Crossing the Pond: Austin to Paris (June 6)

6/6/17

Crossing the Pond: Austin to Paris

This was a travel day. Went from Austin to Atlanta; me, on aisle, and Reed, on window. Then next leg, Atlanta to Paris—on a large Air France jet. I sat on 33J next to a young French couple, very attractive and upbeat, dark-haired man next to me, and girlfriend on the window. Appreciated Gallic style to staffers on Air France jet, they handed out croissants with an air of purpose while maintaining strong sense of self and personal style. Feeling tired, I took ½ sleeping pill and slept fitfully for several hours.

Arrived in Paris, got through customs quickly and easily, and immediately encountered some of the cellphone confusion I had anticipated. Got through to T-Mobile International helpline and they seemed able to rectify things. We were searching for Molly and Dana on their flight—from Dallas to Paris. They started in California. We moved into an anxious state. How do you find friends in Charles de Gaulle airport—if you don’t have cellphone capability?

Luckily Reed’s iPhone started working and our text messages reached them. They found us near Baggage Carousel #43 in the 2E International Gate of the airport. It was Wed. morning in Paris.

Dana wanted to find an ATM machine. We found one, didn’t seem to be the right type. Now to find a cab. Would we be ripped off? Could it hold 4 people with suitcases? Would there be extra charges Next came the luck of the draw as we approached the cabstand. A friendly, nicely attired cab driver approached with a warm smile. Molly spoke to him in French, but he had some English language too. He tossed our bags in the back.

Tired, giddy, and relieved, we took a roomy taxi—a mini-van actually, hooray! And our driver Stanly, a guy we would learn hailed from Sri Lanka and whom we would reconnect to on the way home, took us to Rue de Rivoli in the Marais district. The big city loomed ahead.

2 Restaurants, a Wine Shop and a Café

Le Drapeau:

Like the name. Drapeau means flag. Liked the waiter immediately, reddish hair and bearded young man. Somebody noticed the zinc bar. The quiche as good and place had a nice down-home ambience. Two French men at the next table, businessmen perhaps, enjoyed their food and conversation. The waiter explained tipping in France, on non-tipping in France. Much less is expected in the form of a tip, if anything at all. I used that as a guideline to leave 5% to 10% on most occasions, probably still too much. As Gloria, from La Vieux Manior, explained towards the end of the trip, “it’s okay to be nice but you don’t want to come across as a complete fool.” Actually she said it better. That’s my paraphrase. Our foursome (John, Reed, Molly, Dana) still very much on exhaustion high.

Au Bourguignon de Marais

A classic French bistro. Golden hue lighting illuminated the outdoor tables and the restaurant has a beautiful position on the street corner, the Parisian bistro from Central Casting. The waiters moved deftly with precision and the restaurant has a clean, efficient quality. Molly later commented on how she liked the almost military bearing of the wait staff. Molly’s father was an Air Force colonel and she must have been reminded of dining experiences on military bases. I didn’t quite see that but notice the very nice manners of the young waiters. Beef Bourguignon, the specialty of the house, is right there in the name of the restaurant, and refers to beef stewed in red wine. This particular restaurant adds chunks of ham to their recipe. The restaurant gained favorable reviews from our group—and Reed and Molly wanted to return a second time. We never got that opportunity in our single week visit.

Caves Du Marais

The Au Bourguignon de Marais restaurant got favorable recommendation from the nearby wine store owner at Caves du Marais.  Caves du Marais, itself strongly highlighted by tour expert Rick Steves, created a strong pull in Reed and we visited this Marais wine shop on several occasions.

Café De Flor

Molly introduced me to this café in our whirlwind first walk through Paris. Café De Flor has historical importance, I believe, as the Jean Paul-Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir hangout, and competes with the café across the street Cafe Les Deux Magots. I ordered a chocolat  schaud, an excellent drink, but the waiter, perhaps sensing my ambivalence, gave me a bit of the Paris snobby waiter treatment. I probably identified more with Ernest Hemingway, one of Deux Magots literary denizens, preferring novels to philosophical treatises, and really wanted to be across the street. Molly loves Café De Flor and returned for a second visit with Dana and Reed—and then for a third visit to purchase a Café De Flor coffee cup. These coffee shops were out of the Marias district in Saint-Germaine and across the Seine River.

Travel diary: from June 6