Paris Favorites

Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Our time in Paris couldn't have been better. During our 8-day stay Andrew navigated the Metro like a pro and we walked our legs off from morning 'til night! We found Paris an exciting and vibrant city. Among our favorites: The Canal Walk in Saint Martin, Montmartre and the artists on Place du Tertre, colorful street markets, and the wonderful mix of cultures.  Sidewalk cafes, fresh croissants and baguettes, cheese and specialty food shops, shady parks filled with flowering plants and trees, and friendly faces gave us good reason to want to return to Paris another day.  

The last time I visited Paris it was very cold and rained for 14 days and nights (remember Paris in 2000 Nancy & Bob?) .   Andrew's last memory of Paris was in 1970 when he camped in Bois de Boulogne traveling by motorcycle! HA! Perhaps we shouldn't wait that long for a return visit.
Surely we'll be dead by then! 

*Memorable Paris Moments:

*Traffic came to a stand still as we approached central Paris. Aggressive window washers in the street began squirting liquid on Nigel's car windshield even when told, "NO". One washer took hold of a wiper blade and started bending it with intent to do irreparable damage. That's when Nigel yelled out in no uncertain terms to "BUG OFF". He tossed a couple of coins out the window. The washer objected that it wasn't enough! Good Grief! Fortunately the traffic started moving again.

*Parisian music from nearby restaurants drifted up through our opened balcony windows. Sooo romantic! 
 
*Morning light at 4:30 a.m. caused eyelids to flip open...There was enough light for Andrew to brew a pot of fresh coffee! Sunset was around 10 p .m. but still light enough to fool us into thinking it was too early for bedtime. No wonder we wandered around bleary-eyed for days.  

*The incomprehensible all-in-one washer/dryer machine with instruction manual written only in French (of course) frustrated us to no end. Andrew found the manual for that particular model online in English, which proved to be equally incomprehensible. As a result, my black crop pants are now sized perfectly for a Barbie doll.

*It was a disastrous day when we found out the boulangerie 1/2 block away was closed on Mondays! We had to walk another 1/2 block to the next one!

*Padlocks which "sweethearts" lock to a bridge, fence, gate, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love were found all over Paris! Typically the sweethearts' names or initials are inscribed on the padlock, and its key is thrown away to symbolize unbreakable love.  

Please click link for the entire photo album:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104590044281989964656/albums/6028231497256343601?banner=pwa&authkey=CK-Z68LT9p3Y_AE
 
   

 
 

 

  

 


 

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