Meandering With Murphy

Friday, May 3rd and it was time to bid farewell to Julien, Megan, Sawyer, Finn and our Bordeaux adventure. Julien took us to Langon to board the train that would take us to Bordeaux and on into Paris. We were sad to leave but we knew we would be seeing Megan and the boys in July. She comes to visit her mother each summer.

We had to buy a ticket from Langon to Bordeaux but it is the little things that people who take the train in another country know that you have no idea about. We had no idea you had to scan your ticket at the machine before you boarded the train. Julien showed us where the machine was and how to scan the ticket. I am sure we would have been OK but….

We got to Bordeaux early and found the board that shows the departing track but our train was not posted. We decided to get some coffee and a croissant. The coffee place was a little confusing. We found a seat and waited and waited for someone to come and take our order. No one came so I went up to the bar to order and they told me to wait at the table!! Finally someone came and I thought I ordered two coffees, one chocolate croissant and one plain croissant. I ordered it all in French and this is what we got (see below).

Finally our train was announced and we headed to the track however, somehow Scott and I got separated and he ended up in the right car and I was in a different car. After jostling my way out of the car I was in, I found him. Thank God for cell phones!!!

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The ride to Paris was uneventful. We had a car service pick us up. I waited where they told us to and I got a text that the driver would be there in a few minutes. No driver after 15 minutes. I called and after 30 minutes we finally connected.

We were staying in the Marais because our daughter Beth and her family had stayed there when they were in Paris in 2017. We had stayed in the 1st Arrondissement twice and the 7th Arrondissement on our last visit, but we wanted to try the Marais as it seemed so busy and had lots of interesting places.

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Since we arrived 45 minutes early we stopped at the corner cafe and had a coffee and waited. Yves, the owner of the apartment, met us and showed us the apartment. It was nice and had all the essentials that we needed. It was build in the 18th century. He lived across the hall and had lived there for 30 years with his family. I can’t imagine a family living in such a small space. Once we were settled in we were off to the tourist office to get a museum pass and metro passes. There is a new type of ticket, the Navajo Decouverte pass, that is less expensive but it runs from Monday to Sunday which wouldn’t work for us. We got our passes and walked around the neighborhood, found a grocery and patisserie and we were set.

We had a dinner reservation for 7:30 at Verjus. We love this restaurant and wine bar. When we were in Paris in 2013 Scott, his mother Helen and I were staying in the 1st right down the street from Verjus. The couple who own and run the wine bar and restaurant are New Orlean born, Boston-bred chef Braden Perkins, and his partner in work and life, Saint Paul native Laura Adrian. Yes, St. Paul!! Verjus opened in 2011 and I had found an article in the NY Times about it. We went to the wine bar (the restaurant was full) and lo and behold we met two people who worked at Tilia, a local restaurant. It was so much fun since we still run into them from time to time at local restaurants. We also met Laura, the owner, who was manning the wine bar. Then in 2017 when we were in Paris we made sure we got a reservation. The meal was amazing, so of course we had to go again.

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We had the nicest server, Sara from Sweden, who waited on us and we ended up seeing Laura the owner. She remembered our story, especially Helen, Scott’s mother. It was a wonderful evening all around! If you are in Paris it is well worth going here.