After breakfast, P and G and I made our way to the Reims Cathedral to hear a mass at 11:00. I have never been to a church specifically to hear a mass although many times I have entered into a church and listened to an ongoing service. I have done the same in Hindu temples, Japanese temples and mosques. The only place in the world that I know of where you can not enter a mosque if you are not Muslim is in Jerusalem. The service was wonderful. The acoustics present in the cathedral with high stone ceilings surpasses the imagination. There were at least 300 to 500 persons present. I took many pictures and videos. While listening to the service, I consulted Chat. The organ has 6000 pipes.The biggest organ in the world is in Atlantic City, New Jersey which has 33,000 pipes. Pipe organs were 1st invented 300 BC with much improvement in the 16th century. My friend Remi, who plays the organ, worked very hard and raised a lot of money to renovate the organ in the Reims Basilica which was built in the 11th century.
We had chou crout for lunch and then took the Route de Champagne to Epernay where we visited the Champagne Museum. Reims and Epernay are the capitals or Champagne where all the champagne comes from. The museum explained the origins of champagne and the process of making champagne. There are 250 km of tunnels (caves) where champagne is stored beneath Reims. That amounts to 1 billion bottles of champagne. All of the major champagne companies are represented in both cities. There are hundreds of small companies in the small towns on the hills between Epernay and Reims. The grapes must be stored for 5 years to make champagne, so in order to have yearly cash the smaller companies sell a large amount of their produce to the major champagne companies.
Vincent agreed to drive me to Valognes where I would board the train to Paris. There was some discussion as to the time it would take to get to Valognes from Carteret. Vincent wanted to cut the time rather close. I agreed as long as he would drive me to Caen if I missed the train. In the end, I arrived at Valognes with 20 minutes to spare.
The train ride was pleasant. The Normand country side is very pretty. All the buildings and farm have been renovated, respecting the style of Normandy. The buildings are all made of stone with no stucco which is seen in other areas such as Brittany.
The train arrived in Paris on time allowing me 54 minutes to cross Paris from la Gare St Lazare to la Gare de l’est. I had 1 heavy suitcase and 1 rather heavy carry on containing my over size motorcycle helmet. They now have moving escalators and elevators to transport passengers from different floors. This makes things much easier. In the past I well remember dragging luggage up and down staircases. I arrived 15 minutes early allowing me time to have a croissant and capuchino Chez Paul. I then boarded the TGV to Reims which travels 325 km/hr arriving 45 minutes later.
Patrick was there to meet me at the station. We exchanged the usual compliments saying ‘my, you have not changed a bit’ knowing of course that we both have gotten considerably older over the years. We drove to Patricks house where his wife, Genevieve was there to meet me. On the other hand she has really not changed a bit from when we were students.
We have been friends for over 55 years. I spent 5 years in Reims doing medical school from 1971 to 1976 eventually meeting my wife Dominique there and importing her to Canada. We spent the afternoon walking around Reims. Reims is a city with a population of 500,000. All of the major champagne companies have offices and champagne caves in Reims. Beneath the city are hundreds of kilometers of tunnels where champagne is aged and stored. This makes the construction of a subway system impossible. The region from Reims south to Epernay is where all of the champagne grapes are grown, Naturally the region is called Champagne.
Reims has undergone considerable renovation since I left 50 years ago. All of the downtown buildings have been sandblasted to return the buildings to their original colour. Many streets have become pedestrian streets only. There are cafes and restaurants everywhere. The main square, Place d’Erlon is lined with cafes and was very busy. We passed by 23 rue Jean d’Arc where I make my yearly pilgrimage. I lived there for 2.5 years with Dominique. Rue Jean d’Arc is 1 street away from Place d’Erlon. After finishing my courses at 5:00 pm as a medical student, I would religiously walk over to Place d’Erlon have a glass of ‘petit rouge’ and play pinball machines while waiting for Dominique to return home after work. We went to the St. James store where I purchased another blue wool sweater. Every year when I come to France I purchase another blue sweater or t-shirt. I have piles of them at home taking up a full shelf. We then joined the crowd and had a cappuccino. In the evening we went out to a Moroccan restaurant for dinner.
Yesterday, I was up at 3:30 am to have a quick shower and take my previously arranged Uber to the airport. On awakening, my first email informed me that my plane to Rome would take off 2 hours late. Nevertheless, I was asked to be at the airport at the usual time to check in and then wait around. I did as told and had a very early breakfast at a cafe in the airport. Rome airport is located 30 min from Terminal Romani the Rome train station. I already had my train ticket from Rome to Chiusi so it was just a matter of getting to the train station on time. While riding in the local train from the airport to the train station, I realized that I would not make the train on time. I was able to change the ticket for a ticket 2 hours later. I arrived on the platform 1 minute late, just in time to see the first train leaving. Luckily I had my new ticket in hand.
I took the train from Rome to Orte to Chiusi. I had informed my friend Rob of the change and he was there to meet me. The drive to Rob and Yannick’s house located in beautiful Tuscany took about 3/4 hr. I have not been in Tuscany for over 15 years and I had forgotten how beautiful the scenery is. Tuscany has rolling hills populated with small towns. The countryside is dotted with olive trees and vineyards. The road to their house winds through small hills and valleys, perfect motorcycle country. I will think of this on my next trip.
I met Y and R about 35 years ago when they were living in Montreal. Y is a painter and we have several of her paintings hung in our house. R was a CEO of a large international corporation and has been retired for many years. We kept contact with each other over the years through emails and photos. They have 6 children including twins and 10 grandchildren. Y and R bought this house about 15 years ago. The house which is of mansion size was built in the 15th century. It remained in the original family’s possession for generations until the owner lost the house and property in a card game. The house changed hands many times and was even turned into a hotel. It then lay dormant for many years until Y and R bought it. The house is a perfect size for the family when they all get together for Christmas and other occasions.
The house had a very serious renovation which was supervised by Y. I have never been in a house like this. The ceilings are 4 meters high. There are 9 bedrooms as well of course, a living room, dining room, kitchen and several studies and libraries. There is a deep, well stocked wine cellar. The 6 hectare property has a vineyard and olive trees which are almost ripe enough to harvest. The house overlooks a hilly country sidc with neighbours few and far between. A village is however close by.
After lunch, Rob took me on a tour of Tuscany eventually arriving at Sienna. We parked the car and took an escalator several flights up to the old city. The city was built in the Middle Ages and is walled for protection. The streets are of course cobble stoned and narrow. There were many Italian tourists present but almost no foreigners. We wandered around the streets for a while with Rob acting as my tour guide. He is a history buff and is very knowledgeable about the region. The ancient Etruscans lived in this region 3000 years ago until they were conquered by the Romans and disappeared. We eventually visited the Duomo, a beautiful cathedral where a cardinal is in residence. The walls of the cathedral are adorned with paintings many of which have been refurbished. We had lunch in a restaurant overlooking the famous plaza where once a year there is a horse race with about 20 horses that race around the plaza which was built on a slant for water drainage. It seems to be reasonably dangerous.
My ferry boat from Ibiza arrived at 10:30. There was a long line up of about 20-30 motorcycles waiting to get off the boat. We all started up are engines together, you can imagine the noise, and proceeded in single file off the boat. Everyone nodded to each other and off we went, as if we had known each other for years and were in the same motorcycle gang.
My hotel, Juan Miro Museum is a 4* located 5km from downtown Palma, the major city in Majorca. It was impossible to find, and much too expensive to be in the old city. This hotel proved to be much less costly and has all the luxuries that one expects in a 4*.
I dropped off my luggage, parked my bike on the sidewalk which is apparently acceptable here and headed off for late night refreshments at 11:30. The manager gave me explicit directions, ride down the hill, turn right and you will find many small restaurants open at this late hour. I came upon 1 restaurant and had a few tapas. Somehow, I managed to head off in the wrong direction. Very soon I was on an autoroute going I am not sure where. Unfortunately, I had neglected to bring along my GPS and had a vague idea of the name of the hotel. It came across my mind that I may be obliged to sleep at another hotel along the way. Just in the nick of time, I spotted a sign for Palma. I followed the sign and arrived at a gas station. I asked directions from a young man filling up his tank who suggested that I consult the GPS on my phone. Why didn’t I think of that? The elderly should not be allowed to travel alone in a foreign country. I consulted my GPS and what to my surprise, my hotel was listed in living colour with the correct directions of how to get there. Off I went hoping to have enough battery life and 15 minutes later I was back at my 4*.
My 4* has a buffet with no fewer that 50 items to choose from. The cook, from Ghana prepared a 2 egg tortilla with an assortment of vegetables for me. I added another dish of fruits with yogurt and I was set for the day. I decided to take the bus to town instead of the bike. It is easy to park the bike but it means that I must carry around the heavy helmet. The bus trip took 20 minutes and passed through downtown. Palma is much bigger than Eivissa and shopping area id very well developed for the local population,
I got off the bus and wandered through the old, walled section of town. I was pretty much alone until mid day when the tourists woke up and flooded the streets. The old city has the usual narrow, windy streets with the usual shops dedicate to the tourist population. I eventually arrived at the cathedral but did not enter as I was unwilling to pay the 6Euro entrance fee. I settled for the basilica which was much more modest and probably at least as old.
I had a capuchino at the town square and walked along the waterfront. It is Sunday afternoon, sunny, 28C, not a cloud in the sky, blowing 10-12 knots and not a single boat out sailing. It is the same everywhere in Europe and North America. People buy boats, leave them in the harbour and never use them. It takes both time and knowledge of sailing to sail a boat or even to sail a motor yacht. People don’t have the time or energy to learn how to use their toys. Eventually the boats are sold at a loss.
I walked along the waterfront, eventually walking up the steep hill to my hotel. The journey took the better part of 2 hours. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool, swimming and reading my book.
I woke up this morning, well rested, although I didn’t do much yesterday, and partook of the hotel buffet included in the price per night. Other than the size of the room which is only slightly larger than the bed, I am certainly comfortable here in my renovated well, to good taste and modernized 3*. The day started off with a few drops of rain enough for me to wear my new Pantagonia rain jacket but not enough for an umbrella.
I decided that today would be devoted to a walking tour of Eivissa. The island is called Ibiza and the town is called either Ibiza of Eivissa to confuse the tourist. I walked through the down town area which has more stores than downtown Montreal. The area caters to the locals rather than the tourists and contains shops that you would find in most downtown areas. I have found over the years with my many travels, that the 2nd impression of a town is very different than the 1st impression. A 3rd impression would only be made after spending some time in the area.
The night time crowd differs considerable from the day time crowd. The locals here resemble the locals in any small Spanish Med town. Young and old, rich and poor, in good shape or not. Compared to the evening and night time tourists, most of the people are middle aged, with the smattering of grey hair but no white haired ones like me. Ok so be it. I continued through the area eventually arriving at the old town. Here everything changes. The streets are narrow, windy and cobble stoned. The area is pedestrian only. Unless you have a good sense of direction, you can go round and round and arrive at the same place that you started from. This part of Eivissa caters 100% to the tourist trade. Stores, cafes, restaurants one after another selling everything that a tourist thinks that he/she must have. Everyone must have a beer, margarita, pizza or tapas at mid day. You must consume something as the restaurants only open later after 9:00.
Eivissa has a history that dates back 2700 years to the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders etc. There is a mountain in the centre which has a fortified castle at the top. You can walk up the narrow winding streets or take staircases or any combination of the later. Once at the top the view of the Med is sensational. I walked around for several hours eventually arriving back down at the port. At his point my phone was running out of battery from taking so many photos that it was a challenge to return to my hotel, the address I had forgotten.
I am currently sitting at a hotel terrace overlooking the beach. The weather is warm enough but the beach is small and the water is rough. I saw 1 girl wading and 2 windsurfers out. There are other better beaches on the island that I will explore tomorrow.
I am anxiously awaiting the results of the Quebec election that everyone says will result in a PQ victory. Legaux really helped them with his poor government. The Liberals have no chance. The best that we can hope for is a minority government for 4 years. The Israeli elections are another problem. There are 38 parties running in a government formed by proportional representation. After everything is settled, the prime minister is left with the task of forming a government from several often extremist parties.
There was an attempted highjacking of a plane by an Islamic terrorist bent on crashing the plane into probably a densely populated area. There were Israeli tourists on board, so instead of calling it a terrorist act, CBC, CNN and the BBC are calling it an altercation between pilots in the cockpit. At the same our own beloved PM is handing another $100 million to the Palestinians making a total of $700 million donated to the cause since 2023, in order to continue building their subway (tunnel) system. Their billionaire leaders are raking it in living off the fat of the land in palaces in Qatar. Meanwhile we now have 120,000 homeless in Canada who are left to fend for themselves. One need only to read the latest version of the Concordia University Handbook, (manifesto) which severely criticizes Canada’s colonial background. If they don’t like it here, why do they come here to study?
I will finish off my afternoon beer, continue gazing at the Med, finish writing my blog and prepare myself for a ‘busy’ evening.
Today was a travel all day type of day, just to get somewhere and sleep during the trip. I was tired after the race but was really happy with my team mates. We bid each other good-bye after a beer and hopefully we will meet again at the Worlds in Hamburg next year. I will be 78 at the time of the race and might be getting a little old for these tests of endurance. We will see next year when the time comes to register.
I dropped my bike off at the parking lot as arranged and drove back to Pontevedra to pack. You can’t get served in a restaurant in Spain before 9:00 pm so there is no point even in trying. I spent the time packing and left the hotel at 9:00 to go to the same restaurant as last time. Unfortunately, I did not memorize the route or the exact name of the restaurant. After driving around on small roads and getting semi lost, I realized that my search would be in vain. I stopped at a roadside taverna and the owner was kind enough to serve me. I consumed the biggest ham and grilled cheese sandwich that I have ever seen, accompanied by chips and a smaller empanada. The sandwich was half a bagette long overflowing with cheese and lettuce. With a beer to wash it down, it really hit the spot. I spoke at length with the owner about the race as well as my blog and my book. I never pass up a chance to publicize myself.
I slept from midnight to 5:30 am and drove to Vigo 1 hour away to drop off the car. I then took a local bus from the airport to the train station where I boarded a train to Pontevedra. The roads and the signage on the roads is incredible. The speed limit is 120 km/hr but people tend to drive even faster. On the other hand, the signage to get you from the bus station to the train station leaves much to be desired. I was lucky to meet a young Egyptian fellow who was doing his PHD in engineering in Vigo. He helped me with my luggage and guided me to the station. I must make quite an impression with my white hair and 2 pieces of luggage because even young and middle age women offer their help to me.
I boarded the TGV equivalent to Madrid which moves along at 3:30 km/hr. Wow. I tried to take pictures of the countryside but the train was moving too fast so the pictures got blurred. I promise to take pictures of the route tomorrow. It was a struggle to get from the Madrid train station to T4, then to T1 where I took a taxi to the Crown Plaza Hotel. I slept on and off on the train and managed to do my final bookings of trains and hotels for my trip. I am having some trouble with bookings in Paris as it is hard to book an airport hotel, for my dates, for less than $500 a night. It must be a holiday weekend.
My motorcycle, a Honda 500 Rebel, was delivered right to my hotel. Great service. I inspected the bike and it is exactly the same one that I rode last year so I am familiar with wth the controls. I packed just enough for the 10 day trip as I prefer to wash clothes rather than carry extra baggage.
Although it drizzled all day today, tomorrow will be partially sunny, 25C, just perfect for riding.
Yesterday was really ‘a longdays journey into night’. Although far from my 36 hour, door to door voyage that I did last year for my trip to Israel, 21 hours is still rather long for an experienced traveler like myself. Dominique drove me to Trudeau Airport at 2:30 arriving 3 hours ahead of schedule. I had the ‘Yul Express app’ which allows you to skip the line, saving a few minutes. Once through customs, I went over to the BNC private lounge where I have privileges. Unfortunately, many others also have privileges so I had to cool my heels in a regular chair for 30 minutes waiting for the invite to go in. I began my trip in the middle of the afternoon with a Bloody Mary and a piece of cake. What the heck, I am not operating on anyone today, don’t have to drive anywhere or fly the plane, do I might as well enjoy myself.
I had a direct flight to Madrid, but unfortunately the take off time was 5:55 pm. I usually prefer to leave at 11:00 pm which allows me to go asleep and wake up 7 hours later in Europe in the morning. With a 6 o’clock take off time, I didn’t fall asleep until 11:00 and only had 1.5 hours of sleep before arrival. I sat with a lovely girl from Quebec who was flying to Spain to meet her father. He is doing a 300 k walk and she will accompany him for 200 k to be done in 10 days. The walk to Santiago d Compostela is very well known and I will perhaps try to visit it when I am here. (By car, not on foot)
I took a shuttle bus from T1 to T4 with my 2 bags bumping along with minimum trouble. I find that people are very willing to help a short old white haired gentleman with 2 bags of luggage. The shuttle took me to the Madrid train station where I had a cappuccino in a restaurant waiting for my train. I boarded a train high speed train to Pontevedra which took 3 hours. I was able to cat-nap for a couple of hours. From Pontevedra I took a local bus to Vivo airport to pick up my car. I didn’t have any change for the bus, so a kind American lady paid my 1.3 Euro fare, Who ever said that Americans are not nice.
I picked up my Hertz rent a car at the airport and drove to Pontevedra and then to Meana where I am staying. I arrived at 5:00 rather exhausted from the lack of sleep. I am staying in a hotel-apartment with a pool and exercise room. I left the hotel at 9;30 to get a bite to eat in town. The locals go out to eat at 10:00 pm. There are a lot of Spanish tourists here but no Americans, Germans, Chinese or English. Supper consisted of a fish empanada and a salad with a glass of local beer and wine. The portions are very large
I got lost. The roads here are 1 lane wide and it is pitch black after 10:00. A drove around for 1 hour thinking that I might have to sleep in my car. My GPS lady was totally lost and my phone didn’t have a local SIM card. Finally I saw a couple sitting on their balcony at 12:00 am enjoying the evening. I called out to them and they directed me to my hotel. 50m away. I must have passed it 10 times. I went to sleep at 1:30 am.
I took the last day to explore my neighbourhood. I am staying in the 5ieme in a 3* hotel called Hotel Claude Bernard on rue de Ecoles. This is a very central area on the ‘Left bank’ right in the middle of the student area. I am a few blocks away from the Sorbonne which I visited and photographed from the outside. I never realized how big it is. This is the area that I used to come to a lot as a student in Reims when I wanted to visit Paris. The area has not changed much except for the price of the hotels.
I walked through the 5ieme and the 6ieme taking pictures as I walked. Sunday, everything is closed in Paris. There are virtually no cars in Paris as there has been a major political effort by the mayor to restrict cars altogether. She has been successful. I did not see any traffic jams. There is very little traffic and very little place to park. In some areas you can not drive at all unless you live there or are delivering merchandise. People have adapted by taking public transport, walking or using a bicycle.
I had lunch at a Parisien bistro which is unusual for me when travelling as I usually have a good breakfast, skip lunch, have a cap in the afternoon and eat dinner around 7:30. Today, I decided to do ‘lunch a la Francaise’. I had an onion soup, bread and a ‘verre de vin rouge’. Wonderful to be so Parisian. The waiter addressed me in English. I continued speaking in French. Afterwards, I asked him why he had spoken to me in English. ‘Do I have an English face?’ He replied that I did. Is that a compliment or an insult? I guess that I will never know.
I am staying at a CDG Airport Ibis. All Ibis hotels resemble each other and this one is no different. Clean, modern, a bit sparse in decor and very convenient. I have 100m to walk to Terminal 3 where I will take off. The hotel provides an ‘all you can eat’ buffet. I usually try to stay away from these meals as they tend to have much volume and mediocre quality. The salad was very good, the cheese was excellent, the desert was very good, the wine was good enough table wine and the meat was ….. oh well you can’t have everything you want for the price.
My adventure terminates tomorrow when I return to Montreal. There are 3 parts to a trip: 1, the planning, 2, the trip, 3, the memories. The best part are the memories as they go on forever. The 2nd best is the planning. The 3rd and worst part is the trip itself. You must get over it as quickly and as safely as possibly to enter the memories part.
I arrived in Paris last evening and took the metro to my hotel in the 5ieme arrondissement. I could not be better situated in Paris. My hotel is near Boul Mich and Boul St Germain. My 3* brings a new definition to the words ‘tiny Parisian hotel a la Francais’. My room is 160 square feet, with a bathroom and shower that even I have difficulty entering. Nevertheless it is spotless. I even have a window that opens onto a stone wall. I ate breakfast in the basement of the hotel, delicious. I am very happy!
Today, I explored Paris using an internet guide, Paris Inconnu and Paris Insolite. This leads me to ‘quartiers’ in Paris that I had never visited. I walked along tiny streets taking many photos. I left the 5ieme heading north and crossed the Seine to arrive on Isle St. Louis. I saw the back of the Notre Dame Cathedral that is under construction after the fire. Many years ago I stayed in a hotel on the banks of the Seine overlooking the back of the cathedral. 53 years ago, 21 franks for the room, 5 stories, walk up, very romantic.
After Isle St. Louis I once again crossed the Seine and continued north to a quartier called Le Marais. It is still the Jewish area and there are many Jewish type stores including a bagel boulangerie. I spoke with a Franco-American couple and invited them for a cappuccino. The 1,2,3 and 4 arrondissements are now car free zones. You can only drive there if you live there or are delivering merchandise. You can now walk in the middle of the street with no problem. The merchandise in the stores is amazing. There is a very strong ‘pouvoir d’achat’ here. The styles of the clothes resembles nothing that we have in Montreal.
I then walked towards Montmartre. Eventually I got tired and took the metro. I walked around for a while and then stopped or a ‘petit rose’ in a ‘troquet’. I drank the wine outside in spite of the rather cool temperatures. I am a real Parisian.
I am having supper in a small restaurant near my hotel, while writing my blog. I will see Remi for coffee tomorrow afternoon.
Love,
Brian
If you have been to Paris, I am sure that you have similar photos as the ones that I am presenting. If you have not been to Paris, save up your money and take a trip to Paris. It is easily the most beautiful city in the world.
There are hard and busy days travelling and there are easy days travelling. Today was an easy day. I packed my bags, took a few pictures of Reims and eventually took a TGV to Paris. It was a 45 minute train ride, on a train that was not crowded at all. Genevieve drove me to the station as Patrick had a condo meeting. Some owners want to insulate the building which seems like a monumental task.
I arrived in Paris, Gare de l’Est and took a metro to my hotel in the 5ieme, near Boul Miche and Boul St Germaine. I could not be better situated in Paris, right in the middle of the Quartier Latin, with easy access to anywhere in Paris. The hotel is classified as 3* but could be reclassified as the rooms are tiny, tiny and the elevator is typically Parisienne, slow and only capable of taking 1 person with baggage. Nevertheless my situation in Paris could not be better.
This evening I am eating dinner at a Parisienne bistro across the street from my hotel. The couple next to me are 100% bo-bo. They are well dressed, speak politely, with beautiful accents and very handsome. 1st they ordered wine by the glass, not by the bottle. They each tasted a glass of white wine which they sent back because it was not good enough. They graciously accepted the 2nd glass each. He then ordered a steak which he sent back because it was medium well done and not rare. She only took a small entree. She then asked me politely my opinion of the desert that I ordered. I am anxiously waiting for her comment on the desert. They should only know that I am writing about them.
Tomorrow I will research Paris Inconnu which is a site that recommends lesser known areas of Paris for people who have visited the well known Paris sites. I have 2.5 days to explore Paris.
