trains and cable cars

Yesterday three of us went by train and cable car to Zugspritze, the highest mountain in Germany. It was very warm, even in the mountains, although it was cool on top and there was still skiable snow. Unfortunately it wasn’t a clear day, but the view on the mountain and below was still great, and it would be a fabulous place to ski in winter. The train trip was great too, past some of the lakes and villages of Bavaria which are very pretty.

Mike’s bikes

I took a bicycle tour of Munich with some of the other VP’s wives – it was great fun and very easy to get around. The guide made lots of jokes but also knew his history and explained the landmarks, as well as allowing plenty of time for beer and pretzels at lunchtime!

more beer

Sunday was spent in the Englischer Garten which is a huge parkland area, and relaxing in the beer gardens there. We walked back via a cafe, past the Residenz and through the pedestrian malls listening to the buskers and watching all the other people out walking. The other managers have started to arrive so we met one of them and headed out for dinner in a local restaurant, then back for drinks in the hotel. Altogether a very pleasant weekend and a lovely introduction to Germany!

beer

Munich! We spent the day in the lovely pedestrian areas of the Old Town. It was very busy but so different to Paris. We enjoyed Marienplatz with the beautiful Neues Rathaus, climbed hundreds of steps to the top of the Alter Peter tower for a fabulous view, wandered around the Viktualienmartkt and of course we had to have a beer and pretzel in a beer hall, the famous Hofbräuhaus no less, with oom-pah-pah band!

shopping

Even for window shopping it’s hard not to be impressed in Paris! The huge stores like Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marche can be overwhelming, with whole floors of fabulous designer things and wonderful displays. Bon Marche also has the Grand Epicerie which makes the David Jones Food Hall in Sydney look tiny. There are whole districts of specialty shops and whole streets of shops for single product types – one near us is literally just bag shops. And then there are the lovely winding streets with tiny little shops, some old and some new, the shops and galleries around the squares of tall ornate buildings punctuated with bistros and cafes, and the grand boulevards with busy main street shopping. And when you’ve seen enough, you can hop on the Metro and have a shop-free ride home!

markets

One of the great things about a big city like Paris is the variety and scale of the markets. We have a lovely and historic covered food market nearby, but it isn’t far to some of the other regular and much larger markets with food and goods for sale. There is something special about the hustle and bustle and just appreciating all the variety, trying something different or interesting and watching the world go by.

The ultimate markets in Paris are the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen. These claim to be the oldest flea market in the world, established in 1885. It’s really a district with dozens of separate markets in huge buildings and alleyways, and now includes extensive antique markets as well as the usual mass produced goods. My favourite is the marche Vernaison, the oldest section, which has rows and rows of small shacks and shops with winding lanes and vine covered walls. One could easily spend days in this market alone, and it is very easy to get lost in the district!

the Metro

The Metro is a great way to get around Paris, it just takes a bit of working out to use it effectively! Once you have a carnet of tickets (you buy 10 or 20 at once), and realise that a ticket gets you into the system and is valid until you emerge on the street again, it’s just a matter of knowing where you want to go and following the signs. Routes are identified by their end points, and many attractions in guides and directories tell you the nearest Metro station, so it is essential to consult the Metro maps. The trains are clean and frequent so it’s all good!

local but not

The advantage of visiting for so long is that we can relax and enjoy walks and not-so-touristy places, but also that we can choose to visit the great attractions when it suits us and it’s not so busy. This weekend we enjoyed leisurely tours of the Musée Picasso, which is literally around the corner, and then the Musée d’Orsay, which will repay many many visits! The building itself is a marvel, originally an ornate railway station. The collection is tucked into display rooms on various levels and is quite awe inspiring.

Monet’s garden

Friday dawned (yet more bright and sunny) and, as planned, we took the train (and bus) to Giverny to see Monet’s garden. The train was packed with tourists (like us, only a bit more American) and it disgorged its load at the station at Vernon. We flowed as a large bolus onto the waiting buses, through the streets of Giverny and onto the end of the queue to enter the garden and house. But the wait was short, and the garden is so extensive that it easily swallowed us up.

The garden is unquestionably a very beautiful place, and it is spring! It is easy to believe that it was designed by an impressionist artist – the garden is a vast canvas, and the massed flowers are bold, broad strokes of colour. The water garden, with the famous water lilies and Japanese bridge is fabulous. And the house is in original condition and displays, amongst other things, the Japanese art that fascinated Monet. Definitely worth the visit.

beginning of a very long weekend

So, this is the long, long, long weekend bookended by the May 8 holiday for the end of WWII in Europe, and the May 12 holiday for Pentecost. And the weather has been unrelentingly spectacular, to make it all the more worthwhile.

After investigating the travel arrangements to get to Monet’s garden (about 80 kms NW of Paris) we elected to make that our Friday outing, and spent Thursday afternoon back at the Bois de Vincennes. This “forest”, donated to the people of Paris by Napoleonn III, is remarkably extensive and, as well as the Chateau and botanical garden we visted last weekend, includes a zoo, a boating lake and picnic grounds, large tracts of greenery riddled with paths and, in April and May, the Foire du Trône – think Royal Easter Show without the woodchopping and showbags. The view of Paris from the Ferris Wheel was a real treat.