Lipp Service

Day 24

Today we boarded the TGV high-speed train to Paris. We went on a tour of Paris with the very attractive Isabelle. We stopped for a tour of the Eiffel Tower, which was very beautiful. The panoramic views were amazing.

We went to the La Nouvelle Eve Cabaret where we had a very nice French dinner and a wonderful show. We even had two of our group up on stage. Jim did a fantastic job helping the comedian and Bora did a great job winning the dance contest and some affection from the star of the show.

Day 25

We started the day at the Louvre, which was the best museum I have ever been in. I could have spent days in there. I saw so many beautiful paintings and sculptures. The Mona Lisa was fantastic, but much smaller than I thought. It was so crowded and no one was allowed to get close since it was roped off, making it almost impossible to see those eyes follow me. The Venus De Milo was much more impressive than I imagined. I really enjoyed the Egyptian section with the mummies. My Aussie friend and myself broke off to try and see a lot more of the Louvre, but could not see it all.

We then walked to the Obelisk, and then walked the Champs Elysees, which was nice. We finally made it to the Arc De Triomphe, which did not seem to far since it was so big. However, we found out later it was a little more than 3 miles from the Louvre. Unfortunately today we had a light rain. I guess we cannot complain since it was the first time we had to walk in the rain on our entire trip.

We then went to Notre Dame, which was something I could not leave Paris without seeing. It was a very impressive church. The architecture was amazing and the flying buttress was very impressive.

We then went to Monmarte, which had spectacular views of the city. We went into the Sacre Cour, which was beautiful. The Stations of the Cross were the most beautiful I have ever seen at any church. The statue of the Sacre Cour (Sacred Heart) was beautiful. We stopped at the small palace and the grand palace. We also stopped at the Invalides, which was where Napoleon was buried. It was a very beautiful area. The US Embassy was right near here.

For dinner we went to the Brasserie Lipp, which was highly recommended. Our experience could have been a Seinfeld episode. We walk in and were told to go stand over there. We stood there feeling like we were in the way. Finally a man who kept looking at us came over and asked smoking or non-smoking. We said, non. He said in a commanding manner, “Go upstairs!” We went upstairs and again felt like we were standing in no man’s land. A waiter looked at us like, what do you want. I told him the gentleman downstairs told us to come up. Without saying anything he nodded for us to sit at a table he was moving. He gave us French menus. I asked for English menus which was not an odd request so far on our trip. He said, “No!” I said, “You do not have English menus,” in a shocked voice. He said, “No, this is a pure French restaurant.” The couple next to us stopped speaking English and now only spoke French. So after choosing escargot and filet de beef, he wanted to know how I wanted my steak. I said medium well. He asked, “Red or pink.” I conceded defeat and just agreed on pink. He then asked my buddy how he wanted it. He said well. I cringed, knowing this would not make the waiter happy. He replied with a stern NO! My friend said, “No?” in a shocked voice. He said no again and then looked at me and made a gesture as to say, is this guy serious? I just shrugged and looked at him. The waiter said, “Medium?” He agreed reluctantly. I asked for a coke light, he replied with his favorite word, “NO!” He then said, “Orange juice or water.” I ordered still water. I received my appetizer and I had some issues with two of my snails and was ready to give up. My buddy reminded me that I may insult the chef and we may get scolded some more. :) I worked and finally got the last two snails out. After dinner we ordered dessert and I asked for chocolate mousse. He looked at me as if I was speaking Tagalog. Again, I said in a questioning manner, “Chocolate mousse?” He again looked at me in a puzzled stare. I then said, “Mousse de Chocolat?” He gave me an approving, “Ah.” I really think they just were giving us a difficult time and enjoyed a long laugh about it at the end of the night. After paying the bill, I asked if they could call us a taxi. Can you guess what his answer was? He said, “NO,” and then pointed to the window. I was not sure if he was telling me the taxis were out front or get the hell out. The taxi stand was across the street from the restaurant. I have submitted my comedy script to NBC titled A Hell Of a Dinner in Paris!