Paris, June 1999
Fred had planned a trip to Paris because of Sasha's school project on the French Revolution, and it was agreed that we would join them.
Thursday, 29 July 1999
We said goodbye to Dorothy, our temporary night nanny (Georgia being only 4 months old by then), and then to Paris from Waterloo via Eurostar - tourist class and very cramped, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Ugly American College Girls Convention, together with noisy French schoolkids. Arrive at Gare du Nord to huge queues for taxis - we jump in halfway along and get a ride with a tough-looking Algerian girl, skinny in black leather trousers - when we say "the Ritz", she eyes us with mild diselief but drives us there rapidly.
Arrive at the Ritz and are shown to Suite 256-257 which is very pleasant: bedroom, sitting-room, two bathrooms and a walk-in dressing-room (bigger in total than my flat at Hillfield Court) - champagne on ice - settle in - Georgia very cheerful and happy, cooing and chortling.
We see Fred and Co., have tea in the garden of the hotel and then go for a walk round the Place Vendome - "Repossessi" shop (?) - Mikihouse - Chanel - then back to the Ritz where we are stopped by security guards as plainly too scruffy and ordinary to have any business in their deluxe pad.
Dinner with Fred, then sleep. Georgia, excited by the day's events, goes right through the night until 8am (with a small stirring at about 4am or so).
Amusing prices at the Ritz (Remember: 10 francs is roughly £1)
- Continental breakfast for one: £19
- Plain omelette: £8
- Tomato juice: £5.50
- Fruit salad: £12
- 1 portion French beans: £13
- Spaghetti bolognese: £21
- Chicken curry: £24
- Creme brulee: £10,
- La Ina sherry - one glass: £9.50
- Gin - one glass: £11.50
- Absolut Vodka - one bottle: £150 (yes, £1-5-0)
- Perrier - one can: £5
- Heineken - one can, small: £6.50
- Claret - half-bottle: £26.50
No wonder Mr Fayed is happy.
Friday, 30 July 1999
Sumptuous breakfast (see prices above - it bloody well ought to have been!) - coffee, muesli, brioches, fruit salad, bacon and scrambled egg.
We trundle en masse (there are about 15 of us in all) over to Notre Dame, which is almost entirely covered in scaffolding. Gia's then husband, Rick Lipton, turned up from London (largely for visa purposes). Odile, the halitosis-ridden guide, trooped us round Notre Dame - beautiful main window - thousands of tourists - outside, boys playing percussion wooden planks - across the river, the former church of St Julien, now owned apparently by a Greek cult.
Then on to Place Stravinsky at Beaubourg - the Tinguely fountain - a Delaunay exhibition to see later (never did, sadly) - an indifferent luunch overlooking the fountain/pool, enlivened by Algerian boys playing jazz guitar and harmonica - arty souvenir shop, groovy bottles for Georgia, then Fred and Co. head for the Louvre while we go across town to the 16th arrondissment for clothes for Georgia. Later, supper with Fred and family in his suite and sleep.
(there should be more but I haven't written it yet)...