A train leaving the Onzain station.L & L live in upstate New York, and I met them back in the late 1970s when we worked for the same state agency. They are the people most responsible for my decision to go to France for the first time back in 1981.
Ken drove me to the train station in the little town of Onzain on the Loire river. I could have taken the train from Saint-Aignan, but that would have cost a bit more and required a change of trains in Tours. From Onzain, the train is direct to Paris. And it only cost ten euros each way.
My wine stash.It's a two-hour train ride and it started at 11:30 am, so I packed a sandwich for lunch and took a plastic bottle with some wine in it for the trip. I got into the Gare d'Austerlitz and walked from there to my hotel at Maubert-Mutualité. The weather was good and I enjoyed the thirty minute walk.
Towing cars on the rue des Carmes.Right outside the hotel, as I was arriving, I noticed that a car was being "towed," probably for parking violations. I just had to stop and get the camera out. Since space is very tight in Paris, they have very interesting ways of towing cars.
More tomorrow...
That'll larn 'em....
ReplyDeleteHow great to go and see your friends in Paris!!
ReplyDeleteI am going next week...woohoo actually on Easter Monday...going to meet Leesa, Barbara and Dawn, and few others...I am taking a friend with me too.
Well, we all had great fun guessing where you went :) I guess you stayed at Hôtel des Carmes,eh? Can't wait to hear about where you ate and what you visited.
ReplyDeleteImagine if these friends hadn't helped you come to the decision to go to Paris in 1981!! What path would your life have taken!?
Welcome back.
Judy
I was sharing Judy's thoughts - how different your life might have been if not for these friends encouraging you to go to Paris!
ReplyDeleteEagerly awaiting more of, Where in the World is Walt?!
BettyAnn
that is a wacky method of moving a car!
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun. I love traveling by train in Europe.
ReplyDeleteFor few seconds, I thought I was back in Paris. Looking at all the flowers you guys are posting, I miss the countryside so much. In France, in 30mn, you can be in a different environment. In Southern California, you have to drive for hours to find nature. I understand "Our juicy life" not wanting to come back to LA after living in Aveyron for few months.
ReplyDelete4 more years until my son graduates from high school then I will have to make the decision of staying here or
moving back to France. You have no idea how important your blogs are to me.
you know, ONE DAY when you are in paris we ARE going to find you! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat route to Paris. Seems like it would be better than having to change trains in Tours, and not much longer, except for the drive.
ReplyDeleteHey, did you hear about the Obama pizza party at the whitehouse? They've ordered something like 147pizzas from a place around here! The pizzas are deep-dish, coming from a cool specialty pizza place in U.City (=University City, a cool, multi-nationalities older city that is one of the first suburbs outside of St. Louis)-- I think the place is called "Pi" -- here's a link: http://www.restaurantpi.com/index2.html
ReplyDeleteSome Chicago pizza joints are complaining because he didn't go with Chicago-style from someplace up there in his "hometown". heh heh :)
Judy
p.s. deep-dish pizza is marvelous!
autolycus, I would be a tad upset, but I suppose they deserved it.
ReplyDeleteanne, have a great time!
judy, yes, the Carmes! I just read about the pizza thing. I think the Chicago folks need to chill a bit.
bettyann, there's no telling! I met Ken that first year.
tansy, it's a good thing cars in Paris are on the small side.
doug, me too. Trains can be so soothing.
nadege, glad you're enjoying them!
kylie, I look forward to it!
peter, when we're not in a hurry and don't need the TGV, it's a nice alternative.