Caught TGV to Paris and arrived at Gare d'Est (station). Called apartment manager to finalise pickup of keys to our apartment and then caught cab to our apartment on Rue Montmarte (opposite end of town to the Montmarte area though - actually only 10 mins walk from the Louvre! )
Our apartment was cosy and felt authentically Parisian!
We settled in then explored the area. We were located by a well known 'foodie' street called Rue Monterguiel. It was wonderful. We shopped from individual stores for supplies - coffee for plunger (Illy!), milk, Camembert, ham, tomatoes, apples, bananas, orangina, tagliatelle pasta, creme brûlée :-). We then went back to the apartment and cooked dinner - the tagliatelle pasta with the totally delicious jar of pesto I had bought in the Cinque Terre and some cherry tomatoes that had looked so perfect in the shop that we wondered if they were real! I'm hoping I can get that pesto sauce in Adelaide at maybe a continental store somewhere! Or the market! I had bought in the Cinque Terre.
After dinner we walked down to the Louvre for our first glimpse of the amazing buildings and gardens of Paris. Yes we've both been here before, but, wow. How breathtaking is the Louvre building!!! I had actually forgotten just how beautiful and intricate it is. The pyramid is great too but the building is just amazing!
16th May - Mum's birthday!
We (Mum!) went downstairs to our local boulangerie (bakery) and bought some croissants for breakfast, then we hopped on to the metro and headed to Gare Saint Lazare station to go to Giverny - the village where Monet's garden and house is located. Spent a few hours getting there as it took four trains and a bus! Wandered around for hours really enjoying the weather and the beauty of the gardens. Was absolutely brilliant to see, and walk on, the bridge Monet so famously painted - and everywhere you looked there seemed to be a scene from a Monet painting!
Had lunch at about 3.30 at Hotel Baudy - where Monet and his artist friends would gather to chat, drink, eat, and sell paintings! Was fun knowing we had sat right where Monet would have (near the fireplace) - and was a brilliant lunch - and had beautiful gardens out the back. Was a perfect day for Mums birthday!
Hi Chrisitne and Trudi
ReplyDeleteYour photographs and water reflections of Monet's gardens are incredible taken from your phone. Our memories of visiting the garden were also very memorable but to visit on your birthday is something even more special and then to sit in the local hotel where Monet sat. We agree the Musee D'Orsey has some truly amazing paintings in a beautiful building with magnificent views from its windows! Amazing the amount of places you have visited during your holiday and all the research and knowledge you have of the places visited - not to mention the gastronimical tours you have had and taken us all on - we'll all be checking out that pesto sauce from the Cinque Terre if you find it in Adelaide. Creme brulee! - and all that camembert cheese!! How we wish we were there also. Enjoy London as we know you will -and your stay in Sussex Gardens again? Take care and all our love
Elizabeth and Brian
I agree. I so love your photos: it's amazing how much like the paintings they look! And we'll all be on the hunt for the pesto if you can get it here! Sounds like the perfect birthday! x
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