Claude Monet and Giverny (Day 8)
Today, my last day in Paris I took the "Grande Ligne" (the train) to Giverny where Claude Monet lived, and painted many of his masterpieces. He was also an avid gardener. The gardens he created are filled with hollyhocks, iris's, roses, daisys and many other beautiful flowers. There's also the Japanese water garden with hundreds upon hundreds of water lilies where he painted his Nymphea (Water Lilies) series. I have an even greater appreciation for Monet after seeing the landscape that was his inspiration for painting. It was in Giverny where I had THE BEST dessert I have ever eaten; a warm crepe topped with a scoop of ice cream, topped with warm chocolate sauce, and then topped with three big dollops of Chantilly (whipped cream). I'm planning a little soiree chez moi when I get home and will be serving that for dessert. After the journey from Giverny back to Paris, I dined at my favorite little neighborhood bistro, drank wine with my friend Patricia and reminisced about my week in Paris. What wonderful memories I have of the week I "lived" in Paris in my little pied-a-terre by the Seine. Il etait tres magnifique!

Les Deux Magot, Musee d'Orsay and the Jardin du Luxembourg (Day 7)
Another great day in Paris! I couldn't have come here without hanging out awhile out at Les Deux Magot (pronounced mag-o, "The Two Noblemen"). It's the most famous cafe in the world, made famous by some of the literary greats; Sartre, Beauvoir, Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I sipped on a Coca-Cola, contemplated life and watched the world go by. My afternoon was spent at the Musee d'Orsay with several incredibly talented gentlemen.......Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Van Gogh. There's nothing like an art museum on a beautiful afternoon in Paris. I ended my day at the Luxembourg Gardens, an impressive garden oasis centered around the Luxembourg Palace. It's beautiful and peaceful, and abounds with Parisienne's kicking back and enjoying the scenery. The entire time I was there, I kept thinking, "I can't believe I'm in Paris, smack dab in the middle of the Luxembourg Gardens"!

Le Louvre, Jardin de Tuillerie, and Bon Marche (Day 6)
I can't think of a better way to start the day than at the Louvre. It's just one stop down the river from my apartment via batobus. The building is magnificent, and all the beautiful art and antiquities inside, breathtaking! I can sum it up in just three letters. OMG! After the Louvre I strolled through the Tuillerie Gardens and stopped at a garden cafe named after me, Cafe Diane. I ordered a wonderful salade; jambon, mozzarella, copeaux de parmesan, tomate, huile d'olive et basilic. Tres bon! The afternoon was spent at the church La Madeleine where I enjoyed a beautiful chorale chambre who even sang "Amazing Grace". I finally made it to Bon Marche today. It's a gourmet lover's paradise and is filled with row upon row of biscuits, candy, chocolates, jams, artisan breads and pastas, wine, fresh fruits and vegetables, all artfully displayed. The day ended with a nice tall flute of champagne. A votre sante!

Place de Vosges, Musee Carnavalet, Pompidou Center, L'Eglise St-Eustache and Dinner Chez Patricia (Day 5)
I started my day at the local Sunday market. It is filled with an amazing array of fruits, vegetables, fromage, confiture, bread, fresh fish, chicken and rabbit. I bought a wonderful baguette au olive et lardon. No one makes bread like the French! After the market, I spent the day walking around Paris, taking in all it has to offer. I visited the Place des Vosges, the Pompidou Center, L'Eglise St-Eustache, and the Musee Carnavalet. At the Pompidou Center, I took five escalators to the top of the building to view the city. I could see Sacre Coeur, the Eiffel Tower and Paris's amazing collage of rooftops. At the L'Eglise St-Eustache, there just happened to be an organ concert to enjoy. The day ended with dinner Chez Patricia where we ate salmon au citron et caper, potatoes Daphonois, mixte salade, French radishes avec fleur de sel, and baguette. And for dessert, tart citron. Bon appetit! After dinner we walked down to the Paris-Plage and listened to rock and roll music and watched the swing dancers. Such fun. There's nothing like listening to familiar American music on the banks of the Seine. Paris rocks!

Cruising along the Seine (Day 4)
Today was another day well spent in Paris although I got a late start because of last night's rendevous at the Paris-Plage. I started my day by hopping on the batobus and taking in the sights while cruising down the Seine. Paris life is centered around the Seine, and its banks are lined with some of the most magnificent architecture in the world; the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. I disembarked in the St-Germain-des-Pres; that's where Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Hemingway used to hang out so I figured I would be in pretty good company. I wandered the streets for quite awhile, finally settling in a little street-side cafe where I had a most wonderful lunch; a Tartine chaud Parisienne avec jambon blanc et emmental, and an ice-cold Coca Cola! After lunch I continued to meander through the streets of Paris and eventually made my way home. After a few hours rest, I explored the Ile St. Louis which is just across the river from my apartment. It is a picturesque and elegant residential area and turned out to be a nice place to get caught in the rain sans umbrella! For dinner, I met up with Patricia. We found a wonderful little bistro where we indulged on steaming bowls of French onion soup and listened to jazz playing overhead. Another wonderful day in Paris-dise!

The Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, and the Paris-Plage (Day 3)
Today I rode over to the Tour d'Eiffel via the batobus on the Seine. The structure is impressive with it's complex ironwork pattern and extreme height (1,063 ft). I couldn't stop taking photos of it from the boat. It's breathtaking. From there I went to the Arc de Triomphe and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier buried there under an eternal flame. Stretching for miles below the Arc is the Champs Elysees where I walked and walked and walked. But not without stopping for a big hunk of Camenbert and baguette in a lovely cafe along the way. Later that evening my "tour guide" Patricia and I met at the beach. Well sort of. Every year from mid-July to mid-August sand is deposited on the right bank of the Seine to create a temporary beach. We brought a French picnique with us; brie, baguette, olives, mortadella, fresh tomatoes, radishes, profiteroles and bottles of wine. There's nothing like an evening picnic along the banks of the Seine!

Montmartre (Day 2)
Today I awoke to the sights and sounds of Paris outside my window. I love the sound of city life. On my agenda today, Montmartre. My friend (who has only lived 13 consecutive summers here) Patricia and I went there via the Metro. You just take line 1, then connect with line 2, then line 11, then the funicular up the steep hill and voila! You're there! We strolled the streets lined with artists, then went to Sacre-Coeur a beautiful white church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. It sits majestically on the hillside overlooking Paris. After our day's outing we came back to Paris and dined on Moules frite which is a big pot of mussels and fries. Mine were "Moules curry au Madras" to satisfy the curry lover in me. And what did I do afterwards? In typical Parisian fashion, I strolled the banks of the Seine of course.
Another perfect day in Paris.

Le Premier Jour (Day 1)
Je suis arrive! What a great first day in Paris! I arrived at Charles de Gaulle via Houston and was "at home" by 10 am. I love my little studio! The manager greeted me and thankfully schlepped my luggage upstairs. Did I tell you my apartment is on the 5th floor, sans elevator? But it's only 66 stairs and great exercise. My friend Patricia met me several hours later and off to the SuperMarche we went. We're not talking Fry's. I was in heaven as I gathered up French radishes, melons, tomatoes, brie and fresh eggs. Later on we set off to tour the neighborhood and have dinner. We found a little outdoor bistro where I ordered mussels, Coq au Vin and chocolate mousse. We drank a "pichet" of wine and later on stopped at one of the ubiquitous cafes where we drank more wine and watched the rain fall. I guess I'm off to a pretty good start eating and drinking my way through Paris!

I am renting an apartment in Paris this summer. Yes, Paris! My little studio apartment is located in the 4th arrondissement, an area called Le Marais. It's near Le Louvre and Notre Dame, and is a short walk to the Metro and the Batobus (boatbus) which will be my main source of transportation. And of course I will do a lot of walking. I hope to parle a little Francaise while I'm there, having recently taken a 12 week course to brush up on the French I learned in high-school. On my to-do list: Le Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Notre-Dame, Saint-Chapelle, Montmartre, Le Tour d'Eiffel, Giverny, and a bike tour of Versailles. And I plan on frequenting the food shops such as Fauchon, Le Bon Marche and Mariage Freres. Most importantly, I will be sampling the local Parisian cuisine. On my list of things to eat: Moules Mariniere, Escargot, Coq au Vin, and how do you say "Frog Legs" in French? And I have vowed to eat baguettes and brie and drink champagne every day while I'm there! Come along with me as I blog my way through Paris.
A la prochaine!