Last day in France at Chartres

We had to leave the apartment at 09:30, but the plane wasn’t until just after 9 pm.  [There is a longer story, ask if you want to know about the apartment.]  We took our luggage to the consigne/left luggage at Gare du Nord then the metro back to Montparnasse, again.  The train to Chartres took an hour.

 

the largest salad we have seen

After lunch we walked towards the cathedral and could hear shouting.  There were hundreds of scouts and guides [Scouts/Guides D’Europe, an enormous Catholic group] moving around.  They were on a weekend pilgrimage finishing at the cathedral.  There was a Messe du Pèlerinage in the cathedral.  In the service we saw the guides had filled the cathedral and some of the boys sat on the sides.  There had been an earlier service.  

We walked around the outside of the cathedral and part of the old town.

  

It was great to relax in the train and watch the countryside rushing past.  We have had an amazing trip seeing and doing lots of different things.  We have been safe in the car, even on tiny single lane roads and connected with lovely people.  We can thank God for this wonderful opportunity to see a little more of this place we love.

to Saturday Marche Porte de Vanves

This market is on every weekend and has antique, vintage and and some just plain old goods for sale.  It stretches along three long streets.  We walked about half way before having a restorative nutella crepe and coffee and walking back.

Mid afternoon we walked to BHV and Paris was paaacked!  The week has been very warm and everyone is out.  In one place the streets were gridlocked.  We did try to take some back lanes, but were only partially successful.  We went to BHV for a neighbour’s request – a house number one.  They didn’t have any coloured metal or pottery number ones a week ago and still don’t.  This week the shop assistant offered to phone us when they came in.  Hmm, maybe not.

changing leaves in rue Française

For dinner we went to Auberge Nicholas Flamel.  It was as delightful as always.

after the chocolate sauce had been poured over the top

 

two trips

Geoff

Since I enjoy visiting science museums I used Google to find if there were any I had not visited and lo and behold it told me about “Palais Decouvérte”

The website indicated there were lots of exhibitions aimed at teaching young people about science and that was certainly the case.

When I purchased a ticket, in addition to a museum guide I was handed a program for the day’s seminars. There were seminars on 9 different scientific subjects which were scheduled to start every hour from 10:00 am till 4:00 pm and they were all “complet” (full).

Probably the best set up exhibit was the one on poisons which focussed on poisons in nature (animals, fish, vegetation etc). There were many live exhibits, well displayed, and explanatory signage was in French, English and Spanish.

There was a wide range of scientific subjects exhibited with lots of live or hands on demonstrations. I enjoy these types of exhibitions, even if I am familiar with the subjects.

I even learned some new stuff myself (you are never too old to do that).

Hilary

I took the same train route as yesterday, without any problems, and walked to Montmartre to the fabric district. 

police morning briefing

There are a lot of shops which sell coupons [remnants] of three metres.  The fabric is folded in sections with the fabric mix labelled.

soldiers were checking both sides of the street

Marché Saint Pierre is a wonderland of fabric.   Assistants stand waiting with yardsticks, pens and docket books and the cutting, for short pieces at least is done on top of the bolts of fabric.  I was given my small pieces of Christmas fabric and a docket to take to the cashier.  I had gold bits everywhere!

the fabric is pushed back in at night

We met at Châtelet for lunch.

police recruitment - note the roller blade squad

Parc Monceau and the 7th

There was another announcement of operational problems on the train line which didn’t initially hold us up. We changed trains where the next line was a high line with a lot of ironwork.   The train immediately dived underground again. Just before our stop most of the train lights went out, then the train came to a screeching halt.  There was an indistinct announcement, some wait, the lights came on and the train continued. 

We went for a walk around Parc Monceau.  There were some small children in groups.  From the start of this school year all three years olds go to school.  Tai chi, exercise groups, personal training or just sitting on the benches for the adults.

Musée Cernuschi

We watched workers from the Mairie de Paris plant the new garden beds.  There were a lot of plastic trays of plants, some in flower.  They stood back and tossed the plants on to the mound.  Then another worker worked their way along and planted them.  They’ve done this before.

We took two train changes to the 7th arrondissement.  For lunch, we went to the newly, not quite finished, opened outdoor eating area with some well known names like Anne-Sophie Pic and Pierre Hermé.  We chose to eat at the casual “Daily Pic” where we selected our food, all in glass jars, paid and had the heated food delivered to the table.

rear, l'agneau confit, front, le saumon roti with splayds

rear, le moelleux chocolat, front l'il flottante

On a walk to get a baguette:

a walk in the 14th

There must have been as issue with the metro – the barriers were taped off so we got in free.  The crowded train pulled in then stood there for some time.  There was an announcement about terminating at the next stop and a lot, but not all people got off.  We dithered but stayed on.  The train eventually left and we went all the way to our changepoint passing crowded trains at every station.  Changing at Montparnasse means the hike for the day.  It includes a moving footway.  We then had two stops to Pernety.

rue des Thermopyles has new water mains

Our walk was through an area where many artists had had studios.  We could pick the studios out – steep roofs with skylights.

The area has 32 community gardens.  This one had a rabbit hutch, bbq area [not sure what will happen to the rabbit], potting shed and vegetables.

Square Albert Giacometti

Sq du Ch Viollet - background left is atelier Albert Giacometti

We walked under a building in Villa d’Alesia to see a large park.

Jardin Lionel-Assouad

 

We walked back to the Auberge Moulin Vert for lunch.  At one stage the waiter said “tu va bien”.  Yes it was all good but why did he use “tu” and not “vous”?

We went out to find the bottle bank, go to Picard and the supermarket.  We forgot how warm late afternoon Paris is.