Caen - who is going?

[Inne]

well, if you're going to lille, you can get by train to bruges in less than an hour; i'm going on to the next concert at strasbourg, quite a distance from lille, but i discovered a very cheap air france flight from lille to strasbourg (train takes about five hours or so, which is not that long, but the flight is about the same price as i recall)

With the TGV departing at 11.21 in Lille it takes approximately 4 hours to get in Strasbourg. Tickets are available from 22 € on http://www.tgv-europe.com, I think you wouldn't find cheaper. I just haven't decided yet whether I'll stay 2 days in Lille or in Strasbourg. I've never visited one of these cities before, so I have no idea which one's most worth staying an extra day.

[Vicomtesse]

I started a new topic if anyone interested in a lunchtime meet. Normandy niece has been sussing out some restaurants.
Depends how many are interested as to where we'll go.

[gallina]

Dear friends, lifes2short and others,

I wish you a Marry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I'm looking forward to see Leonard again in France, and, if I could, in an other place again!!!!! I love him and I wouldn't stop to seeing him and listening him on the concerts.

I would like to meet fans in Caen and spend some lovely time together. I'll arrive to Caen at the 27th of february (saturday) and I'll leave on the thuesday, just after the concert. It's a very short time, I know but maybe I could visit some nice places.

Sorry about my poor english, I would like to tell more, but I can't...... you can write me messages in italian (as I am a teacher of italian), in french and.......in hungarian as well. It is wery easy!!!! Hahahha

Kisses

[goldstei]

any one have info about the location of the zenith in caen and public transport in the town?

[Kenadian]

any one have info about the location of the zenith in caen and public transport in the town?

Funny you should ask...
http://tinyurl.com/yawcppl

A ($82 CDN) & B ($67 CDN) are Ibis Hotels and C is the venue. A leisurly 30 minute walk.

Cheers,
Ken

[goldstei]

thanks, ken.

anyone know of a website with info on caen public transport?

[StBruno]

Hi Goldstei
Not found aything very useful yet - http://www.twisto.fr run the local buses, but can't make out their site. We're going on foot and trusting in luck - can't be as bad as your recent experiences! Looks like the Zenith is walkable from the centre without going through too many badlands...
hope to see you there,
B

[goldstei]

yes, i suppose if i can get to the Zenith without taking the light rail through southeast L.A. or the tenderloin district of San Fran you're right!

[edlosi]

goldstei,
at which hotel you will stay?

Isolde


BTW last year we were on holiday in St Malo. From there we went to Nantes for the Leonard Cohen concert!
Just realized that you will go to Strasbourg. Maybe there will be a meet-up before the concert.

[Vicomte]

And Nantes was great wasn't it. Although for a while, many of the French themselves were pretty reserved Dubliners, the Nantais are not

From our hotel, we went to the Zenith by tram from close to the old town and then walked through the commercial centre to the concert. Walked back the same way, got on the tram and then at the late hour (after midnight) failed to find a resto that was still serving food. So after much searching (there are many restos in the od town!) we went in to an Irish bar but sadly for us, didn't do meals. So, we bought a bottle of wine, sat down outside with many others, mainly students. then after a few sips...... Vicomtesse spotted a takeaway some way along the cobbled street, off she toodled and mercifully (we were starving by then) she came back with burgers and frites (OK, OK, not exactly Raymond Blanc, or for people who know Saint Malo, Olivier Roellinger) but after a great evening, never was food and wine so welcome, or so perfect.

[edlosi]

Yes, it was great. We had seats in the second row at the right flank of the stage. I remember well when they started playing "The Partisan".
We arrived at our hotel at 2.30 pm and the restaurant was closed. They ordered something to eat from somewhere for us. And in the evening the same problem. The restaurant opened at 7 pm. And we had to pick up our tickets at the box office which opened at 7 pm. We bought some sandwiches and something to drink.

After the concert we wanted to go back by taxi but the mobile doesn't work. And there was no phone at the Zenith! We asked a guardian to call a taxi. But he doesn't speak english. And he called another guardian to help us. Finally a taxi came and took us to the hotel.

Isolde

Wow, you are a fan for really a long time. I heard of Leonard Cohen in the late seventies. But at that time my favourite singer/songwriter was Jacques Brel. "Amsterdam" "Le Moribond" ... . At school we had a lesson called "chanson" and we had to analyse "Amsterdam". And now, since the concert in my hometown Frankfurt in 2008 I'm a fan of Leonard Cohen.

[Vicomte]

It really matters not, who have all of us, has known Leonard Cohen's music the longest.

I happened to be in a friends flat in London sometime around Xmas 1967 when he said he had just been left this album by his ex flat mate and it was called Songs of Leonard Cohen and the song that made me sit up (so to speak) was "Sisters of Mercy". As we had been listening to Iron Butterfly, the contrast was fairly wide but it interested me and has stayed with me that way ever since. Yes I have seen him and played his music for many years but I often meet others who have only just found him and know more about LC, than I probably ever will do.

We would have been just behind you in Nantes, we were late to get our tickets and were 5 rows back to the right. When he sang the Partisan in Barcelona, it was high emotion indeed, probably more than I have seen before, or perhaps it was just the people around us but I think not?

It is wonderful to see so many young people going to the concerts but then, why not, like Jacques Brel the age of his "audience" knows no limits.

Hope to see you in Caen.

[edlosi]

Sorry, but I'm not going to Caen. I'm only going to Strasbourg. Yesterday I just read the posts of the Caen thread and realized that goldstei will go to Strasbourg and that he needs some help with the public transport in Caen. I thought maybe I could help him. That's why I asked where he will stay.

I was talking about "The Partisan" in Nantes.

Isolde

[goldstei]

hi,

yes i will be at strasbourg (and lille) also and look forward to meet-ups.

i'm a best western "frequent stayer" and will stay, most likely, at the caen best western "moderne". the caen public transport website posted earlier actually is quite helpful, but is only in french. if you click on "plan du reseau" (transport network) at the upper left, you will get a map of routes, and then (if you can figure out what's good for you) you can click on specific routes. it doesn't look like any public transport goes directly to the Zenith (which seems weird to me), but some go close, and there are lots of buses & trams from the train station (where presumably many of us will be arriving) throughout the town (which will help get to hotels). leonard's concerts go late, so wouldn't look forward to walking for 1/2 in a town i don't know well. again, it's not a great map but it does help a bit if you have some sense of where things are.

[edlosi]

Hi goldstei,

that was a misunderstanding. I'm not going to Caen. I just thought I could help you with the public transport. But looks like you know now how to get to the Zenith.

BTW I'll try to organize a meet-up in Strasbourg. Do you already know when you will arrive there (day and hour)?

Isolde