Trip Report #5 ..........

Lundi May 29,2006

I had so much fun yesterday! I decided to spend time wandering around my hotel area! I did the shop til I dropped at the Place d%26#39; Italie shopping mall purchasing many baby gifts and items for our tour of France. I found a French hair cutting shaver for hubby for 19.75 E and a portable about 20 inches round fan for 15.25 E but I am waiting to ask him if he wants me to buy them.

Wanting to buy more French music (which is near to impossible to find in my home town) I returned to FNAC to listen to more music and talked to the digital camera card burning department. I asked at several places how much $ for a 1 g card and the prices really were different as low as 10 Euros up to 20 E. I have taken so many pictures my card will soon be filled!

I walked around looking at all the items for sale with my eye out for a sunhat. I love the distinct cuts in the clothing designs of French dresses (the unique bodice designs the lowered hip cut of some of the dresses). The prices were expensive-- not unusual to see 700 Euro price tags.

Next to the large Champion grocery store in the mall is a very clean McDonald%26#39;s restroom ( which I always used ) and a Chinese Eatery. I think it was called %26quot;The Green Jade%26quot;? I had lunch there! For 6 Euros I had a huge hot Chinese soup with huge shrimp dumplings! It was so delicious! I ate there many more times trying different items on the menu. ( CC was limited to over 15 Euros so I paid cash.) many places put a Euro limit on the amount one has to buy in order to put it on the credit card.

After a late lunch there I went next door to the Champion grocery to pick up more things. I bought a package of Reflets de France %26quot;Calisson d%26#39; Aix%26quot; 6 Euros for 250 g! These little treats are my daughter and my favorites! I bought ham, a chunk of Tomme Doree des Pyrenees (which was even better tasting than the Tomme de Savore), and some sugar-free peach compote ( for anyone with diabetes--look for it on the shelves not in the fridge section. I bought some of the earth friendly grocery shopping bags for .69 Euros in pink, green, blue, orange. They are nice and strong and pretty too! Walked all my loot back to my hotel ( 6:00pm).

I decided to walk around the area for a while! Down the street was Hotel Des Alpes so I entered and spoke to the woman. She and her husband own and run the nice hotel.

As I have said before this and my hotel is not a character or boutique type hotel. This hotel was nice and clean. It had larger rooms ( than the ones I stayed in the 5 and 6 Er). It also had big elevator and a nice breakfastroom. I had a nice long conversation with the lady. I told her I had requested a 5 week stay but no one responded to my request. She said they normally do not rent for that long a time period but she gave me her private e-mail and said next time she would remember me and allow me to stay there that long!

A peddler of rugs innterupped our conversation. He was a very sweet looking old man. She became very upset and told him to leave! We had a interesting French political conversation. She was very nice. She spoke perfect English!

I went down the road toward the Franprix store. I found another hotel (all in same price range as what I had). I have to look for the cards! Most of my travel junk is still in three boxes ! I%26#39;ll post them later. The second place also had 24 hour lobby and spoke English and had an elevator and nice big rooms again not a boutique place. Both had TV, Tel, shower, D bed!

I went to Franprix and bought a bag of candy! After all the walking my blood sugars had dropped to 40! I had to drink juice quickly. I was having this problem so I dropped taking one of my pills! I got some candy to put into my purse. I had gone into a cafe one day and had to ask for a couple of sugar cubes to take! I know the French words to ask for my health problem and all were nice. I wanted to put some sugar items in my bag for emegency. From there I walked to Gobelin Theatre... Marie Antoinette VO is playing. I plan to go to the 12:00 show for 4.90 Euros tomorrow.

As it is now around 9:00 pm I walk back to my hotel looking into windows and restaruant menus! I make my dinner of cheese, ham, fruit, and salad of tomato and avacodo. I turn on the TV and watch a show about a %26quot;Little Person%26quot; kinda like %26quot;I dream of Jenie%26quot; she snaps her fingers and accidents dissappear. It was really funny.

I love watching French TV and hearing the language correctly spoken and especially the news-casters speak so slowly and pronounce so distinctly. Hubby called again!

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Discover,

I am truly enjoying your trip reports! I am always most gladdened to see a new report posted by you! I wonder what is this distinct cut of a French dress. Hmm..not quite picturing it! They have lower hip cuts? Shrimp dumpling! My , THAT sounds ymmmy! I just love hearing where you go and what you buy/see / eat/ do! Sounds like a truly marvelous trip (and truly makes me want to go back sooner rather than later! )! I look forward to more posts and also quite look forward to any and all pictures when those are ready!!! What fun!

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I too am thoroughly enjoying your escapades - you travel well. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.

Jane

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Know there is a growing cyber audience for your delightful narrative! I trust you are finding pleasure in writing it - that pleasure is resonating around the world!

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Thank you everyone for all the kind words!

I was a little afraid of posting any more reports especially after seeing %26quot;deleted by TA %26quot; .

Hope it is not too boring! I do like to go to museums and shopping. I have been so many times to Paris that I do repeat some museums and I love to look in stores whether I buy or not. I have time to wander and do not feel pressure to go %26quot;do all the big I can%26#39;t miss places%26quot;!

I do love traveling by myself as I can do anything and everything I want as it pleases me! It is a luxury that I am so happy to have!

Hubby hates shopping and looking in gifts stores and museum stores so I must get my fill before he arrives! I know he hates it because he just pictures in his mind all the weight of the luggage he has to carry into hotels for the next two months!!!

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Discover - I noticed that you wrote %26quot;Lundi%26quot; for this report, as opposed to the English days of the week in the others.

My hubby doesn%26#39;t like to shop, either, so when I was on my own in Paris (during the day he attended a show) it felt good to be able to enter shops whenever I wanted. I don%26#39;t need to actually make purchases to satisfy my feminine curiosity, but it%26#39;s fun to see what the shops have to offer. BTW, who did you buy all those baby gifts for? (Not Tobi Bo, right?)

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To C:

It is hard for me to explain the fabric cuts of the dress. They do not have the usual darts we are used to but they design the pattern (cut fabric) in such a way to build in the darts. For ready to wear clothing it is quite different. Some of the fabric are even different pattern in same dress but co-ordinating and most beautiful!

The hips on some dresses were lower and involved many different insets of fabric.

Sorry, I do not know the correct terms to explain. The clothing is unique and beautiful!

Maybe some poster can help explain what I am trying to express.

I just know that if that much complicated design went into the ready to wear here it would be quite costly to buy or to sew.

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When I was near the Hotel de Ville I bought dog toys for Tobi Bo!

In the basement of BHV there is a huge selection of squeaky dog toys! I got her a Mr. (Pom de Terre) Potato head and a blue Dinosaur ( I had been to the special Dino exhibit in the 5 Er Museum of Natural History) and one other that sounds like rock but is the national sports bird ( sorry I will get edited by TA)!

No grandchildren as yet to report !!!

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You are our travel correspondant!

Are you staying 5 weeks this time? Or next time. ? I am very jealous. I like doing things on my own too. I have such a busy life, that the thought of just spending days doing whatever I want sounds luxurirous, and to do that in PARIS, well it does not get any better.

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Yes, great trip report Discover.

I always enjoy reading peoples TR%26#39;s just to have a different perspective on the city. Sometimes you can find some real nuggets of imformation or just the persons enjoyment of a holiday.

Come on the rest of you, more trip reports please!

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Discover,

I am so enjoying your trip reports. What a luxury to travel solo and be able to do what you want when you want. I did take one trip solo to Seattle and Victoria, BC and enjoyed it tremendously, never solo to Paris however I would love to do so.

I must have missed your trip report #4. Look forward to more and merci for taking the time to write them.