Meet me in Marais

We stayed in the Marais district during

our September visit to Paris and there 

was plenty to see in the neighborhood.

Rides on the Metro...

 

Blocks and blocks of bookstalls....

The famed Shakespeare and Company..
where I got in trouble for trying to
take an inside picture.  The nerve!
And yes...I added to my collection.
Who can resist?

There is Boofle below..
hitting the bookbins for a bargain.

Fun..colorful shops.

Inviting tables at sidewalk cafes....

 

Notre Dame...

Hotel de Ville..

Paris city hall stands proudly.  This spot has been
the center of city government since 1357.

 

Lovely statues everywhere..

 

Local scammers sell locks to decorate a

bridge with proclamations of love and

devotion.  It's a scam...but it sure looks cool.

Every city has it's graffiti...

Musee d'Orsay...

no picture taking allowed.  Sad face...

Just another pretty statue...

Music from the locals....

 

I'm looking a bit weather beaten...

but standing next to a Matisse painting

at the Orangerie Museum.  Matisse is my

Impressionist crush.

Picasso...I love those large women...

forget the scales...curves are in.

Another Picasso...

Have you seen Paris at night?

Floating along on the Seine...

Surrounded by light and beauty...

Eating amazing food....on this river cruise...

And who are these happy people?

Maybe they have something to celebrate...

How about a marriage proposal in Paris

under the glow of the Eiffel Tower...

on my birthday!

Did I say yes?

You bet I did...

Picture Perfect Paris

"When Americans die they go to Paris."

Oscar Wilde

Climb up the stairs and see our apartment...

3rd floor up...that's alot at the end

of a sightseeing day!

 

Have some wine while you look around...

View from the sleeping loft...with a skylight.

 Frida Kahlo looked over us like a 

patron saint for our Paris stay.

I wanted to pack her in my 

suitcase when I left.

 Our little kitchen...we had yummy

omelets and crumpets in there.

Our address...ha ha...

in case you want to look us up

when you come to visit.

Next post we'll explore the neighborhood!

Au Revoir... 

 

Silly in Stratford

After one day of Shade's travel tummy

we got silly in Stratford.

First stop at No. 37 Cafe for some yummy sandwiches.

Add a warm cup of hot chocolate..

Or a big mug of mocha....

Annoying food shot...

And now the real fun starts....

The resemblance is uncanny...

Dressing up for the occasion....

 

 It was funny the first time..so here it is again...

In love with the cobblestones...

 

 And the variety of buildings...

Lots of tiny cars around here...

On to more merriment...

And Miley Cyrus thinks she's so original!!

A little mystery and intrigue...

Look what we found....

 

No sign of Harry Potter...but 

lots of magical things to choose from..

Does anyone know what is in a Butterbeer?

Anne Hathaway's childhood cottage..

she grew up to marry Shakespeare...

I shall close with this...

"Parting is such sweet sorrow

that I shall say goodnight

til it be morrow."

William Shakespeare

Back to (ab)Normal

Well folks...we are back home and

back to normal.  But it doesn't feel

quite the same after a month away....

Did I mention to anyone that we just

spent a month visiting England, France and Ireland?

All we had to do each day was decide

where to go...and where to eat!

Wow....I know...

I spent my first week back unpacking my bags, doing

laundry, catching up at work, downloading pictures

and finding places for my souvenirs. 

The unofficial totals are in and they look like this:

40 books

3 mugs

14 paintings

16 prints

7 coaster sets

1 calendar

7 t-shirts

9 shot glasses

1 drum

2 sweatshirts

7 stuffed toys

7 key rings

5 tin signs

48 postcards

1 ornament

and various ephemera...

which we brought back in 4 suitcases.

We started with 3.

Lesson learned...ship packages next time..

I only did one drawing the whole time I was away..

I tend to use drawing and sketching as a 

way to slow down and pay attention to what

is in front of me.  But I've been wanting to do

some quick sketches where I set down my basic

impressions and move on.  This would allow me to draw

more pictures in one sitting.  

So...

 

..my last evening in Nice I plopped down with my 

sketchbook and watercolors and whipped out a

 picture in one hour. 

This was the view from my painting table.

We had a beautiful garden space at our Hotel

in Nice to sit out and eat breakfast or enjoy 

some afternoon reading.

At the end of our visit at

I gave the painting to our hostess Marion.  

She asked if I was a famous artist...and sadly I had to say no.

But she was delighted with the painting and

said she would have it framed for viewing.

There is nothing like having someone like what you do.

Especially something that you do for pleasure.

A big thank you to Marion and her helpful staff.

Chris and I had a wonderful time at the hotel

and would recommend it to anyone visiting Nice.

We saw lots of fun buildings...windows...architecture..

and flowers..

In closing....

Here is a picture of us strolling in the warm sun

after an afternoon at both the Matisse and 

Chagall museums.  (More about that in future posts)

Here is our picture getting ready to make

4 flights back home from Dublin. 

One of these things is not like the other!

Keep checking back...more trip pictures to come....