Preparing for a Birthday in Paris

Dear friends,

Today is cool in Paris with a low of 51 and a high of only 57 with a moderate wind making it feel much cooler.  Heavy rain is on the way tonight.  I forgot to bring any gloves and I have so many at home.  I found some “sort of” gloves for only 6 euros at one of the souvenir shops so made a big investment which will get me through the time I’m here.  The really nice gloves were $50, leather even more, which I said an emphatic “no” to buying.  These little half gloves cover most of your hands but not the fingertips.  Maybe they are glovettes!

People are bundled up but still out in great numbers in Paris as you can see by this line to get to the top of Notre Dame to view the gorgoyles up close.  This is something we’ve never done and thought perhaps during the fall when the tourists were gone (ha!), we’d make it to the top.  Doesn’t look promising.

Most of our day was spent at Le Grand Colbert where we plan to have Bernie’s birthday dinner with family.  We waited patiently over a yummy dessert for the maitre’d to visit with us to confirm details of the menu.  He could not have been more cordial, and we believe everything is set for a special memory.

We found a lovely new church in the neighborhood of Le Grand Colbert.  It was Romanesque on the inside, smaller than most.  It appeared to be a very active parish  with dozens of candles lighted at every station and many parishoners quietly praying.  The name is the Basilique Nortre-Dame des Victoires.

I found two interesting items on Twitter in regard to Paris.  Tomorrow night, the Eiffel Tower will be pink in honor of Breast Cancer Week.  Also a story from France 24 television about renovations at the Eiffel Tower.  Here’s the link which I hope works: http://f24.my/1oJBWM2.

The gist of the article says that a new glass floor has been installed on the first level of the Tower in hopes that as many people will visit there as visit the very top.  They have added shops and restaurants; the power is solar and by windmill and the toilets flush with rain water.  The article goes on to say that the Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world with 12.5% of the visitors coming from France.  The next renovation is repainting the tower which happens every 7 years and requires 60 TONS of paint!

If weather permits, we will try to get a picture of the pink Tower tomorrow and maybe even make it to the new glass floor!

A bientot,

L&B