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28 Comments

  1. Ellyn
    September 19, 2021 @ 9:10 am

    For giggles, what do you pay to do your own laundry.. I live in a NYC pre-war and cant have a machine, but thankfully we have machines in the basement, Interesting, every apartment I’ve looked at in Paris has had a machine! either a one piece machine ( I dont like that ) or a separate W/D. Your landlady was probably trying to squeeze out extra money with the excuse of covid. But stupid,,, If you are such a repeat renter, she had a quarantee practically in her pocket,,,,

    I am missing the Christos wraping. My trip to Belgium had to be cancelled Thursday because of quaranting if I didnt get results from the covid test in one day. right now Belgium is not accepting the covid test one does here in US and requires you to take one at airport on arrival. I had already gone thru hoops to get my papers for France and get whatever, so doubly annoying Brussels, the first stop , wasnt on par!

    Safe homje! And sorry I didnt find out about your blog until now!

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 10:28 am

      I’m so very sorry that your trip got cancelled. Traveling ain’t easy these days and may never be again. As to laundry, we have a washing machine in the apartment but use the laundromat to dry. It’s a euro and a half for 11 minutes. When we began years ago, it was 50 centimes! Inflation for sure.

      Reply

  2. Antonia Konzotis
    September 19, 2021 @ 9:11 am

    Dear Linda,
    We’re so sorry you have had to leave a day earlier. We can’t believe 3 months have gone by already! We have so enjoyed reading your posts every single day and experienced the delights of Paris vicariously through you. Enjoy the last week. We miss you both! Love, Antonia and Malcolm xx
    PS: love Bernie’s comment ‘would you like a little cheese with your whine’.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 10:25 am

      Love you guys! L’anné prochaine

      Reply

  3. Martin Barros
    September 19, 2021 @ 9:19 am

    I am sorry to hear about the flight and concert, it happpens, but agree about the landlady telling you to leave money for the cleaning person. We know you will, otherwise they will find a way to Tour out of your deposit. I have always wondered about laundry and you answered my question, we got to figured out how it works. Thanks for all the blogs. I only been reading them for the past few weeks so I will go back and read them all until next year. Bought your book on Amazon Kindle a few days ago. Let you know what I think soon, for now its good.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 10:24 am

      Enchante! Thanks for getting our book and following the blog!

      Reply

  4. Cindi
    September 19, 2021 @ 11:45 am

    I know you and Bernie have enjoyed your apartment and it is a shame your time there seems to be finished, but perhaps there is another one out there you will enjoy as well. Travel woes are the bane of those fortunate to be able to travel these days. I’m happy Bernie was able to see the finished wrapped Arc. Interesting project. I hope you enjoy your last few days in your favorite place.

    Reply

  5. Diane
    September 19, 2021 @ 12:03 pm

    Guess. My philosophical thinking hasn’t changed, but, DAMN, I think it is stunning!

    Can’t wait to see my piece of it. Much as Gracias, Linda.

    Diane

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 1:54 pm

      Bernie was a bit disappointed that the lines were not perfectly straight! Engineer mind. I thought it would have popped a lot more if it had been a brighter color like red or the French blue. Lots of people around us were saying the same thing. It faded into the sky and surrounding buildings. But still stunning to see!

      Reply

  6. Judy Gattis
    September 19, 2021 @ 12:24 pm

    OMG- what to say? “When it rains it pours!” So much $$$ out the window. I pray you will have an enjoyable last few days and will have an uneventful, albeit early, return home. A perfect pic of Bernie at the Arch. And hopefully a nice, new apartment will arise.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 1:54 pm

      Yes!

      Reply

  7. Faye Wishik
    September 19, 2021 @ 12:41 pm

    Thanks Linda and Bernie for sharing your three months with us. Sorry you must look for another place but hopefully you find a place even better-sometimes change does just that!

    Safe travels home.
    Faye

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 1:55 pm

      Merci!

      Reply

  8. Charles Gattis
    September 19, 2021 @ 12:56 pm

    So sorry about all the troubles at the end. Part of the way we live these days, but also there are those wonderful “evaluations,” that put a lot of pressure on those landlords and service providers who don’t treat their guests very nice.

    I’ve enjoyed your blog and your trip, but as always, it will be nice to have you home again soon.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 1:57 pm

      Merci, Charles. Unfortunately, we go direct with our landlady so there is not a platform for evaluation. I think we just remember all the good, forget the bad and move on to a different venue. Sometimes, we can overstay a good thing, oui?

      Reply

  9. Pat
    September 19, 2021 @ 2:05 pm

    Do you remember a long fence like thing that was made of cloth/fabric that ran across the hills of California? Probably, at least, 20 years ago. It was an art form that not everybody got, but was a lot of fun to talk about.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 5:32 pm

      I don’t know about that. Was it a Christo work?

      Reply

  10. Liz Stagg
    September 19, 2021 @ 2:40 pm

    Linda and Bernie, merci for the delightful, descriptive account of your three months in Paris. Traveling vicariously via your colorful blog has been a treat, and I hope your apartment search yields a perfect site your 2022 adventures. Wishing you travels home.

    Reply

  11. Peggy Bilbro
    September 19, 2021 @ 2:46 pm

    So sorry about the light show cancellation! In addition to all the money wasted, you missed something you had been looking forward to. What a disappointment! I get the travel mess! Our flights have been changed so many times for our trip in October that poor Jim has had to spend hours on line changing hotel reservations, car reservations, arrival notices etc. I guess you are right. It’s the new reality of traveling in the times of Covid! To Ellyn, who had to cancel your Belgium trip, I am so sorry! Another big disappointment! I think we all deserve a big cheese and whine session!

    Reply

  12. Monica & Marlyn
    September 19, 2021 @ 4:00 pm

    The months went so quickly! You did seem to pack your time there full of fun and friends and food! We enjoyed watching every bit of it, while we stayed in our nice uncomplicated home and life. The Arc wrapped is dramatic– I think it shows the pure lines underneath, and will cause people to look more closely when it is unwrapped. Something put out of sight for a bit might have more charm and meaning later. Love and SAFE travels to you and Bernie.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 5:33 pm

      Great perspective, Monica! Hope to see you guys soon. Let’s talk about October.

      Reply

  13. Jeanie Thompson
    September 19, 2021 @ 4:14 pm

    Linda and Bernie — the photos of the wrapped arch are STUNNING and I love the one of Bernie with his arms out. I cannot imagine anyone quarreling with this project because “it isn’t art.” But I said my piece on this earlier. You all will remember this for the rest of your lives. You were a part of a French happening.

    Sorry about the bummer news on these last days but try to drink in Paris as much as you can before you return to Alabama. You will want that fortification! I hope to see you all sometime in North Alabama when things are a little less dangerous for gathering and hear all about the trip from you in person! You are so generous to take time to share with us — believe, me I know how much work goes into the blogs! Thank you, my friends!

    Love,
    Jeanie

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 5:34 pm

      Love back, my friend!

      Reply

  14. Philip Boucher
    September 19, 2021 @ 5:17 pm

    Linda, when you get home find this morning’s CBS Sunday Morning. A piece on Christo and Jean Claude and the Arc. Amused that it called them the first wrappers.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 5:35 pm

      Will do and thanks!

      Reply

  15. Judy Gattis
    September 19, 2021 @ 5:36 pm

    CBS Sunday had a segment this morning on Cristo, his wife and works. Their were shots of Paris this weekend. I looked for y’all in the masses.

    Reply

    • lspalla
      September 19, 2021 @ 6:52 pm

      Ha!!

      Reply

  16. Pat
    September 19, 2021 @ 6:09 pm

    Actually yes it was a Cristo. Ran 24.5 miles in Wine Country in northern California in 1976. Time does fly. I had looked that up before can couldn’t find it. Went right to it today. I enjoy folks that can think out of the box a little. Even though, I must admit, I don’t always understand it.

    Reply

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