Crépuscule, Paris

Pretty sunsets symbolic of our pending departure!

 From our window

From Canal St-Martin

We leave tomorrow, but we must return our internet hardware to the (hopefully) fine people of France Telecom today, so this will be the last post from Paris. If the opportunity arises we may update the Twitter feed, so look up and to the right for that.

We talked about writing a big sentimental post about all the things we'll miss most, and then a snarky post about things we really won't miss. But surrounded as we are by bags and boxes and with an unpleasantly long to-do list, a short version will have to do.

The things we'll miss most: friends, visitors, the markets, the parks, apéros by the Canal. See our previous posts for details.

One thing we will definitely never, ever miss, not even for the teensiest little second:

First note that I had to press the button several times. There's always a moment of tension when you're not sure if it's going to work at all. And then it makes the noise. That enormous, apartment-rattling, horrible noise. And then a pipe somewhere in the kitchen makes a noise and you're terrified that's gonna blow. Someday it will. But (knock wood) we're thankful we won't be here when it does.

But adieu to all that.

- Lia

Le Crépuscule, Parc de Belleville

Eiffel Tower with spotlight

Parc de Belleville is set on a hill in the 20th arrondissement, just south of the larger and more well known Parc des Buttes Chaumont. It is a densely planted series of switchback walkways that work their way up the hill. At the top is le Maison de l'Air, a hands-on museum for kids that focuses on meteorology, pollution and other air-related things. Most importantly, the roof of the museum serves as an excellent viewing deck. It's a popular place all day long, but is an especially nice place to congregate, have a drink and watch the sunset. If you direct your gaze downward, it also serves as a great place to watch the stray cats emerge when the park is closed to humans at dusk.

We stopped by Parc de Belleville last night before our dinner at Le Chapeau Melon(no website, as is the French custom), a wine shop/restaurant that serves an always-changing, market-based three course fixed menu. They'll open any bottle of their entirely small producer, vin nature stock on the shelf for a modest corkage fee. Here is a recent review (in English!) featuring a photo of a mackerel dish we had, plus a bunch of other things we didn't have, because the menu changes so frequently. Dinner was to celebrate the beginning of spring break. On Wednesday we head to Lyon for a four night test of our eating endurance. 

Le Crépuscule, Chez Nous

Le Crépuscule, Pont de Sully

San Sebastian

We've been slow to post about the four nights we spent in San Sebastian, probably because this is such an amazingly beautiful and fun city that it seems like you'd have to write a lot. But in fact, visiting San Sebastian for us was all about the simple things. Sometimes a complex take on simple things, as in the many complicated and artfully arranged bar snacks that are the signature food of the city ("pintxos," the Basque version of tapas). But mostly we walked around, enjoyed the sunshine and warmth, watched waves and boats and surfers on the Atlantic, ate good food and drank the local wine and cider. Someday we hope to go back and do it all over again. 

The city is built around a circular bay, protected on either side by big hills/cliffs as well as a small island in the middle, Santa Klara. On the eastern side, Monte Urgull, there are walking paths and seating areas you can climb up to. It's a great place to climb around and watch the sunset.

The main beach, Playa de la Concha, from above.

A boat on the bay at sunset.

Jeff likes sunsets. Having his picture taken, not so much.

Me climbing. Once we got higher up on these stairs, it became pretty apparent that this was no longer an official route to the top, but it worked anyway.

There's a giant statue of Jesus topping the old military fortifications on the top of the hill.

On the other side of the bay, there's a viewing area at the bottom :

(you can just barely see the big JC on Monte Urgull in the distance)

But you have to take a funicular to the top of Monte Igueldo. The funicular was inaugurated in 1912 and is therefore almost a hundred years old. They say they've updated the mechanics, that only the actual seating car is the same, so there's nothing to worry about, but you know...

I worry a little.

Here's the view from the top. Worth the ride.

There is also a "FunFair" at the top of Monte Igueldo, including an Olde Mill (or equivalent), a Casa Del Terror, bumper cars, and other things that I guess children like. Such as the world's scariest roller coaster, first constructed in 1925:

Updated since then, surely? Doesn't look like it.

Even if it didn't break, I would die from a heart attack on this thing. 

San Sebastian also has a good surfing beach, less protected and with better waves. 

It is also, I think, a good place for performance art. Or to stand and stare out at the sea and think about the vicissitudes of life. 

Not entirely sure which activity this lady was engaged in.

Or indeed if she was born a lady.

We have now been back in Paris for almost a week, and it's as rainy and grey as ever, but at least I feel assured that the sky is still blue and the sun still exists. In Spain, anyway.

Barcelona and the Three Miracles

Miracle #1

We arrived at Gare de Lyon in Paris an hour before our departure to find that none of the ticket machines take American credit cards and that the will-call ticket line was about two hours long. We bought tickets online but had no way to conjure them physically. This resulted in much panic, running around and the brief cussing out of an old woman. She interrupted me while I was trying to talk to the information person- it was somewhat deserved. Five minutes before the train took off, we discovered the "just get on the train and figure it out later" method. This is the method we will use from now on. The super friendly train guys voided our e-tickets and sold us new ones, at a lower rate. They even found us seats, saving us from five hours perched on benches in the train bar.

Miracle #2

Due to another dumping of snow on northern France, our train had to go slower than usual, putting us behind schedule. We were going to arrive about forty-five minutes late to meet our connecting train in Figueras. Resigned to spending a night in what I'm sure is a quite lovely town, we arrived to find our connecting train waiting in the station. I guess it makes sense, but it was stressful at the time. Also, even though we had not bought a ticket for this leg of the trip, the ticket guy seemed to think we had, even when looking at the ticket that said we had not. It was confusing, but we did not correct him.

Miracle #3

About 11:45 we rolled into Barcelona, bought subway tickets and got on our train. In desperate need of food and drink, we wondered what, if anything might still be open in the rather quiet neighborhood where our hotel is located. After check-in and a brief look around the room, we went searching. Luckily, it didn't take long. Directly across the street, the only light for kilometers, stood a purveyor of the classic late night trash food: Doner Kebab. Gyros, basically. In some sort of combination of English, Spanish and French, I ordered our dinner and a bottle of Rioja to go. It was kind of like the loaves and fishes thing, if I am remembering the Bible correctly.

Barcelona is lovely, sunny and warm- about 60°F today. It's a welcome, relaxing change from the cold, gray rain and snow of Paris. Today we walked down to the beach and had a huge lunch from which we are now recovering. Our hotel is amazing- the best I've ever stayed in. Check it out here: Eric Vökel Barcelona Suites. It's going to be tough to leave, but the plan is to head to San Sebastian on Christmas day.