Around the first of October Jeannette got word of good Eurostar fares to Paris (£59 two way). Anyone interested in a day trip some Federal Holiday soon? I was. No waiting around! We signed ourselves up! As it happened several of us in the office had been reading a trilogy of historical novels based on the life of Josephine, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. So . . . why not take a Josephine-themed trip? Good idea!
So on this past Wednesday, 11 November 2009, we started out from St Pancras, a beautiful, newly-renovated station here in London . Good thing we started early because just as we got almost to the train station, I had one of those “Oh, shit!” moments. Yes, I had forgotten the debit card with which I had purchased the tickets online, and yes, the instructions had said I needed that card to print our tickets. Off the bus, onto a taxi, back to my house, grab the card & we’re off! With plenty of time to spare, we grab a couple of sandwiches at a restaurant in the station and board the train with time to spare.
We’re off! My chunnel baptism – not literally, thankfully! Zip, zip, and we’re there in about 2 hours.
We deboard at Gare du Nord, take the RER (Paris city trains) to Chatelet les Halle , another RER to La Defense, look around La Defense a bit, then take Bus 258 to Rueil-Ville. There we sought out the church where Josephine and her daughter, Hortense, were buried – L'église Saint-Pierre Saint- Paul (Church of St Peter and St Paul ). On our way to the church we ran across city hall which was decorated for Armistice Day. We found we had just missed a celebration there in the square behind city hall named Place du 11 November 1918. A charming patisserie provided lunch (goat cheese and smoked venison sandwich and quiche lorraine) which we ate on the lovely square in front of the church. And yes, we did regret not buying the scrumptious-looking pastries for desserts. Inside the quiet church were the tombs, beautiful stained glass windows, and one other person who had come there to pray.
Hopping back on the bus, we rode a couple of stops to “Le Chateau,” the stop that would eventually lead us to Josephine’s home. First, we took an unintentional tourist detour, having turned right, rather than left when we got off the bus. Soon enough we were back on track and spent most of the afternoon wandering the inside and grounds of Malmaison. I had read that the home was very cozy, especially when compared with Versailles , the country home of French monarchs. Although certainly much more fancy than the home of anyone I know, the Bonaparte dwelling did seem quite warm and inviting. The ceilings weren’t as high as those of other mansions and neither were the rooms as large. Since London still has roses blooming, we had hoped that the roses at Malmaison would have been blooming as well, but they weren’t. Josephine was known for the roses she cultivated; it is said that many of the varieties in Europe today are a result of her intervention.
Retracing our steps we arrived back in the city at La Defense, which is quite the impressive commercial zone. The crowing glory of La Defense is the Grande Arche which stands directly facing the Arc de Triomphe – the new meeting the old. I’m not sure how many miles between the two, but it is quite a way. Most of the photos I took were taken in the morning when it was quite cool and foggy. You can barely make out the Arc de Triomphe in the distance. We had to allow time to do a little shopping at the grocery store in the huge mall at La Defense – it seems my friends have developed a taste for Speculoos, a yummy topping that looks like peanut butter, but is, in fact, ground up Speculoos cookies – think very smooth ground up graham crackers whipped up with corn syrup and vegetable oil. http://www.bienmanger.com/2F3383A3_Speculoos_Spread.html?ope=ggBaseUK&sope=p4410
Oh well, that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but you have to trust me, it’s mighty tasty. This treat can only be bought inBelgium and France as far as we know, so Jeannette stocked up with a dozen jars for gifts and toted them in her backpack the rest of the journey. We also bought soft cheeses, salad and a fresh baguette for supper on the train home.
Oh well, that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but you have to trust me, it’s mighty tasty. This treat can only be bought in
And I searched for the chunnel the rest of the way. Possibly saw it – don’t really know! All in all, one fine day trip, though!