Reduced Posting - Paris Here We Come

The husband and I are headed to Paris with friends.  We drive to Dulles International and then will fly to London on Virgin Atlantic and connect on Air France to Paris.  We will spend a week in Paris followed by a week in London.  Posting will be reduced for the next day or so while we travel, but I will post about our experiences as is my normal habit.  On the home front, the house sitter/dog sitter is all arranged.  This will be our friends' first trip to either city so the husband and I have served as trip planners and will be the tour guides, if you will. We kick of Paris with lunch at the Plaza Athenee where I staid many times in my days as in-house counsel.  Bon voyage! 

Plaza Athenee courtyard restaurant.

Paris Vacation - Day 2

Our day today so far has been a busy one.  But first, I want to mention our wonderful experience at the Le Dome du Marais a 53 Bis Des Francs Bourgois last evening.  The setting under a huge etched glass dome that changed colors ranging from gold to blue to red and green was elegant and the wait staff, especially our waiter Jurgen, were wonderfully attentive.  As for the food, it was over the top.  On the way back to the apartment, we passed by a fully illuminated Notre Dame (above).  By the time were were finished with dinner, we were to exhausted to hit the gay clubs last night.  We plan on making up for that tonight.

West facade of Chateau du Versailles

Hall of Mirrors

A selfie of sorts taken in a mirror in the chateau

As for today, first, we were up early to meet our tour guide for Versailles near the Eiffel Tower and then it was off by train to the chateau and its utterly magnificent gardens.  Nothing prepared me for the immense size of the gardens which literally cover thousands of acres.  Touring just a small portion of the equated to at least a three mile walk. Of the rooms in the chateau itself, the most spectacular was the Hall of Mirrors pictured above.  Views of the gardens are below.

Grand vista

After Versailles, we took the train back into Paris proper and got off at Pont le Alma and crossed the river and walked a block to the opulent Hotel Plaza Athnee for a late lunch in the outside terrace (we we too late lunch in the beautiful courtyard restaurant) before walking up Avenue Montaigne to the Champs Elysee, passing all of the fashion design houses.Eight hours later, we are back at the apartment taking a rest before heading back out into the Marais neighborhood to reconnoiter some of the clubs. 

Courtyard - Plaza Athnee

Terrace restaurant

Paris 2015 - Day 1

We finally landed in Paris around 11:30, nearly 3 hours after our scheduled arrival.  Once again based on our experiences, US Airways/American Airlines proved that it is a carrier to be avoided when possible.  We left Norfolk so late that we had to literally run between concourses to make check in on our flight to Paris which turned out to be yet another demonstration of incompetence on its own.  First, out on the taxiway, the plane's brakes began acting up - one would think everything would have been checked before we pushed off from the gate - which required a return to the terminal for repairs.  Meanwhile, some geniuses among the flight crew allowed some passengers off the plane without apparently keeping track of who they were.  As a result, the entire plane load of nearly 260 passengers had to deplane and then re-check in and re-board.  Three hours later, we finally took off.

Thankfully, our driver who was to pick us up followed the misadventures of or flight and was waiting for us at Charles De Gaulle airport and our trip to the apartment was smooth.  Views from the balcony of our apartment are above.  After unpacking we walked around in the Left Bank and had lunch and much needed cocktails.  Now, some are going to nap while yours truly is going to walk around Ile de la Cite.  Later, we are going to dinner at Le Dome du Marais which comes highly recommended by friends (see image below).  

Tomorrow we are off to Versailles.  I cannot wait.  When I was in Paris many years ago on business, I never made it out to Versailles.