Looking Back on the Trip

This trip was far better than last year when we battled bad weather.  And we had son Jeff & his family with us for the first week.  Thankfully the weather was good, we ran around a lot.  They mastered the Metro, toured Versailles, & got to know Paris & French food firsthand.

The following week the weather turned a bit rainy, we mostly chilled.  The last week and a half the weather was great.  We met up with old friends who were back in town.

Paris is the city that is always changing yet remains the same in many ways.

What's different this year:

1.)  Black was the "in" summer color.  Mademoiselles Noires were everywhere.

2.) The French are having a love affair with the American hamburger.  There are dedicated burger joints (Frogburger is one, Jeff reported that the burgers are great). They're also on lots of other menus.  But they're pricey...$18-$20 for a burger & fries.

3.) The meal portions seem larger or...our appetites are smaller.  We parteger'd alot & not to save money but that's all the food we wanted.  OTOH, we did see a FLOL (French little old lady) chow down an appetizer, a full order of moules et frites and a waffle dessert while we shared the moules et frites & were satisfied.  BTW, it's all-you-can-eat frites & ketchup so there's no reason to walk away hungry.

4.) Not all eating places appreciated our parteger.  But the ones we know & love did.

5.) With clothes in general, anything goes these days.  Even on this trip, we chose earth colors & tried to stay conservatively dressed.  Wow!  Were we square!  That's out the window now.  Bold colors, bermuda shorts for the guys & short shorts for the ladies are all in.  Those neon colored sneakers...all over.

It is now four years in a row that we've been to Paris.  And while it remains our first love, we've decided not to return next year.  We have an informal goal to meet up with New Zealand friends somewhere in the world in 2015.  And South Africa is beckoning, last time there in 1999.

I'm about to sign off but I just can't have a post without some photos.  So here are a few.  I didn't have an easy time choosing them because you've already seen the best.

 

At the Trocadero with the girls.

Sort of a still life.  Our wine while waiting for the parteger'd burger previously posted.  Burgers & wine...only in Paris.

How's this for a hands-on hug?

Lunch on rue Cler.  I'm about to do my own hands-on with steak tartare.  Nora has a salad, Elise has a chicken thingy & Jeff is waiting for his to arrive.


OK, so now I'm truly signing off for our 2014 overseas travel.  Thank you for stopping by.  Hope you'll be back with us next year wherever that will be.


 
Au revoir!!