Highlights from Stef --- Monet!!!

As many of you know, the trip was about art for me. Monet is my very favorite artist. When I had been in Paris nearly 30 years ago the huge waterlilies were not on display. This time they were in a newly remodeled L'Orangerie (remodeled to give them natural light). There are four in each of two huge oval rooms. They are incredible! The whole trip was worthwhile because of seeing them. We went twice in our first few days in Paris.

Later we went to the Musee Marmottan (a museum dedicated to Monet's art) and then to Giverny (where the gardens are that Monet painted). To see the light and the clouds on the water that he had painted was breath-taking. Even though the waterlilies were not in bloom, I could see why he would have painted these ponds over and over and over.

So, this business of posting pictures isn't working exactly how I thought it would. The pictures at Giverny are at the top, where I thought the paintings from L'Orangerie would be, but you get the idea.

I loved it all! Stef

Stef in Paris

On the left I am sitting outside (our only terrace dining experience) having Soupe a l'oignon. It is our second day in Paris, having already visited two museums. We are up on Montmartre (where Sacre Coeur Cathedral is, pictured above). We had gotten lost in a cemetary following Rick Steves' directions for an interesting walk up there.

The bottom picture is of me in front of Notre Dam Cathedral on Sunday (weather was cool). It was unusual to not have a lot of other people in this picture.

April in Paris (from Marblemount)

Hi there,

This is a picture to prove that we really did get there.

La Tour Eiffel is so crowded that everyone is posing and asking others to take their picture. The couple we exchanged picture taking with were from Slovenia.

We are ragged, and glad to be home.

More pictures will be added in the next few days.

Love, Stef

Au Revoir Paris

Hi Everyone: We are home in Marblemount as of an hour ago. I'm passing on the gist of the blog that never got posted. The computer we borrowed from the hotel went to sleep as I was guiding the pointer down to the "publish post" area. This is from April 13th:
Bon jour my friends. I've found my way on to a French keyboard. This is what that sentence would look like if I didn't hunt and peck: i hqve rounz ;y sqy onto q . . . You get the picture. It was really cool, but very slow. I am having a fabulous time. Yesterday morning (April 12) I took myself out for a little run around Champ de Mars (shahn duh mar) which is this huge park/rectangle in fron of la Tour Eiffel. At first it was just us Americans jogging, but a bit later, around nine, we were jointed by the French. Still, there were never more than a dozen of us out there. Exercise is not (I cannoth find the apostrophe to save my soul) a big deal here. I am not sure hiking is either. Out in the countryside a couple of the taxi drivers who dropped us off at trailheads looked for all the world like they desperately wanted to save us from ourselves! We managed to have great hikes in spite of heavy rains and a few misguided directions. Well, I have to pack for our trip home. I am looking forward to talking your ears off or writing many blogs about this sepctacular trip.
Au revoir,
Lin

Viva La Difference

Bonjour from Stef @ 8:00 p.m. - I am trying to do this on a French keyboard. Everything is different I can,t even find the exclamation point or the apostrophe. Last night we borrowed the hotel computer and then the battery went dead.
We go home tomorrow, just as we were getting used to fabulous French pastries--croissant for breakfast, or pain du chocolate. Walking or taking the metro everywhere. Trains trains...
We saw the gardens at Giverny today -- so lovely. Tulips to rival the Skagit Valley. Yesterday we had gone to the Monet Museum; today we saw the clouds reflected in the ponds ourselves.
I must go pack so that we can make one more trip out to see La Tour Eiffel all lit up.
I am going to try to insert a photo - after Lin writes. Home, home, home.

Bonjour from Paris. I'm in awe of this city and much to my surprise, I'm finding plenty I can eat! Many tea houses, Salon de The' so I haven't wanted for my spot of tea. My two favorite experiences of this day: visiting the Deportation Memorial; beautiful in it's simplicity. In one area are mosiac triangles representing each of the groups of people the Third Reich deemed necessary to exterminate. Powerful to actually be in a city where thousands were deported. The surprise of the day, getting to see the Paris Marathoners at kilometer 26. I'd heard the marathon was today and saw the coverage on French television, but then there they were so I found a spot on the edge of a bridge surrounded by Parisians shouting their encouragements. I looked for Americans, but couldn't pick any out so I joined in clapping and yelling my encouragement to anyone who looked completely pooped. I had great empathy and a tiny bit of envy. I feel pretty comfortable here except when I'm ordering food. I haven't been kicked out of the city for wearing my stocking cap and I have it on a lot cuz it's freezing. Even Stef hasn't given me a bad time. Oh, almost forgot. Within our first hour in the city, high school students staged a protest. They are upset because a favorite professor was canned and because of many unfavorable changes in their education. I can't quite picture students in the new country doing that. Anyway, we got to see and hear them take to the streets and witnessed at least a hundred police dressed in their riot gear complete with shields. From my readings, I gather it's quite the typical Paris event. We don't have our photo equipment with us this trip to the internet cafe, but will send pictures with the next blog. Hey Rosemary, this computer experience is pretty fun. Not as fun as the Wild office though.
Au revoir,
Lin

We're in Paris!!

We are enroute back to our hotel after crepes on Ile St. Louis and much much walking. Today we saw the lovely light and windows of Saint Chapelle. We have been doing all the sights -- many bridges across the Seine.
My favorite "sight" has been Monet's waterlilies - two huge oval rooms, filled with them. What a gift and a wonder. We went back twice! (on our museum pass, which enabled us to jump the line).
We are eating very well. And navigating well together. Tomorrow is the big test - we go by train to Tours and begin our self-guided walking tour. I hope it warms up.
We have not done a single post card. Maybe tonight?
Love to all.
Stef