My trip from Garmisch on the train to Paris was uneventful and relaxing. I hated to leave Garmisch as soon as I had to but Paris was waiting and Katie was arriving! I arrived into Gare L’Est (the East Train Station) and was pleasantly surprised to see that the train station looks exactly like one would imagine a French train station to look. I have been in Saint Lazare train station before but it was not as quaint and nostalgic as Gare L’Est. I had no problems getting a taxi and getting to my hotel Hotel Vendome. I had to stay in this little hotel near the metro stop of Cardinal Lemoine two nights because the French Officer’s Club in the Latin Quartier was full and I couldn’t get a room.
Hotel Vendome was somewhat of a disappointment as it was slightly close to a dump. Maybe just a step above it. As usual in these old hotels, elevators were an afterthought and the lift was a tiny box barely big enough for a small person like me to fit inside with a piece of l
uggage. The French Officer’s Club on the other side of Paris has a lift so tiny that I could barely fit inside with my backpack on my back! The room was small and kind of stuck in the corner of the building. I had asked for a garden view because the web site mentioned it. Well, I got a garden view. I had two lovely windows that opened up to some kind of little courtyard that had a bunch of dying plants and gnomes sitting around. Not much of a garden and definitely not a view! However, I just had to bite the bullet and wait for the much nicer little studio apartment at the French Officer’s Club.
I spent the first night walking around in the Latin Quartier going to all my favorite places. I ate dinner at Isle d’Crete, a fabulous Greek deli with a few tables to eat family style. The gyro plate is to die for and I devoured one along with pita bread and hummus and a glass of red wine! I then walked down to the crepe stand and got my first crepe of the trip!!!!!! And then I stopped at one of my favorite cafés in the square and had a cappuccino. Ooooh what a night! Isle d’Crete is my favorite place to eat in the whole world! I’m in heaven.
Hotel Vendome was somewhat of a disappointment as it was slightly close to a dump. Maybe just a step above it. As usual in these old hotels, elevators were an afterthought and the lift was a tiny box barely big enough for a small person like me to fit inside with a piece of l
uggage. The French Officer’s Club on the other side of Paris has a lift so tiny that I could barely fit inside with my backpack on my back! The room was small and kind of stuck in the corner of the building. I had asked for a garden view because the web site mentioned it. Well, I got a garden view. I had two lovely windows that opened up to some kind of little courtyard that had a bunch of dying plants and gnomes sitting around. Not much of a garden and definitely not a view! However, I just had to bite the bullet and wait for the much nicer little studio apartment at the French Officer’s Club.I spent the first night walking around in the Latin Quartier going to all my favorite places. I ate dinner at Isle d’Crete, a fabulous Greek deli with a few tables to eat family style. The gyro plate is to die for and I devoured one along with pita bread and hummus and a glass of red wine! I then walked down to the crepe stand and got my first crepe of the trip!!!!!! And then I stopped at one of my favorite cafés in the square and had a cappuccino. Ooooh what a night! Isle d’Crete is my favorite place to eat in the whole world! I’m in heaven.
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