let's head back, OK?

I was afraid that I'd be disappointed in the Orsay Museum because the de
Young had those two Impressionist exhibits a couple of years ago while their
home here in Paris was getting a makeover. I'd visited time and time again
and enjoyed the art thoroughly. So why see it all again? Oh my, because the
Musee d'Orsay is so special - the light, the grandeur and who can ever tire of
Cezanne, Van Gogh, Manet, Renoir, Monet, Gaugin, Millet? This is one
of the memories I treasure most, it was a glorious few hours.

where the Sun King reigned

always lines here, but great people watching

Dancing Jen and a touch of gold

interior - a tad lavish

the gardens are the best!

Versailles is 35 min. away from Paris and well worth the quick train trip.
Thanks again to Jen for getting me here/there/everywhere. As you remember
from your history books, Louis XIV spent a fortune on this palace with
perfectly manicured gardens and a special little hamlet and palace for
Marie-Antoinette (which is a good half hour or so walk and lovely on
a sunny day) and do plan to spend the entire day here. When I visited
eons ago with Husbando it was rainy and grey, so I was grateful to return
and see this spectacular sight on a sunny day - what a difference. This
is part of the Museum Pass, but you will still have to wait in line...

what I miss...

random street walks

the Seine, the sky

the cafe society feel of Paris

the Hotel de Ville

Let's return to Paris. Each of the 20 arrondissements (districts) has its own
city hall and this is the biggest and the best. I happened upon it just by
accident one day as I was wandering about. Now it probably has an ice-
skating rink for the holidays, but as I walked by the famous center of city
government (since 1357!) I just soaked in all the history and wondered
what the current demonstration was all about. Despite my excellent French,
I did not speak to anyone. The powerful mayor of Paris resides here.

ashes to ashes

Jim Morrison's tomb is the most visited in the cemetery, or so Rick Steves
tells us. There is a little enclosed grassy spot next to it and here I am (in
that tedious grey vest seen in every photo of me in Paris) giving Micheal
a  fine Parisian resting place.

Jim Morrison lived under an assumed name when he moved to Paris
in 1971 and his plan was to stop drinking/drugging - he died there
at age 27 and his friends managed to have him buried here when they
said he was a writer. And he was. RIP Michael, if possible.

back to the cemetery

Here are a few photos - tomorrow I will show you where Michael's
ashes reside. Some of them that is, you might remember that I dusted
Crissy Field and under the Willie Mays' statue at AT&T Park too.
He loved San Francisco and Santa Barbara, but Paris was #1.

Michael's favorite city

One of the major reasons that I wanted to get to Paris was to sprinkle
some of the ashes of the Seahorse. He adored this city. Our only grey
day there was right in the beginning when we walked many miles to
Pere Lachaise Cemetery. The weather seemed just right. Thankfully
Dancing Jen had a map because it is a huge and confusing place,
no cars, but lots of dirt paths and cobblestones. There are 70,000
buried here and now Michael rests very close to Jim Morrison.
It looks depressing, but it was a wonderful day for me. More
tomorrow...

my three travel essentials

my new iPhone 5

my LindaKindle2

the mini iPad

Not that these didn't give me (and the most patient Dancing Jen) some
fits and starts and disconnects along the cobblestone streets of Paris.
And I understand how some feel that when we bury our noses in the
electronics we miss some of the joys of travel. But the utter convenience
of instant pictures and emails to and from our loved ones back home makes
all the difference in the world to me. And just being able to blog every
morning, look up maps on the iPhone, read on the Kindle, talk to
Husbando - how DID we ever travel before these inventions? So this
morning I salute all the techies who overrun our city...

a haven for Amercan book lovers

one block on Rue de la Bucherie

Dancing Jen loves her books

Shakespeare and Company is in a fabulous location across from Notre Dame.
It's a big old rambling bookstore, the great uncle to our own City Lights.
This glorious shop is filled with books, history, dreams and stories - many
of them true. Even today, aspiring writers can bunk a room upstairs and
stay while they create their masterpieces. An estimaetd 30,000 writers
have slept here over the decades. Founded in 1919 by Sylvia Beach, it
became famous in the 1950's when the beatniks discovered Paris. The
owner, George Whitman, died in 2011 at age 98 and his daughter, Sylvia,
now runs the place and to me, it hadn't changed a bit, except she likes the
computers that her father abhorred.

(World Series update - disastrous loss to KC last night, on to Game #7
tonight and I'm already nervous and resigned. It's just a game...)

two Parisian weddings

Jardin Des Tuileries

Pont Alexandre III

Such a nice treat, especially for this woman who thinks all the brides in
their wedding gowns in Las Vegas look so tacky. But hey, I'm a snob and
these small wedding groups were a delight to behold. (I LOVE the camera
feature in my new iPhone - it identifies exactly where I was for each shot.
Who needs privacy? Not I.)

the Paris - SF food scene

It's been 25 years or so since we were last in Paris. Much has changed, but one
thing I noticed this time is how much better the food is here in SF than it used
to be. The egg salad sandwich pictured above is from Cano Russo down at
the Ferry Plaza. Scrumptious. I had some good meals in Paris, but the days
of dropping into any tiny hole in the wall cafe and having an exceptional
meal for 5 Euro are long gone. With a couple of the meals I would have
even (nicely) suggested to the waiter that the steak was as tough as nails,
or the omelet was too greasy, if I had been here speaking my own imperfect
English. On the other hand, I didn't spend much money on meals in Paris.
Husbando and I used to do "the big splurge" when we journeyed and those
meals could eat up the entire travel budget. Memorable? Hmmmm, I can't
remember. Yes, the croissants are still flakier, but our home squeezed oj is
tastier. But I do think fondly of those escargot at "The Zinc" and that might
have been my favorite restaurant. But this subject will take a little more time
and thought - so prepare thyselves. In the meantime, a wave of the white
chef hat to the fresh and innovative restaurants here in Frisco.

World Series - exciting game last night. Giants won and the series is
tied 2 to 2. One more game tonight and then back to KC and those blue folk.

highly recommended

folded

unfolded

We bought 4-day Museum Passes at the airport for about 54 Euro each. We
probably saved a little money, but more importantly, one can easily avoid
long lines (Versailles was the exception) by flashing the pass. And for me,
it just sort of pushed me inside to view beautiful art when so much of my
very being wanted to walk some more and then sit in secret gardens or the
Tuilaries or an outdoor cafe and really, the museums are enough reason to
justify a trip to Paris. Of course, so is siting and people watching...

World Series update - the Giants are back home from the horrors of Kansas
City and, alas, they lost last night. The series stands with Giants -1, KC - 2.
We need to WIN tonight, pls.

please release us...

They are pretty from a distance - all those locks sparkling in the sun on a
bridge in Paris. But, good god, worse than Ebola. This is spreading to other
bridges, all the street vendors sell cheap locks and please tell me all these
romances will last. It has become a problem in Paris and the bottom photo
shows how they have to cover some sections of some bridges because they
are too laden with locks. I'm sure they have early morning crews cutting off
locks that are causing problems. And then I spot some random gate and it
has a lock on it and by the next day the damn thing will be covered. There,
my first Paris rant - not the last, never fear.

meet Niece Jill

I think I learned more about Paris from Jill and the K clan (see future
T & O posts) than from any guide book. Dancing Jen and I had dinner with
N.Jill in our very own nabe on our first Sunday night in Paris. Jill grew up
in St. Louis (as did Husbando) and has lived in the lively Marais district for
22 years. She is happy in Paris and has lots of friends and activities, including
the American Library which she so appreciates. Although she visits the U.S.
about twice a year, she certainly considers Paris her home and she gave us some
tourist ideas and tried to convince us that her French is not great. Ha! It is my
belief that there exists a large and active American ex-pat community and
I think moving to another country takes an extra dose of courage always,
but especially to leave the comforts of our comparatively easy-livin' USA.
A memorable night, for sure.

thoughts and observations - chiens

Husbando is encouraging me to write down memories while they are
still fresh. The photos help. When we had dinner with Niece Jill, she
was explaining how the last mayor pushed through a law making it
VERY costly not to pick up after your dog. I can't tell you how much
better this makes walking, but of course you can guess. We saw mostly
little dogs, all on leashes and some as above - a photo I had to take in
a most furtive manner. (hahahaha, get it?)

Happy news - what fun watching the Giants bash those cocky Cinderella
Boys-in-Blue last night for Game #1.