Nosferatu

(LuckyStrike502)

I'm hanging out at The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook. Please visit me there.

Flattering Dress

I don't usually do "fashion" posts, but I bought this dress for my Paris trip from the Boden UK website and it was the most comfortable, flattering dress I've bought in a very long time. I love Boden. I just don't like paying duty.

I bought this colour

I wore this dress on the plane and on my subsequent jet-lag day and later to the Musee D'Orsay with tights and my 12-hour-shoes. (See the left sidebar on the Clever Pup's Paris Notebook for more information on those beauties)

I was mistaken for a Parisian in this dress - somebody chased me down, thinking I was her friend. I think that's a good recommendation.

Another dress from Boden that I really love is this stripey one. I've got to lose another 15 pounds and then I'll buy it too.

What Hath Toronto Wrought?

Photo Aaron Lynett/National Post

For those in Toronto and those not, feast your eyes upon who we voted for for Mayor. Here is Rob Ford at his mature, mindful, compassionate best. Toronto can say goodbye to advances in public transit and any kind of positive reputation built up over the years.  Diane at Things We Love 2 forwarded the link to these videos. Thank you Diane. Hold on tight. We're in for a bumpy ride.


Notice how the councillor in front cringes.








Boring at the beginning but watch this one to the bitter end if you can. He's a bully.

You Otter Vote Today

Here in Ontario we have a municipal election today.  In Toronto we have a very poor selection of candidates. As I can't stand the idea of having a redneck clown represent our city for the next 3 years, I'm going to hold my nose and vote for Furious George Smitherman.

Get Out Your Hankies

From Paris Je T'aime. I cry every time I see this. 


14e arrondissement (Paris, je t'aime) from trolleys on Vimeo.

I'm Hanging out at the Clever Pup's Paris Notebook

I'm hanging out at the Clever Pup's Paris Notebook. Click here to join me

The Clever Pup as a Flâneur

For more, see The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook

Dinner of the Rue Mouffetard

To see more visit The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook

The Hôtel du Panthéon

The Hôtel du Panthéon at 19 Place du Panthéon is where I chose to stay. It fit within my criteria of being small and close to the Seine. It was more than the $250 CA I had hoped to pay. But it was worth every extra penny. I had a beautiful safe room with an AMAZING view. Breakfast was meager, but healthy and included in my agreement.

Upon arrival I took a couple of pictures of the exterior of the Hôtel du Panthéon, not knowing which room was mine. Mine is the 2nd from the top on the far left.

The view from my bed

The view from my balcony.

I did have a balcony, although it was not wide enough for a table and the railing came up to about my hip-height. I wasn't sure if I actually should be standing on it or not. It was wonderful have windows that opened to freshen the room air and to hear the bustle below. The traffic, with it's occasional wee-ah, wee-ah of the police; later the skaters in the Place du Panthéon and the ravens making a nuisance of themselves along the railings of the Panthéon itself. I was tempted at night to leave the windows open - the weather was warm enough- but I've seen enough Cary Grant movies to know that probably wasn't a safe idea. Anyway, here's a mini-film from my mini-balcony.

I could see Sacre Coeur on the horizon if the weather was clear.

The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook

I started a new blog about my Paris trip. Anyone who's interested can find details and pictures of my recent solo trip plus facts and tips for traveling in Paris here at The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook. I'll be posting more in the next few days.

The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook - Day One, My First Morning

I started writing this in the sunshine at Crêpes à Gogo, just a few short steps from my hotel. I dropped off my luggage at the Hôtel du Panthéon at 11:00. I can check in for real at 2pm.

I ordered a Cafe Noisette and a Crêpe La Bretonne; a coffee with a dash of cream and a crêpe with real French vanilla ice cream, chantilly cream and salted butter caramel sauce. It was truly delicious, but I found an ant (dead) on the side of my plate. I gave the waiter 1€ for a tip anyway.

From here I started on my walk of Montparnasse. I've long been a fan of Paris in the 20s and Montparnasse is where it's at. (Or was). Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, Stein, Foujita, Kiki de Montparnasse, Many Ray - they all hung out here.

On my way I passed the Jardin Luxembourg. I took a picture of this lovely sign, The Puppet Theatre of Luxembourg - Fun small and big - performing arts. "Email" in this case, means enamel.

Then walking down Boulevard Saint-Michel I came upon an elaborate fountain in the Jardin Marco Polo. I could only capture a bit of it. Around the corner was the La Closerie Lilas where the black-jacketed waiters were busy seating patrons. Far too posh for me, this restaurant was once they haunt of Hemingway, Sartre, Rimbaud, Man Ray, Dali to name only a few.

Then onto 29 rue Campagne-Première, and the Hotel Istria where Picabia, Duchamp, Man Ray and Kiki, Satie and Rilke all once had quarters. Next door at number 31 is a fantasic example of Art Nouveau architecture. Once artists studios, this building was designed by architect Alexandre Bigot and ceramist André Arfvidson.

I found the watering-holes of the denizens of Montparnasse, Le Dome, La Rotonde, Le Select.

I found Kiki's house and the apartment where Foujita lived.

On my way to 27 Rue Fleurus, once Gertrude Stein's house, a middle-aged French woman caught up to me on the street thinking I was I friend of hers. I guess I fit in alright if I can be mistaken for an inhabitant.

From there I sat and rested on a bench in the Jardin Luxembourg, the chestnuts and their leaves crinkly and crunchy under foot. I made a full-circle taking almost 2 hours. And I haven't even checked into my room yet!

It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times

Hey Blogguers et Bloggueses - I'm back. And what a time I had.

The best of times - Seeing every last piece of art currently on display at the Musee D'Orsay and realizing I should be doing more with my love of art history.

The worst of times - After a 1-hour-trip into Paris from Auvers-Sur-Oise took over 3 and a half and realizing that the general strike had left me stranded at Chatelet-Les Halles. Another hour's walk ensued. But hey it was Paris and it was a crisp, clear evening.

I ended up staying at the Hotel du Pantheon. It was more money than I had originally intended on paying, but it was worth every centime and would stay again in an instant. The picture above is the view from my room, (I'm not joking!)

I'm going to be living off this trip for a long time. I have material for 20, 30 or 40 posts. I may start a side-blog entitled something like The Clever Pup's Paris Notebook. But now, it's the middle of the night, my jet-lagged brain doesn't know what time it is and I must sleep. A bientot!

Paris, Here I come!

Tomorrow I leave for Paris. So far the only thing that's co-operating is the weather. A balmy 25 degrees on arrival tapering to a more seasonal 15 on the day I leave. (That's 75-60 degrees F). I've got the "what was I thinking" jitters and I feel as though someone's called my bluff. It's really happening. Oh Mon Dieu.

Like with all my travel plans I have everything planned down to the nth degree - right down to the minute my train leaves for Auver-Sur-Oise. But that's easy in Europe - you can plan your train right down to the minute -WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON STRIKE... Okay. Okay. I'm calm again.

Some of the things I hope to see are: the Musee National du Moyen Age also known as the Musee Cluny which houses The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry; the Musee de l'Orangerie which showcases Les Nympheas, Monet's waterlily murals; and the Mosquee de Paris, which looks and sounds lovely.

I'm revisiting Musee D'Orsay, to tip my hat to Olympia and to pay homage to the self-portrait of Vincent - a print of which we've had on our dining room wall forever.

I'm taking a minibus to Giverny to get my fill of Monet's gardens and to tour his lovely pink house. I'm also planning a train trip by myself to Auver-Sur-Oise. I have a 12:00 lunch at the Auberge Ravoux, the inn where Vincent Van Gogh died. I hope this comes to fruition as the train unions may impose an open-ended strike starting October 12. That also plays havoc with my return trip to Charles De Gaulle.

Mainly though, I'll be walking and eating and walking and eating. I'm going to drop into Le Bon Marche and their Grandes Epicerie. Conran, Deyrolle and Galeries Lafayette. I've planned out a walking tour of Kiki de Montparnasses haunts and houses and I'm going to peer through the gate of 28 rue Jacob, where Colette lived with Willy. And if it rains, I've planned a walking tour of Paris' covered galleries and passages.

I'm not planning on doing the macaron thing (sick of hearing about them) but I do intend on stopping at Berthillon for an ice cream. But what flavour? I think I'll leave that planning until I'm in the line up!

The great picture up top of Paris in October was found at www.shrewshutters.wordpress.com