Still thinking about my vacation....

Even though I am technically back at work, my thoughts remain elsewhere:

A final shot of the harbor at Villefranche taken after dinner one night:
The seagull on the roof is real:

Markets to die for:

As for other bits of information, Ilona asked about the clothes I took. They were OK, but I still felt fat and frumpy. It is much, much easier to feel good in fall/winter clothes....boots, scarves, longer coat. We experienced a number of hot (90+) days. I felt I was in Merida which is why I think I will go to Buenos Aires next summer...temperatures there were in the 20s and 30s while we were in Paris.

Patti and I raised the art of people watching to a new high. Actually, we seemed to only watch Frnech women. Everything we read about them is true. French women are not fat. They aren't. Their clothes fit well; they move with a grace and confidence that we rarely see in the US. Gosh, they look good zipping by on bicycles in their regular street clothes and shoes. They wear wonderful shoes...just regular shoes. (The only place we saw outrageous high heels was the night we hung out with the papparazzi in front of the Grand Palais where the A/W Chanel show was being held. ) They have wonderful handbags...not all of them are the high end brands, but they all look great. Very few are shoulder bags as most are carried on the arm. The only cross body bags I saw were on students or tourists. Young women were wearing cute summer fedoras, but we only saw one woman of a certain age who pulled off that look. It was depressing.

With fashion and style on the brain, we also went to the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit in the Petite Palais...across the street from the Grand Palais. All we wanted to do was touch the clothing because the fabrics looked so rich and sensual.

On a smaller scale, Patti found a line of clothing she really liked. She bought some great pieces and all on sale. I bought a handbag, a scarf and a pair of earrings.....as if I needed any more of any of those three things, but they were the only things that would fit me.

We did go to a couple of museums including the Cluny where the famous tapestries of the Middle Ages are displayed. It seemed appropriate that we two middle aged women found ourselves there.

Food, glorious food

To say we ate well in France is an understatement. We had absolutely wonderful, lovely, fresh food each and every day. Bread, cheese, fish, pate/foie gras, huge salads, lamb, veal, gazpacho. We usually ordered two appetizers rather than an entree. We only had dessert a couple of times and of those, only one was memorable....fresh berries served over lemon sorbet. As we recounted our trip to Erin and Devin, meals defined the days.

(Note to Ilona: I did not eat a single macaroon...the colors gross me out.)
(Note to Naphtali: We ate at two restaurants recommended by Clothide. They were fabulous. No photos however.)

While in Paris, we ate breakast each day in our apartment...feasting on fresh yogurt and incredible fresh fruit....apricots, nectarines, cherries.

All other meals, however, were eaten out. Literally. Except for one hot night when we sought out an air conditioned restaurant, we ate every meal outside along with everyone else in Paris and in Villefranche. These are some of our favorites:

On the street where we lived

I took a grand total of 18 photos during my three weeks in France. Do I regret not taking more? Right now, yes. Did I love not taking photos while we were there? Definitely.

This is the view from our apartment window...32 Rue de Vielle Temple, Paris. We lived in a normal neighborhood in the 4th arrondisement. The street was filled with apartment buildings but what was fascinating was that each building had a business on the ground floor. We had a bakery directly under us. At first, we thought the smells would drive us crazy but we rarely smelled the baking that started at around 5:00 each morning. There were several restaurants, clothing shops, grocery stores and a sock store. We came and went as we pleased....feeling quite Parisianne as we keyed in the door code and climbed the two stories to our tiny apartment.

The apartment had its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage was a refrigerator. The biggest disadvantage was no maid service. Ultimately, Patti and I decided we are both hotel girls at heart.

Back to reality...but one can dream of the next trip

What a wonderful trip! Paris was spectacular while our stay in Villefranche was an unexpected delight. I had long resisted traveling to the French Riviera thinking that it would be filled with only beautiful people getting tan....the only activity possible in this area. I was so wrong! While, yes, there is a lot of serious tanning that goes on here and, yes, there are many beautiful people, there are lots of small towns to explore easily via train and bus, lots of walking to be done, great food, and, most of all, gorgeous, relaxing scenery. There is something wonderful about being on the water.

I officially return to work on Monday and am using the weekend to catch up on sleep, buy groceries, get a much needed mani/pedi. More vacation posts to follow.

I cannot post for some reason..having a wonderful time. Will keep working to figure this out

Les Sacs ...the end

This first photo is of the empty black suitcase. Many people do not realize that there is a little extra packing space to be found under the lining. See Photo 2. Yes, I travel with instant oatmeal, bandaids and dental floss. This is also where I stash a copy of my passport. I am not sure why I am traveling with at least 8 disposable razors.

This is my carry on bag. I have no idea why it is not black.

And, finally, my favorite. This is a leather bag from Argentina. A friend who runs a program here also has the most fabulous handbags that she buys in Argentina. As luck would have it, Jann F. went to Buenos Aires in the spring to visit one of her son's who was studying there. It turned out that the shop was on the same block as her hotel. It is wonderful....and also not black.

OK, that`s all. I will stop boring you with packing insights and move on to the trip itself.

A demain....

Pour la plage

Yes, even my swimsuit, wrap, googles and flip flops maintain the b/w theme. But scroll down and what do we have? Color in the shape of an umbrella, sun visor, and flashlight. I know...not sure why the flashlight is in this group nor why the fan is either. I guess in case I get hot and lost late at night on some empty beach. One never knows....