Bonjour, Encore, Notre Cher Paris

What a change we encountered after landing in our dear Paris from Kuala Lumpur on March 29th.  All of a sudden, the food was familiar, the language was one we had spoken and could understand.  The first stop was a Brioche Dorée, where we got good espresso, a chocolate muffin, another type of pastry, a chocolat chaud, and a  French brioche!!!  The city is full of great friends of ours from our many visits, and it has resources right around the corner - a Presse where Shirl could ger daily fix - the International Herald Tribune, and a great hair salon, St. Ange, where Shirl could get her hair done - Yeah, Dominique!  The thirteen days we spent there were fabulous and full - it felt like a full-body immersion in culture; old, classical architecture; and our "home away from home."

First of all in a wonderful apartment in the Ninth Arrondisssement with a real dining room,

a huge cozy bedroom that could be completely darkened for sleeping late,

a real washer *and dryer* (WOWIE),

great places in the living room and office to relax and to work,

and the sweet welcoming breakfast already in the apartment for us to eat after we slept off a 13 1/2 hour flight from Kuala Lumpur!

This time, on our visit, we saw lots of art - the Helmut Newton photographic exhibit at the Grand Palais - Life size nudes!  No photography allowed!  And the Drawing Now at the Carrousel at the Louvre - photography allowed, with works like this one, by Omar Ba,

and spent lots of time with good friends Julie and Fab, learning Julie's special kind of yoga, having brunch, walking the city for hours on end (see photos here), and playing the Transformation Game,

We met new friends like Victoria, who writes a blog called the Franco-American Flophouse (click here to visit the flophouse) and had lots of fun times on art safaris in the neighborhoods (go here for photos), on our first Bateau Mouche boat cruise on the Seine at sunset (go here for photos) and in the great Metro.  All you need is here, the guy and the condoms!  In the subway, with Bob Dylan looking on!

Comments

[Ammi]

Love the photos! The Dylan one is a classic. Life in Portland is good. Election for Mayor coming up. Portland voted #1 for biking. I'm busy with the grandkids and my hands in wool fiber's making things to sell at summer fairs. Love to you both. Happy belated birthday Rowan. Larry is getting married in September.