A Vacation Diary
Friday, August 2, 1996
Yesterday I landed in Paris at 5:30 pm having slept most of the flight from Los Angeles thanks to Halcyon. I had been to Paris several times before, all but one trip during the 1970s for durations as short as a half day to as long as ten days. I went to Paris in October of 1995 as a side trip on my London vacation. The purpose of the side trip was to experience the Eurostar "Chunnel" train ride (Waterloo Station, London to Gare du Nord, Paris) which took exactly 3 hours, the train reaching 180 miles/hour (there is an announcement on the PA system when this happens, "trois cents kilometres") this speed only being attained in France. Also, I hadn't been to Paris since November, 1977 and I had learned that there was going to be a special exhibit of Cézanne paintings which would only be available in a few cities in the entire world, Los Angeles not being one. I stayed at a hotel across from the Jardin du Luxembourg in a room that can best be described as a roomy bird cage. That side trip lasted only 30 hours, but it gave me a taste again for the most beautiful city in the world.
Monday, August 5, 1996 I would have thought that by now the jet lag effect would have diminished but it is still throwing me off in the morning. After lunch at the apartment I went to the Jacquemart - André Museum (42 F) in the 8th. This small mansion (sounds like a contradiction in terms) features Italian Renaissance, Flemish masters and 18th century French school art. This recently renovated museum opened after being closed for a very long time because of an embezzlement scandal. I then went for a stroll down bd. Haussmann & avenue de Friedland to the Arc de Triomphe and then down the avenue des Champs-Elysées. As I walk around the streets I often get asked by other tourists and French people directions, which of course I can't answer. I had dinner at the apartment in the evening.
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