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Published: October 5th 2018
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Here is the last blog for quite a while. Not that we don't travel, but nobody needs 5 blogs about the same places over the years!
September and October are pretty moving months...started in Costa Rica, little overnight stop in New York, home, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Malta, Paris, Lubumbashi, home, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Phuket, Bangkok....home...and to finish October, I hope my 158th country visited! So hopefully, the next blog will only come early November!
So I could have done more than one blog about this little French escapade....but i guess you have suffered way too many blogs since the middle of July. So here it is, all in one, Chateau de Chantilly, Musee Picasso and Le Marais, Chateau de Versailles, the Sunday at the Ryder Cup...and a Monday in Montmartre...truly romantic program!
This week-end, there is the Ryder Cup, the Fashion Week, few trade shows and early next week the auto show! Put it simply, rooms are not cheap if you an find one! I'm not ready to pay over 500 euros per night for a simple Le Meridien hotel...as this is what they charge! In Paris, this week-end, some Ibis will
charge over 230 euros per night....this is the offer and demand fact! So I had sorted out three nights at a "decent" price in the south of Paris....but for our first and last night, I was happy to rent a little car to escape this price madness for a simple bed!
Our flight from Malta was just after 6am, so we made it to CDG before 10am. I'm not a fan of this airport...everything takes simply longer than it should...welcome to Paris! Just rent a car, and we drove north to Chantilly. This is just a fine gorgeous day, and a great time to visit this Chateau without the crowds. We spent time inside, time by the garden and even some time in the stables. Tonight our hotel is not next door, so we gave a pass to the equestrian show.
Next morning, we are back in CDG to drop the car and take the RER to Paris. Welcome to France, just a good 45 minutes hold on nay train in the direction of the capital, and you can guess, the first train is packed. Good we could secure seats for both of us!
We dropped the bags to the hotel...fast lunch, and it's straight on our way to Le Marais. This afternoon, we are visiting the Musee picasso. The museum has been closed for a full renovation from 2009 till 20141 I visited it the first time somewhere around 2003! Beautiful work, the new setting is more focusing on the thematic than on the chronological order of the paintings. Next, little walk around the Marais and the truly beautiful Place des Vosges. We ended up our visit to the area with a coffee/tea with one of my diving buddies who has his office in the area. With the fashion week in full blow, just walking around the area is truly fun!
next morning came the Chateau de Versailles. This is not Tanya first visit to Paris, but a first for her in Versailles. For me, I must have visit the Chateau some 20 years ago...but I remember it was on a rush. This time, we are spending a full 6 hours in and around the Chateau.The crowds are there big time! I'm happy I took tickets with a fix set hour for entering the Chateau. At least we won't have
to queue there. We spent a good two hours inside the Castle...simply impressive! Sorry, no private dinner tonight for us in "La Galerie des Glaces". Next, what I never did, we went straight to the gardens and to explore Le Petit, as well as Le Grand Trianon, plus the very cute hamlet of Marie-Antoinette. As you can see, this is another gorgeous day. We are not in a rush, it's good to walk at a lazy pace from time to time, even if today, we'll easily do 10km walking around Versailles!
Next morning, I'm up early. I've got a ticket for the Sunday at the Ryder Cup...and Tanya will visit Le Louvre on her own. Ah, the ryder Cup...i bought a ticket months ago...but I actually only received it in Hong Kong the day after the event. Good that they finally issued me...and few other thousands...an e-ticket a week prior to the even.
Imagine, 60,000 keen golfers to witness the biggest match between team USA and team Europe. The match happens every two years...and alternate between the US and Europe. This is the first time it's taking place in France, at the Golf National....the course is
built to welcome tens of thousands of spectators....so yes, I was not the only one to have an amazing experience! I even bumped into people I hadn't seen for years...even a friend I didn't see for 22 years...it's a small world!
Europe, which was not the better of the two teams on paper ended up winning by a huge margin. What a week-end, what a day! That atmosphere is something really special and I hope to get to Rome for the next one in Europe....that will be September 2022!
Next day, we spent some time around Montmartre. We could have done many other places...but Paris is a romantic place, and even with the crowds, this place is something special! Hadn't been there for both of us for years!
Here it is, last blog for few weeks....travels are not over...just that we don't need to document all of them.
Hope you have a great month of October!
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
Montmartre
Really like this one Peter. I have posted it in 'Streetscapes' thread in the Photography Forum.