i heart paris

Hotel Jeanne d'Arc

When I was looking for a hotel in Paris, I knew I needed a budget location since the value of the dollar was so bad. I had a number of options but I wanted to spend from $100-115 for my room. I selected the Jeanne d'Arc knowing that it was one of the cheapest hotels in the Marais which also gets good reviews. It's also  rated #48 on Trip Advisor which is higher than the popular Hyatt, Marriott and even the luxurious Plaza Athenee!

Who is reviewing this place?

The lobby of the conveniently located hotel consists of an entry hall and a number of rooms including a reception area, a breakfast room and a sitting room. They also have a luggage room in case you need to store you bag as you wait for a later departure.

The reception area is decorated with a huge funky mirror that is as original as it is artistic. The mirror is even a tourist attraction for those passing by.

The mirror is where the originality of the hotel begins and unfortunately, this is where it ends.

Now the rooms...

When I checked in I was given a room with a bath only but no shower, although I requested a room with a shower. The room was on the 6th floor (top floor) and had a nice view over the rooftops of Le Marais.

It was also one of the biggest rooms I have ever had in this price range. The room was decorated with mix and match furniture and an open style closet. It really felt like a attic dorm room. The colors were in shades of orange and yellow, I think the carpet was blue.

After using the room for a bit I went down to see if I could get a room with a shower. The girl at the front desk asked me, “did you use the toilet?”, well that's a bit too personal. Basically because I used the facilities she would not move me because I guess the room would have had to be sanitized. She promised me a room with a bath the next day.

On the second day I was moved to a new room which was on the 2nd floor. The room was a lot smaller but it did have a large bathroom and a nice big stand up shower.

It was nice to be on the second floor because I could use the stairs to get to my room rather than the very slow elevator. The room was decorated in the same shades of orange and yellow but had different furniture including an armoire and a desk. It didn't feel like a dorm room. The was also a bit more architecture such as molding and trim.

Overall Comments

1. The room did not smell very good. Later I when I sat on the floor to put on my shoe I realized it was coming from the carpet. Which smelled fowl.

2. Sheets on the bed were paper thin and scratchy.

3. If someone was smoking in a room around you, you will smell it. This was particularly gross at 7am in the morning.

4. If someone was showering in a room next to you you will hear it very clearly.

5. The beds were low to the ground and not comfortable, nor were the coverings warm.

6. The bathroom towels were grey and dingy and so worn that they were scratchy and not absorbent. Washcloths are not provided (as they aren't in many European hotels). When traveling in Europe, I always bring my own and discard them on departure.

Oddly enough the bathroom did have a heated towel bar which came in handy when I needed to dry some stuff I washed in the sink!

7. The water pressure was good but while taking a shower you are either scalded or frozen every time someone flushes a toilet or runs water.

8. The location is fantastic and walkable to many of the shops, restaurants and sights in the Marais area. You can really feel like part of the neighborhood.

9. The front desk staff can have a bit of attitude but were also helpful when necessary.

10. The hangers in the closet were a mix and match mess of whatever previous guests left behind. I always carry a few simple wire hangers in my luggage to use when there aren't enough.

11. Personal safety and the safety of your belongings are a serious issue here. Here is what i experienced;

One night I returned to the hotel and there was no key to my room in the rack. The person at the front desk suggested I never gave it back. Oh yes, I did. The front desk clerk then gave me (yes "gave me") the hotel "pass key" to get into my room.

When I went up to my room my hotel key was in the door!!! It seems like they had to do some work in my room and the mechanic left the key in the door when he was finished. The girl at the front desk admitted that she knew the key was gone when she went home the prior evening.

Another night I returned to the hotel to find no clerk at the front desk. Another couple and I waited about 5 minutes but no one showed up. At that point we simply went behind the desk and helped ourselves to the keys to our rooms. After I was in my room about 5 minutes, I heard some downstairs calling, hello?, hello? Obviously he still had not returned.

The luggage room is locked but they will let you into it, unattended, to get your bag. Anyone could pop in and take anything.

Truthfully, you get what you pay for. I stayed here because the value of the dollar was so bad and the hotel was reasonable. My room was €80 a night which was a good price for the location. Considering the safety, threadbare towels and smelly room, it was no bargain. For an additional $20 I could have stayed at any number of respectable budget hotels, such as the Relais du Louvre or the Hotel Castex. I have stayed at both and they were both more respectable.

Regardless of the good location and low price, I would pass on this hotel on future trips. It just seems like too much of a crap shoot.

You never know what you will get.

Hotel Jeanne d'Arc
3 rue Jarente
75004 Paris

Tel: +33 1 48 87 62 11
Fax: +33 1 48 87 37 31
email: hoteljeannedarc@wanadoo.fr

Metro: Saint Paul

This is rated as a 2 star property.

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L'Ardoise

28 Mont Thabor
75001 Paris

1er Arrondissement - Louvre, St. Honre, Tuileries
Metro - Concord, Tuileries

After an early morning trip to Printemps to exchange a scarf I didn't like, I was walking towards La Madeleine and decided to sidetrack to the rue Mont Thabor to see if L'Ardoise or Cosy were open. I loved my lunch at Cosy earlier in the week and thought I might try it again.

When I arrived in this luxurious neighborhood, I found Cosy closed so it made my decision easy. I walked a few doors up and passed by L'Ardoise but it was empty. It was still a bit early for lunch. To kill time I headed over to the arcades along the rue de Rivoli to look for some interesting souvenirs. I saw a watercolor of the Eiffel Tower there are few days ago and I decided I wanted it. I found the painting (and it was cheaper today than two days ago) and I headed back to L'Ardoise. When I arrived I found only 2 people in the small restaurant. Surely more people will come in a little while to this popular place. Regardless it would be a good time to eat here since it wasn't busy.

[let's eat!]

Entree - I order the ravioli filled with chantrelle mushrooms, foie gras and sliced smoked duck. These homemade ravioli's are all served in a light cream sauce topped with tiny little crisp croutons. Very satisfying and delicious with a real home-style taste.

click photo to enlarge 

Plat -  I select the veal with onion and carrot. When this arrived it was a big piece of meat, on the bone, swimming in a broth of carrot and onion. This is a huge chunk of meat with a lot of fat but with tender veal in between. On the side there is a small mache salad.

The meal is also served with a basket of delicious crusty homemade country bread and some sort of a creamy herb spread to slather on it.

Dessert - I select some sort of chocolate dish, it is like a molded mouse layered with vanilla cream and a crisp cookie all covered with dark chocolate. I don't remember the name of this treat but it was yummy.

[overview]

Ambiance - The atmosphere at L'Ardoise is nicely lighted with tables that are not too close together. It looks like there are about 10-12 tables. The walls are tones of golden yellow with an unframed print here and there. Tables are light blond wood with metal bases. It was comfortable but not luxurious, of course it wasn't crowded while I was there either. Some review suggest that this place can be cramped when full.

Menu - The menu at L'Ardoise is a fixed price 3 course menu at €31 for lunch or dinner. There are at least 6-8 selections in each category and they are presented to you at your table on a chalkboard. Since these are not your everyday bistro classics, I had a little trouble understanding the menu but the waitress was able to help (in English).

Food - The dishes are unlike anything you will find anywhere else and tasty.

Service - Good English is spoken and they are very helpful.

Price/Value - The total bill today was €44 which included the menu at €31 and a half bottle of Chinon red wine at €13.

[rating]

This bistro is solidly on the higher side of a 3 rating but I wouldn't call it extraordinary or a value but it is a good choice in this pricey neighborhood.

[recommendations]

I was looking through some old notes and I found that this bistro has been rated a 19 by Zagat and was reviewed by Gourmet magazine, Fodors, Bon Appe tit, Patricia Wells and is listed in the book “Bistros of Paris”. I thought I heard of the place!

You could also try Cozy, two doors down!

This is a edited blog originally published via Blackberry from Paris.

My Last Day

I woke up early today to organize my belongings, dirty clothes and purchases in preparation for packing tonight and mt departure tomorrow.

I also had to go to the dry cleaner to pick up some stuff I left for cleaning. I am lucky there was a dry cleaner right around the corner. Dry cleaning in Paris isn't cheap. It cost me €22.50 to clean 2 pairs of jeans and a sweater. They did a good job trying to iron out all the wrinkles from my jeans that the manafacturer purposely put in them.

For my last breakfast I stopped by the boulangerie and picked up a “pain au raisin” and a “vienniose au cocolat”. The pain au raisin was a flat danish like pastry made with croissant dough, studded with sweet raisins and glazed with sweetness. Delicious and one of my favorites.

The second item from the boulangerie (I am a hog) was a vienniose which was like a sweet roll but studded with chocolate bits. Not one of my favorites.

I am on the Metro and there is another damn accodian player, go away. He is playing that song “those were the days”. Go away!

I am heading to the Opera Metro station right now to go to Printems to excange the scarf I bought the other day. The one I bought was made of acrylic and I think I want one that is wool. I saw one at Printemps in Rouen yesterday that I really liked. The acrylic one was €22.50 and the wool one was €30. I also get a 10% discount on top of that.

After Printemps I am going to walk a bit, head towards the Madeleine, see Fauchon and Heiodard then get lunch.

I am still on the Metro and now the accordian player is gone. We have been joined by a begger telling his sad story in French. Just like on the NYC subway, but in a different language. Blogging from Europe via Blackberry and AT&T Wireless

Civilized Shopping

A few days ago I wroite this post but accidentally deleted it. I thought I would take this time while on the train to Rouen to recompose it.

After visiting Montmartre I headed to the behemouth Galleries Lafayette and Printemps department stores for what I called “civilized shopping”.

Well, shopping at these 2 rival giants is far from civilized.

Galleries Lafayette

Galleries Lafayette is made up of 3 huge stores. The men's store and mouth watering Lafayette Gourmet market are in one building, women's and cosmetics in the second (this is the building with the famous dome) and home goods are in the new  Lafayette Maison across the street.

I am glad I am not a lady (everyday) because the female side of Galleries Lafayette is so huge you would surely need a whole day to shop it. There are floors and floors of clothing which are centered by the gigantic domed rotunda. Even if you don't shop you must stop in to see the dome.

The men's store is a bit more managable since it has less floors and is more focused. I will say that prices here seem terribly high and much of the clothing is designer. There are not as many bargains to be found like in your local Macy*s, although if you look around you can usually find a good deal.

Amoungst the €100 lambswool sweaters and €75 shirts I managed to find an Abercrombie-like sporty cotton sweater for €39.

I love walking throught the Lafayette Gourmet floor in this building to look for treats to take home and small food souvenirs. If you get hungry, scattered amoungst the food aisles are counter service and tables serving the specialties of the area. By the butcher is a counter serving meat dishes, in the coffee/tea area is a cafe, by fish they serve fish, etc. Most counters offer a fixed price lunch menu which I believe also includes a glass of wine.

Across the street is the new and ultra modern Lafayette Maison, the shop for everything home.

Printemps

Like Galleries Lafayette, Printemps is equally as huge. Printemps also consists of 3 buildings. Two buildings side by side house cosmetics, home goods and women's fashion. The third building has all men's clothing.

I like the men's store here at Printemps better that at Galleries Lafayette. I always seem to land a bargain accessory, shirt or pants. Much of the goods in this modern looking store are designer and the prices will surely frighten you.

Printemps also has their own line of clothing so there are some more moderately priced goods if you hunt.

Printemps usually has some of the best window displays in Paris which are fun to view while strolling at night. The recent Cristian Lacroix holiday windows were window dressing at its finest.

10% Discount

Show you international passport or drivers license  at the info/welcome desks at either store and you will get a card which entitles you to 10% off any purchase.

Both stores all offer tax free shopping (-12%) if you spend over a certain amount in a single day. I think it is €175.

Monoprix

Adjacent to the Printemps men's store is a good branch of the Monoprix chain. Monoprix is sort of like a small Target but with a full size supermarket. I wouldn't buy clothes here though.

What you can get at Monoprix is fun French toiletries, soaps, cosmetics, stationery, basics and some housewares. This is a good place to search for some inexpensive souvenirs, replace the deodorant you left at home
or pick up a pair of pantyhose. I always stop in at the beginning of my trip to get some decent shower gel to use at my hotel.

Monoprix on rue Caumartin (in between the two Printemps buildings) also has a small gourmet section in their market where you can pick up some great items from around France. Even with the poor value of the dollar, there are good buys to be had.

Throughout the aisles of the market you will find everuything from dijon mustard to lightbulbs. On a recent trip I noticed that they even had some goods noticibly cheaper than what I paid at the exclusive (and more attractive) La Grand Epiciere at the Bon Marche department store (or Lafayette Gourmet). Check here first before shopping anywhere else.

Other Markets

In addition to Monoprix you will also see the two other large supermarket chains throughout the city. They are called Franprix and G10 Supermarche. Both are great for picking up anything from bath soap to bottled water and “supplies” for your hotel room.

Christmas

It is November in Paris and the Galleries Lafayette and Printemps are all decked out to lure holiday shoppers.

At Galleries Lafayette the exterior of the main store is decked with a billion tiny light depicting churches and buildings. Inside there is a huge decorated Christmas tree in the rotunda which must be a few stories high.

At Printemps the outside of the building is decorated with huge colorful lanterns and twinkling lights. The main store windows are wildly colorful and trimmed with bizarre outfits by badboy designer  Cristian Lacroix.

The windows in the second building which are also a Cristian Lacroix theme, look like puppets gone wild with each window showing  animated scenes of chaos using plush and toys (by Christian Lacroix) which are sold in the store.

Galleries Lafayette and Printemps are both located on Boulevard Haussmann near the Opera Garnier. Metro - Hauvre Caumartin or Opera.

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Le Relais de Saint-Paul

It has been a long day.

The trip to Rouen really wore on my neves. I returned to Paris on a stuffy and congested train full of smokers, students and commuters. From there I hit the Metro and it was equally as crowded.

Do you know how I am feeling?

I popped by a few recommended places this evening but they all seemed to be “packing them in”. This place was recommended by a guy named OakGlen who has been following me on my journey and recommending place to try. Thanks!

After deciding that I didn't want to be crowded, walking by Le Relais de Saint-Paul was a welcoming sight. The atmosphere was nicely lit with sconces on the walls and candles at each table. The tables are properly set with starched white cloths, wine glasses and beautiful charger plates. The walls are  light colored and made of field stone with beamed ceilings. On the walls are mirrors and a variety of still life paintings.

Good music after a long day is so important. They are playing Natalie Cole in the background, you know that album she did where she sang everyone elses songs. Later the music switches to a soft bosa nova.

For my entree I order, what else, foie gras. Is this beginning to sound like a pattern? This foie gras is served with a side of homemade fig conserve and crusty homemade white toasted bread. Tasty indeed. I have yet to meet, or eat a foie gras I didn't like!

I dared to order fish for my main course. Why do I say dare? Because I am not a big seafood eater and like only the whitest and mild fish. On two of the fixed price menus they either offered turbot or doarade (sea bream). I selected the turbot which they recommended as the most mild.

It was prepared in a creamy chablis sauce. With a side of mashed potato. It was beautifully served, although this fish was a little strong for me, I think it tasted good and was prepared artfully. A fish lover (or cat)  would have enjoyed it.

I had a glimpse of other main courses (especially the beef) and they all looked amazing. I wish I had ordered the beef but I was just sick of meat.

The restaurant also has a good, but not cheap, wine list. I ordered a half bottle of a 2001 Cotes de Bordeaux which was $11 and a good choice. Most half bottles are €11 to €13 and full bottles in the €23-30 range.

Service was excellent and when I had problems understanding the menu, I was immediately helped in English.

For dessert I will select L'assiette de Fromage (mixed selection of cheese) since I have a tartelette almondine in my bag to eat later.

The cheese plate for dessert is truely amazing. This is the most genourous amount of cheese I have received in all of France. There are 5 ample wedges of cheese. They iclude a brie, goat bouchon, blue cheese, muenster and a roblechon. Amazing. Amazing. I order another glass of bordeaux with this. Such a treat! The goat bouchon and blue cheese were the best.

After the meal the owner informed me that he gave me both the turbot and the dorade on my main dish. That would explain why I had 2 pieces of fish and they both tasted different.

That was very nice.

I also learned that the owner is an American from Atlanta who was transferred to Paris and decided to leave the corporate world and  stay in France. He bought this restaurant and is now his own boss and still living in Paris.

Le Relais du Saint-Paul is a romantic restaurant and  relaxed evening at a good price. It's a greaty escape from a hectic day and my guess is that food and service is consistent.

There are 3 fixed price menus at €19, €23 and €38 for the “gourmet” menu.

I highly recommend this restaurant after a hectic day in Paris or for a romantic evening.

I will  rate this restaurant very well and a nice relaxing evening while in Paris. For food it is a solid 4, for service a 3+( because it was personable but not attentive), for atmosphere it gets a romantic 5.

I would add  this to your list if you want a nice unpretentious place to dine.

My total bill was €48 ($65) which included my meal at €32, a half bottle of wine at €11 and an additional glass of wine at €5.

Le Relais Saint Paul, 33 rue Francois Miron, 75004 Paris, tel 01 48 87 34 20

Worth it for the cheese course alone! Blogging from Europe via Blackberry and AT&T Wireless

Return to Paris

I am on the 6pm train back to Paris from Rouen. It's not a fun ride and I think I found all the non-smokers of France.

While the puffing population sits in ventiated cars with opens seats and the luxury of space, the non-smokers are crammed into what space is left.

It's a shame that there is so little regard to personal space and fresh air.

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Le Socrate (Rouen)

I depart the St Lazare station at about 12 for what I expect to be a 1 hour journey to Rouen. The trip take 1.5 hour and I arrive at Rouen at 1:30.

I check a map outside the terminal and with luck I find the street with the restaurant I want to visit. I rush to the retaurant only to find that it closes at 1:30. For god sake.

Now I dash around the area looking for a place to eat only to learn that most other bistros close at 2pm. My only hpe now is a cafe or brasserie.

In France if you don't have your butt in a bistro by 2pm, you might as well just have a baguette with fillings from a boulangerie.

I find a trendy looking place in the shopping district called Le Socrate which is modern and bright. It is also smokey but the menu looks classic and if I don't eat I will get a headache and turn into a big crab.

Le Socrate has a various fixed menus with a good selection of typical French dishes ranging from a salad with duck gizzard to steak with shallots or au poivre.

For my entree I get the oeuf mayonnaise which is nothing more that something similar to deviled eggs.

For my main dish, it is sirlion steak with roquefort cheese. It is a fatty thin piece of meat served with a side of roquefort cheese sauce and french fries (pomme frite). The French really love their French Fries. After all, who do you think invented them? McDonalds?

For dessert I get the tarte tartin. This is the best part of the meal. The apples are soft and sweet with a nice light crust. It is served with a side of creme fraiche.

I won't waste my time rating this place because its just a cafe with basic food and standard service. If you want to come in and smoke your brains out,  stop in this smoke factory!

As I sit here I wonder what percent of the French smoke and if anyone has told them they could suffer a long painful death on the profits of Phillip Morris.

Total uninspiring bill - €23.30 ($30)

Le Socrate, 46 rue Ganterie, 76000 Rouen, France

I should have stopped in a boulangerie and had a baguette with butter and brie.

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My Hotel Issue

I have serious issue with security and safety at the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc.

Yesterday I returned to the hotel to ask a question and the nice girl at the front desk informed me that the tecnician was in my room doing some work? What installing high speed internet?

Anyway, I returned late in the day and when I arrived there was no key to the room. The man at the front desk informed me that “perhaps” I didn't return it. Sorry charlie. Well he then gave me the pass key, THE PASS KEY, to open the door and asked me to return it.

I go up to my room and what do I find? The key is in my door! I go back downstairs and tell the guy I am not happy and he informs me that I should talk to the manager in the morning.

This  morning I go to the front desk and tell her that last night the key was not there. She says she knows and saw that it was not there when she went home. She said, “so they made you a new one right?” Wrong. I tell her that I am not happy because the key was left in the door for the entire day. I inform her in no uncertain terms that this compromised my safety and the security of my belongings.

What if someone stole my vinegar?

She is shocked and immediately calls Jeff the techician to give him a good tongue lashing. She informs me that if anything is gone to let her know.

When I return I will tell her that all my diamonds have been stolen.

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Train to Rouen

I am off the Rouen, the capital of Normandie and Frances 4th largest port. The ticket to Rouen was €36 so this better be a nice place. I originally thought the ticket was €18, but that was the one way price.

The train is a double decker train and I am in 2nd class, non smoking on the upper level.

The treat of the train are the 2 pastries I brought along. A pain au chocolat and a “crumble”. A crumble is like an apple tart but with crumbs on the top.

See you in Rouen. Blogging from Europe via Blackberry and AT&T Wireless

Rouen

I am off the Rouen today. I had originally planned to go to Bruges, Belgium buty last night when I checked the weathe it didn't look good. The forcast in both Belgium and Paris both called for cold and rain or flurries.

Since I was not planning my trip to Bruges I didn't have to get up very early. Instead I woke at my usual 9:30. After waking I look out the window and what do I see? Blue skies. This is the first blue sky I have seen since I arrived on Sunday.

I would still take the chance and go to Bruges but with the distance I may find bad weather when I get there and it is a 2.5 hour trip and I would probably arrive after 2pm. I figure that with 2.5 hour travel time each direction tghat 5 hours out of my day and I am not sure I am willing to give that up. Besides the ticket is quite expensive (over $80) and at best I would only have 3 hrs of daylight once I arrive.

Bruges will still be there next time.

So instead I am now on the Metro heading for the Opera station where I will change for a train to St Lazare rail station. I am going to Rouen in Normandy, a place I know nothing about. It was recommended by a few people on Fodors and I saw a restaurant in a Normandy cookbook that I have. That's all I have to go by.

Rouen is also a inexpensive train ticket and only an hour away.

I am also lost like a rat in a freakin maze at the Opera Metro statiion. I went to a platform and got on a train, then got off because it was the wrong one. I went upstairs and walked through the maze and found the platform only realizing I was back at the same platform.

I could only tell because it smelled of vomit.

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