The Long Trip Home: Archives

Archives

February 2002

Spotlight: Love on the Road

November in Paris
by Tonna Corbin

The Train to Rome
by Jackie Goyette

Thanksgiving in Ponte Vedra
by Carly Sachs

A Honeymoon After 13 Years Together
by Rosalie Robison

Fate?
by Carin Stimolo

Love in Prague
by Ellen Kamilakis

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Archives

February 2002—Spotlight: Love on the Road

November in Paris
by Tonna Corbin

November 1999: I got the surprise of my life. My husband whisked me off to Paris for an unbelievable week to celebrate our 30th anniversary. I had no idea where we were headed—only that we were going on a trip, the weather would be approximately 50 degrees, and we'd be doing a lot of walking. It wasn't until we arrived at the airport and he handed me a gift box containing the Fodor's guide to Paris that my dream came true. I was making my first trip to the city of love! What a scene at the airport—crying, laughing, hugging strangers, I couldn't contain my joy. My husband's plan for romance was going exceptionally well so far.

Arriving late on Sunday evening, our drive into the city gave us glorious nighttime, lighted views of the Arche de Triumphe and the Eiffel Tower. (I cried again.) We dined in a local brasserie on omelets and hot chocolate before turning in for the night exhausted from jet lag. Our Left Bank hotel, Jardin du Luxembourg, was located on a quiet side street just one block from the Luxembourg Gardens on the border of the 5th & 6th Arrondissements. Although the room was tiny, we had plenty of space, a great, deep soaking tub, a beautiful iron bed with down comforter and pillows and our own little balcony complete with topiary. How romantic!

We awoke early on Monday and walked to Notre-Dame. The entrance facade was draped in plastic for restoration, but the interior was amazing. We had a hard time believing we were touching stones laid in 1163 and standing on the spot where Napoleon was crowned Emperor. There were no crowds (November being the off season), so we were able to set our own pace. After Notre-Dame, we walked the Ile St.-Louis,bought chicken and gruyere paninis and pear tarts to take along on our cruise of the Seine. An afternoon rain hurried us back to the hotel for naps before dinner at a charming country French restaurant, ChantAirelle, near the Pantheon It was the most romantic anniversary dinner! We were in heaven, eating puff pastry boxes filled with wild mushrooms, lamb with foi gras and pear tart for dessert. Being November, the Beaujolais Nouveaus had just arrived. We enjoyed a bottle almost every night.

On Tuesday we got our museum passes and started with a tour of the Musee d'Orsay. Here we saw works by Degas, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, VanGogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Vuillard, Rodin, Matisse and more. I was most impressed with the building itself, however. Once an old train station, the building had been transformed into a work of art. What started out to be a quick museum visit turned into an entire day. We were finally hustled out the door at closing by museum guards. We strolled through the cobblestone streets of St.-Germain looking in shops who were preparing for Christmas. There were wonderful doll shops, and florists selling little boxes made from preserved rose leaves filled with preserved rose buds that were said to last for years. Our destination was Le P'tit Troquet; a tiny restaurant down a side alley in the 7th Arrondissement. The charming couple who own and operate the establishment wear all hats, here. She takes reservations, greets and seats, waits tables and delivers the fare as well as portraying a fine sommelier. He is the wonderful chef but will emerge from the kitchen to help hang coats or clear the occasional table when needed.

After leaving this bastion of French charm, we wandered on in search of the metro stop. Suddenly, we rounded a street corner and there it was—the Eiffel Tower in all of its nighttime glory. Literally three blocks away it had been completely obscured. We decided to end the perfect day with a ride to the top to see all of Paris glimmering below.

The next morning we were up early to take the train to Versailles. It was late enough in the season that the fountains had been turned off and the flower gardens were bare, but with the absence of summer crowds we were able to see the palace at a leisurely pace. Although the French government has spent more than $19 million on restoration of the palace and "Friends of Versailles" (many of whom are Americans) have spent millions on the gardens, tourists will still find much in disarray. I was greatly dismayed to see graffiti etched in the famed mirrors of the "Hall of Mirrors."

After a lunch of rabbit stew, french bread, tarts and cafe au lait in the Palace, we visited the Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon, two "small" palaces also on the grounds. The Petit Trianon was built by Louis XVI as a gift to Marie-Antoinette. She, in turn, spent a fortune creating the Hameau - a hamlet of 3/4 sized thatched-roof cottages, watermill, lake and rose arbors and gardens to remind her of her Austrian country home. On that evening's train ride, we slept the entire way back to Paris.

I wasn't sure I had another day left in my tired feet, but who could resist spending Thanksgiving at the Louvre? Its amazing how quickly fatigue fades when the mind is occupied with the likes of the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, the French crown jewels, Napoleon's apartments, or The Winged Victory. It's easy to overlook the magnificence of the building itself while eyeing all the treasures housed within. Beautiful frescos from the 1600s covered the ceilings. Again, we stayed until the doors locked , yet we only saw a fraction of the collection. This is not surprising, considering that over 400,000 pieces are housed there. Tired feet weren't up for much walking, even for food, so we dined at La Bastide Odeon just four blocks from our hotel. The waiter couldn't have been friendlier - contrary to stories of the snooty French and their rudeness to Americans. When we asked about a non-smoking section (an unheard of practice in France) he vowed to seat all the smokers upstairs "if possible". He succeeded, and we dined smoke-free that night.

Friday was our final day. We decided to wander the streets. We saw the church of St. Chapelle, built in 1248 to house Louis IX's holy relics—the Crown of Thorns, two pieces of the True Cross, a nail from the Cross, the Roman soldier's lance that pierced Christ's side and several drops of Christ's blood. Today, only the Crown of Thorns remains, and it is housed at Notre-Dame. The church has 1500 sq. yds. of stained glass windows depicting the entire Bible in 1134 scenes. Apparently, it takes two weeks of sun up to sun down reading with a good pair of binoculars to follow the whole stained glass text.

Much of the church was being restored while we visited. The base of St. Chapelle was swathed in tents occupied by stonemasons. It was an odd scene. They were using ancient tools and methods to reproduce gargoyles and buttresses while blasting The Rolling Stones on their radio. Afterwards, we wandered through picture-perfect side streets and markets and ended the day shopping for souvenirs at La Samaritaine with a warm cup of hot chocolate in their rooftop restaurant. Here, we watched the sun set over the Seine. A walk home, a little rest and then our last dinner in Paris. This time we dined at Le Grenier, a vegetarian restaurant just across the river from Notre-Dame. The French can make even tofu taste divine!

After dinner, we took a full moon walk home to pack and try to sleep, constantly wishing that we had another week, or month, to continue our visit to Paris.

Tonna Corbin, Minneapolis, Minnesota: An enthusiasm for meeting people and exploring diverse cultures has fueled this author's travels to Paris, London, Amsterdam, Africa, Australia, Mexico, the Caribbean, Japan, China, and through much of the United States. Believing that travel is the best teacher, she encourages others in their journeys by sharing her experiences in articles and on the Internet. She is an avid photographer, gourmet cook, and best of all, Chloe's grandma.