Paris, France so far!

It is so nice to finally stay in one city for more than a night or two! I have visited Paris three times now, and I enjoy this city now more than ever before. The sights are beautiful -- Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre and Mona Lisa, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, Versailles -- but there is so much more to this city. The artists and their prized work, street performers working to survive, small boutiques and shops off the beaten track, bakeries brimming with neighbors and friends, street markets overflowing with fruit and clothes, lovers walking along the Seine or kissing in the parks, fashion, the French language rolling so smoothly off the tongues of those all around. This truly is the City of Love!

A few of my favorite evenings so far -

Whit and I explored the Latin District a few nights ago, not far from Notre Dame. We stopped for a bite to eat in a massively crowded hole-in-the wall dinner spot and then walked along the Seine and wandered through the streets, all overflowing with cafes and bars and people. Later, we found the oldest Jazz Club in Paris. The bar was dirty, the air thick, the winding staircase creaked as it lead us to the basement where we enjoyed live jazz with the locals.

Yesterday Whit and I enjoyed a French picnic - a baguette with brie and wine - at the base of the Eiffel Tower. We took in the beauty by day and enjoyed the sunset, surrounded by tourists posing for photos, kissing couples, and groups of friends sharing wine and smoking together. By night, the Eiffel Tower comes to life, sparkling and lighting up the entire city.