It's hard not to hum 'Le Vie En Rose' when you are strolling the streets of Paris. It seems as appropriate as visiting the boulangerie or patisserie for a daily baguette. It's as special as stopping for a morning coffee at a little cafe or ending the work day with a glass of wine at a small bar. It is quintessentially Paris, and that's what Paris felt like even though it has been a few years since I was last here. I think Paris is a state of mind ... one that I quite like and could possibly get used to.
Our relatively relaxed pace in Paris allowed us to walk leisurely, sit often, and reflect quietly. (I would love to say that we breathed deeply but there was way too much cigarette smoke in the air for that! Also we didn't look at some of our surroundings too closely as one didn't always want to see what was hidden in the bushes!) But I digress ... our time in Paris was one of reacquainting ourselves with an area we love (the Marais), revisiting favourite tourist spots (too many to write about, but walking the Seine at night was one of them), and finding new places to enjoy (buying fruit, vegetables, and crepes at the local Bastille market and climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe).
And who can forget all those great movies set in Paris (you knew I'd get there sometime). How about Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, and Gary Cooper in 'Love In The Afternoon'. Or Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris', or Alfred Hitchcock's 'Charade' or Gene Kelly in 'An American in Paris'. Like I said, it's a state of mind and I like it.
But I think what I really like about Paris is the fact that I got to share it with my two special men. It's my memory to last a lifetime.
This was my third visit to London, the last being five years ago when we traveled in 2012. If you've looked at Bernie and Matthew's blogs, you'll realize that we did many of the same things that we did then, but we added some events which helped keep things fresh and new and full of a sense of discovery.
I loved walking through the neighbourhood of Belgravia and Notting Hill. If you've read any Elizabeth George novels, you'll know that Inspector Lynley is a resident of the upscale neighbourhood of Belgravia and who can forget Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in Notting Hill finding love behind the blue door in the apartment next to the bookstore. (Okay, by now you must all think that all I do is sit and watch TV ... well, retirement has to have a few perks, don't you think?) Seriously, when I read, I create pictures in my head, and when I watch a movie, I'm always curious to know what the location is really like ... hence, this was my opportunity to check things out. Notting Hill is a funky street full of artsy shops and interesting people, and Belgravia winds its way to Harrods where shopping is for the wealthy and their limitless credit cards. I'm just a traveler from a small prairie city soaking up another culture and loving it!
Other first time adventures included a visit to Buckingham Palace. It was a 'Wow' experience to be sure. Again, it was a fascinating afternoon of being in the state rooms which one usually only sees in print or on the news. I really wanted to visit Kensington Palace and see the Diana memorial display but when we checked for tickets, the first available day was sometime in late October. While that was a disappointment, we did visit the flower and card memorial outside the palace gates and it provided a strong sense of sentiment.
And lastly, I think the biggest WOW of our time in London were the two nights that we attended the musicals of Matilda and The Lion King. Yes, we did have the cheap seats but if we hadn't done the budget thing, we wouldn't have done any theatre, so take your pick. Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! The acting, the sets, and the staging were unbelievably breathtaking, and I'm so glad we were able to do this. It's a highlight that will be very hard to top.
