Major Change of Scenery

We left our villa Saturday morning in quite a rush. There’s always more to do than one thinks…plus we lingered the night before looking at the stars and then for a bit in the morning just enjoying the quiet beauty. I would recommend that villa to anyone visiting Provence. It was perfect.

This was our favorite spot…off on a side porch with a beautiful view of the garden and pool. We miss it most.

But, it was time to move onward to Paris. Betsy was a little skeptical about the train ride from Avignon to Paris, but it turned out great…she slept most of the way.

Our apartment in Paris is so beautiful…it’s small, very little storage space, but it’s comfortable and modern. So different from the Villa, but that’s okay…it is the perfect Paris apartment, complete with a balcony that lets us look at the rooftops around us, into some of the windows and down on the street of Rue Cler, which is a pedestrian street filled with markets and cafes.

 Looking in at night from the balconoy.

 Our dining area and below, our den

Here are views from our balcony

We did very little on Saturday after arrival. We went to the market to buy a few essentials, and bought some take away food, as they call it here, and enjoyed that on our balcony and then went to bed early. It was a travel day, so it was a relaxed evening. We did, of course manage to have a drink nearby. I had a French 75, a Champagne and gin concoction that tastes delicious. Betsy had a vodka/soda, which is bit sad for her. Not being able to drink wine, particularly on this trip, feels unfair, but she doesn’t complain about it. This is a celebration of her healing and she truly is celebrating that. We both are. The beauty of Provence and now the magic of Paris make for the perfect celebration.

But Sunday was a completely different story. We were up early having breakfast on the balcony and then off on a Rick Steves Historic Paris self-guided walk. It begins at Notre Dame, but that is at least an hour’s walk from where we are, so we did lots of sightseeing along the way to the point that we started sightseeing. That’s how it is in Paris…something to marvel at on every corner and along every street.

And of course, there’s nothing better to marvel at then the Eiffel Tower. We made that our first goal.

The weather is stunning, perfect to walk and explore. We didn’t go up into the tower this trip. We did that 15 years ago with Bonnie and David when we visited France. However, we would have scheduled a dinner at one of the restaurants in the tower, if I had thought of it earlier. It’s all booked for the time we are here.

Instead, we’ll be dining on a cruise of the Seine Wednesday night before we leave Paris on Thursday. We’re very excited about that experience.

After we left the Eiffel Tower, we headed to begin the Historic Paris Walk, which began at Notre Dame. It was Sunday, so there was a church service and that made it all the more amazing. We listened to the choir in that magnificent cathedral and also the pipe organ. Visitors like us were quiet and reverent so as no to disturb the people attending the service.

 We’re not the best at selfies.

 A view of Notre Dame from the Left Bank.

This plaque is in the plaza in front of Notre Dame and is considered to be the very center of France.

Sainte-Chapelle is another beautiful church in Paris. Being inside feels like entering a Faberge egg. The stained glass is breathtaking and every panel tells a story from the Bible, in vivid detail. The gilded box at the top of the arch once held the supposedly actual Crown of Thorns, purchased by King Louis IV for the equivalent of $500 million. It was accessed only by him and the priest by the small spiral staircase. Today, it is housed at the Notre Dame Treasury.

Here are some scenes from our walking tour…and from our walking to begin the tour.

 Betsy attempts a selfie

 Betsy prissing through Paris

 Quite the entrance to a bridge

 The Latin Quarter

 Book sellers, and other vendors, on the Left Bank. These stalls are highly coveted with waiting lists for years when someone gives one up.

 An arbutus tree, the oldest tree in Paris, believed to have been planted in 1601. It now needs assistance to stay up.

 Plein air painters in Place Dauphine

 The Seine…we’ll be cruising that soon.

 Shakespeare and Company has a long history supporting literary artists dating back to Hemingway and Gertrude Stein. It is perhaps the most famous bookstore in the world. The business has changed hands over the years, but they still support struggling writers by providing low rent apartments overhead. And they attract authors like Zadie Smith and David Eggers for readings of their works.

 There’s a “cafe life” here unlike any we’ve seen in any of our travels. Paris streets sound like spoons stirring coffee, forks moving on plates and glasses clinking together as toasts are made…all punctuated by talking and laughter. It really is so inviting. Nothing is more fun than sitting at a cafe with the chairs pointed toward the street and watching the people go by.

And finally, lunch…there had to be lunch.

 Betsy had boeuf bourguignon and potatoes gratin

 I had the grilled sea bass…not sure why it was served with mashed potatoes, but I went with it. The fish was great.

 We ate at the little cafe on the left with bike in front of it.

This is view down the tables when we sat down…within a few minutes most were filled.