Letter from Amsterdam 6-7 May

The Bluvan shuttle (navatte) came right on time and with our bags loaded the two of us were off to Orly to pick up our rental car. Traffic was light and before long we found ourselves wending our way to the Avis car rental desk. After a few minutes’ wait we set off in search of our Nissan Juke, according to some perhaps the ugliest car in Europe. But it came with a GPS, a particular feature that would have seriously implications for our trip and marriage.

After a very short tutorial by one of the Avis folks on how to use the GPS we were out of the garage and heading off north to Amsterdam. Traffic was light as we left Orly Rungis and made our way to the peripherique around Paris, eventually getting off on the A1 to Lille and points north.

We paid just one toll (€16.60) near Lille before leaving France — the roads in Belgium and the Netherlands are all free — and were pleased with how comfortable the Nissan was, how good the roads were and above all how reliable and incredibly useful the GPS was: (Female English voice) “Keep next left and stay on the A1.” No arguing, bickering or last minute scramble to figure out which way to turn or when; just the calm, soothing voice of our own personal driving assistant helping us travel north to meet family and friends.

Some six hours’ later we found ourselves driving in the heart of Amsterdam and were soon at the Apollo Museum Hotel. After checking in our car and while waiting for the valet service to pick up the car Richard and Pauline strolled by — they had been out on a short walk and just happened by on their way back to the hotel.

After leaving the car with the valet we looked for our room to drop our bags off. Right away we noticed that the air conditioner made an annoying persistent sound whenever it functions and in the heat that day we sensed this was going to be a serious problem. After the manager came to check the problem out for himself he decided to simply assign us a different room.

Once settled we met up with Richard and Pauline and the four of us set out to stroll the nearby canals looking for a place to eat.

We were staying the “museum quarter” and many of the bars and cafes catered to a tourist crowd. Unfortunately we had not planned for such an eventuality and that evening at dinner at a borderline tacky place called Casa de Sergio. Located on a street lined with steakhouses touting Uruguayan steak, Argentinian steak, Albert’s steak or just steak, we settled for Italian and were moderately disappointed.The experience convinced us that we need to be more diligent during the rest of our stay, finding places away from the Casino, Hard Rock Cafe and other assorted bear-and-burger places.

Still, were were dining outside and it was good to be back with friends. The four of us had a rousing evening of catching up on news, thinking about what was to happen next to us and just enjoying each other’s company in a place most of us had never been before.

The four of us were eventually fueled and ready for the day. From the hotel it was a five-minute walk to the Rijksmuseum — location being one of the primary factors in choice of accommodation. Thanks to Pauline we already had tickets in hand and were soon inside. For the next 3-4 hours we enjoyed some of the world’s most incredible art. In fact at one point we stopped and sat down at one of the museum’s small cafes to have a coffee before plunging back into the fray.

Susan, Richard and Pauline

Pauline and Richard

Watching the Night Watch by Rembrandt

making our way to the featured exhibition

Once revitalized we headed off to the featured exhibition: “High Society,” portraits of the nearly-great or merely wealthy of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Mary Hartopp Countess Howe (1732-1800) by Thomas Gainsborough, 1763-64

Marchesa Luisa Casati (1881-1957) with greyhound, by Giovanni Boldini, 1908

Pauline, Susan and Richard with Dutch friends

just outside the museum entrance was this group playing Vivaldi with gusto!

After a wonderful tour through the museum and feeling our spirits lifted by such powerful works of art (I spent 15 minutes just staring at the portrait of Luisa Casati) we walked across the street and got on board one of the numerous canal cruise boats. For the next 90 minutes or so we sat in the sun and took in the sights of the city, meandering down one canal after another and past several fantastic buildings.

cruise of Amsterdam's canals

three-storey parking garage -- just for bikes!

once up the A-dam tower you can pay a little extra and swing out over the harbor

Many others have said this before me but it bears repeating: bikes are everywhere. And if you don't pay attention you might find them more dangerous than cars.

After disembarking from the boat we strolled to a nearby cafe along one of the canals for an aperitif. From there we made our way back to the hotel before heading out to dinner. For this evening we were going to try Indonesian and one place that came recommended by the hotel staff was just a short couple of blocks away in the vicinity of the Rijksmuseum: Sama Sebo. The four of us had rijsttafel, which is apparently a bit of everything on the menu -- or so it seemed to us. Anyway, we thought it quite tasty, certainly filling and after dinner it was a quick walk back to the hotel and bed.

aperitif time!

Letter from Paris 5 May

Today was another day of relaxing, flànerie and getting ourselves ready for the next day’s road trip to Amsterdam.

After coffee and a light breakfast we walked down to Monoprix near the San Marcel Metro to pick up a ffew items for the road although I’m using one of Susie’s cheese breads to make a variant on the Parisian jambon baguette to get us through until we arrive in Amsterdam. We also made use of the ham and cheese left in the house for a sandwich at home before heading out for the day.

Leaving the apartment we made our way to the no. 5 at Campo Formio getting off at Bonsergent. From there we set off to find the pastry shop Liberté (a Clothilde Dusoulier recommendation) in the 10th arr. but it was closed.

No matter, we strolled over to Canal Saint-Martin and enjoyed a walk down in the direction of the Seine. Along the way we got an opportunity to watch one of the swing bridges at work, playing havoc with traffic but how else is an empty canal cruise ship to get home?

sitting out in the 10th arr.

We got cut our walk short and got back on the 5, getting off at Gare d’Austerlitz where we left the Metro and headed for Seine just opposite the Jardin des Plantes and the batobus, the river's hop-on-hop-off river bus. Touristy you bet, but for our last full day in the city a tour of the Seine was in order. It was a gorgeous day and what better place to enjoy Paris than from the river?

Leaving the batobus near Place Saint-Michel we made our way to Gibert Joseph bookstore on Boulevard Saint-Michel and browsed the stacks for a short while. Although we couldn’t quite put our finger on anything specific, we both thought the store had downsized its overall book holdings from when we first started going there in 2006.

les bouquinistes

Anyway we eventually found ourselves in the Odéon neighborhood where we stopped for an aperitif of Suze and to watch the flow of humanity — and in that part of the city it was a constant river of people moving every direction up and down the street.

After leaving the bar and our empty Suze glasses we walked toward the Seine passing over the well-worn cobbles of rue de l’Ancienne Comédie. Along this very old street in the city you’ll find what is touted as the oldest bar/cafe still operating in Paris: Le Procope. Our objective, however, was across the small street: Un Dimanche à Paris, one of Susie’s  favorite pastry shops.

rue de l’Ancienne Comédie

We then headed over tot he quai and upriver on the left bank eventually stopping near the Pont de la Tournelle and shifting our people watching to those who, like us, enjoy a stroll along the riverbank.

We were lucky enough to share in the moment of a newly married couple, whether local or tourist I couldn’t say, a couple who certainly wanted one of their memories of that special day to include the Seine, Notre Dame and the dying light of a lovely spring day in Paris.

For dinner that evening, our final dinner in the city, we opted to try the Rotisserie d’Argent. 19 Quai de la Tournelle in the 5th. Little sister of the legendary restaurant Tour d’Argent across the street — the Rotisserie focuses on traditional Paris bistro specialities while also being much more forgiving when it came to l’addition. Susie had a delicious fish for her plat while I naturally gravitated toward the steak frites one last time, all washed down with a house red. Both meals were wonderful.

Rotisserie d'Argent

After dinner it was back to the Metro and home, our Paris leg of this journey fast coming to en end.

Next: to Amsterdam, renewal of old friendships and a brief tour of the Netherlands.

Three art exhibitions in Paris

If anyone is going to Paris between now and early July and French Impressionist or 19th century French painting is your thing these three major art exhibitions should not be missed:

Mary Cassatt at the Jacquemart-Andre from 9 March to 23 July;
Jean-Batiste Corot at the Marmottan-Monet -- focuses on his figure work, most of which was little seen during his lifetime or since, 8 February to 8 July; and
Eugène Delacroix at the Louvre from 28 March to 23 July.

le blonde Gasconne, 1850, by Corot

Letter from Paris 4 May

It was a lazy morning for the two of us — coffee and a light breakfast before heading out for the day. Our first objective was the Musée Marmottan Monet on the far western side of Paris in the 16th arr.

We had been to the Marmottan once before in 2016 to see their permanent Berthe Morisot collection and at that time they had a wonderful featured exhibition of the work of Marie Laurencin. 

Morisot collection on the 2nd floor

detail of Eugène Manet and his daughter Julie in the Garden, 1883

This time, the featured exhibition was the figure work of Jean-Baptiste Corot. We had seen quite a few examples of Corot’s works in museums in the US: Chicago the Clark, the Met in New York and the MFA in Boston to name just four. He was widely known in his own time as a premier landscape artist but this exhibition focused on his rarely seen portrait work. He never exhibited these pieces at the Salons in Paris and never sold them. They were, in a word, stunning.

The man had a genuine feel for the human condition.

The Blonde Gasconne Girl 1850

And of course the museum's Monet collection is nothing less than remarkable.

Promenade near Argenteuil, 1875

Leaving the museum we made our way back to the Metro stop La Muette and had lunch at the nearby Tabac a la Muette. After lunch we decided to walk to our next destination, it was such a gorgeous day. So, we strolled over to the Trocadero, saw the Eiffel Tower and from there took a bus to the Parc Monceau where we hung out finding space on one of the few open benches to sit and take in the sun.

We then took the Metro home where we relaxed for an hour or so before heading over to the Louvre. On friday the museum is open late and we wanted to take the opportunity to skip the crowds — so we thought. It was easy to get in and buying tickets (no preplanning) was a breeze. Still, there were several hundred thousand people usually standing near where we were at any given time.

We made our way to the Delacroix exhibition which was nothing short of mesmerizing. Seeing his major works in such large scale for the time was awesome indeed.

Liberty leading the people 1830

We quickly made our way to the 19th century French room to see the Raft of the Medusa (1818-19) by Thédore Géricault. Along the way we also took in numerous works by some of France’s greatest artists, although in my mind few equalled Géricault. There I’ve said it.

Naturally, before we left we had to surf over to the Italian painting room and see the Mona Lisa although I rather enjoyed watching the people watching the Mona Lisa.

After leaving the Louvre we took the no. 7 Metro to Poissoniére and back to "Madame Messieurs" on rue de Meubeuge for dinner: burgers using knife and fork only thank you. It was then back on the Metro and home.