Reflections upon entering Paris.

Boy oh boy has the last week been eventful.  So many places to go, people to visit and things to do. By the time we got to Paris we'd seen vast stretches of the Normandy Coast and Loire Valley.  It might seem like a “drive by” but we really enjoyed everything along the way.  Among things not already mentioned were Mont Saint Michel (see picture of our patio), the city of Amboise (including the home where DeVinci lived his last years) chateaus (including Chenonceau and Chambord) and a brief stop in Orleans. (Having grown up in New Orleans, I especially enjoyed this.)  As always, when seeing such historic sites, one can’t help but compare and contrast to current times and one’s own culture.  The scale and artistic nature of the architecture is something to behold.  It is common for churches, castles and chateaus to take centuries to build and always on the backs of the poor. Without the blood, sweat and tears of people with “no standing”, none of the great architectural feats would have been possible.  It is no wonder that revolutions and uprisings occur - not just in France or Europe, but around the world.  


Upon arriving in Paris, we turned in our car, got on a subway and headed to our hotel.  Unfortunately, we got off at the wrong station and had to walk (a lot) longer than expected to get there.  It was the end of a long day and so our mood was almost as dark as the rainy, night sky.  Almost - but not quite.  How dark can your mood be on a trip like this?  I mean, even dragging our baggage, how bad can it be to walk a little further in a beautiful city like Paris?  Not bad at all we decided.








Now that we're in Paris, we're ready to hunker down for a while.  We have a lot on our “wish list” but really want to get a sense of the place and the people.  Vicki chose an excellent place for us to call home for five nights.  We are staying at a small local hotel (Hotel Champs du Mar) in the Rue Cler district - near the Eiffel Tower.  We are able to walk, catch a train or catch bus to every place we want to go.  If we get lost, it’s not a problem - just another chance to see something new.