Fly Away to France with me!

Ah, France. I have been here about ten days and have only a few more to savor all that is delightfully French. Here are a few highlights.

We spent a week dodging bicyclists in Paris… yes, it is a task not taken lightly! In the last few years Paris has tried to eliminate pollution from cars, a very worthy goal, by increasing bike lanes, rental bikes, and bicycling in general. The result so far is a chaos of bicyclists, going every direction in the bike lane, zooming through red lights, narrowly missing pedestrians so that French parents are afraid to send their children walking alone to school. It’s a problem! But somehow we survived. With the help of French food, of course!

We went on a food and wine tour of the Marais and learned that is the word for swamp. Do not drain the Marais, it is lovely now. In this food court we found a socca stand and sampled this crepe-like treat. Sampled cheese and wine, and of course chocolate. I recommend a food tour in an area you don’t know yet. Very fun. Next up, the Dordogne.

As seen in Midnight in Paris

At the Musée d’Orsay. Not as crowded as last year, thank goodness.

Near the Panthéon

Versailles, Fontaine de Neptune

Sightseeing is exhausting! A minute later a lady asked us in German if she could please sit down on the bench. Somehow we communicated!

In the hall of mirrors, Versailles

Nôtre Dame, still under construction from the fire five years ago. NOT scheduled to be completed in time for the Olympics now.

Entrance to the food court in the Marais

Picasso and Gertrude Stein show at Musée du Luxembourg

Here are a few Paris haunts.

A variety of chèvre – fresh goat cheese

Making the socca- very miam miam

View from an evening cruise on the Seine

Tarte de poireaux… a leek tart