Voie Verte is French for Greenway Across France, the state is developing a network of greenways—known as les Voies Vertes—reserved for pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle use. I’d cycled a few kilometers on a greenway in Burgundy last year and was eager to see what one in Upper Normandy would be like. I chose the greenway called The Valley of the Epte, so named because it intertwines the Epte River, a tributary of the Seine. The French pronounce l'epte as if they were saying the English word lept, as in "he lept to [View Full Entry]

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By Bus and by Train This day, Tuesday, was a travel day. I left the Hotel Chopin after breakfast and traveled by a single city bus--no transfer--directly to the Gare St.-Lazare. From there I caught a train to Vernon, about an hour away in Upper Normandy. A fellow passenger on the train who was coming from Paris to visit his family offered me a lift to the Avis car rental office, saving me the long walk with luggage bumping along behind. 4 Wheels Things had gone so smoothly until now, I was not surprised when there was a bit of difficulty [View Full Entry]

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A Little Breakfast My first full day in France began with an exercise in self-discipline: arising at 6 am. The most effective antidote to jet lag I've found is gently encouraging my body to adhere to its usual schedule, on the local time. Breakfast in the hotel's tiny dining room was self-serve and I was its first guest of the morning. The coffee table held two thermal carafes: one with coffee, the other with heated milk. Into a cup I dispensed an equal quantity of both, making a mental note to set up a similar arrangement at home. Yogurt, croissants, baguettes, [View Full Entry]

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A Hotel Down a Passage Touched down at Charles de Gaulle airport late this morning and got myself into the city by the Roissy Bus. My lodgings—in the Hotel Chopin—are in the lower portion of the 9th district, only a kilometer or so from the Opera Garnier where the bus drops its passengers before heading back to the airport. Hotel Chopin is a budget accommodation, but it suits me just fine. Chief among its attractions is its location at the end of Passage Jouffroy, one of Paris' covered passages. The passages are narrow lanes lined with shops enclosed—in the [View Full Entry]

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A Bit of Practical Info Public restrooms that don't require admission to something else first can be scarce in Paris. In an emergency, I've used those gray metal cylinders on the sidewalks—the ones that automatically clean themselves after every customer—but I find them damp and a little scary, and they aren't plentiful either. The conventional solution is to stop at a cafe, then (1) order a beverage and (2) use the facilities. Doing 2 without 1 is frowned upon, and some places even post a notice forbidding it. In the Louvre area, there's a quick pit stop in the C [View Full Entry]

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It's Always Nice to See Other Americans in Paris I was welcomed to the Left Bank by the bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson, who served as ambassador to France prior to his term as president of the new US. They say he spent much of his time here enjoying the sights, socializing with the French elite, and developing a close personal relationship with a member of his American staff. Seeing Jefferson there at the foot of the pedestrian bridge always reminds me that the first job of every American in Paris is to fully appreciate everything the city has to offer. [View Full Entry]

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1: Murder in the Bastille by Cara Black Selected because I'm consuming mystery novels like M&Ms at the moment and this one takes place in Paris. Disposition: While awaiting plane in Tallahassee airport, dragged myself through first two pages; spot-checked pages deeper in book to confirm no improvement in writing style; jettisoned in ladies restroom before takeoff. 2: NY Times Book Review from previous Sunday Read dutifully from cover to cover on flight to Atlanta to distract myself from being mashed, shoulder to knee, against the same body parts o [View Full Entry]

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