Rose and Ron Krumpos in France

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France

Watching the lights of Paris from a dinner cruise on the Seine

Our tenth anniversary included ten nights in Paris, hosted by the managers of four grand LHW members: De Crillon (Philippe Roche), the Ritz (Frank Klein), Plaza Athénée (Franco Cozzo) and the George V (now Four Seasons); staying 2-3 nights each. One night we cruised on the Seine by Bateaux Mouches...large, comfortable riverboats with a glass domed dining deck. We watched the City of Light while eating a surprisingly good chateaubriand, one of six entree choices.

Philippe Roche greeted us at the Crillon and escorted us to a spacious suite looking onto the Place de Ia Concorde. The Tattinger family, which owns the Crillon, sent up a bottle of their acclaimed champagne. On departure from the Ritz, Mr. Klein came out to the Place Vendôme and invited us to stay longer. Over coffee at the Plaza Athénée on Avenue Montaigne, Franco Cozzo (who also managed the George V) told us why he loved America. Ron wanted to try all four hotels, but did not want to accept more than three nights free.

Delicious sausage and cheese at Au Beaujolais, next to Tour d'Argent

Rose preferred our dinner at Ambassade D'Auvergne, but Ron particularly enjoyed Au Beaujolais, next to Tour d'Argent. Their specialty was an assortment of delicious sausages, sliced and sauteed in a Beaujolais sauce. The waiters were a riot! After dinner we had fruits and a selection of fine French cheeses...unpasteurized and not available in the U.S.

On our first day in Paris we walked on the Champs-Elysees from Place de Ia Concorde to L'Arc de Triomphe twice, by day and by night. We also had an acidic white wine with our dinner at a bistro. The combination was too much for Rose who got quite sick after lunch at Panoramique on the Eiffel Tower the next day. Days later we shopped at Fauchon, the famous market selling the finest foods. We also visited an outdoor farmers' market...very orderly.

Dinner at the home of Le Monde's travel editor

One night we were invited to the home of Michèle Hetier, Travel Editor of Le Monde, who had been hosted by the Stanford Court. We had an informal and very tasty dinner with he, his wife and Pierre Ferchaud, General Manager of Le Grand InterContinental. At lunch in the Tuileries Garden, after visiting the Louvre, starlings ate crepes on Ron's hand.

We were to go to Paris two years earlier as guests of Air France and the InterContinental, but the flight was oversold and we couldn't reschedule. Ron's first trip to Paris was in the Army...a 17-hour flight - via the Azores - from McGuire AFB in New Jersey to Evreux AFB aboard a U.S. Air Force cargo plane. The four passengers slept atop a crated jet engine.

Turned off by hare with hair at a bistro near the Sorbonne

We ate at a small bistro - with marble table tops - near the Sorbonne university. One luncheon specialty was lapin (rabbit), a delicacy in France. Like many Americans, Ron was unsure about eating a bunny and was especially turned off when the hare had hair. Rose loved our lunch at Le Soufflé...where entrées and deserts were finished in the oven.

At Sacre-Coeur Basilica, two Gypsy kids (ages 9 or 10) used the open newspaper ploy to try to steal something from us. It didn't work. At Montmarte Cemetery we saw headstones and tombs of many of the people who made history in 19th century France. We also ate near Notre-Dame at Brassierie de Île Saint-Louis...the fashionable island with five bridges.

Tipping our way to a good table and great service at the Lido

The Moulin Rouge or Lido are a tourist "must," but can be a nightmare of poor service and mediocre food. We chose the Lido - which had the better show - and began tipping generously as soon as we arrived. The maître d' brought us to a very good table and our waiter - with gratuities in advance - provided great service. Good show / boring dinner.

Rose dragged Ron to the designer salons on Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg St. Honore: Nina Ricci, Valentino, Ungaro, Christian Dior, and Yves St. Laurent; high prices combined with poor exchange rates made them very expensive. Rose did manage to buy two outfits ''for work." We went 'sale-ing' at Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette...banners promised 20%!o(MISSING)ff. The Metro was clean and inexpensive, with stations everywhere (one rude ticket seller). With that one exception, the Parisians we met were helpful, cordial and very kind to us.

Dinner at Nithaya in Paris with Thai International's manager

In Paris we also dined at Nithaya, a Thai restaurant, with Lerson Nopvichai, Thai International's new Manager for France, and wife Parie. Lerson had assisted Ron in organizing his first travel trade mission to Thailand and joined him in escorting the American tour wholesalers.

Lunch was at Patisserie Grec (Greek) in the Latin Quarter. We had a dinner at Cafe Vesuvio, an Italian restaurant on the Champs-Eiysées. Paris had little fine dining of other ethnic cuisines, unlike in London and major cities of the U.S.A., Canada and Asia. It did, of course, have American fast food (sacré bleu!): McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, et al. Ron ate at a new Burger King the night Rose was sick...proving he was lost without her.

Our anniversary dinner at Ledoyen in the Champs-Elysées’ gardens

For our anniversary dinner, Ron had the Concierge of the Plaza Athenée make special arrangements at Ledoyen, a classic and elegant restaurant tucked in the gardens of the Champs-Elysées. On arrival they had Tattinger champagne and foie gras waiting. The menu had no prices, a scary tip off. After dinner a cake was served with a marzipan heart (still in our freezer) saying "I love you Rose." Romantic, but terribly expensive.

Ron had tipped the concierge, maître d', sommelier, and waiter about $100. The bill was almost $300 (in 1980). We were then told Ledoyen did not accept credit cards and we did not have enough travelers cheques or cash. The manager handled it quietly and graciously, not upsetting a beautiful evening. Because we had booked thru the Plaza Athénée, they had our charges put on our hotel bill. Pavilion Ledoyen (now Aléno Paris), one of the oldest restaurants in Paris (1842), won Michelin 3 stars in 2015…its highest award.

Picnics at Le Grand Trianon in Versailles and Chateau de Chenonceau

The Palace at Versailles is grandiose and Le Grand Trianon is a gem of interior decor. We had a simple picnic on its grounds and then a more gourmet picnic by the river at magnificent Chateau de Chenonceau. In four days, we also drove to the chateaus at Chaumont, Blois and Chambord...distinctively different, all with beautiful gardens.
We shopped at a hypermarket which had a very long counter of French cheeses, a large selection of pâtés and endless varieties of wine...perfect for an fine picnic. Ron shared his baguette with the swans and ducks on the river; he has an obsession with waterfowl. We even have an album of just waterfowl photos taken in Asia, Europe and North America.

Marvelous cornish game hen at Le Choiseul hotel in Amboise
In Olivet, next to our hotel, we walked along the banks of the Loiret...accompanied by swans and admiring palatial homes (in four framed photos on our wall). We then drove our Renault to Le Choiseul, a charming 32-unit hotel in Amboise. Its pretty garden restaurant served marvelous cornish game hen. We stayed in a cottage, called "Romance," near the main building.

Our rented Renault V was a disaster...uncomfortably small and underpowered (larger cars sped past us on the highway). In 1980, gas was $3.50 a gallon and our rental was $379 (plus a tire repair) for four days and 408 miles. Ron went round and round a traffic circle in Paris trying to return the car. There was a colorful outdoor flower market next to the Avis office. The weather in France was superb in May and the tourist crowds had yet to arrive.

Dinner with the Gray d'Albion's manager in Cannes

On our second trip to France we went to Cannes on business...our host hotel was (Barrière) Le Gray d'Albion. We dined at Le Royal Gray, its "restaurant gastronomique," with the General Manager. He had been the G.M. at the Hyatt in Bangkok and met Ron when Thai International had their sales meeting at his hotel. He provided a car and driver to visit Antibes and Nice so we could see more of the Riviera.

Cannes is a sister city of Beverly Hills. When in Bangkok, the G.M. had a blond Australian stripper announce Thai's coffee breaks. At another restaurant in Cannes, near the Palais des Festivals where the annual film festival is held, a lady patron had her dog served from a bowl on the floor. In Antibes, we found ourselves surrounded by a six female Gypsies. We weren't sure if they intended to steal something or were just fascinated by an Asian woman. They left when we mentioned 'police.' We regretted that we did not go on to Monte Carlo in Monaco, just beyond Nice.

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