Did not take too many photos today as I spent most of the day at the Louvre. Though photos are allowed, somehow I did not feel the need or want the distraction of running about with my camera.

The museum was immensly crowded, especially around the star attraction; the Mona Lisa. The crowd was intense next to this small painting, with hundreds pressing in on each other to get close. Everyone seemed to have a camera or cell phone stuck out like an appendage, leading me further to disdain my own camera.

I would stnad in front of a painting, and people would thrust a camera directly in front of my eyes to snap a picture of what I was looking at, and then scurry off to the next painting. A feeding frenzy of the visual. No one seemed to be looking at the art works.

Anyway, once the Mona Lisa was behind me, I was able to spend the rest of the day enjoying the acres of artworks the Louvre had to offer.

enchanteur!

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The great thing about traveling the way we do is mixing the monumental with the intimate. Though I love seeing the great sights of the great cities, it the local color that seems to be the thing I remember the most. Shopping for dinner in the street market, and talking to the vendors is alsways some of the best times. But of course, the Champs-Élysées is pretty memorable too.

Oh, and we went to the Picasso Museum too, which was partly closed due to a strike. ç’est la vie

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Went to the first official visit to a museum since our arrival, hard to believe but true. Visited the Musée National d’Art Moderne, which is nearby. Also visited the MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIE. Walked around Paris, ate good food, and generally enjoyed ourselves.

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I noticed this map that iphoto thoughtfully provides. It lets you get an idea of where we have been so far. Kinda fun thing. The numbers indicate how many photos were taken from that spot.

The 1st full day here was spent wandering around and getting aquainted with the immediate neighborhood. L. and I went for a stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries. It was a beautiful sunny day, so there were lots of people out. Had good food, found grocery stores, and recovered. The next day (I’m a bit behind) we went on a river cruise on the Seine. I have a nice little video of the boat cruising past the Eiffel Tower, but so far cannot download it.

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Today marks 3 days until I leave. I must admit to a mild case of panic. I feel ike I have a lot to do, and I am running out of time in which to do it. Merde dure…gotta go anyway, done or not. I long to be gone so I can stop worrying about going. I imagine I will get on a
plane and leave all my worries behind. I dont know why I believe that, it’s never happend before. I’ll just find something else to fret about.

c'est la vie 

After much reasearch, false starts, general hand wringing and hair pulling I finally found a place for us to stay in Paris: Google Maps

Like most Paris apartments, it is small, but in what promises to be a great part of town. Just a few blocks from The Louvre and also the river, it is on the 5th floor of a 19th century bulding. There are a lot of cool little cafes nearby.

There has been some talk of a rail strike in Paris this summer, so I wanted to make sure that things were within reasonable walking distance from the apartment, just in case.This is our street, the entrace to the apartment is behind the green door.

So now comes the time and place in the ongoing travels of your intrepid pair, 2018 is a significant year, in that L is turning 60 and we have been together for 20 years.

comment est-ce arrivé?

So I asked my lovely bride, where should we go for such a momentous occasion. It did not take her long to chose Paris as our destination for the summer. I started out with my usual verve and tenacity and found us transportation and lodging. The rest is yet to come, but we both enjoy the prospects of discovery when it comes to such things

The decision was made to reside in Paris for 4 weeks, a first for the dynamic duo, to stay in one place for such a length of time. We will learn to be Parisian. We will become part of the fabric of one of the great cities of the world. Perhaps this is the beginning of a larger project, perhaps not. Either way; we learn, we progress, we enjoy.

I hope you enjoy also, coming along with us, as our companions as we see and hear, smell and taste. What does this latest adventure has in store of all of us?

et ainsi nous commençons