The Eurostar to Paris, then a TGV to Lyon

The Eurostar is not The Orient Express. It is a modern, fast (ours hit 180 mph, we were told), and somewhat uncomfortable train that is (in my travel opinion) a much better way to get from London to Paris or Brussels.

In our case, we were taking the Eurostar to Paris, then transferring from the Gare de Nord to the Gare de Lyon, and after a delightful meal at le Train Bleu:

we jumped on the TGV that took us straight to Lyon.

A short digression about Le Train Blue. It is an old, Belle Epoche restaurant that opened in 1901. It is a fantastic place with a great history.  We were introduced to this place by an old friend (who has since passed away) back when we were in in 2000. We try to get here every trip, but unless you are going somewhere, the Gare de Lyon is not really on the way to anything.

In this case, of course, we were doing what people did 100 years ago. Arrive at one station, then take a nice leisurely lunch at the station while waiting for our next train. You feel as if you are part of history.

Here, from their website:

Paris was about to receive a major new Universal Exhibition in 1900. After the Saint-Lazare train station in 1889, it was the turn of the Gare de Lyon to take the appearance of a palace, and in particular to magnify the new PLM Company (Paris Lyon Marseille) terminal, which operated lines of the Southeast network at the end of the 19th century. The project was entrusted to the architect Marius Toudoire, who built the 64 meters belfry (the Clock-Tower) and the monumental façade of the station.

The Management of the railway company wanted to build a prestigious buffet, symbol of travel, of technical innovation, of comfort and luxury. The project was given to the same architect, who built the buffet in the building at the centre of the station.

The station’s buffet was unveiled in 1901 by the President of the Republic Emile Loubet.

In 1963, Albert Chazal renamed the buffet as « Le Train Bleu » (the Blue Train), honouring the legendary « Paris-Vintimille », legendary train with as its destination the Côte d’Azur.

ANECDOTES

Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, Colette, Jean Gabin, Marcel Pagnol and many other famous people were regulars of the Train Bleu, while several movie scenes were filmed there: « Nikita » by Luc Besson, « Place Vendôme » by Nicole Garcia, « Les vacances de Mr Bean » by Steve Bendelack as well as « Filles Uniques » by Pierre Jolivet.

HISTORICAL MONUMENT AND DECORATION

Gildings, carvings, mouldings, chandeliers and frescoes cover all the walls of the restaurant, giving it the appearance of a museum of the 1900s.  Twenty seven French artists, some awarded with the Prix de Rome, have worked on this unparalleled decor. 

The 41 paintings mounted on canvas were painted by the most prominent artists of the time: François Flameng, Henri Gervex, Gaston Casimir Saint-Pierre, René Billotte, etc. They illustrate views of the main cities and sceneries viewed from the PLM Company trains during the 20th century: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Orange, Villefranche, Monaco, Nice, Saint-Honorat, the Mont-Blanc massif, etc.

Along with these bright reminders of the railway sceneries are several portraits, some of the PLM Company’s employees, such as Gustave Noblemaire (General Director), and key figures like Sarah Bernhardt, Réjane or Edmond Rostand.

To preserve this rich heritage, a privileged witness of the Paris of the 1900s, the Train Bleu was classified as Historic Monument in 1972 by Jacques Duhamel.

Le Train Bleu was recently renovated (summer 2014): resuming to its former glory. Click on this link to have a look at the construction site that lasted 2 months, featuring all trades.

Here is the station itself:

We got on the train, and settled in for a nice couple of hours.

Trains make me contemplative.

We arrived in Lyon, and were greeted by the owner of the apartment who accompanied us on the local metro bus (!)/

It was a great apartment, 

with a great view.

I was on the road, but now I am back. First, London

Hello Everyone!

I was gone for a year writing about our year or travels.

Now I am back. This is not an expedition year, yet there will be expeditions in it.

As I am talking about now. Just back from a trip to London, Lyon, and Paris. I had some work in London, Doreen flew over when that was done, then we traveled about.

First, London.

We had a great view from our room:

and it was close to the Tower Bridge:

Doreen always looks better in these photos than I do:

We walked a lot:

We had some great food. Simple stuff like Salt Beef Sandwiches from the Borough Market, a great dinner at The Cinnamon Club (we usually just have lunch there), a nice lunch at Nopi (We eat downstairs. Don't miss that place), lunch with a friend at 5th View (we had to fight a St Patrick's Day parade to get there!)  and dinner with an old friend at The Delaunay. 

If I have the energy, I will write more about the food later.

The Governor's Mansion

This is the current governor's mansion:

 and it is totally open for you to wander about with no security at all! I love that access.

Two stories, with a nice galley view from above:

and nice open corridors:

And their history is told in art.

Here is the exploitation of the peons by the elite on the sisal haciendas.

This is the sale of the Indians as slaves:

This is Galvez, as in Galveston. (well, maybe not. But I said it, so I will stick with it) This fellow was assassinated when he was 53.

Corn!

A great take on the Mexican Flag:

 A battle between the Mayan and the Spanish:

The Jaguar.

Quite a place. Quite a Palace. 

Sunday in Merida

It seems there are many cities that now have Bicycle Street days on Sundays. When I was living in Caracas (1992-1994) they shut down the "Cota Mil" (thousand meter line) a freeway that skirted the national park El Avila. I believe that it started in Bogota in the 1980s. (Why Latin America? ¿Quien Sabe?) These events are usually characterized as Ciclovías. We have them in Houston!

And, of course, Merida!

 We saw this group of "low rider" bikers along the route. They had music that trailer being towed by the fellow on the right.

We were able to rent some bikes that I would characterize as "usable, no brakes" Who needs brakes?

The route was along Paseo de Montejo, which has some great houses on it:

I won't go into the history of Merida (you can do that yourself) except to say that Sisal was the basis for the fortune of Merida. It has been said that around the turn of the 20th century, because of sisal, Merida had more millionaires than any other city. Of course, I have heard this said of Neenah, Wisconsin, Nederland, Colorado, and Waco, Texas as well. So I would say that that with a grain of Celestun salt.

That top mansion now houses the archaeological museum. It has some cool stuff:

You'll notice she is watering the corn with her tears.

 All these guys are trying to get into heaven. Note the wings on some!

This is a roulette wheel using different types of pots as the icons! Wow.

 Second from the left is Zapata (Tierra y Liberdad!) and the third from the left is Pancho Villa

Chickens are my familiar.

 Look at that guy riding a chicken!

The Trojan Horse!

I'll do a different post on the Governor's Mansion by and by. 

Ku'uk. Eating Modernist in Merida

A number of our friends said that we had to eat at Ku'uk, a restaurant in Merida with a "Modernist" take on Yucateco food.

So we did.

Here is what we had:

Chicxulub: Ginko, Pollen, Nopal, Smelt, Seaweed Fossil on a meteorite. The meteorite is, of course, meant to represent the Chicxulub impact that hit the Yucatan 66 million years ago - some say causing the extinction of the dinosaurs. 

 Here is another view. You can see the fish as well as the grain of the polished meteorite.

K'uum To'obil Chay: Pumpkin seed tamale, chaya leaf, tomato sauce, avocado, fennel

"Cloudy" Mayan Jungle: Green salad with butter, sour orange, chili ashes, cashews. It is a little hard to see, but there is smoke inside the bell jar.

 A view without the glass. All the food was very good looking!

 Tomato: In a veil and distilled pibinal corn potato

 Mayan Octopus: Black chili ashes, "skin", olives and freeze dried tomato, burnt habanero, grilled onion foam. The octopus was so black it was hard to photograph.

 Sacred Natural Well: White fish in "natural well" clarified chlorophyll juice, white cucumber, citrics, clovers, and offering to the Mayan gods (gilded pea). Before the broth

 Sacred Natural Well: White fish in "natural well" clarified chlorophyll juice, white cucumber, citrics, clovers, and offering to the Mayan gods (gilded pea). After the broth.

 Turkey "Marquesita": Yucatan Street Snack with anatto. Free range turkey and suckling pig chorizo, corn, fava bean mousse, charred leek, green salt

 Pib Bread: Underground Mayan style cooked with cochinita oils and anatto, orange leaf, sour orange butter and chaya.

 Castakan: Creole suckling pig with avocado, salipcon salad, beans, wormseed.

 Palate cleanser. Cold snack of seasonal fruits.

 Sweet Nopal: Freeze dried nopal leaf, peppermint and sourmilk ice cream, lemon and habanero flowers with nopal "soil"

 Honeycomb. Meliponin stingless bean honey biscuit, passion fruit and pollen cream, dehydrated mushroom impregnated with Dzidzilche honey, fiber, and soft rice with Balchee (mayan fermented honey)

 Cocoa Chip. Burnt tortilla ice cream and freeze dried Papantla'ss vanilla "flan" custard

Treats. Chocolates, Alfajores, Cookies, Empanadas with dulce de Leche.

It was a good meal. The wines we had were all Mexican with the exception of one from Argentina.

Go there if you get to Merida.