Paris in the springtime...

We continue to enjoy any down time that we can get. There are just so many amazing places within driving range. The Easter/Conference weekend presented us with an unusually long extended weekend. Our offices and all local stores were closed Friday through Monday.

It was also our 25th Anniversay so we planned a romantic get away to Paris, Caen and the beaches of Normandy. We'll just cover Paris in this edition of our blog. Inspite of frequent rain showers we had a very memorable and enjoyable trip.

We've arrived in Paris! And this is not our car :) But like other places in Europe there are some pretty tiny cars. They are like toys! Wish we could bring them home for the grandkids to play with them.

Our hotel was quite near the Eiffel Tower. We were able to get to everything we wanted by foot. It's great to notice the details as we walk rather than ride.

True to the reputation of France - lovely, tasty Pasteries were everywhere! And yes, we sampled a few things... OK! Quite a few things.


There are many bridges crossing the Seine. While they are useful for getting around...some are so ornate that they are destinations by them selves.

It must be a law - that every building has huge statuary and ornate architeture! Paris is grand in every way!

Outside the Louvre...rain or shine...we are having a great day in Paris! Don't let long lines influence you here...even on Easter weekkend, they move fast and have many counters for tickets inside.

Inside the Louvre, looking up from under the pyramid.

We think we found the FTD florist logo!

And a lot more.

Gary appears to have either fallen asleep on his feet or - since he is smiling - maybe he is just awed by the size of some of the paintings. How do they move these giant works of art?!

We're getting close to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. She pretty much has her own room, but a large crowd.

And here she is! The Mona Lisa is a "must see" at the Louvre. But bring binoculars and a ladder.
The crowds in "her room" were so congested that you just had to hold the camera over head like at a crowded concert and point and shoot and then blow it up to see if you got her. We're not sure that the famous igmatic smile was worth the crunch of the crowds.

Melody "reflects" on the art at the Louvre.

No, that is not the Arc de Triomphe. But just a portion of the grounds at the Louvre. It was so big. This photo just shows one side of the building and part of the grounds. There are 3 sides to this multi-story building and so much to see that Gary actually laid down on an interior bench :)

The Louvre shows art on a grand scale - inside and out.

The details of each statue are impressive.
Look at the detail on a marble cuff of lace. The joints and lines of the hand.

Along the River Seine there are many used booksellers. Their "stand" looks like a large garbage bin. Many stands had closed early due to the heavy rains.
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We didn't take a crowed cruise but instead walked and walked and walked ... till we saw pretty much all of the sights along the River and plenty more! We've put quite a bit of mileage on our shoes!

The pastry shops went all out for Easter.

We went to the top of Napoleon's Arch of Triumph. It wasn't all that easy to cross the busy street with 12 avenues meeting there.

As you walk around the top you see 12 Avenues that are like spokes on a bike.

We spent our time in the older historic part of Paris. But wow! Paris has quite a skyline of modern businesses - if you get up high enough to see it.

Did we mention that it was Easter? hummmm!
There are no substitutes for the pasteries of France!

The Hotel Invalides is not a hotel! The larger facilities once housed war vetrans to keep them off the streets. Today there is an extensive military museum surrounding the interior courtyard. The lovely, grand domed building at the front is the elaborate burial place of Napoleon.

As we left Paris...we spied "The Thinker" behind the gates of the Rodin Museum. It appears that he has much to think about... after all these years...he's STILL thinking:) And we'll be thinking about the Paris trip for a long time!