PARIS - Apartment Rentals and Booked Tours



Eiffel Tower framing Trocadero - by DGH 2010




Paris is an intriguing city, offering something unique to each person who visits. This post details a couple of ways to enjoy your trip and perhaps save time or money. We had two weeks, a rental apartment, an itinerary, Paris guidebooks, French phrasebooks and maps. We wanted to walk the streets where so many historical and literary figures have gone before us, we wanted to see the museums, the palaces, the artist hangouts, and the local cafes. Our favourites: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Monet’s Garden, the Seine River and its many bridges, the Isle St. Louis, Montmartre, and the Marais. It’s hard to pick just one.

View from our Paris Rental Apartment  - by DGH 2010

Rental Apartments

Our rented apartment was in the Marais, 4th Arrondisement, right on the Rue de Rivoli. This area has many townhomes and manors which have been converted into combined private residences/designer rentals and boutique hotels. Renting an apartment in Paris is highly recommended, but do your research well. Some places are suitable for students and groups of friends on a budget, others for couples or families looking for a bit more. We selected the company A La Carte for several reasons. They were offering the types of apartments that we wanted in the areas we wanted (on the Right Bank, near the Marais and near the Louvre Museum). Costs vary by size of apartment, high or low season rates and location.

A La Carte’s website provides all the information you need including availability for booking. What we saw online was exactly that in reality, and the location was perfect for us. The costs are comparable and in some cases better than equivalent hotels in the same area. Our apartment was between the Louvre and the Place De La Bastille, a few blocks over from the Seine River right on the famed Rue de Rivoli. We booked a one bedroom with a tidy kitchen/dining area, living room, shower, wifi connection with flat screen TV, microwave, and apartment size laundry. Being on the fourth floor we knew the view would be great, but we made sure there was an elevator. We just didn’t know it was truly a petite Parisian elevator. Cozy.


The rental agency supplied their own customized guide in the apartment (suited to that particular area). It was a lifesaver. The rental company also left a complimentary bottle of wine and a bowl of fruit to welcome us. We enjoyed being able to locate the small grocery nearby that had everything we needed, finding the local boulangerie (bakery) where we bought our first and daily baguette (or two) and discovering the many local bistros and cafes nearby. The sounds of Paris drifted up to our window every day as soon as I opened the windows. September is a great time to visit with mild weather and fewer crowds. The only time we left Paris was on a one day coach tour to Monet’s Garden and Versailles.

Our taxis, with English speaking drivers, were booked by our rental agency for our arrival at CDG airport and for our departure. The cost was 80 Euros one-way. We were driven to our apartment in large comfortable European sedans. Luxe. The drivers contracted with A La Carte escort you and your luggage up to the apartment and carry your luggage to the taxi when you depart. So much better than my expected visions of haggling with the taxi drivers. For someone used to hauling her own luggage, it was nice.

***




Monet's Water Garden, Giverny - 2010 by DG Hudson



Booked Tours

All of our excursions were booked with Viator Tours - Paris.  This company offers an excellent selection of tours, and friendly staff. The office we visited was near the Tuilleries.  Our tour guides were well-informed, multilingual and managed their groups well. Very professional.


Tours we selected:

• Monet’s Garden, a day trip by coach to Giverny, includes a tour of Monet’s house, with access to his famed Water Garden and the flower gardens. Included are two additional stops. Lunch at Le Moulin Fourges, an old mill location that provides a seated lunch with a pre-planned menu served by staff. This is a welcome break in the coach trip between Giverny and Versailles. 

Versailles, France, Hall of Mirrors - by DG Hudson

Later, we arrive at Versailles, the golden palace. The grandness of the estate cannot help but awe those who see it for the first time. In 2010, the gilt was fresh and the palace was crowded, but our intrepid blue leader guide led us through the Hall of Mirrors, the royal bedchambers, and some of the galleries. From the natural to the gilded, the French celebrate both.




Paris - Bridge over the River Seine 2010 by DGH



• Paris Illuminations Tour (Group access to 1st level of the Eiffel Tower, an evening  Seine River cruise on the Bateaux Parisiennes with the return City Illuminations tour). We had plenty of time on the Eiffel Tower for photographs and the gift shop, but no meals. If you want to eat at the Eiffel Tower or while cruising, look for casual or formal dinner cruises. There are many variations to suit everyone’s taste.

Paris - a Montmartre Cafe 2010 by DG Hudson

• Walking tour of Montmartre starting at the Blanche Metro station. We walked past the Moulin Rouge, on our way to meet up with the group of about 12 people. The tour took us past Van Gogh’s house, a hidden Montmartre vineyard, the famed Bateau Lavoir, Tertre Square and ended at the Sacre Coeur. I detailed this one in Paris Walks.

Getting Around: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Les Cars Rouges - (the Red tour bus) the stop nearest us was on the Isle St. Louis near Notre Dame, you can buy the tickets online or on the bus, get on and off for two days @ 24 Euros per person, good value, great orientation to the city on arrival. They stop at all the major tourist sites and allow you to get on and off with your pass. A fellow traveller recommended it over the Metro. It’s nice to see where you’re going aboveground, and it’s much easier going around the L’Etoile when there’s a French driver at the wheel.





Paris - Arc de Triomphe 2010 - by DG Hudson



Whether you prefer an apartment or a hotel, the right accommodations can make or break a vacation. Location, cost and the personal touch are important. We were located in the middle of Paris, but the apartment was as quiet as could be when the windows were shut at night. We leaned out our 4th floor apartment on October 2, 2010 at midnight, gazed down the Rue de Rivoli and watched the celebrations of Nuit  Blanche  (a Paris street party) promising ourselves that we’d be back.

Paris -Nuit Blanche, Oct 2, 2010 - DGH

REFERENCES

A La Carte Paris -- Designer Rental Apartments in Paris
http://www.alacarte-paris-apartments.com/


Viator Tours booking site

http://www.viator.com/Paris/d479-ttd

***

Have you ever rented an apartment in a city you’re visiting? Which city?

***
Disclaimer: The businesses mentioned in this post are recommended based on our experience. We were satisfied with their service and would use both again.

Rainforest Pickings #7 - 11 Writing Sites for 2011

Four Guys named Santa. . .

Here’s my pick of the writer sites that I’ve found helpful, and those that keep me coming back. Lists can save time, and most writers can use more time. In 2011, many bloggers assessed their blogging schedules and social media management. The result appears to be a move away from daily blogging, a change that makes it easier for readers to keep up with reading and writers to do more writing.

The following blogs offer a diverse selection of newsletters and email notification, forums, humour, blog events, and discussions of the ongoing changes in publishing. Read on and when you have time, browse the links. You might discover something new.


Alex J. Cavanaugh, author, movie reviewer, Science Fiction
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Guide to Literary Agents
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/

Hope Clark, author, & FFW
http://hopeclark.blogspot.com/
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/

Jane Friedman, Media Professor, & Speaker
http://janefriedman.com/

Konrath, J. A., Author & Self-pub Advocate
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

Nathan Bransford, author, MG
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Rachelle Gardner, literary agent
http://www.rachellegardner.com/

The Alchemy of Writing Blog - flash fiction, humour, book reviews
http://alchemyofwriting.blogspot.com/

The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment - query analysis, creature analysis & blog events
http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/

Writers Beware Blog (watchdog for writers/supported by SFWA)
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/

Writer’s Digest
http://www.writersdigest.com/
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/questions-and-quandaries

Do you have a particular site you find helpful for writing? Please share in the comments.
***

Enjoy the Season!  Both of these photos showcase a friend's talent for making felt Santas and paper Angels.  I just took the photos.

Surrey International Writer's Conference

DG’s Review - SIWC 2011



Vancouver City Skyline - by DGH




Starting on October 20th, I attended a local writers conference - the Surrey International Writers Conference - in its 19th year. SIWC offers a selection of conference packages which you can select to fit your own time commitment and budget. There was no time to take photos, so I've substituted photos of the Vancouver area. These photos show that we do have a few sunny days in the British Columbia Rainforest.






Brockton Point, Vancouver, Canada - by DGH




Cost vs. Value

This conference delivers great value and flexible options.  SIWC tries to keep the costs fair and reasonable for the attendees. Check the rates on this year's registration page.

There are several options to choose from:

• full 3-day, Friday - Sunday conference package (meals, workshops, events)
• conference basic - 3 days of conference workshops and keynotes, no meals or evening events
• one-day only Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
• Master classes are not included in the conference costs, and they are offered the day before as an adjunct to the conference. 

Master Classes:
 
These advanced 3 hour classes are presented by well-known literary agents, authors, or editors.  The morning, afternoon, or evening sessions are presented in conference room format with a short break.  Bring a notepad or a laptop to record your notes as the instructor takes you through exercises that will improve your writing.  In the evening class I attended taught by Donald Maass, there were approximately 130 people.

For my money, it was well worth the cost.  I'd like a smaller group size, but affordability is more important.  This class covered the three levels of story construction, and included on the spot writing exercises to improve your characters, setting, and plot.




Vancouver - Trolley bus on the right - CP Train Station at end



Critique and Pitch Appointments

I booked my appointments in June 2011 when registration opened.  One pitch and one critique is included with your registration, but subsequent bookings for agent/editor pitches and author critiques must be done at the conference to ensure everyone gets a chance.  There were lineups for bookings at the conference on the Friday that I attended. Best advice:  Get there early for a better selection.

• Pitch - 10 minutes.  The process of getting from the lineup to the waiting area and in to see the actual person works better than I expected, thanks to the organization of the many volunteers.  I had enough time to pitch the novel, ask a few questions and discuss a few items.
   
• Critique - 15 minutes.  In same room as above pitch appointments; one critique with a new Fantasy author and one with a very well-known science fiction/fantasy writer.  Both offered insights with their crits as to saleability, and tips on formatting and construction.  Exactly what I was looking for.

Included with the conference workshops and panels, are the Trade Show, the Book Fair and Signing, and Writing contests.  I've only commented on the parts of the conference that I participated in, which was a sampling of the offerings.

More details are available on the site of the Surrey International Writers' Conference. 

***

Anyone else had any recent experience at a retreat, conference, or workshop?

Halloween Blog Hop!

Starting Friday, and continuing over the Halloween weekend October 28-31, Jeremy Bates is hosting a Halloween Blog Hop. All the details are at his site (or you can use the Linky list at the bottom of this post):

Join in the fun and discover a few new blogs.  You've got four days to browse the list and see who's who. . . in between the fireworks and pumpkins and little ghosts and fairies.


Participants are requested to:


• Visit as many of the other blogs as you can in the Linky List below

• Follow the site or comment when a blog appeals to you

• Tell us your favorite monster movie or book

• Share what your Halloween costume will be

 
My answer to Jeremy's blog hop requirements:

• Fave monster/Book: God Emperor of DUNE - the part human, mostly sandworm creature of Frank Herbert's DUNE series who tries to 'become' the Worm.
• The Lady in Black costume (this covers many variations:  the deadly black widow, the dark witch, the French Existentialist, the retro Beatnik, the vampy Goth, you get the idea. . .)

Have a look around at either of my blogs (they're on the list), and follow if it appeals to you.  Hope you have a great weekend!


*********************

LINKY LIST:

Pay it Forward Blogfest - October 14, 2011

BLOG HOP!   Blogfest day has ended, but you can still check out the links below if you haven't yet.   If you have time over the weekend, keep hopping about.  Who knows who you might discover?



I'm participating in the Pay It Forward Blogfest hosted by:

Matt - The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment
http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/2011/09/pay-it-forward-blogfest.html

and

Alex J. Cavanaugh
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/2011/09/paying-it-forward.html

The linky list is below, as well as on the host sites shown above.


From Matt's blog:

"Here is how the blogfest will actually work: The idea is to introduce everyone to everyone else. We want this to be an easy post that allows you to meet and follow as many other bloggers as you can. In your post, we would like you to please list, describe, and link to three blogs that you enjoy reading, but that you suspect may fly under the radar of a lot of other bloggers. Or they can be famous blogs, as long as they're awesome.

But don't stop there! Certainly visit and follow all the blogs that are featured in people's posts the day of the blogfest, but those don't have to be the only blogs you visit. You can visit everyone who enters in on the fun, and signs up on the linky list. In the interest of time you don't even have to leave comment. You can just follow, and come back another time. After all, we all know we don't have time to visit every blog we enjoy every single day."


***
Check out these 3 writer blogs:

The Alchemy of Writing
http://alchemyofwriting.blogspot.com/  features short flash fiction one day of the week, has excellent custom cartoons and great photographs.  This is a great blog to visit often.  Owner: Bryan, aka INK likes to surprise.

Funds for Writers
http://hopeclark.blogspot.com/  offers something for everyone from the freelancer to the fiction writer with a dash of southern spirit thrown in. Info on grants, contests, and submissions in her newsletter.  Even more info resides on her website, Funds for Writers.  Owner: Hope Clark

Raising Dogs and Training Children http://raisingdogstrainingchildren.blogspot.com/  looks at the practical side of both.  A young writer mother explores what to do to keep a toddler learning and to give herself time to write.  Join her as she learns how to balance it all.  Owner: J. Burroughs

***
Have fun, and drop in again soon.  

Paris Bistros and Sidewalk Cafes
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.com/2011/10/paris-bistros-and-sidewalk-cafes-of.html 

Thanks again to Matt and Alex!!


Linky List follows:

******************

Paris - Bistros and Sidewalk Cafés of Interest



Iconic Paris photo-Eiffel tower, Seine River, bridges, streetlights-DGH

In October 2010, we were in Paris, France, trying to immerse ourselves in the City of Light as much as two Anglophiles can. I was also gathering material for a future novel based in Paris. This city surpassed my expectations. It draws you into its charms. One of those charms is the local food, the tiny bistros, the many choices of places to eat.

We walked, or used the Hop-On Hop-Off buses (Les Cars Rouge). Cost = about 24 Euros per person, and covers two days of use.  Here are some of the places we discovered.


 
 

Cafe Louis Philippe, Paris, Right Bank by DG Hudson

Cafe Louis Philippe - Right Bank, Paris, France
http://www.cafelouisphilippe.com/

What we had:  Andalusian sausage, Lamb rib chops, frozen nougat with raspberry coulis.  Great service, and the place was well-filled with locals (always a good sign).  We were never rushed and due to the rain outside, we sat warm and cozy under cover.  A very pleasant experience.

 ***

Bistro Marguerite, Right Bank, Paris by DG Hudson

Bistrot Marguerite - on the Right Bank across from Hotel de Ville and next to the lovely Seine River.  A favorite.

What we had:  Baked cod dish - French style with onions and  potatoes, grilled salmon, steak and frites, French onion soup with cheesy toast salad.  The waiters were friendly and helpful.  We went back three times and were never disappointed. Average cost for two people with house white wine, entrees or plats and cafe lattes=48 Euros.

Update April 1, 2015:
The video of this bistro which previously was here was removed as it was no longer a valid link.

***

Le Voltaire Restaurant, Paris, by DG Hudson

Le Voltaire Restaurante - Left Bank, Latin Quarter

What we had:  German beer, Quiche and salad, and raisin pie (for those with a sweet tooth).   A real old world atmosphere.  Voltaire used to hang around here.  That's per the plaque on the building in the photo above.  No link for this one, but many reviews can be found.  We were there for lunch so meal cost about 50 Euros.  Use what French you know in this one for better service, it helps as they get lots of tourists in this area.  We had great food and enjoyed it.

***

Les Arts and Metiers, Left Bank, by DG Hudson

Les Arts and Metiers - Arts 'n' Letters  Left Bank, Latin Quarter. 

A great people watching restaurant where we spent a very pleasant couple of hours.
What we had:  Fluffy omelettes, chantilly custard, macarons, coffee, and wine with water on the side.  We had a lunch break while walking in the Latin Quarter looking for 'Shakespeare and Co.', Les Deux Magots, and Cafe Flore.


Other Notable Eating Establishments: (mostly in the Marais and Latin quarters/arrondisements)

• Resto Med (Cafe Med), Ile St. Louis small family run cafe with excellent food, friendly staff, and cozy atmosphere; found on a side street tucked between small shops
•  La Pause Beaubourg - in the Marais district, just down from the Hotel de Ville, on the Right bank
• Pizza Le Valentino - in the Marais, across the street from La Pause Beaubourg, Excellent meals; local families sat next to us, very attentive service, tolerant staff
• Pizza Sant'Antonio  - in the Marais, in a small square off the Rue de Rivoli.  A variety of plats (meals) and fresh pizza.  UPDATE: Refer to A Pizza Place in Paris, for more information about this excellent spot to eat. Feb. 2013.

Important notes: 
Prices can vary by high and low season.  We found eating out at the local restaurants gave us a chance to sample the fare that the Parisians were eating. This is easy to do in the Marais and on the Ile St. Louis, where many family owned restaurants prosper in the small side streets. 

Reference:  Immerse Yourself in the Moment (A sensory tour of Paris)
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.com/2011/02/immerse-yourself-in-moment.html

Additional posts on PARIS - Refer to DG Hudson's 21st Century Journal for a post on Paris Walkabouts:
http://dghudson.blogspot.com/2011/12/paris-walks.html

***
Do you take notes when you travel?  Has any particular location or city found its way into your heart?

***

The Right Place - Must Have Been the Write Time



Dragonfly and Fuschias - DGH photo collection



Serendipity = the ability of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident, good luck or good fortune

Odd Happenings = when something unusual happens that would be hard to duplicate for the same effect

This post will explore some of those moments where we feel lucky to be where we are, at the right moment to see a unique event. It is preferable that these events are non-life threatening.


***

The Spawning of the Grunions

(San Diego, Mission Bay area, California)

Grunions do a twisting beach dance (by the hundreds) to further their species, and it happens at night on beaches along the California coast from Monterey Bay to as far south as Baja California. The fish can remain stranded and flopping about for several minutes and there are lots of them. Spawning peaks between March and June.

We saw this phenomena on a visit to San Diego years ago, but didn’t know it was a natural cycle until we read about it. It’s a vivid image, and would have been hard to plan for. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me that night.

***



Sleek beauty at Air Museum - by DGH

 ***

Chased by Hurricane Ivan 2004

While visiting Atlanta on personal business, I heard storm warnings about Hurricane Ivan, on its way to Atlanta. Planes were being grounded, and flights delayed. I managed to rebook my flight time to leave before Ivan hit later in the day. Things went downhill from there, with the flight I was booked to fly out on being delayed until the winds died down enough for them to land. After the plane unloaded then reloaded, we left late with no promise of making the connection in Chicago.

Arriving in O’Hare, I ran up one terminal arm and down another to arrive at an empty loading area for the airline I was on with one attendant standing there. I went up to verify that I had indeed missed the flight. He confirmed that the flight had taken off on schedule, but (he said) they had come back and were repairing a problem in the braking system. My seat had not been filled, he asked if I wanted to get on board when it left again, expected to be within 15 minutes.

A plane with a problem, hmm, but it was also an opportunity. I boarded, dressed in my usual black travelling outfit, and faced all those rows of staring faces looking at me as if I had been the problem. Not a friendly face in the whole lot. Someone was in my seat, so I was ushered to one in the back. As I settled in to my middle seat between two strangers, the woman on my left leaned over and said in a low voice, “Well, I guess we came back for you.”

I felt a little more relaxed after that, before I saw the title of the movie they were showing -- The Day after Tomorrow (in case you haven’t seen it, it’s about extreme weather conditions causing superstorms and hurricanes all over the world).

My flight reached its destination about an hour and a half late.  The opportunity had paid off, I was home. 

***

A Mother Bear and Cubs at the Dump - DGH collection

***

Bear Scare

Beware garbage dumps in remote areas, since they represent a supermarket to the wild bears. While coming back from the recreation centre on one side of the small company townsite in north central British Columbia, I took the channel that had been cut in the 21 feet of snow in order to get back to the staff house. Unfortunately, a Grizzly bear had the same idea. I turned around going back to the rec centre, but now another bear was coming toward me from that direction. What to do? Make snowballs of course, hard ones.

“I threw the snowballs first at the bear closest to me, attempting to discourage it without actually hitting it, my main concern being to throw as many as I could while shouting to scare it. The first bear turned and ran, and I followed at a safe distance behind running towards the staff house. He ran past, I went inside. I don’t know what happened to the other bear, it wasn’t in my best interest to wait and find out.”

(Note: this incident happened to a friend who had grown up in the big city, where bears don’t roam free.)

***


Owl at Midnight on New Year’s Eve

Owls can be aggressive and especially if you’re near the nest. We’ve been swooped by owls before when walking through one of our natural parks in the Vancouver area. One incident occurred on New Year’s Eve exactly at midnight one year, when an owl sought respite from the noise by landing in a tall tree in our backyard. He sat staring directly at us from his perch, making us wonder what he saw. Food? Humans?

Just in case he was hungry, I hid my cat.

****




Rue de Rivoli, Paris - Blanche Nuit - Oct 2/10 - DGH



***

Everybody Turn Around

Gridlock on the highway, gas pipeline leak, police officers stop all traffic - just what you want to have happen when you’re out for a drive. Traffic behind us began to accumulate at a rapid pace as nothing moved. The gas leak had to be shut off first.

In the meantime, a few young determined males driving small cars got out of their cars and yelled at everyone to “Turn around, everybody turn around.” What?? The smaller vehicles might have a shorter turning base and be able to wiggle their way around, but no semi or big truck is going to be able to do that.

As about forty of the little cars turned and made their way over to the shoulder, heading back the wrong way, we moved to the front in the space just vacated. Just a couple of minutes after that, the officers cleared the barriers and traffic began to go again.   Bad timing on their part?

***

Write it down, analyze it later.  It might be the seed for a writing project.