and sneaks a night away with friends

Six months. It's really been six months since the move.  Time then for a catch up with old friends from work.  We met up somewhere which is actually fairly in the centre of mainland Scotland, though far from the "Central Belt", so we all had an equal distance to travel.

                       

Kinloch Rannoch is in the middle- honest

We got a good deal at the Macdonald Loch Rannoch Hotel at Kinloch Rannoch in the heart of Perthshire. Our trip coincided with the arrival of storm Abigail bringing with her the first snows of winter, though luckily mostly confined to the hills. I'd wondered what the hotel would be like as Trip Advisor had some mixed reviews, and when I arrived,  the notice on the front door warning of reduced winter hours gave my over eager imagination thoughts of The Overlook Hotel.


What a silly!  Inside it was warm and bright, and other guests were finishing off their lunch.  I was early, the first of our party to arrive, which is  not like me, but was welcomed and checked into my room by the very friendly receptionist.

Schiehallion, the view when it's not sleeting

 I'd been allocated a loch view room, in fact we all had, which was lovely even if the glorious view was being temporarily obscure by sleet. We were tempted by the swimming pool but the lure of comfy chairs, tea and chat kept us in the lounge until it was time to change for dinner.

 Duly glammed up we  enjoyed  some  bubbly and  made our way to the restaurant. Our deal included a three course dinner, this excluded a couple of menu items unless we paid a supplement but that didn't bother us as there was a good choice and we each chose a different main course. It was good to see that the restaurant was busy, perhaps because of the deal, and the young staff coped very well. We moved back to the lounge after dinner and even though we'd discussed coffee seem to have ordered more drinks. You know, as a night cap to round off a lovely day

And off to bed.


I switched on the television to catch the end of Children in Need. ...............

Mrs Marina Starke likes Paris

                                                           Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

And did manage to keep another one

The trip to Paris was about a month ago but with two house moves and Christmas there hasn't been much time to write part II.....

So while on a break elsewhere I'll take some time to remember and recount. And the score stands, Paris visits12+ : Louvre visits 0.

We had an unknown arrondissement to explore and ducked down off the streets to some lovely places.

This path along the former Petite Ceintuire suburban railway. On its eastern stretches it's still wild but in the 16th there's a section officially accessible between Porte d'Auteil and Gare de la Muette.

http://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71366/La-petite-ceinture

Wandering around delivers other surprises, this Castel Beranger an early example of social housing.

 

And if it looks familiar that's not surprising, it was designed by one M. Guimard of Metropolitan fame, it was his first solo commission.

We couldn't visit Paris without our now customary cemetery visit, at Cimetiere de Passy we paid our respects to Manet

And despite getting our Municipals closed Monday, Nationals closed Tuesday a bit mixed up we did manage quite a few not-the-Louvre museum visits, including Maison de Balzac (best if you speak or at least read French), Musee Cernuschi and the Petit Palais.

Through the square window at Musee Cernuschi.

 

Petit Palais

 

And there's still more to see at these and others to call us back another day.

 

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And now takes a break from sorting them

Last time I posted I was planning a trip to Paris. It seems so long ago. We had a fabulous time, continued to avoid the Louvre, ate at some wonderful restaurants and enjoyed beautiful music at Notre Dame (though it has to be said it was just a tad chilly, I was glad of two coats). But since our return it seems to have been non stop packing; not the travel kind, house packing. Packing and sorting and disposing and then depositing the contents of a house around an already full flat. Oh dear those Parisian champagne bubbles have burst.

So now with as much stowed away as possible and before Master Starke moves out, there's a little time to share those bubbles.

Paris wasn't the first stop on the journey. It had started in Brussels. A very quick whirl through, time to catch up with old friends, eat some mussels and stock up on chocolate. We didn't really do it justice only managing to scratch the surface and it seemed well worth a second look.

Our bed at The Royal Windsor was very comfortable and if the turn down treat wasn't as big as the one here it was still pretty tasty.

 

The hotel was just off the Grand Place and close to the Galleries St Hubert, a great place for chocolate and accessory shopping, though the former could challenge your waistline and the latter your wallet.

With Mr Starke busy elsewhere I visited the Beaux Arts Museum. I loved the old Flemish Masters and the new exhibitions.

And I was fascinated by theses faces from the past, dug out of the rubble beneath the Cathedral

Business over, we boarded the Thalys for Paris. There can't be a better way to travel between these two cities. One hour and twenty minutes from one capital to another, with a check in time of two minutes. And so much comfier than the plane too.

Paris. Many visits but this was the first solely for leisure, and also the first at a five star hotel. It was a very tranquil way to arrive. Taxi swooshing from the Gare du Nord through (for Paris) fairly traffic free streets, out past some Paris icons to the 16th and a relaxed check in and Earl Grey tea while our bags found their way to our room.

The hotel Raphael ( or Chevalier, if you're a fan of Wes Anderson)

Not the room from the film but the view wasn't too bad

 

And I can't kid myself I'm Natalie Portman.

And yes I know it's kitschy and cliched but the view of the golden twinkling tower from the rooftop terrace just can't be beaten. No photos, that one is for your imagination. The terrace was officially closed for the winter but we were encouraged to wrap up warm and go up for a look. We arrived at the stroke of the hour. Sometimes things just fall into place. Five minutes of sparkle.

 

This doesn't capture it at all

 

A bientot

 

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And is hoping for some soon

And no that doesn't mean I've been wallowing in filth since the last post, just a way of heralding a forthcoming trip. In fact I enjoyed some non domestic clean sheets last weekend. A trip south, with first a repeat stopover at The George and Dragon, Clifton with another good dinner and a very comfy bed. Then on to Wales and a scrumptious seafood platter at the Angel, Abergavenny (@LovetheAngel) and the always warm hospitality chez GlamourPuss and the Prof. But now I'm looking forward to a trip away. To Brussels (a first) and then on to Paris. Not for the first time but the first time solely for leisure. So I'm looking forward with anticipation and a little trepidation. I've splashed out, on accommodation and restaurant bookings. How will they be? Will I maintain my Louvre duck?

Answers here soon.........

 

 

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And still manages to keep one

No not a reference to stealing hotel linens nor worse habits. It's a footballing analogy and due to another successful Louvre body swerve (mixed metaphors here, that would be the egg shaped ball game). Instead of the "place which must not be visited" we followed a sociable lunch with a long wait outside the "Paris seen by Hollywood " exhibition at the Hotel de Ville and a short time inside. More tiny clothes, this time belonging to Audrey Hepburn, but also some surprisingly large boots worn by Gene Kelly. He must have been fleet footed to avoid tripping over them! Interesting early film of Paris crowds, reminiscent of Caillebotte's "Rue de Paris - temps de pluie" at Musee d'Orsay.

After Friday night with friends, Saturday night dinner was just me and Mr Starke. We ate at Pramil, rue Vertbois 3e. Highly recommended. Again small and cosy but more polished than Thursday's choice. Pink lambs liver, delicious and no ill effects, take that Westminster Council.

Lazy Sunday morning, a last decadent breakfast and then a visit to the Musee de la Vie Romantique followed by our now traditional Sunday in Paris activity, a visit to a cemetery. Last visit it was the frozen Pere Lachaise where we paid our respects to Oscar Wilde.

(Pere Lachaise February 2012)

 

This time it was Cimetiere de Montmartre, patrolled by cats, and the (almost) last resting place of Zola, moved to the Pantheon in the '70's, and "la Goulue", Louise Weber, former Can-Can dancer at the Moulin Rouge.

 

Bypassing the place of her triumph, besieged by coach loads at Sunday lunchtime, we preferred to emulate her nickname with a long lunch at the beautiful brasserie Mollard opposite Gare St Lazare. It's an historic monument, officially because of the gorgeous art nouveau decor, but should be for its platters of seafood, lunches en famille and traditional hierarchies of busy waiters - only the maitre d' finishing off the crepes Suzette and lobster.

Then back down to earth with a bump. The Gard du Nord and the RER to CDG. And over that journey I'll draw a veil.

 

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And is getting to try some out.

What's more they're really rather good. We (Mr Starke & me) are having a couple of days in Paris. Thankfully it's not quite as cold as the last time we were here, February 2012, when the temperature was never above freezing. Luckily the apartment we stayed in had good heating but the dry cold took its toll on my hair. Remember those science lessons with the Van der Graaf generator? We had windows overlooking the Canal St Martin and the lock keeper had to defrost the locks to let the boats through.

This time we're a little farther west staying at the Residence Nell in the 9th. It's very handy for shops, bars and restaurants and walkable to most main sites. Actually I'm an unreliable witness to walkability as I'll walk vast distances when sightseeing, particularly if I'm not familiar with the public transport system. In my defence I'll say that I know how to use the metro and buses here.

 

Last night we ate at Autour d'un Verre which was very close,crowded or animé as they say here and best of all cheap. Food was good too. We arrived after 10pm and the place was still buzzing when we left. I wasn't brave enough to try the marrow bone starter but it seemed popular. We're catering for ourselves here so we walked back via the local Grocer's to pick up fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. This morning was a bit too rushed to pop out to the Baker's opposite for croissants but tomorrow should be more relaxed.

 

 

Mr Starke headed off to work and I was left with the difficult task of amusing myself, so..a little hobbit like second breakfast, a wander around Moustache, a great pet supplies shop, for a little something for dogstarke, a visit to BHV for all those essentials we'd managed to leave behind and then off to the Musee d'Orsay to see the Impressionisme et La Mode exhibition. It was brilliant looking at the relationship between the art and the fashions of the time. I was struck by the curator's introduction on the audio guide reminding up us that an exhibition should above all be enjoyed, so enjoy it I did. Like all exhibitions of clothes it also left me feeling ENORMOUS, the clothes were tiny, even corseted I couldn't ever have achieved a waist like these. The shoes were tiny too, unlike any we see today.

Afterwards I contributed to my enormity by stopping for lunch at the museum restaurant, it's very pretty but was soooo much more expensive than last night's dinner and not as good.

 

After lunch I took a stroll back across the river, and through the Tuileries. I find them very bleak.

Not like gardens at all. Now I'm back "home" drinking tea and writing this but soon I have to change for dinner, only the second outfit of the day not the four worn by the ladies featured in the exhibition. Tomorrow a friend has suggested a trip to the Louve. Yikes!

 

 

 

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