France
Seine-Saint-Denis

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    • Day 61

      CINQ FOTOS-Paris Day 2

      June 13, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      We woke up this morning to a generous breakfast made by our hosts to start the day.
      I managed to sleep in a bit, and I'm grateful for the rest before an eventful day.

      First on the agenda this morning was a trip to the Louvre Museum. Our hosts sent us tram connection routes, and it was a crowded, but easy ride over.

      The tram stop was very close to the Louvre, and we walked over to get in line. Although we had a timed entrance, getting into the Louvre still required a fairly long wait before getting into the museum.

      It was interesting to see additional Greek antiquities and compare them to our travels in Sicily and the Museo Archaelogico in Naples.

      We decided to explore the Islamic exhibit, and it was really quite beautiful. I admittedly hold some deep prejudices about some Islamic countries, particularly as it applies to horrible treatment of women and GLBT people. The exhibits were beautiful, particularly the pottery.
      Jim C offered a poignant reflection that it was a missed opportunity to create displays of artwork on a time continuum rather than socio-political divides. I'd further offer the thought that the creation of art in all forms is an opportunity to demonstrate commonality rather than differences.

      We did see all the popular attractions at the Louvre. The Venus de Milo was incredible, abs I enjoyed getting close to the Mona Lisa. It's smaller than I expected, but I still thought it was cool to see it in person.

      In some of the Biblical portrayals, I find it interesting, and a little creepy, that there is "spoiler alert" foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Christ. One such portrayal is of Jesus and John the Baptist playing together as toddlers under the watchful eye of Mary. John is holding a small crucifix in the painting.

      Once we witnessed some of the popular pieces, we talked about how downplayed the fact that the Louvre was once a significant palace. This contrasted our experience at the Hague where both Escher's artwork and the palace were acknowledged and celebrated.

      When we left the museum, we walked near the adjacent garden with several sculptures. There were also a couple of small reservoirs with chairs and reclining chairs around the perimeter. It was a beautiful day, and many took the opportunity to bask in the sun and chat.

      When we left the museum and gardens we looked for a place to grab lunch. We found a great outdoor café and we split a dish of croque monsieur, a ham and cheese grilled sandwich that was grilled and smothered with gruyere cheese. It was quite rich and tasty with a glass of Chardonnay.

      After lunch we went to the Opera House which inspired the writing of the "Phantom of the Opera". The hall was beautiful and ornate. We thought how fun it would be to see a performance in the Hall like we did in Barcelona's Palau de Música nearly twomonths earlier.

      We returned to our flat and we enjoyed sums relaxation time. We made plans to go to dinner at a restaurant close to Moulin Rouge, at the recommendation of our hosts. We had the added bonus of joining a couple we met online, and we were reminded of our "small world" as we have many friends in common in New England and the Pacific NW.

      We wrapped the evening with a very late-night performance at the Moulin Rouge, a performance hall dating back to the late 1800's that has witnessed performances from the likes of Edith Piaf, and Collette, a performer who almost caused Moulin Rouge to be closed when she gave a lengthy kiss to one of the other female performers.

      We were seated next to a couple from New York who had recently married and were on their honeymoon. We enjoyed our conversation with them, and we compared some of our favorite European experiences.

      It was noticeable that the women performed with very little clothing and the men, in contrast were fully clothed. Similarly, the women often made many sexual gestures, and the men's dancing was a bit sterile in comparison. There were some unusual circus type acts including a woman who swam in a water tank with pythons, as well as amazing balancing acts by men. A big hit with the audience was a couple who did amazing choreographed maneuvers on roller skates. The show concluded with a rousing performance of the Can Can

      We made the most of our first full day in Paris, and we look forward to time with friends tomorrow.
      Bonne nuit, amis et famille!
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    • Day 60

      CINQ FOTOS-Paris Day 1

      June 12, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

      We bid a temporary farewell to Amsterdam as we will return later this week. We had an easy fast train trip to Paris, and we passed through a few major cities in Belgium on the way. With the exception of the cities, we mostly appeared to travel through farmland. We arrived in Paris a little before 3 pm, and we made our way to the room that we are renting.

      I do think this is one of the nicest weather days that we've had since we left Portland in April. It was dry and sunny with a slight breeze.

      We were greeted by Stephan and Stephane, two very sweet men who welcomed us with hibiscus tea and a fruit galette. They live on a spacious 5th floor flat, and we have a very nice guest room. They gave us many recommendations of walks to take, and we enjoyed learning about the highlights of the city through their eyes.

      I shared with them that my actual surname should have been Fortin. Although, I have very deep French-Canadian roots, we located the areas where my French ancestors lived not too far outside of Paris.

      We decided to head on a walk near a canal towards the gay district. As we crossed the River Seine we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower an impressive figure in the distance and the visual reality check that we were really in Paris and not Las Vegas.

      We stopped by the gay district for a drink and then we strolled the streets in the area without a set destination. We did find Notre Dame which is still closed and under reconstruction after the devastating 2019 fire. The construction site has very detailed panels about the efforts to rebuild and replicate what was lost.

      We ended the evening with dinner at TaTa Hamburgers, and I had probably the best hamburger that I've had since time in the states.

      We retired for the night, and we look forward to our first full day tomorrow.

      Bonne Nuit!
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    • Day 2

      Auf Entdeckungstour

      June 4, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

      Halbwegs von der kurzen Nacht erholt, wachten wir gegen 07.30 Uhr auf. Dann gab es erstmal ein gemütliches Frühstück in einem typischen französischen Café.

      Dann ging es zu Fuß weiter zum zwanzigminütig entfernten „Sacé Cœur“. Noch regnete es, doch der Himmel riss auf und die Sonne kam langsam heraus. Vorbei an den kleinen Läden und den gemütlichen Restaurants entdeckten wir die nähere Umgebung.Read more

    • Day 47

      Last day in Paris

      May 7, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

      Our bodies finally let us sleep in today - we’ve been pretty confused, physically - so it was nice to get some good rest.

      Today was a nice relaxing day. We started with the Sacre Couer Basilica, a church which was beautiful!! Then we hit Montmarte - it is an artists haven, and authentic Parisian village. Gorgeous. We decided to go to a different area of the city and stopped at the Galerie Lafayette Hausmann - basically a shopping mall. But like all things in Paris, it was FANTASTIC. We finished our final day in Paris as we started it, sitting in the grass at the foot of the Eiffel Tower eating crepes.

      I would definitely give Paris a 10! It’s been a wonderful way to start our time in Europe.
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    • Day 3

      Le TGV

      September 20, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      We are on the TGV to Bayonne. Travelling at 186 MpH! Update, the train seems to have peaked at 198 Mph!

      We made 3 Camino friends in the train station, people seeking out fellow travelers in backpacks.

      Fran, a woman from Rockville Maryland. She is meeting a friend in Saint Jean.

      And Kevin & Patsy from Portland ME. Kevin is a recently retired Firefighter from Auburn ME. Kevin told me Malden Firefighters let him park at the station in Malden whenever he goes into Boston on the Orange line!
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    • Day 50

      Toad’s tidbits debut!

      February 25 in France ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

      Hello!
      While on the phone yesterday with mother, I came up with a grand idea. In one of my favorite French movies, the main character Amelie kidnaps her father‘s beloved garden gnome and makes it appear as though it is traveling around the world, sending him commemorative postcards at each destination. I don’t have have a garden gnome, but I do have a small stuffed toad (from the frog and toad series) that my mother knitted for me. I figured might place him in silly destinations around Paris, with a snarky caption, as a small creative project.

      While taking this first series of pictures at my favorite local grocery store, Auchan, I noticed something peculiar. I often struggle with social anxiety in public places, particularly in Paris where it’s crowded and I don’t speak the language very well. But the act of doing something small and ridiculous (and ultimately harmless) in a public place, accompanied by my pet toad, made me feel strangely relaxed and unbothered by the prospect of being judged. It was really cool. I think I will take him to more places soon.
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    • Day 70

      Saturday stroll in le neighborhood

      March 16 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      I woke up this morning in a horrible state of anxiety. The kind where your lizard brain thinks your house is on fire and you need to flee immediately. Sometimes this happens to me during high-stress periods (applying to internships, planning travel, meeting school deadlines etc. etc), but I’ve recently been trying to put more of an effort into healthy coping. So instead of pulling the covers over my head and drawing my curtains to block any ray of sunshine from entering the room, I pulled myself together, got dressed, and took a walk outside.

      These are some of the pictures that resulted. Saturdays are a lively time in France where parents, kids, old couples, and randos who haven’t done their grocery shopping for the week emerge from their apartments and fill the streets with bustling activity. I love the 13th because of the endless number local businesses that line the narrow streets, affording it a delightfully crowded and communitarian vibe. The corner only a step away from my apartment represents a microcosm of the middle class arrondissement in Paris. We may all come from different walks of life, but we all need to grocery shop.

      France fact #1: France is the epitome of the phrase «parts sold separately ». French people are notoriously suspicious of big business, « la grande distribution », and supermarkets have only recently come into fashion because of their convenience. However, even convenience has its drawbacks. Who wants to buy imported pomegranates from India and ham packaged in plastic when you could get a juicy slab of « jambon de Paris » from your local butcher and cheap, delicious apples grown in the south of France at a market. In the second photo you can even see the business had won a gold medal for their sauerkraut in 2012, giving their products extra credibility.

      So instead, we have a poissonneries (seafood store), boucheries (butchers), fromageries (cheese shops), épiceries (local grocers), and traiteurs (vendors of cooked food). The traiteurs in the 13th are particularly diverse, encompassing Lebanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Greek, and Italian cuisine, to name a few. All of these stores are a bit more expensive than standard grocery prices but always come with the benefit of better quality and support for local businesses. I don’t shop there often, but when I do it’s worth it.

      Enjoy these pictures of my lovely neighborhood everyone. I hope you feel as charmed as I do, especially by the last photo of the lady in the blue coat with her husband. I tried extra hard not to violate their data privacy.

      A bientôt :)

      - Leah
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    • Day 2

      Camping Paris Est

      March 17 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

      Um 6:00 Uhr tat der Wecker mal wieder ganze Arbeit. Die Vorfreude spülte die Müdigkeit jedoch ins Kielwasser. Ruckzuck waren die letzten Utensilien in Bulli und Wohnwagen verstaut und ich saß, wir verabredet, um 7:00 Uhr hinterm Steuer. Hmmm..., denke ich, ziemlich leer hier! Klar..., Petra kontrollierte sich mal wieder immer selbst, bis sie schließlich um 07:45 Uhr den Weg auf den Beifahrersitz fand. So kenne ich es schließlich seit beinahe 40 Jahren. Am Ende hat sie jedoch immer alles dabei und ich die Hälfte liegen gelassen. Eine von mir durchgeführte Abschlusskontrolle beinhaltet nur Petra, Kreditkarte, Perso und Autoschlüssel.
      Jetzt kann es losgehen. Die Sonne zwingt mir die Sonnenbrille auf und ab gehts zu unserer Lieblingstanke, um Kaffee und belegt Brötchen zu bunkern. Man kennt uns und wünscht eine gute Reise. Apropos gute Reise, ein gute Fee hat über Nacht einen gehäkelten Glücksbringer an unseren Außenspiegel gehängt. Unbekannte Glücksfee, vielen Dank. Wir werden ihn in Ehren halten.
      Nach einer lockeren Fahrt erreichen wir um 16:00 Uhr das erste Etappenziel Paris. Der Tag wird mit leckeren Sauerbraten beendet. Also..., nur sauer ohne Braten. Den hat Petra vergessen. Eins zu Null für mich.
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    • Day 3

      Mit Madame Amy....

      October 24, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      ins Moulin Rouge 🥰

      Vorletzter Punkt auf Amys Liste ...abgehakt.✅️

      Amy hat sich richtig schick gemacht um mit ihrem, O-Ton "alten Vater der sich ganz gut gehalten hat", ins Mouling Rouge zu gehen.

      Bedauerlicherweise ist absoluter Film 🎥und Fotografierverbot 📸🚫während der Show aber....

      Es ist schrill, bunt, lustig und beeindruckend. Das Theater 🎭selbst hat genau den Charm den man erwartete. Umgeben von Sexshops👉👌 und Häusern mit Herzen ❤️auf den Wänden liegt es in einer Art Amüsiervietel voll mit Bars🥂🍹, Pups und Restaurants🍴🥘🥓🥗.

      Die Bühne wirkt total schlicht und alt und verwandelt💥 sich in der Show in ein farbenfrohes🎨 Kunstwerk in dem plötzlich ein Pool🏊‍♀️ steht.

      Faszinierend!

      Von überall kommen die halb nackten Frauen stolziert👯‍♂️👯🏼‍♀️👯 oder fliegen über dich hinweg. Es wird getanzt💃🏽🕺, gelacht😅 und gesungen🎤. Der Champagner 🍾fließt in strömen. Kein Tisch auf dem keine ganze Flasche steht und die Stimmung🥳 teilweise überkocht.

      Amys überraschtes Gesicht zeigte mir ihre Freude. Den Mund 🥹weit offen, suchte sie immer wieder Blickkontakt. Als wäre sie 3️⃣ Jahre alt und wolle mir einen besonderes Laubblatt😍🌿 beim spazieren zeigen.

      In ihren Blicken👀 war deutlich zu erkennen...

      Papa...schau mal! 😊😁
      Ihr war völlig entfallen das ic die Show doch auch sehe 😅

      Wunderschöner Abend mit meiner nicht mehr so kleinen Prinzessin👸🏼

      Aka Madame La Amy🥰
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    • Day 4

      First day on the trail!!

      September 2, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port to Orrison
      Day 1 - 13km

      Those who know us well won't be at all surprised to learn that at the very first intersection we came to after leaving SJPP, we turned the wrong way. 🙄 We turned right instead of left...This resulted in us hiking 6 km in the wrong direction, up hills, and in a massive thunderstorm ⛈
      However we walked through beautiful country side with amazing views over the mountains and still got here ( soaked to the skin!) at 1pm.
      Nothing that a hot shower and a glass of wine couldn't fix!!
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Département de Seine-Saint-Denis, Departement de Seine-Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Sena Saint Denis

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