Paris mon Amour!

It was the summer of 2012, and Stelios and I had decided to take a side trip to France on our way to spending the summer in Greece.


We had a few people we wanted to visit on this trip; Stelios' cousin Charalambos(don't you love those Greek names!!) and our friends Freddie and Norma, luckily both residing in the South of France. It took me months to meticulously plan the trip that would take us from Paris all the way to the North of France and then back down to the South, hitting some special destinations in between.

The first couple of days as well as the last few we spent in Paris. Glorious, wondrous Paris did not disappoint and since we'd been there before we decide to skip the Eiffel, the Louvre and other well known attractions that we'd seen before so we could just enjoy the vibe and life of the city.

Our first bottle of wine.

 We climbed to the top of Notre Dame in late afternoon, after the crowds had left.

 We walked around the Tuileries and admired the statues.

We visited the Orangerie Museum, that houses the Monet Water Lilies Murals among other impressionist and post impressionist paintings.

 We enjoyed the resident kitty at our hotel.

 One of the best kept secrets is the Old Paris Opera House.

It's a jewel of a place, ornate and splendid!

 Our hotel kitty being courted by an outside cat.

 The Cluny Museum is another one of those lesser known jewels of Paris.

Strolls along the Seine.

 In the summertime, the Parisians enjoy the waterfront.

When you make it to Paris, don't forget to look for these lesser destinations and to take the time to stroll along the Boulevards soaking in the atmosphere of the City of Light.

Enjoy!

Maria