Despite a full travel program this year we had the wonderful surprise of a family birthday invitation in Paris. Mark’s cousin, Andrew, is turning 70. With the incentive of a fabulous flight deal with China Eastern airways, we left Canberra on a Murray’s bus early on Wednesday morning and caught a midday flight to Paris via Shanghai (10 hours).
A five hour stopover in Shanghai in the middle of the night - our virtual city experience!
The Shanghai- Paris section (12 hours) was over Russia, unfortunately for us no views of landmarks as we flew through the night.Both full flights but China Eastern was clean, safe, efficient and modern. No frills but good value.
We arrived about 6am and were able to catch an airport bus to Porte Maillot in the 17th arrondissement, minutes from Mark’s cousin’s apartment and our hotel. First stop coffee and pastries at a friendly traditional cafe. It was a bracing 6 degrees C when we arrived but sunny. A bit of a shock arriving from Canberra and our late summer temperatures.
Our larger-than-life waiter, welcomed us and gave us some advice on how to survive in Paris, with your wallet and valuables in tact.
Less than 5 minutes away was Andrew and Ebba’s apartment. Both retired now but they have worked, and raised their family in Paris for the last 35+ years. We had another wonderful welcome from them as we discussed the activities of the next few days.
As it was still early and our room was not ready at our hotel, Andrew suggested we walk to a recently opened exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne, 15 minutes from their apartment. So off we set in the Spring sunshine..
Past a memorial to Charles de Gaulle
Small parks with early Spring flowers
Our first view of the Fondation Louis Vuitton with long queues waiting to get into The Courtauld Collection exhibition. The building, opened in 2014, was designed by Frank Gehry, who, it wouldn’t surprise you to know, also designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
It was an hour and a half wait but we enjoyed the sunshine, the company and appreciating the impressive structure as we moved up the queue. The Coulthauds were English collectors of Impressionist art, which after their deaths, became the Courthauld Galley. While the gallery is undergoing some renovations the collection has been loaned to the Fondation Louis Vuitton. And a very impressive collection it is.
Outside in the foyer there was a lot of activity with visitors enjoying the building as much as the paintings. Here, in the gallery shop, pumpkins - now in permanent exhibition at our gallery in Canberra.
We left the building, unaware that there further delights in the precinct. The Fondation is situated in the historic Le Jardin d’Acclimation.
Here are some of the highlights ..and we did not get everything, including rides and a virtual zoo.
Exotic geese and ducks
Rapunzel’s castle? No, a dovecote from the 1870 Franco-Prussian war. Before the siege of Paris 1,500 carrier pigeons were sent to the dovecote from Northern France and then released with messages with seige updates.
Leaving the precinct
Walking back we had a glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe.
A simple lunch at a basic cafe
Then we checked into our hotel, Etoile Saint-Ferdinand, when jet lag began to set in.
And bath..
M&M
1 comment:
Fantastique! Maugie
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