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Monet and Latin Quarter

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 April 14 We caught an early cab to take us to a small church in the 17th, where we met our group. Including two women from Australia who had a similar story as Meg and me. One was named Susan, the other Tracy, whose daughter is a dancer at the Moulin Rouge. It was Susan’s first time to Paris.  The bus ride was 1.5 hours to Giverny and our guide gave a fascinating history of Paris and the settling of Normandy by Vikings. Then she told us about Monet and his early story. We arrived in Giverny and had about 3 hours to see the house and gardens. Luckily, we were in a tour group and had a special entrance. Upon our way out, the line of people there to buy tickets was endless. An early group experience is the only way!!  The gardens were abloom in tulips and many more flowers. We walked among the garden’s water features and Japanese inspired bridges. We then lined up in a long queue to enter the house. The tour took us through his art studio with paintings of his wife and chil...
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Opera Garnier and Montmartre

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April 13  The Paris Marathon was today. 55,000 participants! Paris is gridlocked as far as traffic. We walked to Opera Garnier where we had an open ticket for the day. We had to cross the marathoners 4 times today with well-timed runs over the zebra walks! Our neighbors’ son Alexander ran it and the proud parents sent me a photo.  We finally made it to the Opera house. Just gorgeous inside. Commissioned by Napoleon III.  Afterwards, still with the marathon going on we finally found the correct metro station to take us to the Funicular to Sacre Coeur. Once there, we strolled around and found a nice cafe to people watch and enjoy lunch.  After lunch we walked to the artists’ area and found a woman doing pastels of dogs. Meg found a favorite photo of Suzette and Sweet Pea. The artist needed 1.5 hours. So we found a nearby cafe and had a drink and people watched.  Although Montmartre is hard to get to and steep terrain, it was well worth it.  We stopped at a mo...
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Emily in Paris tour

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 April 12 Today was another great day!! We traveled via cab to the Hotel Plaza Athenee to meet our tour group for Sex in the City/Emily in Paris tour. We were a little early so we were allowed in the hotel while we waited. At 10 no one had showed up, which we found concerning. Finally a young woman, Nari, with exotic features and silver and diamond studded finger tips showed up. Turns out our tour was private!!  Our hotel in Paris on Rue de Richelieu  The bathroom doorstop in the Hotel Plaza Athenee-a designer bag!  The lobby in Hotel plaza Athenee These flower vases were spectacular! Palms and Easter Lillie’s too Hotel plaza Athenee Nari our guide, told us about the role of the hotel in both Sex and the city and Emily in Paris, both with the same producer and how Emily in some cases mirrors Carrie Bradshaw. Both used this hotel.  From there we walked down the block to Dior’s first ever building in Paris and she told us that Christian Dior’s father wanted Christ...
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