Jardin Flowers

The Luxembourg Garden was a delight every day that I visited. Today I went to say "Au revoir" to one of my favorite little Paris parks. There were people sun bathing, playing checkers, basketball, Petanque, cards, tennis & strolling. The children were sailing boats, taking pony rides and playing together. But mostly everyone was talking. The French seem to have so much to talk about.... Maybe because of their cafe's which by their very nature encourage talking. Or maybe it's the lack of interest in electronic devices. I don't really know but it's nice to be around that kind of energy!

Au revoir Par-ee!

Runway Fashion

Next year baby! We will be decked out in our stripped mini dress, mid sized sac and Converse tennies!

Ponies...

This is what happens when nature calls and you are walking behind a pony!

Dessert

Today you must be drooling over these little macrons and berries! Went to Les Deux Magots for dinner tonight but by the time it was our turn for dessert, all of these little beauties were taken!

Bicycles

Chic Parisians dress well when riding their velo's and never under any circumstances do they wear a helmet as that just might upset their hairdo.

The Gendarme

Those whistles come out if you just try to move a chair or step on the grass. Both big No-no's in Paris!

Flowers of the Day

Good morning! Waking you up with some beautiful Apricot Peonies that the morning sun was just enjoying....ahhhh....just lovely...sigh....


"The bee emerging from deep within the peony departs reluctantly" -- Basho, Matsuo

Poilane Bread

Did you know that you can have the very famous Poilane Bread delivered to your doorstep within 24 hours? Only a small delivery charge (tee hee hee)....



“If a man finds himself with bread in both hands, he should exchange one loaf for some flowers of the narcissus, because the loaf feeds the body, but the the flowers feed the soul”
-- Muhammad

Cheese on a stick

Cheese from a tiny producer in the Ardèche, Sarment d'Amour has the shape of a cork, with a vine shoot in the middle. Can't wait to make these little beauties at home!

"Un repas sans fromage comme un journée sans soleil." – French proverb
(Translation – Any meal without cheese in it is like a day without the sun in it.)

Cafe de Flore

There are lots of cafe's in Paris but a couple of my favorites for both photos and people watching are Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots! They are both on the Left Bank of the Seine.



"It is a good thing that life is not as serious as it seems to a waiter."
--Don Herold

Melon & Prosciutto

We had the best tasting melon today for lunch at Cinq Mars near the d'Orsay! Mmmm...are you drooling yet?

"Men and Melons are hard to know."--Benjamin Franklin

Tour Eiffel

And I could not leave Paris with out a Parting shot of the Eiffel Tower which has been my guide many a time. When I am disoriented on Parisian streets and I've left my map back at the hotel all I need to do is look up!

Musee Rodin

There was a very cute little boy at the Musee Rodin yesterday. So put the face above with a sweet little British accent and you've got "Ma-Ma, come see what big "feet" he has!"


"Man's naked form belongs to no particular moment in history; it is eternal, and can be looked upon with joy by the people of all ages." --Auguste Rodin

l'Escargot

My friend Sydney was brave and had the escargot two nights ago. I have seen photos of this sign before and I was determined to find it today. This is about as close as I got to eating a snail (at least this trip)!



“Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.”
 --Ivan Turgenev

Easter Windows

All of the chocolatiers are gearing up for Easter here in Paris. There are chocolate shops on most street corners and many times there will be lines out the door. It is made with care and presented beautifully.


"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."
--Charles M. Schulz

And in the Name of Fashion

Paris fashion is going to hurt some feet but I guess you'll look good in the process!

"I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch".  - Gilda Radner

Good Morning

Nice to wake up to beautiful Parrot Tulips!

Paris - Day 13

I've been thinking and thinking and wondering if you can figure out where I went today?

Pont Alexandre III

After Rodin, I walked across this simple little bridge to the Petite Palace which has free admission and is very quiet & relaxing.

Impressionist Show

This morning I walked over to Hotel d'Ville to see the Impressionist Show. After standing in line for an hour, I went through security and it was blissful inside. Not too many people are let in at a time so you get to spend time up close & personal with each painting. And it was free!



"The job of the impressionist painter is to say just enough without forcing the story on the viewer... detail kills imagination."--Colley Whisson

Notre Dame

And I lost my head at Notre Dame......
What was I thinking with the long lines today? Must be Spring Break!


"For though he was gentle and kind, it was Quasimodo's crime to have been born hideously deformed. But one day his heart would prove to be a thing of rare beauty. She was Esmerelda. The victim of a coward's jealous rage, she is unjustly convicted of a crime she didn't commit. Her sentence is death by hanging. Only one man can save her--Quasimodo"--From The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

For the Birds

Several people were feeding birds in the park next to Notre Dame. It was fun to see the delight on people's faces in anticipation of the birds landing.


     
“I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.”
-- Henry David Thoreau

White tulips

Just a window that I could not resist.......

The butterfly is a flying flower,
The flower a tethered butterfly.
~Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

Trains & such

11 - Monday
TGV to Tours for a tour of the Loire Valley
#1- no taxi from hotel
- run (yes - RUN) to Metro
- run (yes -Really Run) to TGV. Can't find train. 

- no one in 3 different "info" booths
- get on 1st car of train just seconds before it leaves
- try to walk thru moving cars to Voiture #19 
- it's 102 degrees inside
- we are all stripping & dripping
- cars end at Voiture #11 and no way thru
- nice man tells us that TGV made a mistake & no more cars were added
- nice lady tells us to go sit in the dining car & have a drink
- TGV ticket man says it will only be 15 min. until the next stop and then we can get off and then onto the correct car
- we are hot & tired so we just stand & try to balance - gracefully
- we heard the conductor wrong & what he really said was 50 min. which turned into  60-70 min
- Jackie felt sick because she was riding backwards
- arrive in St. Pierre where car is reserved at Avis but our ticket has a connecting train to Tours. Oops!
- opt to stay in St. Pierre & get car because we just can't bear to get on the train again

- find Avis office - No English but lots of hand gestures, bad French & smiles
- Car is a stick shift and I haven't done that in 30 years
- figure it will come back to me just like riding a bicycle
- all is well at Villandry
- lunch gulped down at  because we are on a schedule
- trip to Chenonceau had a detour because of a overturned semi-truck (not on our map)
- trip back from Chenonceau has a blocked road due to construction

- Jackie asks construction crew when we can get through

- he says we should be on the other side of the river...somehow Jackie understood his hand gestures
- no time to fill car with diesel 
- return car to Avis Gare St. Pierre
- lie about gas as we really didn't use that much
- take taxi to Tours where our TGV train leaves for our return to Paris
- now sitting in station @ St. Pierre
- were we not just here?

Chanonceau

I poured over my photos of Chanonceau when we arrived back in Paris tonight and I couldn't find one that describes the incredible beauty of this chateau. So I settled on a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the chateau. What can I say, but I hope you will get to experience it for yourself someday soon!

Mustard

The mustard is in full bloom and there are thousands of acres just south of Paris. Kind of blurry because I was taking my photos while speeding through the countryside on the TGV.

Market Day

Sunday is Le Marche Biologique (organic market) on Boulevard Raspail. It is a feast for the eyes and the senses! Enjoy!


"The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed, but if underfed, the body cannot endure the spirit" --St. Francis de Sales

Mr. B's favorite

Mr. B. loves the rotisserie chicken dripping it's juice onto the potatoes, then onto the veggies. The scent was fantastic! Wish I had a "scratch & sniff" for you right now!

Cheese

There was a huge amount of cheese represented at this market as well as big cheese!


"How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?" --Charles De Gaulle

The Flower Lady with Lilac's

I opted to buy an arm full of Lilac's from the corner flower lady for only 5€. Our apartment smells heavenly!

Bee hives

Luxembourg Garden has a lovely little bee keeping area & gives classes as well!


"I used to believe in forever
But forever's too good to be true." --Winnie the Pooh

In Every Group

There's one in every crowd! Can you spot Waldo?


"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
- Marcel Proust

Petanque

There is almost always a friendly game of Petanque going on in the park.

The Red Boat

THE END