Je Suis Rentre'

At the end of August and beginning of September in France, there is a lot of talk about "la rentrée".  It 's the time when vacation ends, kids go back to school, and life returns to normal. 

On Saturday night I had my "rentrée" when I returned to the U.S.; a little sad to be leaving Paris, but happy to be going home.

I checked out of the apartment on Friday afternoon and moved into a hotel about six blocks away.  Before the check-out, I decided to wheel my one big suitcase down to the hotel.  But I got across the street and it was so heavy, that I decided to take a taxi.  After the check-out, I left the apartment for the last time carrying a very full duffel bag that Rick had brought over on his last trip.  Once again I got across the street to the taxi stop, and took a taxi to the hotel because the bag was so heavy. On that taxi ride I decided there was no way I could pull a very heavy bag, and carry a very heavy bag along with my carry-on bag.  So as soon as I dropped the duffel bag at the hotel, I walked back to the Bastille to a suitcase store and purchased a new rolling suitcase.

So then all I had to worry about was how much overweight those two bags were going to be when I checked in at the airport.

 

I had good karma all day Saturday.  The driver picked me up at the hotel at 9:15 a.m. (he was early).  He asked me which terminal and I told him Terminal 2.  When he asked me which Halle in Terminal 2, I told him I didn't know but it was US Air.  He told me that US Air was in Terminal 1.  I hadn't really checked online to see which terminal US Air left from, but when I had asked Rick, he said Terminal 2.  But the driver insisted and even showed my the airport booklet to prove that he was right. And he was.  He dropped me right outside the door for US Air.  If we had gone to Terminal 2 like I wanted, it would have been a major hassle for me and those two very heavy bags. 

In the airport when the bags were weighed in I was holding my breath, but they must have made the weight limit, because they sent them right through.  At that point I thought I had nothing else to worry about, until.................I had to go through a French immigration line............and since I had never sent in my papers to the immigration office, or gone for the interview etc.,  I was standing in line wondering if they were going to pull me out and throw me in jail.  But no problem, they just stamped me through (they're probably waiting until the next time I try to enter).

And then when I boarded the plane in Paris................I had the entire bank of four seats all to myself.  So I flipped up all the arm rests, grabbed a couple of blankets and pillows, and went to sleep. And then...when I boarded the connecting flight in Philadelphia, I had three seats all to myself, so I did the same thing.

And I got out of Paris, and off the continent, before the snow!

As much as I'm going to miss this view every morning......................

This view is quite nice too..................................

I'm happy to be home with my family and friends.

What to Take - What to Leave?

Since I am checking out of the apartment tomorrow, I spent some time this morning organizing my things and trying to fit it all in two suitcases and one carry-on.

Needless to say..............some things had to go..............

Here is a copy of the email I sent to my friend, Maureen:

Hi Maureen,

When Rick and I came to France in September, he insisted on bringing his FAVORITE beach towel, which just happens to be one he purchased when we were up at Doe Bay.  I told him not to bring it!  My feelings about beach towels are that they are purchased AND disposed of on site.  But ...............we were going to be two weeks on the Med. and he insisted.

And in all of the times that he has left this apartment.............he has never left with the beach towel.  So as I am packing my things to give up the apartment on Friday, I am faced with the Doe Bay beach towel.  Sorry, it didn't make the cut!  So it will go along with a variety of other things down to the square in front of the apartment.  There are three telephone booths on the square.  Needless to say, nobody uses public telephones anymore and it is a good thing in my neighborhood, because all of the phone boothes are inhabited.  And when I drop off the clothes, etc. which I am not taking back to the States....within 30 minutes they are claimed. 

So you and Joe should know that tomorrow night, a gypsy or North African, who is probably an illegal alien (not that I am not!) will be using a Doe Bay beach towel for warmth in the current freezing temperatures.

Here's the towel................

And here are the lucky (they're not exactly LUCKY) recipients.............

We started taking items down when Nicholas and Courtney were here. Rick left two pair of shoes that were in the way, so I had Nicholas take them down to the square and put them by a public trash recepticle near the telephone boothes.  It almost became a game to see how fast they disappeared.  And then there was a coat that Helene left.............. and now some clothes, shoes, towels, yoga mat, tiny coins, cheese, granola bars............ 

And everytime I take a bag down, it somebody grabs it.

 

Too Cold for Ice Cream at Berthillon?

With only a few days left, I picked one of the coldest days yet to check off another "to do" on my list. 

I have no idea why I didn't get ice cream at Berthillon when it was still hot here.  The main store is located on Isle St Louis and I've walked by it numerous times.  I just never stopped.

But I was determined to not leave Paris without having some of their famous ice cream.  So.............

Caramel with salt!  It was delicious!

The Last Demonstration? Maybe!

At the Bastille noise doesn't startle me.  It is always noisy here. But when it turns quiet, like it did yesterday afternoon, that gets my attention.

I was sorting through some papers, making a pile to throw away, and all of a sudden I didn't hear anything outside.  I looked out and there was not one vehicle (other than a bicycle) on the round-about that circles the column.

Every street into the Bastille was stopped. (I can't even imagine what that does to all of the busses!) It's the only time since I've lived here that I felt like I could safely walk out to the column. 

And eventually the crowd came...........in a parade, with a band playing When the Saints Go Marching In, from the Marais.  Some carried flags and some carried large white umbrellas. And there were those huge helium balloons. 

I don't have a clue what they were demonstrating about (as usual), but a big crowd marched up the steps of the Opera, they displayed their signs, and it was over.

The Last French Class

It's all about........"the last time"...........this week.

Yesterday was my last French class.  I thought it would be a little sad.  I have really enjoyed the class and the people I met there.  But what I was really dreading was that I knew I had to take the Play and Pac (portable crib) back to the gal that had loaned it to me for Charlotte. I've actually been dreading this day even before she brought it to me. 

When the crib was handed over I had Rick meet me outside the school so he could carry it home on the metro.  But I didn't have this luxury yesterday, and had to haul it back myself.  It's not that its so heavy (it is kind of heavy), but it's clumsy to carry.  And to get to the metro I had to descend four flights of steps.  And then to get out of the metro seventeen stops later I had to go up three flights of steps.  I planned on leaving early just in case it took me longer than usual to get to the train so I wasn't too worried about that, but what did concern me was whether the metro would be crowded or not.

People bring an assortment of things on the metro.....strollers, rolling shopping carts, plumbing tools, packages, and lots of suitcases, so it isn't unusual to get on with something like a Play and Pac.  Of course when I got to the train it was jammed. In fact I have never made that trip with the train being that crowded.  But what could I do...........I just pushed forward and stood squeezed amongst the crowd, hoping that a lot of my fellow travelers would get off at Republique, four stops away.  But they didn't, in fact more people tried to squeeze in.  Eventually the train car did clear out a bit and the Play and Pac and I had a little room, and I got it to the school.

After class a group of us went out to lunch (with the Play and Pac).  It was a nice end to what has been a nice experience.

Graffitti

It's everywhere in Paris.....................

The Place du Trocadéro

This afternoon I met my friend, Pounette, at the Place du Trocadéro for lunch.  I've ridden through this area, called Chaillot, on the bus, but this was the first time I walked around. The Place du Trocadéro is a popular spot for photography because of its stunning view of the Eiffel Tower.

 

It's the site that Napoleon chose to build an "extraordinary" palace for his son, but the construction was barely begun by the time of his downfall.  The present Palais de Chaillot was built for the World Fair of 1937.  It is quite extraordinary also.

Pounette and I had lunch at a lovely restaurant across the street.

I ordered salmon (always a safe bet in Paris) and I had the choice of salad, green beans, or frites.  Of course, I ordered the frites and they were the best I've ever had.  The salmon was good too.

When we're in the South of France Pounette speaks some English, but in Paris only French.  I was exhausted when I got home.

It's cold, and snow is predicted for later this week.

 I'm trying to get organized for my departure.