welcome to the marais. too bad you can't stay, FOREVER -

the marais is perhaps the friendliest of all the arrondisements in paris.
why even the sidewalks are polite:


so on our last day, tim and i fueled up early, and walked the oldest area of the city,
where style and culture clash and re-form on a daily basis:


every where we turned, people were greeting us,
or smiling,
or, at times,
kissing us:



we returned to the places des vosges,
where the chocolatier in chicago got their name inspiration,
were i have drawn inspiration for settings,
where we have purchased winter coats and eaten frites:


it has hidden courtyards OFF it's own courtyard.
so perfect.
so "home".


even modernity gets it's due in the marais:


and i "prayed" a little at the temple of l'eclaireur . . .

'cause you gotta bring back souvenirs!

la tour eiffel from the seine, and an artichoke the size of your head -

begin day three at the pont neuf,
(the "new bridge", named so when built because it was the first bridge in paris to be built from stone, and the first to not allow shops or homes to be built ON the bridge)
and catch one of the,
yes,
tourist boats to see the city from the seine:



ok, yes, i was skeptical.



but i very quickly gave in.
the city continually stuns you,
even more so as you hear it's history,
each bridge with a tale to tell (each is unique, and idea instituted in chicago as well)


like the fact that notre dame took over two hundred years to build.
these days it's hard to get people to make a decision and stick to it for a month,
and they stuck to a church build for two centuries.

finding your favorite woman's name, floating by:

learning that the eiffel tower is repainted, completely, every two years,
or that it was only meant to be up for twenty years, then taken down,
or that it is the only structure to get the legion of honor,
for its' role in defending the city in the war.

or seeing the smallest house in paris,
where both and lived:


back on land, we stumbled into a cafe:


and ate the biggest artichokes we had ever seen:

the lure of the tuileries, the call of stone and bronze in the gardens of paris -

from lunch, we walked the rue de bac,
and the antiques galleries of the left bank:





tim and i crossed the seine, and found ourselves wandering the tuileries,
the grand gardens that lead to the louvre:



the statuary of the grounds are amazing,
all styles, all periods, bronzes that muscled their way to your attention,
begging to be touched
or admired,
or at times, even feared:


front to back, back to front:


the great i.m. pei designed glass pyramids of the louvre's central courtyard
are always a fond touchpoint for us.
for years we would have thanksgiving brunch,
just the two of us,
at the cafe marly, overlooking this glass landmark:


and, as was becoming a habit,
the sun broke through,
just in time to meet lauren and hollis at a cafe in the late afternoon:

showing hollis why paris is forever the city of lights -

on their last night in town, lauren and hollis took us out to dinner
at an amazing cafe on the left bank,
le pret verre.

it was strolling in the twilight,
unexpected food suprises,
and learning that hollis still hadn't seen the city at night.



which, if you ask me, is half the reason to come to paris.
it is called the city of lights for a reason, my friends:


the city lives large, even after dark.
especially after dark.
they play petanque under streetlamps in front of notre dame:


the banks of the river glitter and gleam.
people stop and talk to strangers,
hold hands,
take pictures:


but the best part of the night was crossing back over the pont neuf at eleven o'clock,
right when the eiffel tower (as it does every night on the hour)
burst into lights:



it was the perfect way to send them off from paris,
and a reminder for us of the unexpected gifts life gives you every day.

a parisian pin-up boy, exploring the right bank, and a "thirst" for something new -

waking up in this city is a marvelous gift.
walking out with your husband, and finding the perfect expression of him,
that's pretty cool, too:


we were determined to hit the right bank before meeting up with
lauren and hollis later when they arrived,
and so we did what any true tourist does,
we walked.

though paris has an amazing metro system,
and it's easy enough to find cabs,
walking is the only way to feel the city.
the only way to see the seine in the morning:


and to break in your limited edition asics
(tim loves his color, yes he do):


the only way to see the random store window,
and catch in it
the way the city sees you:


and no, not everyone walks.
most people either drive TINY cars (the smart car is everywhere)
or one of these (on streets, on sidewalks, they are like a swarm):

so tim found one in his color,
but i insisted this was more "him":


and then, a quick turn into the jardins du palais royale,
for a little ric owens (a flagship!)
a little vintage,
a little marc jacobs,
and a little garden tour:


tim kept insisting we keep caffeinated,
i have no idea why:


and here's where paris weather is so wonderful.
sunny when we woke.
gray by two (so the gold on the monuments GLOWED against the skies)


and then sunny by the time we met the kids.

what? i'm just heading back to meet them now . . .