eternal recurrence! (google that!)

Back home from Paris. We put away our lofty Riedel glassware, bought rustic (and much cheaper) cups/decanter, Camembert cheese and a bottle of Cabernet Franc from the Loire.... et voila!... Parisian cafes are a welcome eternal recurrence!

Arizona Textures

Paris je t'aime!

The Louvre! What can I say... center of the universe? If survival is about the fittest, the Louvre is about the finest!

Versailles... such extravagance sorrounded by such misery; no wonder they were decapitated!

Us in Paris: cheese, bread and wine...just happy to exist!

Notre Dame: the church certainly didn't keep its vows of poverty!

 Les Champs Elysees (the Elysian fields): a rightful name/place to honor our departed war heroes.

The bullet train to Champagne was (as the name implies) fast, convenient and inexpensive (compared to taking a bus tour). It was an experience in itself!

 Champagne, champagne, champagne...miles of it! Of note, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in Reims (where it is produced) is 35 Euros; the same bottle at Costco...$35! Taste it there, buy it here!

Notre Dame Cathedral of Reims: for centuries, kings were coronated here and champagne flowed freely to celebrate; good marketing ploy....kudos!

Venus de Milo at the Louvre...sublime!

 Practice your French before you go: I ordered "un Merlot" and got "un verre de l'eau!"

Winged Victory of Samothrace: Nike irradiates victory!

Versailles...once again, no wonder the guillotine!

Smart cars...smart drivers!

Paris, November 2011

Fall in Paris truely a breathtaking experience.  On a misty November evening the venture started by walking from our charming hotel on la Rue Cler through the Champs de Mars to the Eiffel Tower.  We headed down to the Seine for a river cruise of the historic bridges, palaces, and cathedrals.  The architecure throughout the centuries could be seen at each individual bridge.  From the cafes to the Louvre, Paris has an ineffable "je ne sais quoi"!