagna (but then how badly can you screw up lasagna?), but wisely zoned the entire time.

TUES -- Easy, easy ride into town via RER and Metro to Bastille then walking over to our *great* Hotel -- Sevigne at 2 rue Malher, small yes, but lovely and right in the middle of everything (the world's tiniest elevator!). Great G20 supermarche' across the street (had everything we could want), good fall-in joints for eats all about, Metro 3/4 block away and all for FR380/night which ain't bad.

Bus tour and Seine Cruise c/o Touringscope on first afternoon was boss, photo ops and descriptions of so many sites, a few stops, lovely guide and fellow guests. Seine cruise was perfectly timed for illumination of city at sunset, plus a just-right first-day pace. Tour Eiffel looks *kewl* with the strobes! And no, they mean it: you _cannot_ share a pizza, sheesh! Ended the day in "Dome" brasserie downstairs from Hotel, for a nightcap and a chat with the barkeep...

WED -- The best hot chocolate for breakfast! Dark-chocolate-y and mmm with Milk! The ubiquitous hunk-o-baguette and a croissant... "Daddy" sugar cubes with the cutest pink-cartooned wrappers!

ALL DAY, 9-6, at the Louvre and again caught all the major works, getting misty over the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Michelangelo's Captives *siiiigh* My feet were like to explode but well worth it! Fairly decent eats in the cafeteria, too -- a nice salmon with a buerre blanc and chive sauce *mmmm*

Dinner at Altitude95 in the TourEiffel was not JulesVerne but *was*just fine, starting with a killer tray of really nummy escargots, oysters-half-shell, prawns, langostinos(?), followed by Sea Bass and a LUVVVLy dessert with white and dark chocolate. Oh *and* the view. And a cliche-perfect snooty-boots waiter (along with lots of other very congenial folks)

BTW, the people were FABULOUS! Whoever said the French were aloof or hoity-toity didn't meet the people WE met! Nice, friendly, funny, ready to help, just talk, laugh at my appalling francais...

PS you were all RIGHT about the sneakers LOL!

THURS -- Paris in November is wet, ranging from mist to monsoon, and can be windy enough to suck the heat right away from you. But still nice, so long as you're prepared and just have fun with it. A good excuse to duck into brasseries! "un demi, s'il vous plait *hic*" But seriously, folks... Recommend a walk on Champs Elysees in the drizzle. Crikey, those cars can be SMALL! But the drivers, my god, those people are NUTS! Neener-neener to the gendarmes who wouldn't let us walk around on the Place de la Concorde, but oh-well. Don't care much for the big FerrisWheel. The Metro is frikkin' SUPER! Should'a gotten a Metro teeshirt, lol. Gardens Luxembourg, beautiful even when swimming. Boney's tomb didn't do much for us, a big box, lots of implements of war, not our thing so much. Question: did Rodin finish *anything*? Lots of beautiful things half-emerged from stone -- but yes, great gardens. Off to the Musee D'Orsay -- first a light meal of baguettes with Boursin, yogurt and fruit -- staring into Vincent's eyes from 3 inches away earns a Keanu-Reeves "whoa", DH whispering "Norman! Norman!" at Whistler's Mother (Psycho reference), the laughing ladies of the Opera Garnier...

PM, the release of "Bojo Nuvo", hanging at Cafe Klein Holland, right up the street, found a web-cafe to send an email to office and my kids via my sister (omigawd, the letters are in different positions on the keyboard! It looked like I was typing Czech! Of couse, with all my typo's...). Got a birthday message at hotel from Compuserver Brenda, that rocked!

Versailles: monster gardens in scale, concept and execution; *Wish* we'd seen them in season, but still amazing, loved the Hameau! As for the Chateau and Trianons, by then we were jaded enuf that it was "just" more big ornate buildings with lots of stuff inside. Being bad american tourists we dined at the local equivalent of the Lonestar Steakhouse, "Buffalo Bill's," but had some reasonably decent buffalo wings for DH and a nice carpaccio for me, so what the hey.

Friday night, Pub-crawling in the Marais: Klein Holland again, Stollys, Pic-Clops, the Lizard (doing a Zorba the Greek dance with a bunch of 8 foot tall Dutchmen and this insane Ozzie chick), a nameless place full of uni-browed guys, the Auld Alliance (not a kilt in sight dammit!), the Elephant du Nil, trying to find sushi at 1AM to no avail and stumbling thru Place des Vosges instead (well okay not really *stumbling*, but I do remember asking the guys at one point if any of them drove trucks...)

SAT -- Dragging our sorry A's outta bed at 9AM -- tourist boot camp! The flower stands of the Cite' (much needed green and lovely orchids)... St.Chappelle, which might have been too much light except that it was a jewelled rainbow delight, Notre Dame where DH *almost* found religion again (man, that is some stone barn!), the crypt archaeologique which smelled a bit funky but was pretty groovy. Hot chestnuts from a vendor to share while walking along the Seine and checkign out the bookinista's then lunch in a 12th/13th century churchyard, followed by a troupe of wandering street-players (wow!) The Cluny, which bummed me just a little because the roman-era part was closed, then DH just *had* to have Mussels *right now* (too many Leon de Bruxelle posters in the Metro) -- I personally was not hugely impressed, tho a nice salmon carpaccio, and because of the time spent we missed Jim Morrison's grave "like total downer man..." But got to Sacre Coeur just as the rain hit and Sat evening Mass began so once again DH got religion and we hung out -- nice mosaic, liked the "holy chicken" and the headless saint, but Mary is a MAN, baby! (Yeah that's right, I'm going straight to h-e-double-hockey-sticks, blasphemer that I am). Semi-lost in the tangle of streets behind a blessedly empty Place du Tetre -- some cool streets back in there!

SAT night, One last throw-down a Paris: packing everything and stashing a few trays of sushi on the balcony "fridge" for later then off to the Bastille -- another nameless Tabac for himself, lots of yelling at the soccer game on TV and beer with something like grenadine in it... Fabrique, BarrioLatino (a line and they were actually turning people away it was sooo 54 lol, but fun and peppy as all get-out), SanSanz Yeah Baby!!! the cutest bartender in Paris (even cuter after that free amaretto!), mad techno and swinging red lights, then back on the Metro (DH talking "le football americain" with some guy, it was so silly) for a final go back at the Lizard, moshing in the caves (more free amaretto in honor of my lizard-print pants), finally haulin' it home for sushi, aspirin and lots of water at something like 3AM.

SUN barely alive for breakfast, Metro to Chatelet for the RER, flawless timing to arrive for plane and takeoff. "Shanghai Noon" and "Small Time Crooks" on the mini-tv, so cute! The kids TOTALLY Airborne "MOMMEEE!!! DADDEEE!!!" upon arrival, which makes it SOOOOO worth it, the Most Excellent "welcome home" banner by our 6 year old, which I am going to keep forever.

Glad to have gone, glad to be back.

09/10/2002