Paris in the Fall

Yes, I know. It has been a long time since the last post, and a lot has happened since then. Relatives have come and gone, school has started, work has picked up, the weather has changed (so has the time), we went to Paris, ... huh?

Now before you get your shorts in a wad over “you went to PARIS???!!??” please remember that it is part of Paul’s job to see what is happening in our neck of the woods (the greater Western Europe community), take photos and video, and record what we see - media-wise. Yes, working as a media specialist for an international company does have it’s benes.

So while the kids had a Fall break (Herbstferien - Herbst is ‘Fall’, ferien is ‘vacation’), we took the opportunity to go visit some friends in Paris. Our trip was tres bon, as we passed many lovely old chateaus on the way - below is a quick pic of the Chateau Chateauneuf, north of Beaune. We did not stop by on this trip, but it looks like it would be worth the visit ...



Arriving in Massy, on the outskirts of Paris, we visited with friends, then decided to go into the city for dinner. Our train ride brought us to the Notre Dame station, and upon exiting the Metro we we greeted with the following view ...



Dinner was very French, except that we had dinner around 5:30 or 6:00 ... the locals started coming in around 7 or 8. Wils and I had galettes, his with sausage and mine with sausage, mushrooms, garlic and a whole ton of cheese melted on top. Madge ordered the fish - deLISH! Stryker-Ann and Vaden opted for the cheese fondue, and as you can see, it was tasty and fun! ...



The next day, after a breakfast of croissants and pain au chocolat, we took in the more touristy places of Paris (the ones that everyone has to see) ...







Leaving our gracious hosts to complete a driving test (which is a pretty big deal in Paris) we headed into the city on day three to visit another friend who is studying at the Sorbonne (how cool is that?). She has a wonderful apartment near some lovely shops and markets on the southwest side of Paris. ...







It was great to just get out in the city and see the sights. The Basilica of the Sacré Couer in the northern part of Paris was very impressive. This was one of the churches that was obviously not bombed out during the Second World War ... not that the attempt was not made (according to a display inside, 10 bombs fell in very close proximity, but none hit the target - kinda makes ya think, ya know?) ...



Lunch at a little Italian café was followed by a stroll through an art market where everything from landscapes to caricatures could be had (and of course, a delightful Parisian singing to a hurdy-gurdy) ...





Paris is not a place to be seen in a hurry, and we must make another trip back to take in the museums and gardens, but this was a great introduction to the city.

Of course - we were glad to get back to the cats ...



oh, sorry, these cats ...