The Paris Traveler

Yesterday as I was walking through the Tuilleries, I spied some heavy duty cranes in the distance (the kind you build skyscrapers with).  That seemed odd and out of character for the gardens but much work was being done to get the grounds ready for spring.  As I got closer, more than just cranes appeared….
there was a man in a cherry picker and some knarly looking appendages that he was attaching to some central core.  The scary thing about all of this is that I knew exactly what he was putting together because oddly enough it just happens to be …read more

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Oh, yuck! Not the headline you want to read when you happen to be in a country that has the Euro as its currency.  I have been watching it steadily go up the entire time I’ve been here but try not to think about it too much.  Not being very good in math has helped me stay in denial since I don’t convert things quickly and my credit card has already been swiped by the time I’ve worked the numbers in my head.  Since I am running out of room in my suitcase as well, shopping is officially over. But no …read more

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As much as I love shopping, there are two things I hate having to spend time looking for:  jeans and bras.  As I get older, the body parts that play a pivotal role in these two purchases no longer want to cooperate.  They are beginning to behave like the toddler in a stroller who has had absolutely enough of being good and decides to throw a fit in the middle of the store.  If I could, I would leave them home since they continue to cause me all sorts of trouble.  The good news is I can find some relief …read more

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I thought I had better get this posted for any of you who might be interested in coming to Paris to run!  April 6, 2008 is the 32nd annual Paris Marathon. Starting on the Champs Elysée and finishing up on Avenue Foch, the route takes you west to east and back again.  Whether you really want to run the race or not, you must go to the website and click on the satellite map.  It provides a fantastic  bird’s eye view of the city. I played with it for far too long.   I started following the map from the …read more

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Magnificent, over-the-top gorgeous!  What do you think I am talking about?  It could be a million things the way my mind works but specifically, I am talking about today in Paris.  Sunny, warm, not a cloud in the sky and everyone out and about enjoying every second of it.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     All these people lounging about were actually eating picnic lunches, sleeping in the sun, having birthday parties, kissing to the point of needing to get a room and while they were all doing very different things, they were all doing the same thing……

 spending the afternoon at the foot of …read more

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Île Saint-Louis is an oasis in the middle, literally, of the hustle and bustle of Paris.  It is one of two natural islands dividing the Seine and is an example of some of the first attempts at urban planning as it was mapped out from end to end which is apparent when you see it.  Compared to the maze of twists and turns that exists both in the Latin Quarter and the St Germain area, this is sanity. This street is rue de Saint-Louis-en-Île, covering the island from end to end and is filled with shops, restaurants, small hotels and the …read more

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I had another whirlwind day.  Since I can officially say that I know the city like the back of my hand, I am able to cover significant ground in very little time.  I even surprised myself a little bit with how much I did and saw.   The day started here, at Place Colette in the 1er arrondissement.  Metro Palais Royale/Musée de Louvre will get you there.  It is one of those places that should be on everyone’s Paris “to do” list and isn’t.  It’s named after Colette, the French novelist who wrote “Gigi” which eventually became the movie starring Leslie …read more

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One doesn’t need an alarm clock to be woken up and told what time it is.  The walls are thin in my apartment and I can hear pretty much everything going on around me whether I want to or not.  Showers being taken, little kids whining about having to move quicker to get out the door for school–life as it is being lived here in Paris.   You wouldn’t necessarily hear all this if you were staying in a hotel which for some of you would be a plus and some, not so much.  The sounds of this morning included …read more

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Yesterday at 5:15pm, I parked my tired body at Café Mabillon and indulged in a nice glass of Chardonnay and the little dish of peanuts and olives that you see here.  Those little goodies are pretty much standard when you order an apéritif.  For 5.oo€ that’s a good deal.  It could almost be dinner for me!   This café is on rue St-Germain-des-Pres, not too far from its famous neighbor, Deux Magots.  I have found that the waiters at the latter can have some serious attitude issues and there are days when I really am not willing to deal with …read more

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Today was another jam packed day that has left every muscle in my body sore.  That sounds bad but really it is all about having walked the entire city because, #1.  I can and #2. it was an absolutely gorgeous day again that everyone took advantage of.  Rain is in the forecast tomorrow and we go back to having typical Paris weather.
 As I was strolling along the Champs Elysée (I LOVE being able to say that!) I came across some things that you men out there might be interested in.  This is not to say that women, you can’t enjoy these …read more

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