John Pitman's Dispatches from Europe

Amsterdam!

I'm happy to be able to report clear blue skies in Amsterdam today, March 11. Here are my wife, Cheryl, and I, along with fellow traveller Pat Pond (in the hat), soaking up some Amsterdam café life.

Some of the highlights of our first day :

A visit to Anne Frank's house and a canal cruise in the shadow of 17th-century buildings, followed by lunch in the Amsterdam Historic Museum. This magnificent museum, once the city orphanage, houses collections of paintings, prints, archeological finds, etc., that show how Amsterdam grew from a small medieval town to a world-class city.

The group is having a wonderful time getting to know each other, and our tour guide is excellent.

More to follow as our adventure continues. . . .

Off to the Concertgebouw

Day two finds us at the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where Rembrandt's "Night Watch" glows with new life after a recent painstaking restoration.

The evening's events include a private meeting with OSO conductor Carlos Kalmar prior to hearing him conduct the Netherlands Philharmonic in concert.

I made my daily telephone report sitting in the sun next to a canal, watching the boats and ducks float by.

Next Stop: Paris!

After a high-speed train trip to Paris from Amsterdam, we checked into the Hotel Burgundy. Relaxing on the balcony of the hotel we could feel all the charms of Paris beckoning below.

Our first day in Paris included a visit to the grand old Paris Opera House (pictured), said to be as beautiful as a palace — and now officially known as the Palais Garnier, after its designer. This was followed by a piano recital at a private residence, arranged especially for the group.

The sunshine continues, and we've found a lot of great hospitality and wonderful people all along the way.

Sights and More!

Yesterday also found us at the 14th arrondisement on the Rue Rome, known for its row of musical instrument shops. In the evening we visited a beautiful apartment to enjoy a private piano recital by Mr. Jean-Bernard Hupmann. It was fun trying our French on the host, a charming woman in Paris musical circles.

The next day, the we set out for Notre Dame de Paris, Sainte Chapelle and other famous sights in the vicinity. Our first dining experience was at Angelina. There we ordered in French and savored some delicious Parisian fare, including Angelina's Chocolat Africains, a close relative to our hot chocolate but ten times better.

More Postcards from Paris

Here's today's picture in front of Notre Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité. We had lunch across the Seine from here, in one of the oldest sections of Paris, at a restaurant called Le Marathon. Ordered (are you ready?) escargots, onion soup, pork and chicken avec frites, mousse au chocolat and tarte tatin (apple pie). Yum!

Say bonjour to everyone at the station for us.  The group is having a wonderful time. Tonight we go the L'Opéra de la Bastille to see the ballet Don Quichotte.

At the Musée du Louvre

John Pitman and the All Classical tour group visited the Louvre, Paris's immense museum with art dating from ancient times to 1914. Taken underneath the building, our travelers were told that the Louvre was originally a medieval castle and that they were walking along the castle's moat.

While at the museum, the group also focused on key works, including the "Winged Victory of Samothrace" (pictured, with Jerry and Suzanne), one of the great surviving masterpieces of the Hellenistic period, and Veronese's "The Wedding at Cana." The climax, of course, was viewing the well-loved Mona Lisa.

Adieu!

Our farewell dinner with the All Classical tour group took place on Tuesday, March 20, at Chez Tante Louise (Aunt Louise's place), a charming restaurant not far from our location, the Hotel Burgundy. Our new friends enjoyed delicious food and excellent service. We toasted our guide, Muguet. Many thanks to her for an excellent job leading us through the streets, museums and shops of Paris.

Some of our group are traveling on to the town of Tours, others will stay in Paris for a few days and a few are headed to London. The rest of us board a plane for Portland.