Bonjour mes amis, We had just a regular day yesterday filled with washing and then drying down the street and a lovely dinner at what I call the happiest street in Paris, rue Montorgueil. If you’ve been to Paris and haven’t been here, you’ve missed a treat! We’ve often thought of getting an apartment there […]
Bonjour, Today brought an end to a fabulous visit with Natalie, Steve, Carson and James. Though it was not perfect, it was pretty darn close and left us all with some fantastic memories. Carson, 16, and James, 11, did amazingly well. I’m so proud of them. There is never enough time and Natalie truly believes […]
Bonjour mes amis, Yes, we are all alive and well in Paris though a bit stunned by the events of two nights ago. I am pretty horrified that my kids got caught in what went from a soccer victory celebration to a night of terror. My little James saw much too much for an 11-year […]
Bon Dimanche, Happy Sunday to everyone. It’s quite cold here in the upper 30’s and low 40’s always with a slight mist in the air. Yesterday’s outing was to Montmartre, my favorite place in Paris. However, I must admit that I much prefer summertime there. What happened along the way is the real story. It’s […]
Bonjour, I was under the weather yesterday unfortunately but did manage to keep our lunch date with our dear friend, Carolyn Barnabo. Years ago, Carolyn, who lives in England, started following my blog. She and her husband Clive linked up many times with us, always with gifts in hand, as we made our way through […]
Bonjour, Thursday was a marathon day in the midst of a hot Paris. We all wore comfortable clothes and shoes in anticipation of the temps, the cobblestones, and lots of steps to climb. It was not the Shorys first time to Montmartre so we tried to do some different things. We started at a different […]
Bonjour, What better day could one have than to share a place you love with people you love! Yesterday was part of a holiday weekend in Paris. Pentecost Sunday is today in celebration of Christ’s ascension. And on Monday (our Memorial Day), we will be honored to celebrate by spending a day on the Normandy […]
Bonjour, Thanks for all of your lovely comments. I read each one because I have to approve them before they post. They are like the best of French desserts after long, tiring days out and about. Yesterday was a gorgeous weather day and perfect for our final trip to Montmartre. It was in the high […]
Bonjour, Despite the droves of tourists, Montmartre still touches every pleasant nerve in my body. Despite the litter, all the steps, the trashy little souvenir shops, the caricaturists luring you to sit for them, the cruel cobblestones that are so difficult to trod. and the jammed-together cafe tables, Montmartre for me is that remnant of old […]
Bonjour, Sunday mornings are my favorite time in Paris when it is cool, quiet, and calm. For true Parisians, it’s a family day, perhaps with a little church or a stroll in one of the parks. But for tourists, it’s just another day, and by mid-morning, everything is bustling. Definitely the hot weather is a […]
Bonjour mes amis, We hope you have had a good Labor Day Weekend. Of course, Labor Day is an American holiday, not celebrated here in Paris. It always feels a bit odd to know of the typical holiday celebrations going on at home and be isolated from all of that here. Same goes for Fourth […]
Happy Friday! The weather is finally feeling like summer with a high yesterday in the upper 80s. It was just plain hot which is the first time we’ve experienced that sensation since we arrived on July 4. It was nice to feel the warm sun on our bodies and not be bothered with jackets, sweaters, […]
Bonjour, Sometimes, it’s better to let pictures tell a story…the afternoon in Montmartre and then the evening for dinner at Le Train Bleu. I’ll describe the day in captions as we go through it. There are so many photos I had to reduce the size. I think you can click on them to enlarge. Hope […]
Bonjour mes amis, Here in Huntsville, it is 80 degrees, beautiful blue skies and a slight warm breeze: what I would call a Montmartre day. Let’s revisit this gorgeous spot and embrace the best that Paris has to offer, at least in my opinion. If you have our book, Bernie’s Paris, I invite you to read […]
Bonjour mes amis, Montmartre needs a beautiful weather day…check! Montmartre needs a dose of high energy…check. Montmartre needs some planning…not so much! I failed to realize that this past weekend was the wine festival or Fete du Vendages. Our “plan” was to start at 10am and make the 11am mass at Le Sacre Coeur. When the […]
Bonjour! A good weather day is scarce in Paris right now, and it’s an absolute requirement for a trip to Montmartre. We grabbed it and off we went! Bob & Cindi had been there once 20 years ago. They vaguely remembered the church, the art square, and of course, the steps. We took our time […]
Bonjour, I find myself wondering how we could be blessed with such gorgeous weather, and then I remember all the 100 degree days with no A/C we’ve endured in past summers. Conclusion: we deserve it!! Hope the heat in Alabama has finally tempered some. It is also truly wonderful to be away from the hateful […]
Bonjour mes amis It’s hard for one day to capture so much energy and enthusiasm, but yesterday accomplished that for us! Natalie is a sleeper and a night owl so we let her indulge until about 9:45 this morning. Paris time would work great for her body clock…up very late at night, breakfast at 10, […]
Bonjour, The L & B Travel Company is now open providing daily tours all over Paris! We welcomed Sharon and Johnny Tyson on Thursday, joining Dennis and Jodie Clements. So now we are 6! What a fun few days we’ve had. Both couples flew over on our airline of choice – La Compagnie and loved […]
Bonjour mes amis, If you’ve been on my blog for years, you know that Montmartre is my favorite spot in Paris. If you have our book, “Bernie’s Paris,” I invite you to reread the section describing my attachment to this little Eden of old Paris bliss. I worked diligently with each carefully chosen word to […]
Bonjour, It’s truly amazing to experience the switch in Paris weather, from 100 degrees last week to mid-60’s this week. We pulled out long pants, coats, raincoats, sweaters, scarves and made a day at Montmartre with our two very pleasant guests. They are so courteous, thoughtful, appreciative, and congenial with no whining, complaining, or second […]
Bonjour mes amis, Yesterday was a journey of steps, steps and more steps. And Bernie and I are discovering the difference in young legs and old legs! Climbing almost 600 steps in this heat was a bit of a challenge but we made it to the top of the highest “butte” in Paris…the beloved Montmartre […]
Bonjour, Yesterday, Monday, was a holiday in Paris, in commemoration of Pentecost. However, the city was still alive and bustling with plenty of tourists. The weather was ideal for a jaunt to Montmartre, truly my favorite spot in Paris. We had a cool breeze all day under blue skies and fluffy white clouds. We have been […]
Bonjour! What a surprising weather day today with a foreboding forecast of rain all afternoon, but the joy of sunshine with 68 degrees was what we actually got. We decided to venture out again into new territory for us and became flâneurs or strollers through the 18th arrondissment. For those who may not know, Paris is […]
Bonjour, After almost a week in Paris, Jan & Tony left early this morning (Friday). It was a good week but certainly less than hoped for with Jan’s being under the weather. She was able to make all of our dinners, but none of the daily activities. They stayed at the Hotel Caron (http://www.hotelcaron.com) It’s […]
Bonsoir, This is our eleventh trip to Paris and my eighth year to write about it. That becomes somewhat of a challenge. How many adjectives can you use? How many expletives can describe the aura and beauty of Paris? Can you wear away the sense of awe at all the treasures and serendipities? I guess […]
Bonsoir, Happy Saturday to all as many of you anticipate more SEC football and othes are returning from fall break with family. It rained all through the night in Paris but by 10am, the skies had cleared, and we were blessed with yet another gorgeous October day. Just slightly cool with sun and blue skies. […]
Bonsoir mes amis, This Friday evening we are back in the apartment after a day at Montmartre to take in the wine harvest celebration or Fete des Vendanges. The weather has been just great, not too warm, not too cold, no wind. It was an ideal day for an outside activity and Bernie seems to […]
Bon soir, A beautiful day in Paris almost always beckons us up the mountain to Montmartre. It is a favorite of ours and evokes a wistful sense of all the great artists who painted from its lovely mountainsides such as Renoir, Picasso and Salvador Dali. It is what I fondly call “old Paris” and the […]
As our journey to Paris gets closer and closer, we are excited about one thing in particular, the wine festival at Montmartre on the first weekend in October. In case you don’t know, there are lovely grape vineyards on the back side of the mountain and years ago, this was a fruitful harvest. Now it […]