There's No Place Like Home!

May 01, 2016 by Patricia Farmar

Made it back last night with absolutely no issues - Paris to DC and then on to KC. I am admittedly feeling some jet lag today - I woke up at 4 AM which is 11 AM in Paris - but should be back to fairly normal by tomorrow- and it's back to work for me. What a fantastic memorable trip! I wouldn't change a thing - and it couldn't have gone smoother. Did it all come together by chance? No way. I spent about 4 months planning this trip. I used the "Lonely Planet" travel guides for each city to decide what my priorities were as far as what I wanted to see, do and eat. The maps were great - and they are in English. And they are laid out geographically so you're not crisscrossing the city - they really helped me maximize my time in each place. In the past I have used the Rick Steve's guides and I like them too. I like seeing more of the real cities versus just the touristy spots and I feel like doing my research helps me accomplish that. Plus for me the planning is half the fun!

I can't really pick a favorite - enjoyed them all. The beauty of Barcelona, the museum's in Madrid, the people in Lisbon, the food in Paris - all so different but all wonderful! In 14 days I saw.........

12 Museums

9 Churches

3 Parks

2 Palaces

and walked 126 miles in these shoes!!1

Things I didn't keep track of......

Glasses of Wine

Desserts

Times I got Lost!!!

Thanks to all of you for reading my blog. I got lots of emails and texts telling me you were right there with me - and I never felt alone. I especially enjoyed the email from my dear friend Liz that said I'm there with you every step - seeing sights and eating! I would like to see "our" room in Paris including the window box!! Loved that! So this is for you Liz!!! They planted fresh flowers for us Friday!!

This is not the end of the blog or of my Patti Part Two adventures. Next up the Pacific Northwest - Bend Oregon and Seattle in late June so stay tuned! In between I will continue the Cheescake Tasting and write about various things of interest here in KC.

This is something my mom always said - and the older I get the more I realize how true it is!

April in Paris!

April 29, 2016 by Patricia Farmar

What a beautiful time to be here - although not sure there is a bad time to be in Paris! The trees are blooming and the grass is green in the parks - although the temperature here is pretty chilly. I thought we had changeable weather in the Midwest - but it's been in the 30's in the morning here and then the temperature swings 30 degrees up and down throughout the day. So I wear layers and then just take them off throughout the day. This will be kind of a two part post - as I had a great but long day yesterday so just went straight to bed when I got back. It's early here so I thought I would write about yesterday - and then add day 3 when I get back tonight. Trying not to be sad that it's my last day here - just focusing on how grateful to have had this experience - the whole trip has been exceptional!!

So started the day with breakfast at a little cafe on the way to the metro.

No it's not the same picture from Weds - just the same breakfast choice!

First place on my list was the spectacular Musee d'Orsay - the home of France's national collection of Impressionist, post impressionist and art-nouveau Art. The building itself is a work of art - and was originally a train station. I have wanted to visit this museum for years as I love the Impressionists. Thank you museum pass - I walked right in!

Approaching the museum from the beautiful Tuileries Garden and then crossing the Seine!

The collection of art is really overwhelming - it definitely did not disappoint. They also have a large sculpture collection by Rodin, Degas and Gaugin to name just a few - but I will have to save that for another trip.

The large clocks that are so prominent on the building are clear and you can look out through them from the inside! And a Degas sculpture that was one of my favorites in with the paintings.

Next stop was lunch - and thank you Lonely Planet book again for getting me somewhere I never would have found on my own!! Not far from the museum in the charming St-Germain area is Treize! In a courtyard off a beautiful little street and through almost an alley - Ta Da! Can't believe I found it!

It was amazing! So tiny I felt like I was eating in someone's kitchen. There are tables to seat maybe 16 people all scrunched in a small space that are reservation only - and then a community table for 8 that I was lucky enough to get a spot at. There were 2 cooks that were literally right behind me cooking and talking to everyone. I had the artichoke and mushroom tart with a side salad of mixed greens and berries. It came with a biscuit also which is apparently their signature item. It was fantastic! I will think of it often when I am home eating my turkey sandwich every day! The people were so friendly - I asked if I could take pictures and they said absolutely!!

That picture of the cooks is only blurry because they were moving so fast!!

The St-Germain area is so cute I decided to walk the streets and browse in some of the shops. I decided to only buy things that are actually made in France - and found a cute store called Gab & Jo that sells only that!! Also Cire Trudon - the oldest candle maker in the world - since 1643! And Le Bon Marche department store - build by Gustave Eiffel! Also stopped at Laduree and picked up a few macarons for later!!

Pistachio and sea-salt caramel. Got a little smashed in my bag but still delicious!

How about seeing the tomb of Napoleon? I think I will! It is at the Hotel Des Invalides and might look familiar to you.

The US Capital is modeled after it! And yes that's real gold on the dome!

This is actually a pretty big complex of buildings - not only the tomb of Napoleon but the largest French military museum, a church and more. I am going to admit I just went to the tomb - I will have to come back another time for the rest. But definitely worth seeing especially if you like war history. One thing worth mentioning is that security everywhere is very tight. Screening at every museum is almost like an airport - bag checks and X-ray machines and metal detectors. Even department stores have security with scanners at every entrance. Security was especially intense at this spot - soldiers with machine guns. It's just the way we live now - and actually does make me feel safer.

Well I had one more museum on my list so I needed to be on my way!

Hello Musee de l'Orangerie! Might be my most favorite museum here! And I almost didn't stop as I was feeling a bit worn out. So glad I did! It could be considered small by Paris standards but absolutely exquisite in my opinion. The 2nd floor was specifically designed to showcase 8 - yes 8 of Monet's enormous Water Lilies seen in natural light. 2 rooms and 4 in each room. Wow!!! Unreal!! And then the first floor is the private Impressionist collection of Paul Guillaume which is about 144 amazing paintings!! Sigh........so tempted to go back again today.

Then a walk through the Tuileries again - this time with lots of Parisians enjoying the park.

Jardin Des Tuileries borders the Louvre on the west side.

A quick stop to drop my purchases at the hotel before heading to dinner. A request was made for me to post a picture of my room - so I will oblige!! I'm staying at the Hotel Elysees Flaubert - a very cute boutique hotel that is very reasonable and close to a great metro stop right by the Arc De Triomphe.

Note the window box upper right!! Hello that's me in the mirror!!!

Well I've had chicken and fish for dinner - what's left?? Beef!!

Boeuf Bourguignon - Beef Stew!!! Delicious! Bistro les 4 Saisons in my neighborhood.

My last stop of the day was the Arc De Triomphe. I saved it as I wanted to go up to the top at night and see the lights of Paris. Well the one thing that didn't go according to plan was that they closed the top 2 hours early for no apparent reason - so didn't get to do that. Just a paper sign that said closed early - sorry!! But it might be just as well. It's quite high and height is not really my thing.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and view from the Arc down the Champs-Elysees.

To end my day in Paris I walked up and back the Champs-Elysees to see the lights. Looks totally different at night! Lots of fancy stores, not so fancy stores, restaurants and expensive car show rooms. Another great day in Paris! And now to start Day 3!!!

This morning started with a laugh. I was in the mood for a good old Starbucks latte so started my day there. Apparently in Paris if your name isn't French enough they just give you a new one! I clearly told the woman my name was Patti - she looked at me, nodded and said Melanie! Wrote it on the cup and passed it over to be made! OK! Going with it! All day I have felt like a Melanie!

And of course a croissant! Going to miss those but time to get back to my usual Greek yogurt.

My museum pass was finished yesterday so today I definitely took it slower. This is my last full day in Paris so wanted to savor it. Took the metro to Place De La Concorde. This is the city's largest square and a pink granite obelisk sits right in the middle that is 3300 years old! A gift from Egypt in 1831. The square is midway on a straight line from the Louvre to the Arc De Triomphe and has 2 identical fountains on either end. From that spot you have a great view of the Eiffel Tower, the Seine and straight up to the Arc. You can't see the Louvre because of the Tuileries but it's a great spot.

From Concorde Plaza it was an easy walk to two of the biggest department stores in Paris and in the world!! Galleries Lafayette and Le Printemps. Each one is massive - and by that I mean multiple blocks and extending even to across the street. Top of the line designer clothing, jewelry, handbags, housewares, cosmetics and on and on. Merchandise wise I don't think there is a huge difference between the two. Le Printemps appeared to be doing some serious remodeling - so for right now Galleries Lafayette was quite a bit prettier inside. Galleries Lafayette has this AMAZING stained glass dome that is over 100 years old - that alone is worth a stop. I'm not a big shopper but it was fun to just walk around and ride the escalator to see all the floors.

The beautiful dome! There is a terrace on the top floor of each store so I went up to see the view. I was in a Galleries Lafayette looking at another one right across the street! And a great view of the city!!

I had lunch at Angelina's in Galleries Lafayette. The original restaurant that is very old is in the Tuileries but this was more convenient and I was hungry!

A wonderful salad with fresh green beans and a light vinaigrette dressing. And always excellent bread!

My last museum of the trip was the Musee Jacquemart-Andre. I saved it for today as it is not covered by the museum pass, but I had heard great things so put it on my list. It was actually pretty close to my hotel, and more a tour of a gorgeous mansion filed with beautiful art from all over the world. There are 16 rooms and the furnishings are spectacular. They had an impressive collection of art from artists like Rembrandt and Van Dyke, and an unbelievable collection of 15th century Italian Renaissance art. That all makes me sound way more knowledgeable then I am. I just listened to the audio guide!!

The front view from the street. It actually sits up pretty high above the street.

Just a few pics of the interior and one from the back courtyard. The double marble staircase is impressive.

And they have a restaurant and tea room!! Had a fabulous dessert to wrap up my afternoon.

Raspberry tart with light cream on a flaky crust - Yumm!

So that leaves just dinner tonight and then the travel day home tomorrow. Sigh......

In case you are scratching your head about 4 places I didn't go to - The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Versailles and Sacre-Coeur, it's because I have already been to all of them. I highly recommend them all but on this trip I wanted to do things I hadn't done. It's been a great trip!! Really exceeded my expectations!! I'll do one more post about this trip when I get home - kind of recap things - but thanks for coming along! I never felt alone! Have a wonderful weekend all!!

WOW!

April 27, 2016 by Patricia Farmar

Did you ever have a day when everything just went perfectly? When the stars aligned and you got everywhere you needed to be 10 minutes before everyone else? Well that's the day I had today. I had an aggressive plan for what I wanted to do - but realistically I thought I wouldn't be able to get it all in - that places would be crowded and I would need to wait in line. Well - it didn't happen. Tomorrow might be different but today was incredible. Let me share one tip for when you visit Paris - because of course you must!! Buy the museum pass! If you will be here for more then one day and plan to see any museums it's the best deal in town. I bought mine at the airport as it doesn't get activated until you enter your first museum. Then it's good for almost every museum in town (not the Eiffel Tower) for how ever many days you buy. I bought the 2 day pass and used it 4 times just today! Planning on 3 or more stops tomorrow and it already paid for itself today. Plus it enables you to skip the lines and enter ahead of those buying a ticket. Because you will stand in line twice without it - once to buy your ticket and again to enter the museum. Worth it's weight in gold!!

First of all let me share that I had a mini panic attack last night after leaving the restaurant. I was literally 2 maybe 3 blocks from my hotel and I got lost. I could not find the hotel and it took me 45 minutes to get back. So I was afraid that today I would get totally lost and spend half my time trying to figure out where I was. Well I will chalk last night up to travel fatigue because today went great!!! I started the day by not only figuring out what metro train I needed to take, but how to get to it and how to buy the ticket! Once I was on the train I knew the rest of the day would go well. I started with breakfast at Cafe Saint Regis located on the little island of Ile St-Louis. That's just east of the island that Notre Dame is on. It's been there forever and the waiters wear long white aprons - looks like something out of an old movie.

First stop was Notre Dame De Paris. I planned to see the inside of the church first and get in line to climb to the top of the Towers right when that opened at 10 AM. Worked out perfectly!! The church was began in 1163 and completed by the early 14th century. Incredible!!

After I saw the inside I went to get in line for the Tower. They let people up in groups and I was lucky to be in the first group! We walked up 400 spiral steps to get to the top!! Worth it!!

Clockwise - Rose window, Altar, Spiral stairs to the Tower, one of my new gargoyle friends!!!

What an incredible view of Paris to the west from the Tower!!

My next stop was the incredible Saint-Chapelle Chapel. It's very close to Notre Dame and while the lines are usually long with the museum pass I sailed right in. The oldest and finest stained glass in all of Paris are in this chapel build in 1248. I had heard and read how beautiful it is but I was really unprepared for how stunning and overwhelming it really it. Luckily they have chairs as I needed to sit down and just enjoy it for awhile.

1113 scenes depicted in its 15 floor to ceiling stained-glass windows.

My pictures don't even come close to doing it justice. You must see it for yourself!!!

Next stop was right next door at the Conciergerie. It was originally a royal palace in the 14th century but then was converted to a prison. One of the most famous prisoners was Queen Marie-Antoinette. I didn't really take any pictures. It was interesting but kind of depressing.

After a walk across the Pont Neuf - the oldest bridge in Paris that linked the two sides of the river I headed for lunch.

I located a cafe recommended in my Lonely Planet guidebook (thanks Tom, Keeley & Matt!) called Cafe La Fusee. It was wonderful! Had seating for maybe 24 people? I started with the pumpkin soup and then had one of my favorites - the Croque Monsieur with salad. The Croque Monsieur is my default French meal - I could eat it every day. It's basically the best grilled ham and cheese sandwich ever!!

Interesting presentation of soup!! Pumpkin with a kick of spice - delicious!!!

Next stop was the Centre Pompidou. It has the most interesting and radical architecture! It contain's Europe's largest collection of modern art - but worth seeing just for the building even if you don't like modern art. It's basically an inside out structure with the plumbing, pipes, air vents and electrical cables forming part of the external facade. And it is enormous as far as contents! I was there over an hour and a half and saw half of one floor!! And there are 6 floors!! But I was on overload - my head exploding with Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and Kandinsky!! I will get back there again one day and see more.

That clear tube going up the building is the escalator to get you to the top - so cool! And amazing views of Paris!!

Hey I didn't have dessert yet!! Time to make a stop. So I headed over to what is supposedly the BEST ice cream in all of Paris - Berthillon. Once again it was totally out of a movie - waiters in long white aprons. When I entered the head waiter asked me if I was there for lunch or tea? I said ice cream!!! But I'll have some tea too!

Decided on caramel and coconut! Both fantastic!!! Separated by a delicious almond cookie. And I love that in Paris they always give you water too!!

To wrap up the rest of the late afternoon I decided to walk up the Champs-Elysees and do a little browsing. It started to get very overcast and sprinkle just a tiny bit so I decided to postpone the trip to the top of the Arc de Triomphe till tomorrow when it is supposed to be a clear day. I headed back to the hotel and checked my miles - almost 14!!!

I asked the concierge here at the hotel for a recommendation for dinner and he suggested a place right around the corner called Le Bistro D'A Côte Flaubert. He said there is a very famous chef by the name of Michel Rostang that has a restaurant that is very expensive and you can't even get a table there - but he opened up this brasserie in the neighborhood and that it was excellent. He did not give me a bad steer! It was fantastic! I wanted to take pictures but it is very small - almost like eating in someone's living room - only about 10 people dining - and I was right by the head waiter!!! Drat!!! My first course was chicken liver pate, course two a delicious fish with almonds and capers served with rice, and for dessert - yes - another dessert - I had fresh strawberries with cream and a little pastry crisp!!! Also a great wine - and when I asked the waiter what it was he went out of his way to bring over a computer and show me on a map where it came from in France! And they say the French are rude!!! Not so!! I know I lost weight in Spain but I'm pretty sure I gained it all back today - and then some!!!

Well thanks for coming along!! Another great day planned for tomorrow! Bonne Nuit!!

Bonjour!

April 26, 2016 by Patricia Farmar

Made it to Paris! This is going to be a short post because I spent the vast majority of today just getting here. It's only about a 2 and a half hour flight from Lisbon, but with security at the airport what it is now - I spent the morning at the airport in Lisbon just waiting around. Then by the time I got to my hotel in Paris it was 5 PM because Paris is an hour ahead. No matter - I have tons planned for the next 3 days. The good news is that my boutique hotel has turned out to be perfect! I was a bit nervous as the price was really good - it looked and sounded good online but how can you really be sure? It's small - perfect for 1 person - probably not for 2 - really reminds me of The Pod Hotel I stay at in NYC. Looks like it's recently been redone - bathroom is very new and modern. And I have a flower box outside my window with flowers in it - who needs more to really feel like you're in Paris!!

After I got settled in I walked around the neighborhood looking for a bistro or cafe for dinner. I'm quite close to the Arc de Triomphe in the 17th District - very much of a neighborhood feel. I found a great little bistro that looked like it had been there 100 years. The menu was only on a chalkboard and had about 8 choices. I went with the chicken and vegetables and it was fantastic. Made me think about trying to replicate it at home - or just come back to Paris and eat it here again!

I read that they think it's tacky to take pictures of your food here so I am going to have to be sneaky. Don't want to give Americans a bad name!

Then went right next door to an amazing patisserie that at 7PM still had tons of stuff they were selling in the cases. I picked an apple tart with almonds on top that was fantastic. Ate it too fast to take a picture - sorry!!! And walked by so many more delicious spots I'm sure I will have no trouble eating here.

Sorry this is blurry. I didn't know how they would feel about me taking a picture so snapped it fast. It was hard to decide - it all looked great!!

Well that was day one in Paris. Heading out bright and early tomorrow - already got my Museum Pass which gets me in to pretty much every museum in town plus other spots like to the top of the Arc de Triomphe without waiting in line - woohoo!! Au Revoir for now!!

Pena Palace, Cape Roca and Cascais!

April 25, 2016 by Patricia Farmar

Today is a national holiday in Portugal celebrating the carnation revolution of 1974 - so I thought getting out of town might be a good idea! Especially because I wanted to take a day trip and see more of the country anyway. So I booked a day trip to go to the Palace of Pena in Sintra, stop at Cape Roca which is the most western part of the European continent, and see Cascais which is a seaside town right on the Atlantic. So I along with my new friends - 5 Germans, one Italian married to a Russian, and our Portugeuse guide met at the Hard Rock Cafe and headed out of town!

First stop Sintra to tour the Palace of Pena and the beautiful surrounding gardens. The builder was King Ferdinand II and his wife Queen Maria II. There are numerous castles and palaces in the town of Sintra so you can be in a palace looking at another palace - cool! Out guide asked if we wanted to start in the gardens and hike to the top where the castle is - instead of entering the main gate like everyone typically does. We were all up for it and it was almost my favorite part of the tour! But when he said climb to the top he meant it! It took about 40 minutes to do the hike but the labyrinth of gardens was amazing!!

I got to sit in the Queen's Throne carved out of rock where she sat every morning and viewed the castle!

And this is what she was looking at!!!

3 Different styles and colors symbolizing the integration of the 3 different cultures!!

We had about an hour to tour the inside and walk along the outer turrets - unbelievable views all the way to the ocean!

Then we headed for lunch. Our guide George took us to a beautiful little local restaurant called Refugio da Roca in the town of Cabo da Roca. He had to help me (actually all of us) with the menu. He suggested the Bacalhau Na Telha for those of us that aren't partial to octopus, eel, squid etc. It was delicious! It came in it's own little casserole dish and was spinach on the bottom topped with cod and shrimp under a crumbly topping of cornmeal with spices. Served with boiled potatoes on the side. Two of the Germans didn't speak English but everyone else did and we had fun chatting and asking questions. They have all been to the US and had lots of questions for me as far as things they don't understand. My favorite was when you are having coffee and they ask you if you want it "topped off". Do they charge extra for that? And I had questions for them too. As usual the vast majority of people around the world you meet are nice.

Next stop Cape Roca - the most western point of the European continent. Directly across the Atlantic Ocean is NYC!!!

Hey I think I can see the Statue of Liberty!!!

Last stop was the town of Cascais which is not far from Lisbon and is basically a beach town. It wasn't that far from Cape Roca but the change in temperature was dramatic!

Doing what people do at the beach around the world!!

Well that wraps up my time in Portugal. I didn't know what to expect and it turned out to be wonderful!! Tomorrow I leave for Paris!