The Metro

Paris' Metro, or rapid transit system, was inaugurated in 1900 and the core completed by the 1920s. I really love the Metro and feel comfortable using it; once you figure it out, it's fairly easy to navigate. In fact, for me, it is easier than the Tube in London and the subway in NYC. But don't let me fool you--I remember how intimidated I was when mom amie, Cindy, gave me lessons on my first trip in 1993. And I still have to pay particular attention when I take the RER (the suburban arm of the Metro). Girl from Iowa never had much of a chance to use public transportation before Paris!

Each line or route has a number; is marked by a different color; and is also known by the two ends of the line so you can determine the direction you need to go. For example, line 9 is lime green and is identified by Mairie de Montreuil and Pont de Sevres. Line 8 is lavendar and the end stops are Creteil-Prefecture and Balard. If you're entering the Metro at a spot on line 8 and your destination is towards Creteil-Prefecture, then you must make sure to get on a train going that direction (and not the one towards Balard). There are information maps of all the lines and stops when you enter the Metro so before you submit your ticket into the machine, you can be sure you're at the right place and/or know which line(s) to take to get to your destination. Once you're on the train, on both sides of the train above the doors and/or windows is the line, all its stops, plus the lines that branch off, if any, from the appropriate stops. Because obviously, you may have to take line 8 to Republique, for example, and change to line 5 to get to your final destination (called a Correspondence, which is well marked, as well). If you notice after your train ride begins that the first stop is really one going the opposite way you want to go, just get off, cut back around in the station and get on the train going in the correct direction (no additional charge).

When I first started using the Metro and the end stops were hard for me to pronounce or recognize, I would use word association to remember which end of the direction I wanted to go. For example, if I wanted to take line 8 towards Balard, I would think "Ballard" as in Seattle. La Courneuve 8 Mai 1945 became "May 8th;" Boulogne Pont de St-Cloud became "bologne." You get the picture. I enjoy the newer trains that actually announce each stop as it pulls in--allows me to practice "hearing" the pronounciation so that someday, I might be able to understand the French! Some of the stations are pretty run-down and some are fancier, like the ones near the Louvre with their faux works of art.

If the doors don't automatically open when you get to your stop, either press the green button or pull up on the lever on the door. Upon disembarking, you are free to toss your ticket--although I've never seen anyone check to see if you have a ticket, legally they can. Look for the closest Sortie (exit) because there may be several and you can save lots of walking by choosing the best one. Fortunately, there are plan du quartier maps posted on the walls so you can see where you want to emerge above ground. Stations often have many stairs--today I counted 60+ as I climbed out--and oftentimes the escalators, if any, do not work. I only notice this when I'm carrying luggage... How do you know which line(s) to take and the station to get to where you want to go? Addresses, advertisements and listings typically include the closest "Mo" stop, which is very helpful.

Tickets--a single ticket good on the Metro, RER, and buses is still 1,40 euros (I think). You can save some money by buying a carnet, which is 10 tickets for around 11 euros. Automated machines and attendants (most stations) in the Metro stations sell the tickets. This time I bought a Carte Orange mensuelle, which cost 52,50 euros and is a monthly pass good for unlimited travel (my sister tested this last year using a weekly one--starting Monday and ending Sunday). So if I ride at least twice a day--and I do more than that usually--well, you do the math. I brought a passport-sized picture with me--required for a Carte Orange--but some of the stations have photo booths (I need botox...). On February 1st, I'll buy another single ticket for another 52,50 euros. And then in March, since I'll be leaving on the 8th, I'll buy just a carnet because I also had some single tickets left over from my trip in September. Based on my research, the Paris Visite passes designed for tourists are overpriced.

Viola! In a nutshell, that's a basic lesson on the Metro. Oh I wish I could live some place where I never needed to own a car! (PS - I have not taken any buses yet but will do so on this trip. The Carte Orange works the same for each bus ride.)

Le Provencal Studio Apartment

Benjamin Franklin said, “Every civilized man has two homelands, and one of them is France.”

The studio--not as large as my bedroom in Houston (16.5 meters or about 178 square feet) with an alcove for a kitchen and a "don't be bigger than a women's size 14" bathroom--is located in the Marais (3rd arrondissement) near the Place de la Republique. I arranged the rental with a lady (originally from New Orleans) who's business is to help people find and purchase property in France. She purchased and renovated the unit last summer so everything is brand new, very efficient, and comfortable--because of the decor, she calls it Le Provencal. I was the first person to book the apartment; three others have stayed since she finished it in August. And except for two weeks in April, it is booked solid until the end of July. She is currently purchasing another to renovate as a second rental (the two-bedroom she bought to live in seven years ago has tripled in value.) She truly is living what she sells. If you want to see pictures of the inside and read about all the amenities provided, go to www.parlerparisapartments.com/rentals/provencal.html.
(BTW, I negotiated a better price because this is the lowest tourist season and because I am staying for 10 weeks.) To get into the building from the street, you enter a numeric code and walk past the mailboxes through a short, wide hall to another door. This requires a key, which puts you into a courtyard--very typical of French buildings. My stairway is D and I climb 48 narrow and wind-y steps to the 4th floor (which in Europe, is the 3rd floor--they consider the 1st floor the ground floor, the second floor the 1st floor, etc.). I am the only unit on this floor off of this stairway.The stairwell reminds me of the one that was in my Amsterdam B&B during my first European visit in 1989. And I'll never forget how that old lady lifted my suitcase over her head and marched right up the stairs! Lucky me--I will be able to eat all the chocolate and drink all the wine that I want while I'm here--with all the walking and stair climbing, I should keep quite -
trim. Yippee!

More City Adventures

Yesterday was a busy day, as usual. First I walked to the Canal Saint Martin—yes, an actual canal in Paris which isn’t very far from my apartment. It starts (or ends) close to place de la Bastille at the Port de l'Arsenal, goes underground more or less until it reaches a point near the place de la Republique (where I took these pictures). Further up, the canal runs through a more industrial area (or used to be..) and finally it reaches a basin, Bassin de la Villette.

Built by Napoleon III in 1825 to transport materials from quarries in the north to the Seine and to bring (relatively) clean water to Paris, its charming iron footbridges and locks are still standing. Nine locks enable barges and cruise boats to navigate up the canal that eventually flows under a parkway where it goes underground toward place de la Bastille. The part of the canal that was covered in the 19th century was, of course, due to Haussman (more on him later) and the wish to open up large avenues and boulevards. (On my first trip to Paris in 1993, I witnessed a boat go through the little locks; I didn't see any today but sometime I'd like to take one of the cruise "ships" for a tour on the canal.)

There was talk in the 1960s about covering the rest of the canal; fortunately, this didn't happen. This area, which has been considered a little seedy in the past, is now making a comeback. However, in the past month, homeless Parisians—and even some who are not homeless but want to show solidarity—have set up 200+ tents along both sides of the Canal--to bring attention to the plight of the homeless. Supposedly, about a million people in France are homeless and 100,000 of them are sleeping on the streets, under the bridges, and along the Seine. A housing bill to be presented to the French cabinet later this month by Prime Minister Dominique de Villipin plans to make housing a legally enforceable right by 2012, the same as education and health in French law. The bill calls for the construction of 120,000 new homes every year up to 2012. As I strolled along both sides of the Canal (it was mostly sunny and in the high 40s), I saw several “squatters” being filmed and interviewed by the media.
One young man carrying a dog seemed to scold me as I took pictures; another man began asking me questions. But since I'm French now, I was aloof and kept walking...

Next I visited the Carnavalet Musee (free), which portrays Paris’ history in two converted mansions in the Marais (The “Marais” references an area of the city located in the 3rd arrondissement). Although the museum is confusing with its many rooms, some unmarked, and without any English information, it was enjoyable and very interesting--lots of information on the Louie's and the Napolean's. It currently has a temporary exhibit about a photographer (Roger Henrard) who took pictures from a plane over Paris between 1935 and 1972. These photos (about 1750 of them) were published in books and sold as postcards. I really enjoy the museums in the city that are housed in mansions--including the Rodin and Marmottan. I think the buildings are as interesting as the works of art.
Until early February, Notre Dame is hosting a one-hour Christmas light show (called Lumen de Lumine) and Wednesday’s started at 4:30. I had no idea what the time was when I left the Carnavalet but wandered by a Swatch shop. Voila! It was 4:10! I put it in gear—or notched it up a gear—we all know that I don’t saunter—and was the last person allowed into the cathedral for the program! (That was my reward for helping that family find the Picasso Musee, even though I didn’t want to slow down and none of us spoke the same language. But I pointed them in the right direction so everyone was happy.) The church personnel hang a gauzy "screen" halfway up the aisle to the altar and project images on it--the Angel Gabriel told us about the birth of Jesus accompanied by Christmas music and Bible verses.

It was dark when I left Notre Dame so I headed for my twirl on La Grande Roue de Paris (ferris wheel) at Place de la Concorde. Eight euros later and joined by a grandmere, her grandsons, and her daughter, we circled above Paris about five or six times while La Tour Eiffel did its sparkly dance for us. Since the Champs-Elysees appeared not to have its holiday attire lit up (oh non! Did I miss it??), I walked to les grands magasins (the large department stores) to see their holiday lights. It was cold but seemed mild—maybe the clouds rolled in—and I walked and walked and walked some more. This reminds me of NYC--people everywhere, hurrying to get to their destinations; cars honking; colorful store window displays; pedestrians walking against the traffic lights. At around 8 PM, I finally looked for a Metro stop and headed “home.”

Paris Lights Up Paris

Do you have a “life list?” A list of things to do, be, and acquire before you die? With this trip, another item is crossed off my list: see the holiday lights in Paris.

Everyone knows that Paris is the “city of light” but during this holiday season, Paris is showing off more than her glittering Champs-Elysees, sparkling Eiffel Tower, and decorated bridges and monuments. About 50 neighborhoods are also lit up with thousands of gorgeous lights. This government-sponsored campaign, labeled Paris Illumine Paris 06, was initiated a couple of years ago to encourage shop owners to participate in further beautifying the city—and it is successful!! Every time you turn a corner, you see another landscape of lights. Gorgeous!
I’m told that every year the famous Paris department stores rival the store windows at Macy’s in NYC at Christmas. But this year, Galeries Lafayette has the world’s biggest Christmas tree (standing 20 meters high) decked out with over 55,000 bulbs of yellow and gold light. And the Printemps department store--well, I could see if from the Ferris Wheel on the Place de la Concorde tonight.
As some of you’ve seen, since 2000 the Eiffel Tower provides an additional light show every night for 10 minutes on the hour. To celebrate the new millennium and provide the glittering display, 20 mountain climbers worked every night for three months in 1999. They installed 20,000 light bulbs weighing eight tons; 800 strings of light weighing 25 kilos each and measuring 18 kilometers long; 60,000 flexible clips to attach the cables; 20,000 fasteners; 3 kilometers of angle irons; 230 enclosed lighting fixtures; and 30 kilometers of electrical cords. Fortunately, for me, all these lights will continue to glow until midnight (1:00 AM on weekends) through January 15th! And since we have less than nine hours of daylight at this time of the year, that’s a lot of dazzling lights!! Bien sur!

An aside--in case you don't know--it took two years, two months, and five days to construct the Eiffel Tower starting in 1887 and finishing on March 31, 1889. The tower is composed of 18,038 individual parts which were produced by 100 ironworkers. The weight of the tower's metal framework is 7,300 tons; the weight of the entire structure is 10,000 tons. There are 1,665 steps in the tower; and it is 324 meters high (counting the flag pole) or 1,063 feet. The tower is painted three different colors, getting darker from bottom to top so that it looks uniform.

The contractor, of course, was Gustave Eiffel who had his own little penthouse at the very top. He worked on the structure for the Statue of Liberty and the Panama Canal as well; he supposedly was the first to think of putting a tunnel under the Eiffel Tower and a train station under Paris. Gustave was born in Dijon with the surname of Bonickhausen. But his parents later changed it to Eiffel as the French had a hard time pronouncing his name. He was not always a good student but did earn a degree in chemistry. The completion of the Eiffel Tower was a builder's dream: on time, no mistakes, and no accidents. Amazing.

A comment about the Christmas trees here. Most are either natural, white or red flocked. And most use only lights (some twinkling; some not), ribbons and bows for decoration. When you do see a tree with bulbs (solid colors only) (like at the Holiday Inn), it seems almost garish. Americans are accused by the Europeans of being materialist. Could our Christmas trees be the confirmation that they are correct?

Leftovers from New Year's Eve?

And Bonne Annee to you, too! This empty (but of course!) bottle was sitting in place Dauphine, which is in front of the French Supreme Court (Palais de Justice).

The place, or square (it's almost triangular in this case), is a teeny weeny moment of peace, calm, and solitude (car-free) in a city of busyness. When I walked through here in mid-afternoon, there was not a soul in the park. There are a few restaurants, shops, a hotel; if you're rich, you can buy an apartment here. But my attraction to the place is that it's a nice place to walk (albeit a short one) or a quiet time to sit on a bench.

Place Dauphine was created on the edge of Ile de la Cite by Henri IV's regime and was named in honor of the crown prince, the dauphin, the future Louis XIII, father of King Louis XIV (the Sun King.) Originally, the place was surrounded by 32 similar red-brick buildings, of which only two (one on each side of the small passage from Pont Neuf) remain. Buildings on one side of the square were demolished in 1874 to open the view to the back side of the then newly-built Palais de Justice.

I have been here before when the neighbors were playing boules. Maybe today they were still nursing whatever was caused from the contents of this bottle??

Place Dauphine's Christmas trees:

Walk, walk, walk, walk

After I left you yesterday, I walked around my neighborhood--I wonder how many miles I'm going to walk every week. I also stopped at the local cafe to have a cafe au lait and get my second wind. A surprise--the young waiter was very friendly--says he'll be mon ami. Then I came "home" to unpack and get organized, which took me no time at all. The apartment is very small--more about that later--but everything is brand new and there's lots of storage. I'm going to be very comfortable and happy here. I went out after dark and explored some more--saw the local holiday lights which I will comment on in another blog. Some young man even asked me for directions so I got to practice my French: Je ne parle pas francais. He was very gracious and moved along. As I was beginning to acknowledge my hunger pains, those glowing golden arches popped up--like magic--before my very eyes; and in honor of my sister (just kidding), I popped into McDonald's for a hamburger. Some of you gasp but it is fast, recognizable, and it doesn't cost me an arm and a euro! And it's tradition!

I slept well last night--woke up at 2:30 AM--did stuff--Exedrin PM put me back to sleep around 5:30 until 9:30! (I think jet lag is over.) I took my little market basket on wheels and pretended to be French--went to get groceries at a local market. I think it was very expensive, however, and I will be price checking at some other super markets later this week. Then I set out on my only missions today--to keep exploring my neighborhood; take a new route to the Concorde Metro station to get my monthly Carte Orange metro pass (the guy was lazy--he didn't trim my passport photo and tape it to the pass like the guy did for my sister last year); say a prayer at Notre Dame (thank you for my safe and uneventful trip, as usual. He does take care of me); and pick up the free FUSAC (France-USA Contacts) advertising paper at Shakespeare and Company (a delightful English-language book store with interesting history--you must see it sometime if you haven't already).

Today the weather was off and on cloudy and rainy but there were also moments of sun. It hovered between the 40s and 50s in temperature. My new fancy rain hat is too big and threatens to fly off in the wind. (Hmmm, I bought it before I cut my hair....) But I have another one that fits just fine so I'm OK. By late afternoon and before the Champs-Elysees was lit up, I wore out and got cold so I headed for the Metro. But the twinkling holiday ferris wheel was spinning its lights above the Place de la Concorde (until Janvier 7th) and I must ride that some night this week...maybe the same evening that I check out the ice skaters on the first level of la Tour Eiffel (through Fevrier 1st). A demain ("See" you tomorrow)!

This is Paris!

Je suis ici. (I am here...) and you are there...sorry, won't rub it in... My flight landed early at 10:30 and after a bus ride from the airport and a taxi ride from L'Opera, I met my land lady at the apartment; she just left. Showed me everything I need to know--and if not, I have a huge book of instructions to read. (In fact, right now I need to find out how to open the dryer because the maid put a load of towels in and it's beeping at me.) Before I unpack, I think I'll go strolling around the neighborhood. It's possibly in the low 50s with sun!!! More later! (BYW, it says I'm posting this at 6 something AM--I need to figure out how to change the time to the time here--which is currently about 13:30 PM).