Ten days in Paris including link to pictures

Ineke %26amp; I just returned from a great ten days in Paris. We%26#39;ve been to Paris many times so these notes are some incremental experiences rather than a first time experience

Pedestrian days on Sunday in Le Marais

The streets, including rue Elzevir, are closed to traffic on Sundays as part of an %26quot;experimental%26quot; program. Except for a few taxis, this lets you wander around in the middle of street through much of Le Marais. For everyone who has wandered down the streets in Le Marais, you always wondered why they haven%26#39;t tried this before.

Velib

We finally took advantage of the Velo Libre system and we found it was really a great way to get around. We only had one bad experience of trying to find a stand to return the bikes in the 6eme. Unfortunately you need a credit card with a %26quot;puce (chip)%26quot; which can only be found via American Express. If you have a card with a %26quot;puce%26quot;, it is worth trying for any short distance trips (ie. 1 - 2 metro stops). A couple hints:

* if the seat is turned around, it is a sign that the bike is defective

* when you return the bike, make sure it is solidly locked back in the stand and the green light is on

* the cost goes up after 30 minutes (first 30 minutes is free beyond the subscription)

Since last year, the city has added some real bike lanes especially along the Seine.

Restos

We tried a few forgotten places and a couple new ones.

* Des Garcons dans la Cuisine - good food and drinks but quite expensive. On warm evenings they open all the windows towards the street which makes it very open and cooler.

* L%26#39;apparement - We haven%26#39;t went here for number of years because previously it was the smokiest place in the neighborhood. On this trip, we returned and found it a great place for a light, inexpensive dinner in comfy surroundings. As before there are a lot locals there. The way you order is rather innovative. You choose among a variety of items via an ordering form and a custom plate / salad is prepared.

* Petit Curieux - Our good friend Bruce from London is spending half his time in Paris producing several films. He introduced us to this inexpensive (15 euros fixed menu) and good lunch place in NOMA (North of Le Marais) on rue filles des calvaires.

* Glou - We didn%26#39;t quite make it here but heard a lot of good things about it and even saw an article in the CDG airport magazine on it. We got to try it next time!

Pictures

Below is a link to a page of links to pictures from our entire trip which included Paris, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Germany. Some of the pictures are annotated with comments (eg. the house where Nicolas Sarkozy grew up)

http://www.elzevir.net/pictures/trip.htm

Also, there was a concert in our courtyard with harpsichord and flute, with some pictures hosted on Kodak Gallery at:

www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action…

A+

Bill

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Loved your windows and your doors and your dogs, especially that little Westie.

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We have a Westie at home and we missed him since we were gone more than four weeks (he doesn%26#39;t like traveling). In each city, I took pictures of every Westie we saw :)

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We have a Shitzu X mimiature poodle, called Shilo (after the Neil Diamond song, not Brad and Angelina%26#39;s daughter). Shilo would love to travel since she has seen photos of her second cousin, Coco, who lives in Brussels and travels EVERYWHERE with her parents.

Thought some of your photos may have been in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. My parents have just been and say it is the most awesome museum they have ever seen. In the true sense of the word, awesome.

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Yes, there were photos from the Hermitage. It was quite an amazing museum. We fortunately hired a guide who made the visit much better otherwise we%26#39;d be overwhelmed.