Paris 2.5.....Day 2

Inside Shakespeare & Company

We are now two days in Paris and tired from just a bit of wandering about the city. Since I combined some thoughts from day 1 and 2 in the previous post, I entitled this one 2.5. I may have done it for eclectic reasons. I may have done simply to be accurate or just to be cute.

We strolled along and watched street artists draw portraits

We decided to dress up and have dinner out. We wandered down la rue St. Michel and happened upon La Gentilehommiere. It is a little café/bistro/restaurant/Bar/Brasserie on Place St. Andre des Arts.

Bob?....Yes, thats Bob!

We sat down amongst at least 30 others and quickly noticed that there was one and only one waiter. I mean it was busy and this one waiter was taking quite good care of everyone (now including us).

He was helpful and polite, speaking better English than our poor French. Not only was he the only waiter, he even stepped out for a cigarette for a moment never once missing a customer.

We ordered. I had Coq au vin and Diana the beef bourguignon. She the salad and I the onion soup as starters. All Formule was very good. We skipped dessert. Duh.

We found our waiter’s name is Bob. Bob? Again, I am surprised at the Parisian courtesy which defies all reputation to the contrary. We had an amiable walk back to our apartment taking photos along the way.

We even stopped in at the Shakespeare and Company (still open at 9:00) and looked around briefly while taking prohibited pictures. (They do not allow photographs inside but turned their heads as we clicked away).

Paris may well be over rated and it has many shortcomings like any large city. But, truthfully I can think of none except the crowds…make that hordes of people. But, the friendliness of the people and the ambience cannot be explained but only experienced.

One of the many inviting places to eat

What we have planned for tomorrow I cannot say. The weather forecast for the next 10 days is cloudy with showers. From a light standpoint and photographically, Ireland rules. So I think we will wander and take people pictures. But, as Bogart said to Bergman, “ We’ll always have Paris.”

Paris 1.0 .....1st Day

We arrived at Charles D’gaulle airport about 3:00 Paris time. It was quiet and not very busy which was welcomed considering the reorientation we are experiencing. The trains are well marked and we took a train to La Rue St. Michel. It took about 30 minutes and we arrived within a block of our apartment at 41 la rue de la Boucherie.

We had no cell phone and pay phones are non-existent here. We stopped for coffee as Diana decided she was going to walk to the office to finalize our apartment. At the Petite le Pont restaurant (next door to our apartment) the waiter kindly dialed the number and within about ½ hour we were greeted by Megan who showed us around the apartment. This was after a 5 floor climb up very winding stairs.

I begin this edition with this incident because obviously the reputation for French poor manners did not hold up with us. We were in Paris less than 15 minutes when a stranger helped us not only by offering to make the call but doing so in English!

Then our “hostess” Megan kindly showed us around the apartment, gave us some local tips and filled us in on the neighborhood which is obviously a touristy area.

Our stairwell to the apartment (well....at least part of it)

After finally settling in, hanging our clothes for the first time, we decided to shop for some necessities such as eggs, milk, laundry soap, etc. Now let me explain that shopping in this the City of Light at 7:00 p.m. is not easy. First, the streets are full of people. This at 7:00 p.m.!

There are restaurants and bars everywhere. I mean everywhere. We thought Galway was crowded. Galway is deserted by Paris standards. Traffic increases steadily through the night with horns blaring. Frenetic is an understatement.

We did take a quick bite. There were several gyro restaurants about and we thought we would give one a try. We were not disappointed. We couldn’t finish the entire gyro.

We then stopped at the little bar below our apartment for a glass of wine and just stared at the people on the streets. Now I am from Philadelphia originally and busy does not bother me. This bothers me. It is beautifully crazy.

Our apartment is about 750 square feet (about average for Europe). I asked Megan how much one of these would sell for and (hold on to your wallet) “About 2,000,000 Euro!” Holy Euro Batman! The prices in Ireland are bargains in comparison. A 2400 sq foot house in Ireland ranges from 185,000 Euro to 435,000 Euro. A bargain in comparison.

As I write, it is raining (an Irish drizzle actually) and party barges are powering down the Seine past Notre Dame. The city is still bustling but calming somewhat.
It is easy to see why such great photographers as Doisneau, Bresson, Clergue, ad infinitum made their reputations here. If you can’t get great pictures here you aren’t trying… or don’t have a camera.

I leave you with great expectations of tomorrow which we will share in this first segment from Paris. We are going about the city to get acquainted with this beautiful and perhaps, tainted, lady. What fun.

Orientation

Le Pompidou

We slept in a bit and awoke to an Irish drizzle…again. Around noon we walked about 1/½ miles to du Pont Neuf then north for a few blocks to Le Pompidou. We stalked subjects most of the way and shot touristy stuff and lots of people.

We had an espresso and cappucino (which no one has made to Diana’s standards as yet), photographed more people and buildings and by 3:00 had made a circle back to Notre Dame. The lines were huge. Rather than buck the queue we decided to do a Seine tour on one of the boats. It gave us a different viewpoint of Paris.

Some of the pictures you see here were taken from the boat.

We got home around 5 and decided to clean up and go out for dinner. Don’t make coffee stops in Paris. Every stop is a 10 Euro rest. At that rate, it’s easy to go through 50 Euro in coffee. We have opted for coffee at home.

Our last days in Ireland

“Are you goin' away with no word of farewell?
Will there be not a trace left behind?

I could have loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind;
Oh, you know that was the last thing on my mind.” Tom Paxton

Well, we finished the day with a bang in Kenmare. The sky was a cloudless clear blue. We sauntered around town until about half 2 and headed west for a sundown. We took pictures of course from Allihies to Dursey and back at 9:00 p.m. just in time for dinner at O’Donnabhain’s Bar.

Again, by the way, the food was superb. We were treated to an upbeat Irish duo and the last song they sang was from the 60’s (my era) by Tom Paxton. We thought it apropos for a farewell song. If you’ve never heard it, may I suggest you download it and listen to some incredible lyrics.

We cannot tell you how gracious the Irish have been. They are truly a blessed people and given the things they have historically endured, we are truly amazed and so happy to have been welcomed with their smiles and hospitality. Thank you Ireland. Erin go bragh (and that is our complete vocabulary).

Rather than bore you with long details regarding our stalking light today, let me simply finish by offering some photographs of our farewell to Ireland. We are going to Dublin Monday for our short flight to Paris and two and half weeks in the City of Light. We will bring you more pictures and our experiences in this the most visited of European cities.

May the road rise to greet you and may you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.

Rossacroo na loo Wood, Oct 7th

We were up until 1:00 a.m. yesterday, writing the blog, having a last dinner at our favorite restaurant and generally enjoying our last few days here in Kenmare. Diana and I feel as though we have seen what most of us would consider Ireland. While Ireland, like any country, is its people it is also a simple state of mind.

We meandered about, having several espressos and machiatos at Jam (our new coffee haunt. The Irish make terrible coffee and most restaurants and the hotel rooms use instant coffee…bleahg! Diana spent most her time here trying to explain to the locals how to make espresso the Italian way. Not gonna happen, I’m afraid.

After a bit of a walk down the two main streets of Kenmare, we headed out of town about 20 km to an area dedicated to preserving Ireland’s forest in as pristine a manner as possible. The area is full of deep and dark moss covered trees and is enchanting. We spent several hours here just soaking it in (quite literally given the weather).

It is named Rossacroo na loo Wood or Wood of the Cattle.
We drove back into town for dinner and a well deserved break. Again, we want to share some of the photos with you just to give you a taste of this area of Kerry County.
Our last night is tomorrow and we can truthfully say this was an exciting time for us. We hope you enjoyed Ireland, as well.
Tomorrow we drive to Dublin to catch our plane to Paris on the 9th of October.

We will see you again in Paris

Gleninchaquin Park

After chatting with Eoghan ( pronounced; Owen) and his lovely wife and being absolutely stunned by his work we decided to take his advice and head about 13 km our of town to the Guilinchquin Park. We drove up one very narrow road and stopped first at a trout cottage. The lake was beautiful with mountains in the background and reeds on the lake.

After finishing up here, we headed deeper inside the area and drove to a stone circle about 4,000 years old. (1 Euro each on the honor system). We walked to the top of a hill and in the center of the rise was a stone circle (in better shape than most we have encountered) but this time there were a number of ladies gathered about the circle holding hands and singing Amazing Grace. It was simply perfect. Their voices wafting like the Irish breeze across the heather.

We waited while they finished their little ceremony (photographing them all the while) and proceeded to take more photographs of the landscape. Wonderful.

We continued driving to Gleninchaquin Park and suddenly, as we turned a curve, in front of us was the most spectacular sight you could ever imagine. If this is not a setting for a fantasy movie then no one has discovered it. It makes the New Zealand scenery for The Hobbit pale in comparison.

First, the incredible chartreuse green grass and hills dotted with black face sheep with a waterfall behind about a mile that puts Yosemite Falls to shame. Streaming over the black volcanic rock is a multi streamed waterfall that is simply magical.

We were greeted by the owner’s wife, a lovely lady who showed us the little routes to take to enjoy their working farm.

As we walked up a little 2 mile grade, we were greeted with more waterfalls, each one outdoing the other. The green inside this river walk is not to be believed and perhaps it was a dream we were in. But, if this is a dream, we will stay asleep never to awaken.

After getting back to the car we drove directly beneath the falls. The landscape here is pure fantasy. There is no way to describe it nor compare it nor do it justice in pictures. This is a seriously beautiful land of green and natural sounds of silence not to be believed.

If you come to the western part of Ireland and do not visit this place, it would be a serious loss. I did not see it on any maps. Thanks goodness for fellow photographer, Eoghan Kavanagh for his suggestion.

Again, Eoghan’s website is www.skyline.ie.

When we finally get home, we will put together another of our travel books. This one will be Ireland. Stalking the light. Because this place is so incredibly beautiful we are contemplating having an exclusive exhibition of some of our work from Ireland. Give us your thoughts and we will choose a venue. Perhaps, our studio but probably a gallery in San Diego. Trust me when I say that Ireland has enchanted us far more than even Italy.

One caveat however; Italians excel at espresso. The Irish do not. Wurra, wurra, wurra.

The Ring Of Kerry

Everyone talks about the Ring of Kerry being the most beautiful destination in Ireland. I would humbly disagree. We left the Skellig Hotel in Dingle to drive the Ring of Kerry. Perhaps had we not been to Dingle, we would have been more impressed. But, it is a tour that has (yes) the Irish countryside but has none of the rugged beauty and diversity of Dingle.

We rode, it seems, for hours, finding none of the WOW factor of Dingle. After the hours long drive, we checked into the Kenmare Bay Hotel, inexpensive and well groomed, determined to find some redeeming quality.

This isn’t meant to detract from its beauty but it simply does not compare with the Ring of Dingle. Perhaps, I am just getting jaded, but I had to push to get photographs I would want to print.

We spent the night in a well appointed room (if one doesn’t factor in the hard beds) and awoke to sample another Irish breakfast. Kenmare Bay hosts a buffet that consists of eggs, sausages, bacon, black and white pudding, toast, (bad) coffee or tea, and fruits and cold cuts. One cannot fault the Irish for their food.

We then headed for the Kilarney (Cil Airne in Gaelic) National Forest. We were enchanted to say the least. Streams, mountains, landscapes, waterfalls, sheep and stopping for photo opportunities is a must. This area will more than make up for the shortcomings of the Ring. Continuing on the N71 will bring you directly into Kilarney.

Now just to settle a bit of a discussion regarding the existence of Leprechauns. Please note the sign “Leprechaun Crossing.” Why would there be a sign for a crossing if the little people didn’t exist? Plus, I inquired in the restaurant and the waitress confirmed that she has experienced their presence. Later that evening, another confirmed that you are more likely to see a Leprechaun after a few pints of Guiness. Regardless, I rest my case.

We drove a bit and had lunch at the “ T “ restaurant which not only serves a tasty sandwich served on ciabbata bread but the bill is brought in the book “Hookers” written by the owner and chef.

I will let you make the comparisons yourselves regarding the scenery and leave you for our next excursion back to Bearra Peninsula. From there, we will make our way back to Dublin and will fly to France and make our final destination in Paris on the Rue La Boucherie.



It is Paris where hope to meet up some of France’s best photographers such as Pete Turner, Ben Kanarek and perhaps (with luck) my spiritual mentor, Lucien Clergue.

See you tomorrow with news from the Bearra Ring.

Ring of Dingle, Sept 30

“Allow me to begin with a flat statement: The Dingle Peninsula which stretches out 30 miles from the county Kerry coast in southwestern Ireland is the most beautiful place on earth.”

  - Boris Weintraub in the 1986 National Geographic “Traveler.”

Skellig Hotel, Dingle Ireland

Bay view from hotel

While it doesn’t sound all that romantic, we drove to Dingle (a full day’s drive) and checked in late to the Skellig Hotel in Dingle. We knew we were on the right track as the hotel is situated right on Dingle Bay. The area is stunning and anyone visiting the west of Ireland must make this a requisite visit. Boris Weintraub was understating the beauty of Dingle. It was and is a fishing village. It is small and quaint. (Quaint may be defined as full of pubs). But, beyond that, the Dingle ring will simply take your breath away.

Beehive Huts inhabited from ancient times to 1200 AD

We arose early and had an Irish breakfast. For those of you who are not aware, an Irish breakfast consists of one friend egg, two sausages, 2 “strips” of bacon, 1 fried tomato, and a scoop of baked beans. Toast and butter is on the side, thank you. but with that said, Diana did find herself a treat at the breakfast buffet; fresh pickled herring and smoked mackerel.

We hopped in the car and started driving the ring which runs the entire coast from Dingle and back again. It takes several hours, but the experience and landscapes are nothing less than magnificent.

Beautiful shorelines and mountains run the entire coast and one cannot imagine a more magical drive. We stopped everywhere possible to photograph churches, streams, castles, dilapidated and old ruins from before Christ to the 20^th Century.

Kilmalkadar circa 600 AD

We found one ruined church that predated Christ and was used by the ancient Celts before they converted to Christianity. Some of the markers are simple inscribed stones about 6 feet high with a hole drilled near the top.

Ireland is truly a feast for the eyes and soul (stomach notwithstanding) and Dingle is the main course.

We photographed sheep, peat bogs, churches, ruins, the Atlantic Ocean, landscapes and anything that got in our way. The light was incredible ranging from misty to rainy to sunshine and clouds. If you will pardon the plagiarism, it is a moveable feast. It is almost more than one can take in at any given time.

While the Dingle Ring is short by most Irish standards, it is indeed a magical excursion.

(As I write, we have just come off the more famous Ring of Kerry and I can tell you that Kerry cannot even come close to comparing with Dingle…not taking away from Kerry, but skip Kerry and go right for Dingle).

We were tired but uplifted and so far, Dingle has been the highlight of our Irish adventures. All I can say is let the pictures speak for themselves.

Where did that little leprechaun go?!

　Tune in tomorrow for the Ring of Kerry

Arran Islands, Sept 28

Yesterday, we decided that missing the Aran Islands would be a travesty since we are so close. We canceled our Dublin reservations and drove the 45 minutes from Galway to An Spiddel.

Here we had coffee, served by a lovely ex-pat French lady in her little coffee/tea/sandwich shop. The weather she commented is “4 seasons in one day” and she is quite right. The weather shifted from bright and clear to rainy and misty in a few minutes.

And we checked in to the lovely little hotel on the seaside, the An Cuiscin Lan hotel. The owner John is a prime example of Irish hospitality. He went many yards out of his way to make us happy. Since we had scheduled the Aran Islands tour at 9 the next morning, John accommodated us by having coffee ready at 8. The pub below the hotel, also run by John is beautiful, well appointed and run by a congenial staff. We met Martin, our server for the evening. Martin was born in Spiddel but raised in London for 39 years. He moved back observing that “Every morning, his neighbor’s car alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. like clockwork.” Here in Spiddel, the neighbor’s jackass braes at 5:30 a.m. and he isn’t bothered at all. ............Ah, luxury.

We made reservations for 9:00 a.m. and we had to be there at 8half. (That’s 8:30 for you non Irish).

We made the airport in time to fly to the Aran Islands. (Innis Moire Island to be precise).

The plane is a six seat twin prop and the flight took probably 8 minutes. It appears that a resident in 1970 sent a letter to the Irish government complaining that there was not sufficient transportation to and from the Islands, so in the 1980’s a flight route was established and Aer Arran was born,

Guiness Beef Stew...hhmmmm yummy

We landed on Innis Moire and were met by a covered horse and trap.

Our horse Jake. we had the only covered wagon and were glad we did!

Our driver/guide was John and Jake. (Jake is his horse). For 50 Euro John showed us Innis Moire. Now let me warn you, John is not a collegiate nor historian, but his manner is typically Irish. I think he is genuinely concerned about our enjoyment of the tour. He constantly (I mean constantly) asked “What dya think?” While I would have liked to tell John I thought that wet blue jays don’t fly at night, I could only reply that I thought it was beautiful.

Truthfully, The island is awesome. There are 800 people living on this rocky crop of land 8.7 miles long. God only knows how they make a living here! John’s idea of a history lesson was :”What dya think?” and “No problem.”

Everywhere, one sees literally hundreds of stone fences. It becomes apparent that the reason they built these fences (some dating before Christ) was this is how they "dispose of and store" all these rocks. I mean where would you put them all? According to John, some landowners own over two hundred of these little fenced plots.

Like North Idaho, they grow pretty much two things here; potatoes and rocks. One year you may clear the rocks and the next year you have more "sprouting up." The rocks literally pop up from the ground like a crop. Some of the fences are 7 feet wide.

We did the tour in about two hours and as we had another two hours before our bus picked us up for the airport, we decided a pub was in order.

Here was an impromptu group playing traditional Irish music. It consisted of two guitar players, an accordianist, fiddler, banjo player, and two others switching between a concertina and mandolin.

They had crammed into this little corner of the pub and their music was appreciated by all in the pub.

It was soon time for us to catch our flight back to the Aer Aaran airport and back to An Spiddle. We finished the evening with a traditional Irish dinner and bed.

Tomorrow we are off to Dingle and a tour of the coastline.