Paris in May

It's May!  Time to return to our home in France on our barge Rabelo.  The trip back to Europe went smoothly from leaving our house at 4 am, two flights, arriving in Belgium, a train to Paris and a taxi to our hotel.  We were tired but ready to get reacquainted with one of our favorite cities in the world.

Springtime in Paris

Paris, the City of Lights is on high alert.  What have the terrorists done to her?  After arriving in Belgium we boarded a train to Paris.  Imagine our surprise when three heavily armed police came down the aisle checking tickets and passports before we entered Paris.  This was the first time we’ve had that happen.  Gare de Nord train station has a new look.  Be prepared to go through an inspection as if boarding an airplane.  These precautions are understandable.  What was surprising was security in the city itself.  In order to enter the large Bon Marche (an amazing shopping experience) all bags must be visually inspected.  Security guards roam the perimeter of the shopping center with shepherds.  Having my purse inspected in order to enter a Sephora store (cosmetics), caught me off guard.  We heard an announcement when we entered the metro to be vigilant.  Exiting our hotel one morning we saw 30 police vehicles with 100 police.  Some stood around holding their semi automatic rifles by their side.  Each vehicle had two men in the front seats eating lunch.  Others were wearing riot gear.  Tom saw them standing in front of a building.  They all seemed relaxed.  I wasn’t. I’m hoping it was just a training exercise

We saw three blocks of these police vehicles.

At the Bon Marche you can purchase a E25,000.00 bottle of Single Scotch Malt Whiskey.

If  you want something a little lighter like a bottle of water, you can go for a E50.00 bottle of Bling

It’s fun viewing the latest fashions around Paris.  Men are wearing skimpy sports coats, tight pants, and nice looking laced dress shoes.  The jacket and pants looked like they have outgrown them.  Many women were wearing ballet type slippers, jean jackets and patterned hose.  The new style of ballet slippers rather than stiletto's make much more sense when walking on cobble stone streets.

We hadn’t been to the Louvre in a long time so we visited the Egyptian and Greek exhibits. The displays were well lit, nicely laid out, and easy to follow.  We managed to enter without waiting in any lines.  Early May is a nice time to travel.  We also went to the Gobelins Factory for a tour.  For anyone with even the slightest interest in textiles it is a must see.  We weren’t allowed to take pictures but I know there is a U-tube video of the work being done there. Watching the men and women weaving rugs and tapestries by hand was fascinating.  Some of the weavings were very detailed with constantly changing colors and melding of one color to the next.  I would have loved to try what they were doing.  Depending on the size of the tapestry and number of people working on it, a single project can take years to complete.

This was at the entrance to the Egyptian exhibit of the Louvre

Athena the Greek Goddess

We managed to have some great meals during our short stay in Paris.  Lunch at Cosi was nice.  Anything you put on fresh baked bread will be a winner.  The salads looked so good that I will try one next time.  We love their apple crisp.  What we didn’t know was that the owner of Cosi also owns Freddy’s and Semilla.  Lunch at Freddy’s was amazing with beautiful seasonal produce and everything artistically presented.  It’s on our list for dinner next time we’re in Paris.  Semilla is small bites and we will try that as well.    Our favorite restaurant Verjus didn’t live up to our expectations.  We will give them one more try.  The meal this time seemed uninspired and lacking depth of flavor.  I also object to the dishes they use.  While rustic has its place, chipped (to me) goes beyond rustic.  We discovered they also have another restaurant called Ellsworth.  It is small bites, which are meant to be shared.  The food was so incredible we almost licked the plates clean.  The downside was the plates came out too quickly and we were done in an hour. I felt rushed.

Seafood plate at Freddy's

Tom had the risotto at Freddy's.  It was the best risotto I have ever tasted.

Finally it was time to see Rabelo.  Kevin (our captain) warned us that not all the work could be completed because of weather delays.  While Kevin did an excellent job over the winter, he was right in that the boat is still a construction zone.  He had cleaned up as much as he could, but anyone who has ever done a remodel knows, the dust permeates everything!  I am in the process of cleaning out every closet and cupboard.  It will take a while.  We are pleased with the two new ensuite bathrooms.  They came out well and only need showerheads to be done.  The forward guest bedroom on the other hand has a ways to go.  The new hallway closet needs a door, the floor has holes, etc, etc, etc.  With our first guests about to arrive Kevin dropped a bombshell on us.  He gave notice that he is quitting.  We were shocked!  We like him, he likes us and we were looking forward to another great season with him.  Unfortunately personal family issues are tearing him away from us.  We all know about the best-laid plans.  Now we wait to see how this cruising year works out.  Meanwhile I am about to become an expert on line handling.  Stay tuned!

At Saint Mammes where we are tied up they have a Sunday open market.  For our listening pleasure there was a percussion band performing.  The band was of all ages.  The kids were adorable.

The produce was beautiful.

There was a butcher at the market.  There was also cheese, clothing, leather goods, hats, furniture and more.

You can purchase a wedding dress if you're planning to get married.

Rabelo in dry dock showing off her newly painted bottom.