Comfort Inn Sacre Coeur

I was in Paris in 2003 and 1973

by danairozo

"I stayed at Nice Hotels"

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, then at Comfort Inn Sacre Coeur and on way back from Munich I stayed at the Cardinal Hotel on Rue d'Ecoles

1976 trip with my grandmother

by DEBBBEDB

When I (BB) was in 8th grade, my grandmother took me on a trip to Europe. This was our suggested itinerary.

Sat. Sep 18 - Fly from Dulles to Heathrow BA 747 leaving 9 pm
Sun. Sep 19 - Arrive at Heathrow 9 am Change to Pan Am leave 10:50 am to Berlin, Tegal Airport arrive 4:20 pm check into Hotel Bristol Kimpinski

Mon. Sep 20
Tue. Sep 21 - Berlin
Wed. Sep 22

Thu. Sep 23 - Leave Berlin on Pan Am at 9:15 - Arrive Munich Reim airport 10:25 am Munich Hilton (?) (because of Octoberfest)
Fri. Sep 24 - Morning in Munich Leave Munich on Trans European Express Train #91 - ar. Salzburg 4:56 pm
Hotel either Goldener Hirsh or Oesterreichischer Hof

Sat Sep 25
Sun Sep 26 - Salzburg
Mon Sep 27

Tue Sep 28 - Leave Hauptbahnhof Trans European Express 10:23 arrive Innsbruck 12:13. Change trains and arr Zurich 6:52 - Astor Hotel or similar
Wed Sep 29 - Morning at leisure. Leave 4:05 pm - change train in Basle, arrive Paris 11:30 pm Hotel France et Choiseul Hotel (Rue St. Honore)

Thu Sep 30
Fri Oct 1 - Paris
Sat Oct 2

Sun Oct 3 - Leave Paris Gare de Lyon 6:54 am train to Calais Dover Ferry Arrive London Victoria Station 3:09 pm. Proceed to Kings Cross station leave 6 pm arrive Edinburgh Scotland 11:30 pm North British Hotel

Mon Oct 4 - Morning at leisure Best of Britain Tour dinner in the evening

Tue Oct 5 to
Sun Oct 17 - Tour

Mon Oct 18 - London - Portman Hotel
Tue Oct 19
Wed Oct 20

Thu Oct 21 - boat train leaving London about 8 am for Southampton Embarkation on RMS Queen Elizabeth II

Fri Oct 22 to Mon Oct 25 - Crossing the Atlantic

Tue Oct 26 - arrive NYC about 8 am and return to Baltimore by train.

I recently found the letters that my grandmother and I wrote to my mom during this trip, and have typed them in.

We start in Berlin

1976 Unsatisfactory Visit

by DEBBBEDB

"Wednesday September 29, 1976"

Well, we got to Paris and had to get a taxi. We got a taxi to our hotel - Hotel France et Choiseul Hotel (Rue St. Honore)

We got our keys went to the room and went to bed. We slept late and didn’t do much the next day.

"Thursday September 30 – Paris"

(my grandmother's letter on Le Confort d’Auyourd’hui Le Charme d’Autrefois notepaper)

Dears
It is Thurs – Sept 30 – and we are in Paris. Thank goodness I found out about a train in Zurich that was a thru train (no change in Basle as scheduled) & which got us here at 9:30 pm instead of 11:30. It is 8 am, but I’m letting BB sleep because I think she needs it! I’ve showered & dressed but not teeth-brushed after what you (my mom) said about Paris water. To date BB has had delicious hot choc (I have 1 or 2 times) & we have drunk all the water we wanted – NOW back to the days of 1950, I guess!

As I came up to the room, I was reminded of the time we went to Uncle Earle’s & there were no lights! I tho’t I had gotten into a warehouse last night, but I pushed a lighted switch & voila! The halls lighted up & I was no longer in a dungeon. We picked up our own key from the concierge – the porter disappeared so I came up by myself – left what I was carrying & went down for BB & we brought our own bags up! I’m not at all pleased with the room. Tiny, little bar (10”long), florescent lamps behind a wooden immovable shade – about pillow height & impossible to read by. The chandelier is bright enough, but who wants to face a glare of bare bulbs? I usually plan the next day after BB is asleep. – No letters so far from anyone but [my mom] – newsy one for BB & she really enjoyed that – plus another that was Xeroxed – then travelogues mostly for me which I really appreciate & wouldn’t THINK of not keeping for any future refs.

We haven’t been thru any customs since we entered Salzburg & that was just a disinterested wave. You don’t know what a pleasure it can be to put things in a RR sta. locker without first going thru an inspection. (Zurich vs Munich). Our room here is on the noisy street not the publicized lovely courtyard!

Yes – the furniture is dark brown & dark rugs – no TV or radio without request (probably charge) bathroom OK (no washcloths, which gives them a minus) – no pictures, -refrig. seems to be locked. Up to now we c’d squeeze something in them – they are all packed c mini-bar equipment, so not much use to us. Zurich also had token Louis XV chairs – all beautifully upholstered in goldish velvet.

"My grandmother's letter continued"

I don’t use the flight bag for travel –it’s packed in a suitcase & the Polaroid in BBs. That really helps – in the cities, I use the flight bag for the Polaroid & camera stuff & as a pocketbook & she carries only her pocketbook which seems bottomless! She can really get a lot in it. There have been 3 very traumatic occasions when we were thankful for the wheels – (last night included). We CAN manage that way, tho I don’t like for BB to carry even 1 suitcase & we usually have a porter. I found the cane-seat very useful in Salzburg one day & I expect to carry it today. There have been occasions when we COULD have used cane & wheels & didn’t have them, but wished we had. I just have not had time to write – you travelers know how it is – I’m trying to be good and rest some, but you know how I try to make use of every minute! That’s why I let BB go to the salt mine alone – she was c a couple about my age & I think she enjoyed it.

I think we will both be glad to reach Eng. & the tour & let someone else do our thinking & carrying for us! Oh! We stopped in a camera store in Zurich – I had told BB I wanted to take your camera to another place & the man snapped the shutter – we couldn’t – looked thru it & said it was OK & it works!!! Praises be, because print film was always in the Konika when I wanted a flash! He said it was an old camera & the mirrors were likely to get stuck because of dirt – difficult & maybe impossible to repair – But it works again!!!

We are having a good time & enjoying many experiences. BB was just beginning to get really interested in German vocab. when we reached Zurich & asked if we could find a French Dictionary – which we did like my little German one – Love Mummy

Decided carbon would be easier for Aunt E to read.

Fri Oct 1 – Paris

The next day we went on a trip to Versilles and Fountain bleu. The guide would keep her eyes closed while she talked and also moved her hands a lot. I only got poked in the eye about 5 times. I didn’t like her.

(in a subsequent letter)
Oh – we went to the Follies Bregarde in Paris. They more beautiful. If I described everything I wouldn’t be able to finish any one of them.

Sat Oct 2

The next day we started out for the Eiffel Tower and you could only see up to the first level. We took a tour of the city instead. Then we ate lunch. Then we went to the Louvre. We saw the Mona Lisa and a bunch of other things. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower. It took us two hours to get to the top. Then we came down eventually. .. and ate dinner on the first level. We went back to the hotel and packed.

The next morning, we got up at 5:00 to catch our train. We got the boat train for the boat. It took us an hour to get on the boat

Sun Oct 3 - Leave Paris Gare de Lyon 6:54 am train to Calais Dover Ferry Arrive London Victoria Station 3:09 pm. Proceed to Kings Cross station leave 6 pm

Next the Best of Britain Tour