The Summer of 96,000+ BIS Miles F/J (26 Countries, 4 Continents, 2x RTW)
Jul 18, 2019, 11:10 am
#16
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
This itinerary made my jaw hit the floor.
I'll be headed to Liechtenstein in a few weeks. Wife wanted to go there. Not sure why, but she wants to go. So we're going. Naturally, she'll be in J, I'll be in Y.
Although the trade-off is I've been given a hall pass to go to SIN for the Grand Prix in September. I'll be travelling solo in J with a mix of NH and SQ, so I think I won out.
I'll be headed to Liechtenstein in a few weeks. Wife wanted to go there. Not sure why, but she wants to go. So we're going. Naturally, she'll be in J, I'll be in Y.
Although the trade-off is I've been given a hall pass to go to SIN for the Grand Prix in September. I'll be travelling solo in J with a mix of NH and SQ, so I think I won out.
Jul 18, 2019, 6:34 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YOW
Programs: TK*S, SPG Gold
Posts: 714
I think my wife is just looking forward to a quiet vacation in the mountains.
Jul 19, 2019, 7:45 pm
#18
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAS, MPL
Programs: DL Platinum, 1 MM
Posts: 1,321
Just don't blink, you might miss Liechtenstein alltogether.
Jul 20, 2019, 3:50 pm
#21
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
AA 44
JFK-CDG
BOEING 777-200ER
N759AN
SEAT 2A (BUSINESS)
FLIGHT #58 OF 2019
Back on the road and up in the air. I caught my first glimpse of N759AN from the FF Lounge at JFK, and thought the registration sounded familiar. I checked my notes, and saw that I last flew on this particular bird back on 6/13/17 from JFK to FCO on AA 236 (seat 4A that time), on my way to a friend's wedding. I wrote him to inform him of this, and he was SHOCKED it had already been two years since the wedding.
That ended up being a VERY eventful trip. Most of the wedding party flew into Rome and proceeded to tear the city up for about a week before decamping to the countryside for the wedding. I think it was in Spoletto? Somewhere thereabouts at any rate. The night before the wedding, things really came off the rails. The bridal party were staying in a rented villa, and a cocktail party was hosted there with open bar. You can imagine how that went. As this wrapped up, a group of us, all staying at the same small farmhouse hotel, went back to continue to evening. As this was a very small hotel in the countryside, the staff all left at 8pm, and there was a garden with an "honor bar." We went to work on this immediately. At this point, it was me, and two couples still standing.
After a few hours and several bottles. Wife #1 said she was going to the bathroom and departed, never to be seen again. Shortly thereafter, Husband #1 also said he was going to the bathroom and never returned. Finally Wife #2 set off for the bathroom and likewise never came back. At this juncture, my friend, Husband #2 turned to me and says "GSJS, can't you see what's happening here? We're in a horror movie, they're picking us off one by one...we have to get out of here." While he was indeed drunk enough to be completely serious, I laughed his comments off, and suggested we go find his wife. First we went down to the pool, nothing. We searched every common area of the very small hotel, and the women's toilet. Nothing. We figured perhaps she went back to the room, so we went there and again, nothing. At this point, things seemed a little off. I thought "well, Couple #1 said their room is near reception, let's go find them and see if they know where she is."
I didn't know exactly where their room was, but there were only like 10 rooms in this hotel, I figured we'd manage. As we neared reception, we walked across the way, to where we assumed their room was. We found a kicked open door, all the lights off, wind whipping through the room, curtains swirling, etc...I will admit, at this point it seemed a bit eerie and I was starting to give my friend's outlandish theory some credence. Of course, he reiterated his belief to me that we needed to get out of there ASAP. At this point, also quite drunk, I decided to indulge him, but suggested we stop by the honor bar for further "provisions." We decided that the most sensible choices, were bottles of wine, as we could drink them and use them as weapons should the need arise. Once we were fully loaded, we set off.
Now, when I tell you this hotel was in the middle of nowhere, I really mean the middle of nowhere, we were FAR down a small lane, a ways from the highway and miles from any town. We set off running down this lane for ages and ages alongside fields, with dogs barking in the distance until we finally reached the highway. There we stopped on an overpass. The only way down to the highway was to take the road around a dark curve through some woods before it looped back to the main highway. We figure we'd seen enough horror movies to know that wouldn't end well. My friend suggested we jump down and cut across a farmer's field and access the highway that way. Since, I was mostly just playing along out of drunkeness and boredom, I quickly vetoed this suggestion, as I figured we might actually get shot by an overzealous farmer for trespassing on his property.
From here things went further South...first my friend called the groom. When the groom, who was also QUITE intoxicated heard about half of our "story," he simply hung up, realizing it was on it's face ridiculous. Subsequent calls back, did NOT move the needle. At least he had the good sense to realize the reality of the situation while in a state of inebriation such that he briefly LOST the wedding ring, only to find it in the road the following morning, near a rain gutter, his wife (to this day) none the wiser.
Next my buddy called his brother back in America, who took us seriously (somehow) and started looking for our coordinates on Google Earth based on our brilliant description that we were "on an overpass, maybe near an Esso station, in Italy." Needless to say, not much progress was made. Finally, things went from amusing, to possibly criminal, as my buddy called the Carabinieri and said something the effect of "everyone has been murdered at our hotel, and police are needed on the scene." Now granted, he did actually believe this as he was saying it, it was not a crank call, but I am not sure if stupidity and excessive drunkeness are legal defenses in Italian court.
They DID dispatch a car to the hotel. I know this because it passed the overpass, and my friend insisted we duck behind the railing since "we don't know whose side they're on, they could be working with the hotel."
Sometime after this, the people at the hotel found his wife, and had her call him. After the first attempt he told me it wasn't her, and was some sort of hoax to lure us back. FINALLY, a second attempt was made, and after he interrogated her as to the name of their dog, he relented and we started the long walk back to the hotel finishing the last of the wine.
It was around 6am, and the sun was coming up. The Carabinieri on site were smoking cigarettes and seemed quite amused by the whole situation, the manager of the hotel, did not. He told us to go to sleep and he would deal with us later.
Around noon, he summoned us, explained that this was a serious situation, he was going to hold our passport and we would have to deal with the police and would not be allowed to leave Italy. At this point, my friend who had (apparently) personally insulted the manager over the phone the previous evening (when he still thought his wife had been murdered) broke down crying and begged for forgiveness. The disgusted manager agreed to retract his statement and return our passports, but told us of course, we were no longer welcome at the hotel...fair.
We packed, and my friend's wife booked a new hotel for all of us closer to the town. She was NOT amused, though to this day she cannot account for her whereabouts during the time we were looking for her. My idiot friend of course has seized on this as justification for our actions, and proof that it's "her fault." Mature. While the situation in the car was quite tense as the taxi took us up the lane towards the highway, about halfway, my friend's wife finally bust out laughing and exclaimed "you ran this far?" to which we responded "oh no, we ran at least twice this far." For a moment she was amused, but he paid the price (rightfully so) for month afterwards.
Anyway, back on track, that was the story of my last flight on N759AN. This was one much tamer. It's always a quick hop across the Atlantic, but due to a serious tailwind, AA 44 was barely over 6 hours. I think the Captain announced our flight time as 6h23m.
My normal routine on TATL flights is to watch a movie with dinner, then sleep until we're on final. I had done a quick sweep of the IFE options in the lounge before boarding, and figured I'd start the movie before we pushed since the flight was going to be so short. I watched "The Hummingbird Project," which I thought was quite good. It's about two cousins trying to construct a fibre optic cable from Kansas to NJ so that they can cut 1ms off data transit times and effectively cut the line and crush everyone trading on the NYSE. I had never heard of it before and it got mediocre reviews but it was pretty good.
The meal service was par for the course. The nuts as usual were all almonds and cashews, might have been one pecan. Salad was acceptable but nothing special. The carrot starter was pretty good, but not great. I pre-ordered the "Horseradish Beef Short Rib" and it was unremarkable. The green beans and potato were quite good though. I only made it a few bites into my ice cream to cap dinner off when I decided it was time to get some sleep since we were already less than 5 hours from CDG.
I know these 772 seats are not well loved by AA FF and for sure they are inferior to the 773 seats, but I still find them plenty spacious and most importantly long enough. After spending a lot of time in AY J seats this year, I am perfectly happy in pretty much any AA longhaul J seat.
Once the seat went back and the eye mask went on, that was that. I was out until we were 30 minutes from CDG. I woke up, changed out of my PJs and made sure I had taken everything out of the various seat pockets.
On arrival to CDG, AA hand out Access No.1 cards, and these let AA J pax slide right to the front of the line. We got in about an hour early, so I suppose that's a good time for CDG arrivals. I didn't check bags, and i'd say 10-15 minutes from pulling up to the jetway I was in an Uber and on my way into central Paris. THAT turned out to be a whole different ordeal. The traffic stretched the uber ride out close to 2 hours, and upon arrival the hotel was fully committed and didn't have a room ready, so I spent about 3 hours trying to keep my eyes open in the lobby waiting for them to put me somewhere, but we will revisit all of that in the next installment.
JFK-CDG
BOEING 777-200ER
N759AN
SEAT 2A (BUSINESS)
FLIGHT #58 OF 2019
Back on the road and up in the air. I caught my first glimpse of N759AN from the FF Lounge at JFK, and thought the registration sounded familiar. I checked my notes, and saw that I last flew on this particular bird back on 6/13/17 from JFK to FCO on AA 236 (seat 4A that time), on my way to a friend's wedding. I wrote him to inform him of this, and he was SHOCKED it had already been two years since the wedding.
That ended up being a VERY eventful trip. Most of the wedding party flew into Rome and proceeded to tear the city up for about a week before decamping to the countryside for the wedding. I think it was in Spoletto? Somewhere thereabouts at any rate. The night before the wedding, things really came off the rails. The bridal party were staying in a rented villa, and a cocktail party was hosted there with open bar. You can imagine how that went. As this wrapped up, a group of us, all staying at the same small farmhouse hotel, went back to continue to evening. As this was a very small hotel in the countryside, the staff all left at 8pm, and there was a garden with an "honor bar." We went to work on this immediately. At this point, it was me, and two couples still standing.
After a few hours and several bottles. Wife #1 said she was going to the bathroom and departed, never to be seen again. Shortly thereafter, Husband #1 also said he was going to the bathroom and never returned. Finally Wife #2 set off for the bathroom and likewise never came back. At this juncture, my friend, Husband #2 turned to me and says "GSJS, can't you see what's happening here? We're in a horror movie, they're picking us off one by one...we have to get out of here." While he was indeed drunk enough to be completely serious, I laughed his comments off, and suggested we go find his wife. First we went down to the pool, nothing. We searched every common area of the very small hotel, and the women's toilet. Nothing. We figured perhaps she went back to the room, so we went there and again, nothing. At this point, things seemed a little off. I thought "well, Couple #1 said their room is near reception, let's go find them and see if they know where she is."
I didn't know exactly where their room was, but there were only like 10 rooms in this hotel, I figured we'd manage. As we neared reception, we walked across the way, to where we assumed their room was. We found a kicked open door, all the lights off, wind whipping through the room, curtains swirling, etc...I will admit, at this point it seemed a bit eerie and I was starting to give my friend's outlandish theory some credence. Of course, he reiterated his belief to me that we needed to get out of there ASAP. At this point, also quite drunk, I decided to indulge him, but suggested we stop by the honor bar for further "provisions." We decided that the most sensible choices, were bottles of wine, as we could drink them and use them as weapons should the need arise. Once we were fully loaded, we set off.
Now, when I tell you this hotel was in the middle of nowhere, I really mean the middle of nowhere, we were FAR down a small lane, a ways from the highway and miles from any town. We set off running down this lane for ages and ages alongside fields, with dogs barking in the distance until we finally reached the highway. There we stopped on an overpass. The only way down to the highway was to take the road around a dark curve through some woods before it looped back to the main highway. We figure we'd seen enough horror movies to know that wouldn't end well. My friend suggested we jump down and cut across a farmer's field and access the highway that way. Since, I was mostly just playing along out of drunkeness and boredom, I quickly vetoed this suggestion, as I figured we might actually get shot by an overzealous farmer for trespassing on his property.
From here things went further South...first my friend called the groom. When the groom, who was also QUITE intoxicated heard about half of our "story," he simply hung up, realizing it was on it's face ridiculous. Subsequent calls back, did NOT move the needle. At least he had the good sense to realize the reality of the situation while in a state of inebriation such that he briefly LOST the wedding ring, only to find it in the road the following morning, near a rain gutter, his wife (to this day) none the wiser.
Next my buddy called his brother back in America, who took us seriously (somehow) and started looking for our coordinates on Google Earth based on our brilliant description that we were "on an overpass, maybe near an Esso station, in Italy." Needless to say, not much progress was made. Finally, things went from amusing, to possibly criminal, as my buddy called the Carabinieri and said something the effect of "everyone has been murdered at our hotel, and police are needed on the scene." Now granted, he did actually believe this as he was saying it, it was not a crank call, but I am not sure if stupidity and excessive drunkeness are legal defenses in Italian court.
They DID dispatch a car to the hotel. I know this because it passed the overpass, and my friend insisted we duck behind the railing since "we don't know whose side they're on, they could be working with the hotel."
Sometime after this, the people at the hotel found his wife, and had her call him. After the first attempt he told me it wasn't her, and was some sort of hoax to lure us back. FINALLY, a second attempt was made, and after he interrogated her as to the name of their dog, he relented and we started the long walk back to the hotel finishing the last of the wine.
It was around 6am, and the sun was coming up. The Carabinieri on site were smoking cigarettes and seemed quite amused by the whole situation, the manager of the hotel, did not. He told us to go to sleep and he would deal with us later.
Around noon, he summoned us, explained that this was a serious situation, he was going to hold our passport and we would have to deal with the police and would not be allowed to leave Italy. At this point, my friend who had (apparently) personally insulted the manager over the phone the previous evening (when he still thought his wife had been murdered) broke down crying and begged for forgiveness. The disgusted manager agreed to retract his statement and return our passports, but told us of course, we were no longer welcome at the hotel...fair.
We packed, and my friend's wife booked a new hotel for all of us closer to the town. She was NOT amused, though to this day she cannot account for her whereabouts during the time we were looking for her. My idiot friend of course has seized on this as justification for our actions, and proof that it's "her fault." Mature. While the situation in the car was quite tense as the taxi took us up the lane towards the highway, about halfway, my friend's wife finally bust out laughing and exclaimed "you ran this far?" to which we responded "oh no, we ran at least twice this far." For a moment she was amused, but he paid the price (rightfully so) for month afterwards.
Anyway, back on track, that was the story of my last flight on N759AN. This was one much tamer. It's always a quick hop across the Atlantic, but due to a serious tailwind, AA 44 was barely over 6 hours. I think the Captain announced our flight time as 6h23m.
My normal routine on TATL flights is to watch a movie with dinner, then sleep until we're on final. I had done a quick sweep of the IFE options in the lounge before boarding, and figured I'd start the movie before we pushed since the flight was going to be so short. I watched "The Hummingbird Project," which I thought was quite good. It's about two cousins trying to construct a fibre optic cable from Kansas to NJ so that they can cut 1ms off data transit times and effectively cut the line and crush everyone trading on the NYSE. I had never heard of it before and it got mediocre reviews but it was pretty good.
The meal service was par for the course. The nuts as usual were all almonds and cashews, might have been one pecan. Salad was acceptable but nothing special. The carrot starter was pretty good, but not great. I pre-ordered the "Horseradish Beef Short Rib" and it was unremarkable. The green beans and potato were quite good though. I only made it a few bites into my ice cream to cap dinner off when I decided it was time to get some sleep since we were already less than 5 hours from CDG.
I know these 772 seats are not well loved by AA FF and for sure they are inferior to the 773 seats, but I still find them plenty spacious and most importantly long enough. After spending a lot of time in AY J seats this year, I am perfectly happy in pretty much any AA longhaul J seat.
Once the seat went back and the eye mask went on, that was that. I was out until we were 30 minutes from CDG. I woke up, changed out of my PJs and made sure I had taken everything out of the various seat pockets.
On arrival to CDG, AA hand out Access No.1 cards, and these let AA J pax slide right to the front of the line. We got in about an hour early, so I suppose that's a good time for CDG arrivals. I didn't check bags, and i'd say 10-15 minutes from pulling up to the jetway I was in an Uber and on my way into central Paris. THAT turned out to be a whole different ordeal. The traffic stretched the uber ride out close to 2 hours, and upon arrival the hotel was fully committed and didn't have a room ready, so I spent about 3 hours trying to keep my eyes open in the lobby waiting for them to put me somewhere, but we will revisit all of that in the next installment.
Last edited by GetSetJetSet; Jul 20, 2019 at 5:24 pm
Jul 20, 2019, 3:58 pm
#23
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Thanks! Just found out today that everyone is leaving for vacation within the next week and will be gone for the entire month of August, so now I will be in a hotel AGAIN when I return in early Sept...lovely. France, what can you do.
Jul 21, 2019, 2:11 pm
#24
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
PARIS Day 1 & Hotel National Arts et Metiers
Ok, so as mentioned, AA 44 got in a bit early. After the looong uber ride into central Paris, it was just shy of 9am by the time I got to Hotel National Arts et Metiers. I had never previously stayed at Arts et Metiers, but the hotel has a very popular rooftop bar (a rarity in Paris), is in a good location and was surprisingly cheap for my dates, so I decided to roll the dice.
Check-in appeared to be going smoothly, then the girl behind the desk informed me of the "bad news," that the hotel had been fully booked the previous night and there were no rooms freed up for me yet. She suggested I go get breakfast to kill time in the interim. I wasn't hungry, and in my experience, if you wait in the lobby within view of the front desk, they are usually more motivated to get a room ready quickly, so I said I would wait in the lobby and dragged my bags over to sit.
My gambit did not pay off. The hotel was truly full and people were clearly not in a rush to check out early. I read articles on my phone and the hours and minutes continued to roll past. Finally a bit after 11:30am, a room was ready. I grabbed, my things and followed the girl upstairs. The entry level room I'd booked was not big by any means, but it was altogether reasonable. Long entryway hallway with closet, safe, minibar on the left side. A small table with water, hotel information booklet and a chair under a flatscreen. Another chair in the corner, a double (perhaps Queen?) bed and a bathroom with a shower, no tub (tragedy!). I had a view of the side street, which thankfully never got too busy or loud, and the aircon worked extremely well, which was an important factor, since temps in Paris are inching upwards and may hit all time highs early next week.
I wanted to check out the progress at the apartment, but first I needed sleep as I had not had time to get adequate rest on the shorter than expected Atlantic crossing. I closed the shades, put my eye mask on and passed out until mid-afternoon.
When the alarm went off, I roused myself, dressed and set off for Saint Germain. There was no one working in the apartment when I arrived and honestly, I was quite disappointed as I had expected things to be further along. A good chunk of the furniture had arrived, and the floors had been stained, but they were covered with a protective paper coating to keep them pristine as the mucking about in the roof continued.
Realizing things were perhaps even further from completion than I'd assumed, I went downstairs and walked around the corner to get lunch, as it was almost 5pm and I realized I hadn't yet eaten. I had a very decent croque at Les Editeurs, then set off for the 3e to get prepped for the evening.
Since Arts et Metiers claimed to have a "sports hall," I figured I would check it out. This "hall" consisted of a running machine, a bike and some clother strength free weights. I was amused as the description mentioned how they had support for all sorts of sporting activities, including boxing, etc...TIF. I wrapped up my abbreviated workout, took a shower, dressed and went back to the left bank to meet some friends at La Palette, one of our favorite cafes.
Thankfully, some things in Paris never change, and Palette is one of them. I believe it opened in 1902, and it doesn't look like the interior has been changed since then. There's only one toilet for the entire place. Someone told me they can't add another, because the structure is landmarked, but who knows. My favorite waiter, a gruff plug of a man with a thick beard and a dour expression on his face that belies his utter misery with every second spent working as a waiter smiled when he saw me and asked where I have been, since it's been so long. I told him it's only been a few weeks (true), but he insisted it's been far longer. He is high a lot, so there's that.
My friends were already working on a bottle of wine, but I wanted a draft beer before joining them. The draft beer turned into a share of a bottle of rose, then another, then another and our group swelled and annexed nearby tables as is often the case. A bit after 1am, there were three of us left and we decided to head to Hotel Lutetia for cocktails and live jazz. By the time we got there, the bar had already closed for the night. One of my friends lived in the immediate vicinity. She was quite drunk and had an AM flight to Portugal with her husband, so I urged her to go home, a suggestion she reluctantly agreed to. The other friend had work the next day and decided it would be better for her to call it as well, so she hopped in a cab and I went back towards the heart of St. Germain to meet up with a buddy who had just finished work. SHOCKING to be kept at work until such an ungodly hour in France.
He called me just as I was crossing the Boulevard to tell me that Le Germain, where we were to meet for a drink, was totally dead. We met up just in front and he rang for an uber. We agreed it would be prudent to check out the party we'd been invited to along the quai in the 16e.
By the time we arrived, after 130am, the party which was set to end by 2am at the latest had long since wrapped, so we scrambled for new options. I suggested Raspoutine as it was Thursday, so they would be open, but my friend reminded me that he is banned from there. We flagged down a taxi, took off for the 8e and ended up at Piaf. It's got similar decor to Raspoutine, think lots of black and red velvet. It's also downstairs and thoroughly loud and smokey. Upon arrival, we ran into a group of people we both knew and took off to sit at tables in the back. I was fading fast at this point, but I grabbed an Asahi and played along for a while. When my buddy told me he was going to hit the dancefloor, I saw my chance to escape and took it. I slammed the contents of my drink, slid out without saying goodbye and texted him on the ~2mile walk home saying that I had bailed and would see him tomorrow.
By the time I had meandered my way all the way back to the 3e, I was quite ready for sleep and I was out until well into the following afternoon.
Hotel National Arts et Metiers is a STRONG pick, and I give it the seal of approval. The location is fantastic in the Marais and near the river. It would be well suited to people who are primarily in Paris for restaurants and nightlife (which is why it's always booked out during fashion week) and for those looking to be close to the tourist attractions on the right bank, but not in one of the big hotels in the 8e. There's sidewalk seating out front for drinks and food, a great cocktail bar and restaurant in the lobby, and the aforementioned rooftop bar. There's a spa I haven't used and the previously belittled "sports hall." The service is snappy and while it is classed as a 4-star, I would call it a 4.5. It's certainly not luxurious like the grande dames, but it's a very well executed boutique and the prices are VERY reasonable. I wouldn't be shocked if that changes in the medium term though. The hotel is perennially at or near capacity, and honestly they could be charging 2x what they're charging for rooms and still maintain that level of occupancy. Check it out.
Ok, so as mentioned, AA 44 got in a bit early. After the looong uber ride into central Paris, it was just shy of 9am by the time I got to Hotel National Arts et Metiers. I had never previously stayed at Arts et Metiers, but the hotel has a very popular rooftop bar (a rarity in Paris), is in a good location and was surprisingly cheap for my dates, so I decided to roll the dice.
Check-in appeared to be going smoothly, then the girl behind the desk informed me of the "bad news," that the hotel had been fully booked the previous night and there were no rooms freed up for me yet. She suggested I go get breakfast to kill time in the interim. I wasn't hungry, and in my experience, if you wait in the lobby within view of the front desk, they are usually more motivated to get a room ready quickly, so I said I would wait in the lobby and dragged my bags over to sit.
My gambit did not pay off. The hotel was truly full and people were clearly not in a rush to check out early. I read articles on my phone and the hours and minutes continued to roll past. Finally a bit after 11:30am, a room was ready. I grabbed, my things and followed the girl upstairs. The entry level room I'd booked was not big by any means, but it was altogether reasonable. Long entryway hallway with closet, safe, minibar on the left side. A small table with water, hotel information booklet and a chair under a flatscreen. Another chair in the corner, a double (perhaps Queen?) bed and a bathroom with a shower, no tub (tragedy!). I had a view of the side street, which thankfully never got too busy or loud, and the aircon worked extremely well, which was an important factor, since temps in Paris are inching upwards and may hit all time highs early next week.
I wanted to check out the progress at the apartment, but first I needed sleep as I had not had time to get adequate rest on the shorter than expected Atlantic crossing. I closed the shades, put my eye mask on and passed out until mid-afternoon.
When the alarm went off, I roused myself, dressed and set off for Saint Germain. There was no one working in the apartment when I arrived and honestly, I was quite disappointed as I had expected things to be further along. A good chunk of the furniture had arrived, and the floors had been stained, but they were covered with a protective paper coating to keep them pristine as the mucking about in the roof continued.
Realizing things were perhaps even further from completion than I'd assumed, I went downstairs and walked around the corner to get lunch, as it was almost 5pm and I realized I hadn't yet eaten. I had a very decent croque at Les Editeurs, then set off for the 3e to get prepped for the evening.
Since Arts et Metiers claimed to have a "sports hall," I figured I would check it out. This "hall" consisted of a running machine, a bike and some clother strength free weights. I was amused as the description mentioned how they had support for all sorts of sporting activities, including boxing, etc...TIF. I wrapped up my abbreviated workout, took a shower, dressed and went back to the left bank to meet some friends at La Palette, one of our favorite cafes.
Thankfully, some things in Paris never change, and Palette is one of them. I believe it opened in 1902, and it doesn't look like the interior has been changed since then. There's only one toilet for the entire place. Someone told me they can't add another, because the structure is landmarked, but who knows. My favorite waiter, a gruff plug of a man with a thick beard and a dour expression on his face that belies his utter misery with every second spent working as a waiter smiled when he saw me and asked where I have been, since it's been so long. I told him it's only been a few weeks (true), but he insisted it's been far longer. He is high a lot, so there's that.
My friends were already working on a bottle of wine, but I wanted a draft beer before joining them. The draft beer turned into a share of a bottle of rose, then another, then another and our group swelled and annexed nearby tables as is often the case. A bit after 1am, there were three of us left and we decided to head to Hotel Lutetia for cocktails and live jazz. By the time we got there, the bar had already closed for the night. One of my friends lived in the immediate vicinity. She was quite drunk and had an AM flight to Portugal with her husband, so I urged her to go home, a suggestion she reluctantly agreed to. The other friend had work the next day and decided it would be better for her to call it as well, so she hopped in a cab and I went back towards the heart of St. Germain to meet up with a buddy who had just finished work. SHOCKING to be kept at work until such an ungodly hour in France.
He called me just as I was crossing the Boulevard to tell me that Le Germain, where we were to meet for a drink, was totally dead. We met up just in front and he rang for an uber. We agreed it would be prudent to check out the party we'd been invited to along the quai in the 16e.
By the time we arrived, after 130am, the party which was set to end by 2am at the latest had long since wrapped, so we scrambled for new options. I suggested Raspoutine as it was Thursday, so they would be open, but my friend reminded me that he is banned from there. We flagged down a taxi, took off for the 8e and ended up at Piaf. It's got similar decor to Raspoutine, think lots of black and red velvet. It's also downstairs and thoroughly loud and smokey. Upon arrival, we ran into a group of people we both knew and took off to sit at tables in the back. I was fading fast at this point, but I grabbed an Asahi and played along for a while. When my buddy told me he was going to hit the dancefloor, I saw my chance to escape and took it. I slammed the contents of my drink, slid out without saying goodbye and texted him on the ~2mile walk home saying that I had bailed and would see him tomorrow.
By the time I had meandered my way all the way back to the 3e, I was quite ready for sleep and I was out until well into the following afternoon.
Hotel National Arts et Metiers is a STRONG pick, and I give it the seal of approval. The location is fantastic in the Marais and near the river. It would be well suited to people who are primarily in Paris for restaurants and nightlife (which is why it's always booked out during fashion week) and for those looking to be close to the tourist attractions on the right bank, but not in one of the big hotels in the 8e. There's sidewalk seating out front for drinks and food, a great cocktail bar and restaurant in the lobby, and the aforementioned rooftop bar. There's a spa I haven't used and the previously belittled "sports hall." The service is snappy and while it is classed as a 4-star, I would call it a 4.5. It's certainly not luxurious like the grande dames, but it's a very well executed boutique and the prices are VERY reasonable. I wouldn't be shocked if that changes in the medium term though. The hotel is perennially at or near capacity, and honestly they could be charging 2x what they're charging for rooms and still maintain that level of occupancy. Check it out.
Last edited by GetSetJetSet; Sep 6, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Jul 22, 2019, 1:44 pm
#25
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Join Date: Dec 2009
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Paris Part 2
The rest of my five days in Paris went by in the blink of an eye. After getting home and into bed around 3am Thurs eve/Fri AM, I slept well into the afternoon on Friday. When I finally roused myself, I went back over to the apartment to assess the situation...no movement. I took a slightly out of the way route back to extend my trip and then quickly showered and changed at the hotel before meeting a different group of friends back at La Palette. Night Two went from Palette to Flore back to Arts et Metiers' cocktail bar then out again to Raspoutine...or at least that was the intention. Algeria had played Senegal in the African Cup Final, and after winning, the Algerian fans thought the best way to celebrate would be to riot in central Paris. Raspoutine is on rue Bassano right off the Champs-Elysees, and they had wisely decided not to open on this Friday evening to avoid the rioting crowds. The Champs was jammed with cars and people. When we got out of our cab on Bassano, I thought "hmmm, smells like tear gas," as I may have been tear gassed one or more times previously during college football related riots. Sure enough, a thick haze of the stuff was hanging over the fans "celebrating." On side streets people drove by hanging out of car windows or sitting on roofs and hoods of moving vehicles with large Algerian flags. Not Paris' best evening.
Since Raspoutine was out, we continued on foot down to #6 Avenue Marceau, the longtime former home of Le Baron, one of the major nightspots of my early years in Paris. Baron is gone now, and some tacky Colombian drug lord themed lounge now occupies the space, it's called "Medellin" or "Chez Pablo," I forget. Either way, it's not 1/10th of what Baron used to be. Still, it was late and we were there, so this is where the remainder of Friday was spent, until quite early Sat AM.
Starting Saturday morning, I swore off alcohol and social engagements until St. Tropez. I went back over to the apartment in the afternoon to find that my new couch had been delivered, I was rather pleased. Sunday was centered on a walk over to Pere Lachaise to pay my respects to Jim Morrison, then a long swing through the 12e, across the river to the Jardin des Plantes, then up Boulevard Saint Germain and back over to my neighborhood for lunch at Le Comptoir (9 Carrefour de l'Odeon), one of my favorite restaurants in Paris. Highly recommended. They don't accept reservations, so there can be a wait, but they deliver Michelin Star quality food for neighborhood bistro prices. Service is a la carte during lunch and Sunday dinner, fixed menu weekday nights. If you're looking for smaller fare, they have Avant Comptoir and Avant Comptoir de la Mer next door. These offer a changing variety of small plates in a small stand up only space. It's very affordable and delicious, a great way to have some food and wine and try a variety of dishes.
Monday I walked to find a restaurant in the 17e that I wanted to try. Google said it was open but when I got there...it was closed. Two mile walk for nothing! Oh well. Since I was in the area, I adjusted my heading slightly and went over to Sacre Coeur. I think this is the first time I have been there in close to ten years. The view really is amazing, and the small streets near the church feel like a little village, charming.
After soaking up the sights, I calibrated myself from the lookout point over the city with some landmarks ahead and walked all the way through back to the left bank and my apartment again. FINALLY there was someone there actually doing some sort of work, on the kitchen this time. On the way home, I grabbed a pastry from Gerard Mulot, my favorite patisserie, since I realized i'd been in Paris five days and had not had any sort of pastry...a sin. After popping back to Arts et Metiers to shower, I checked out the rooftop bar (but had no alcohol) which has lovely views of Sacre Coeur AND the Eiffel Tower, then walked a few streets over to Massara for dinner. I'd say it's probably the best pizza I have ever had in Paris. NOT that "best pizza in Paris" is extremely high praise, since it's not much of a pizza city. I'm just saying if you are in dire need of pizza and in central Paris you could do a lot worse...a LOT worse.
Back at the hotel now packing my bags and hoping I can actually fall asleep at a reasonable hour tonight. Tomorrow AM I will catch the Metro VERY early to get to Gare de l'Est and then it is on to Colmar for the first time. Quite excited!
The rest of my five days in Paris went by in the blink of an eye. After getting home and into bed around 3am Thurs eve/Fri AM, I slept well into the afternoon on Friday. When I finally roused myself, I went back over to the apartment to assess the situation...no movement. I took a slightly out of the way route back to extend my trip and then quickly showered and changed at the hotel before meeting a different group of friends back at La Palette. Night Two went from Palette to Flore back to Arts et Metiers' cocktail bar then out again to Raspoutine...or at least that was the intention. Algeria had played Senegal in the African Cup Final, and after winning, the Algerian fans thought the best way to celebrate would be to riot in central Paris. Raspoutine is on rue Bassano right off the Champs-Elysees, and they had wisely decided not to open on this Friday evening to avoid the rioting crowds. The Champs was jammed with cars and people. When we got out of our cab on Bassano, I thought "hmmm, smells like tear gas," as I may have been tear gassed one or more times previously during college football related riots. Sure enough, a thick haze of the stuff was hanging over the fans "celebrating." On side streets people drove by hanging out of car windows or sitting on roofs and hoods of moving vehicles with large Algerian flags. Not Paris' best evening.
Since Raspoutine was out, we continued on foot down to #6 Avenue Marceau, the longtime former home of Le Baron, one of the major nightspots of my early years in Paris. Baron is gone now, and some tacky Colombian drug lord themed lounge now occupies the space, it's called "Medellin" or "Chez Pablo," I forget. Either way, it's not 1/10th of what Baron used to be. Still, it was late and we were there, so this is where the remainder of Friday was spent, until quite early Sat AM.
Starting Saturday morning, I swore off alcohol and social engagements until St. Tropez. I went back over to the apartment in the afternoon to find that my new couch had been delivered, I was rather pleased. Sunday was centered on a walk over to Pere Lachaise to pay my respects to Jim Morrison, then a long swing through the 12e, across the river to the Jardin des Plantes, then up Boulevard Saint Germain and back over to my neighborhood for lunch at Le Comptoir (9 Carrefour de l'Odeon), one of my favorite restaurants in Paris. Highly recommended. They don't accept reservations, so there can be a wait, but they deliver Michelin Star quality food for neighborhood bistro prices. Service is a la carte during lunch and Sunday dinner, fixed menu weekday nights. If you're looking for smaller fare, they have Avant Comptoir and Avant Comptoir de la Mer next door. These offer a changing variety of small plates in a small stand up only space. It's very affordable and delicious, a great way to have some food and wine and try a variety of dishes.
Monday I walked to find a restaurant in the 17e that I wanted to try. Google said it was open but when I got there...it was closed. Two mile walk for nothing! Oh well. Since I was in the area, I adjusted my heading slightly and went over to Sacre Coeur. I think this is the first time I have been there in close to ten years. The view really is amazing, and the small streets near the church feel like a little village, charming.
After soaking up the sights, I calibrated myself from the lookout point over the city with some landmarks ahead and walked all the way through back to the left bank and my apartment again. FINALLY there was someone there actually doing some sort of work, on the kitchen this time. On the way home, I grabbed a pastry from Gerard Mulot, my favorite patisserie, since I realized i'd been in Paris five days and had not had any sort of pastry...a sin. After popping back to Arts et Metiers to shower, I checked out the rooftop bar (but had no alcohol) which has lovely views of Sacre Coeur AND the Eiffel Tower, then walked a few streets over to Massara for dinner. I'd say it's probably the best pizza I have ever had in Paris. NOT that "best pizza in Paris" is extremely high praise, since it's not much of a pizza city. I'm just saying if you are in dire need of pizza and in central Paris you could do a lot worse...a LOT worse.
Back at the hotel now packing my bags and hoping I can actually fall asleep at a reasonable hour tonight. Tomorrow AM I will catch the Metro VERY early to get to Gare de l'Est and then it is on to Colmar for the first time. Quite excited!
Last edited by GetSetJetSet; Aug 12, 2019 at 3:51 am
Jul 25, 2019, 12:04 pm
#28
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
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Posts: 6,798
COLMAR
So, while I was "hoping" to get a good night of sleep when I signed off my last post, my hopes were not realized. As is often the case before an early start to a travel day, I could barely sleep. I don't know if it's anxiety, anticipation or the fact that I hadn't yet properly acclimatized to the time zone. At any rate, I fell asleep around 1030pm, then woke up just shy of 1am and never really fell asleep again. I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, trying and failing to get comfortable.
My train was at 7:20am out of Gare de l'Est. I set my alarm for 6:15am, figuring this would provide sufficient cushion in case of some unforeseen delay. I'd packed my bags before bed, so I popped out of bed with the alarm, washed my face, dressed and left the hotel. I was bound for the Reaumur-Sebastopol stop on the 4 Line, which was only about 1 block from the hotel. There had been some construction and periodic station closures, but there were no problems on this morning. After perhaps 3-5 minutes, the metro rolled up and a handful of stops later I was ascending the escalator to the portion of Gare de l'Est where the grande lignes trains depart from. It took me ~15 minutes from opening my eyes to arriving at the station, waaaay more time than I had hoped to spend sitting around.
I got a coffee from Starbucks and sat at a table near a departures board waiting for a track assignment and trying to stay awake. I figured this would be good. If I could make it through the entire day exhausted, then surely I would finally be able to get a real night of sober sleep.
About 20 minutes before departure, Track 8 popped up and I made my way over to find my seat. My car was of course, the furthest possible car from the start of the track. En route, I read a compilation of "I Learned About Flying From That" submissions to Flying Magazine, trying to glean any possible additional knowledge to be safer.
When the train pulled in, I saw it was only about 1km from the station to my hotel and the path seemed straightforward enough, so I saddled up my carryons and set off though the Parc du Champ de Mars and into the old town. It was about 10am when I got to the Hotel Quatorze (It's #14 Rue des Augustins). As expected, my room was not ready and wouldn't be until ~2pm, so I dropped my bags and started wandering.
Colmar is MAGICAL. I know it sounds super lame, but it is like a fairy tale village from the middle ages that somehow still exists and doesn't seem hokey. I spent the first two or so hours just traipsing up and down the streets, checking out all the little squares, churches and the brightly colored and often misshapen houses. If you haven't been, I HIGHLY suggest going. It's a very small town and it only takes a couple of hours to exhaustively cover the streets but it is for sure worth it. As far as old towns go, I would say it's pretty much best in class.
The one downside was, I visited on a Tuesday. It seems EVERY museum in Colmar is closed on Tuesday, so I was unable to visit. I suppose I'll have to come back.
Around Noon, I started to get hungry so I popped into La Soi, a small place specializing in Flammekueche. If you have never had Flammekueche it is a regional specialty, that is sort of similar to a very crispy thin crust pizza. It starts with a very thin, crispy bit of dough, then there is creme fraiche, onions and lardons. Some varieties add a bit of cheese or other ingredients on top of this "basic" template. I've had this dish a number of times, because we would often train for Lacrosse in Lille, and the local guys would always want to go to a Flammekueche place, but the version they were serving at La Soi was by far the best rendition I've ever had. Thumbs Up.
After eating, it was back to wandering. By the end of the day, I think I had been up and down every single street in old Colmar at least a half dozen times, and knew the town fairly well. I went back to little Venice and took the cheesy "canal tour." Basically you pay 6 CHF to a bar for a ticket and then you and a bunch of other tourists hop on a small wooden skiff and go up and down the "river" that runs through Colmar, while the boatman gives you a bit of history. It takes about 30 minutes. It was worth it.
Finally 2pm rolled around, and I went back to the hotel, got my key and dropped my bags upstairs. I tried to book my train ticket for the following day online, but it said I couldn't book an e-ticket and would have to go to the station to pick it up the hard copy the next day if I booked online. I decided it would be easier to just make the 2km roundtrip to the station now, buy the ticket and be done with it. For some reason there was an 830am departure taking ~2h15m, an 1130am departure taking ~2h15m, no 1030am and a 930am taking ~3h15. It was an easy decision...1130am out of Colmar with an 8 minute "layover" in Basel, then on to Lucerne. I hoped I would have enough time to see everything in Lucerne.
With my tickets in hand, exhaustion started to kick in, so I went back to the hotel and passed out for ~1.5 hours. When I woke up it was still too early for dinner, so I went back to committing every street and alleyway of Colmar to memory. Finally, when 7pm rolled around Aux Armes de Colmar opened up, and I went to this winstub for dinner. Sticking with local specialties, I had the Choucroute. To be honest, their version was nothing special.
I took a long, final meandering swing through the town, and got back to Quatorze as the sun was setting. I was thoroughly exhausted at this point, and grateful for the hotel's VERY solid aircon since it was about 96 F in Colmar. I closed the shades, put the eye mask on and finally slept through the night.
So, while I was "hoping" to get a good night of sleep when I signed off my last post, my hopes were not realized. As is often the case before an early start to a travel day, I could barely sleep. I don't know if it's anxiety, anticipation or the fact that I hadn't yet properly acclimatized to the time zone. At any rate, I fell asleep around 1030pm, then woke up just shy of 1am and never really fell asleep again. I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, trying and failing to get comfortable.
My train was at 7:20am out of Gare de l'Est. I set my alarm for 6:15am, figuring this would provide sufficient cushion in case of some unforeseen delay. I'd packed my bags before bed, so I popped out of bed with the alarm, washed my face, dressed and left the hotel. I was bound for the Reaumur-Sebastopol stop on the 4 Line, which was only about 1 block from the hotel. There had been some construction and periodic station closures, but there were no problems on this morning. After perhaps 3-5 minutes, the metro rolled up and a handful of stops later I was ascending the escalator to the portion of Gare de l'Est where the grande lignes trains depart from. It took me ~15 minutes from opening my eyes to arriving at the station, waaaay more time than I had hoped to spend sitting around.
I got a coffee from Starbucks and sat at a table near a departures board waiting for a track assignment and trying to stay awake. I figured this would be good. If I could make it through the entire day exhausted, then surely I would finally be able to get a real night of sober sleep.
About 20 minutes before departure, Track 8 popped up and I made my way over to find my seat. My car was of course, the furthest possible car from the start of the track. En route, I read a compilation of "I Learned About Flying From That" submissions to Flying Magazine, trying to glean any possible additional knowledge to be safer.
When the train pulled in, I saw it was only about 1km from the station to my hotel and the path seemed straightforward enough, so I saddled up my carryons and set off though the Parc du Champ de Mars and into the old town. It was about 10am when I got to the Hotel Quatorze (It's #14 Rue des Augustins). As expected, my room was not ready and wouldn't be until ~2pm, so I dropped my bags and started wandering.
Colmar is MAGICAL. I know it sounds super lame, but it is like a fairy tale village from the middle ages that somehow still exists and doesn't seem hokey. I spent the first two or so hours just traipsing up and down the streets, checking out all the little squares, churches and the brightly colored and often misshapen houses. If you haven't been, I HIGHLY suggest going. It's a very small town and it only takes a couple of hours to exhaustively cover the streets but it is for sure worth it. As far as old towns go, I would say it's pretty much best in class.
The one downside was, I visited on a Tuesday. It seems EVERY museum in Colmar is closed on Tuesday, so I was unable to visit. I suppose I'll have to come back.
Around Noon, I started to get hungry so I popped into La Soi, a small place specializing in Flammekueche. If you have never had Flammekueche it is a regional specialty, that is sort of similar to a very crispy thin crust pizza. It starts with a very thin, crispy bit of dough, then there is creme fraiche, onions and lardons. Some varieties add a bit of cheese or other ingredients on top of this "basic" template. I've had this dish a number of times, because we would often train for Lacrosse in Lille, and the local guys would always want to go to a Flammekueche place, but the version they were serving at La Soi was by far the best rendition I've ever had. Thumbs Up.
After eating, it was back to wandering. By the end of the day, I think I had been up and down every single street in old Colmar at least a half dozen times, and knew the town fairly well. I went back to little Venice and took the cheesy "canal tour." Basically you pay 6 CHF to a bar for a ticket and then you and a bunch of other tourists hop on a small wooden skiff and go up and down the "river" that runs through Colmar, while the boatman gives you a bit of history. It takes about 30 minutes. It was worth it.
Finally 2pm rolled around, and I went back to the hotel, got my key and dropped my bags upstairs. I tried to book my train ticket for the following day online, but it said I couldn't book an e-ticket and would have to go to the station to pick it up the hard copy the next day if I booked online. I decided it would be easier to just make the 2km roundtrip to the station now, buy the ticket and be done with it. For some reason there was an 830am departure taking ~2h15m, an 1130am departure taking ~2h15m, no 1030am and a 930am taking ~3h15. It was an easy decision...1130am out of Colmar with an 8 minute "layover" in Basel, then on to Lucerne. I hoped I would have enough time to see everything in Lucerne.
With my tickets in hand, exhaustion started to kick in, so I went back to the hotel and passed out for ~1.5 hours. When I woke up it was still too early for dinner, so I went back to committing every street and alleyway of Colmar to memory. Finally, when 7pm rolled around Aux Armes de Colmar opened up, and I went to this winstub for dinner. Sticking with local specialties, I had the Choucroute. To be honest, their version was nothing special.
I took a long, final meandering swing through the town, and got back to Quatorze as the sun was setting. I was thoroughly exhausted at this point, and grateful for the hotel's VERY solid aircon since it was about 96 F in Colmar. I closed the shades, put the eye mask on and finally slept through the night.
Jul 25, 2019, 12:10 pm
#29
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
HOTEL QUATORZE, COLMAR
This hotel is classed as a 4-star. I would say that's a bit generous, since "4-star" is usually associated with more facilities and services on offer. However, everything was modern, clean and in good working order. I didn't expect much since it was something like $90/night, but it certainly delivered on the essentials. As discussed in the longer Colmar post, the location was unbeatable right in the old town. While Quatorze is IN the old town, it isn't RIGHT in the highest tourist density portion of town, like say Maison Des Tetes and this is a huge plus. It's much nicer to be ~5 minutes walk from everything you want to see and on a secluded street than to have crowds at your door.
The hotel offers breakfast, but I didn't take them up on this, so I can't comment on the food and beverage. There is also a bar in the breakfast area for afternoon cocktails. I booked the cheapest entry level room which had a bathroom with a shower, a double bed, TV, good wifi and ample space. Most importantly the aircon was strong enough to keep up with the historically hot summer heat we are getting this year. Some of the larger rooms have bathtubs, and I think they even have a duplex suite.
Overall, I would say this hotel was a great value for the $, and while nothing luxurious, a perfectly comfortable and convenient option. I wouldn't hesitate to return or to recommend that others stay here.
This hotel is classed as a 4-star. I would say that's a bit generous, since "4-star" is usually associated with more facilities and services on offer. However, everything was modern, clean and in good working order. I didn't expect much since it was something like $90/night, but it certainly delivered on the essentials. As discussed in the longer Colmar post, the location was unbeatable right in the old town. While Quatorze is IN the old town, it isn't RIGHT in the highest tourist density portion of town, like say Maison Des Tetes and this is a huge plus. It's much nicer to be ~5 minutes walk from everything you want to see and on a secluded street than to have crowds at your door.
The hotel offers breakfast, but I didn't take them up on this, so I can't comment on the food and beverage. There is also a bar in the breakfast area for afternoon cocktails. I booked the cheapest entry level room which had a bathroom with a shower, a double bed, TV, good wifi and ample space. Most importantly the aircon was strong enough to keep up with the historically hot summer heat we are getting this year. Some of the larger rooms have bathtubs, and I think they even have a duplex suite.
Overall, I would say this hotel was a great value for the $, and while nothing luxurious, a perfectly comfortable and convenient option. I wouldn't hesitate to return or to recommend that others stay here.
Last edited by GetSetJetSet; Jul 25, 2019 at 12:55 pm
