Bonjour

This year I turned 60 ... I really wanted to do something special to celebrate.  I mean 60 is a major milestone, don't you think?  So I talked to my best friend Lisa about going to Paris with me.  I've wanted to go to Paris for years and since we both turned 60 this year it just felt right.  Terry was very ok about me going to Paris without him, this time.  He knows the bond Lisa and I have and understood why we wanted to celebrate together.  Lisa's husband wasn't quite that gracious *smile*.

So last Saturday morning we set out on an adventure I will never forget ... and plan to do again!  Unfortunately American Airlines didn't have champagne ... but we made do with vodka for screwdrivers, courtesy of our stewardess when she learned we going to Paris for the very first time.

We were really pleased with the hotel we picked ... just a little 80 room hole in the wall ... the beds were comfy, the staff was so very nice and the location turned out to be fairly centralized for getting around.

 This cafe was across the street from the hotel ... The morning we arrived, after checking our luggage in, we decided to have some breakfast and get familiar with city maps.  The next day we started our day here and they remembered us ... they didn't speak very much English and we didn't speak very much French, but it all worked out ... we enjoyed a few meals there ...

The rest of the first day was spent walking around and getting familiar with the streets of Paris.  Not many pictures because my camera was in the suitcase and my phone had died :(

Monday we purchased a 2 day pass on L'OpenTour buses.  Great way to get around Paris, you can get off anywhere and pick up another bus from most anywhere.  We started our sightseeing at Sacre' Coeur.  OMGosh was a lovely lovely church.  It's not one of the oldest churches in Paris, built around 1912 and has the most incredible views of all Paris.

This gentleman was playing his harp on the stairs ... just a nice sound ...

 

There were many fountains and sculptures around the church ... The bird sitting on his head gave us quite a giggle ...

The birds really enjoyed the fountains ...

Later that evening we went to a wine/champagne tasting at O Chateau.  We had so much fun and learned quite a bit, especially about champagne.  Our Sommelier (like how I use those big official words?  lol), Nickolaus, was informative and funny.  Joining us in the tasting was two women from New Jersey, two women from Denmark, a couple from Zimbabwe and a young woman traveling by herself from Cairo.  I think this was one of the things I enjoyed most about the trip ... all the different and interesting people we ran into. 

And on the way back to our hotel ... dessert called to us ... omgosh it was good!

Walking back to our hotel we passed a shop that looked like a dry cleaner.  In the front window were these incredible old sewing machine ... there must have been 12 or 15 of them.  Because of the glare I could only get pictures of a few of them ... love love love!

Day One and Two done ... of course these are only some of the highlights ... many more pictures to come ... if you can stand it *smile*

Bonsoir

I'm grateful for travel ...