Buddy asked for a few more pictures from the Paris catacombs. How could I resist a simple request from a tired new father :)
But the catacombs, by contrast, were just old and cool. You could truly get the sense that you might easily get lost in the miles of limestone tunnels piled high with the bones of six million Parisians. 
I've started to sort through my Paris photos, and I'm starting near the end of the trip. As is typical, I am drawn to the more moody photos of Paris at night. I thought these captured that mood quite nicely. The one above is from our dusk walk through St. Germain. The shots below are from our walk along the Seine.
Nope...not the advertising tagline for a 2007 BMW. Rather, this clever TV ad line is for a home pregnancy test.
Hysterical. I cetainly wasn't expecting it and had to share.
But while we wait for the unveiling of Paris pics, let me tempt your tastebuds. My coworkers and I had lunch today at a local cajun chain called Razoos. For dessert, we were encouraged by our super-friendly waitress to try the "famous bread pudding". Let me tell you...if you are ever in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, look one of the places up just for the bread pudding. It was increadibly moist and flavorful, and covered in a butter rum gooey glaze.
Yum!
Gone are the juicy details of our day that started at 8am in Paris and ended at our doorway in San Francisco at 9pm (6am Paris Time). 22 hours long, but the details of the day escape my weary mind.
What did you miss? Our stylish ride to the airport. CDG Terminal 1, which resembles a gray nuclear-hardened hat box. Nine passport checks at CDG...yes nine. Red Carpet Club. The pleasant CDG-to-IAD flight. The excruciating hour and a half we spent in IAD International Arrivals, when Jeff's bags were mistakenly sent to the main terminal. The light snow flurries at IAD as we were taxiing. Our cramped flight to SFO. The movies Flushed Away and Marie Antoinette. Sipping Starbucks liquer over ice. The taxi ride home. Dobie and Buster rushing to greet us.
I promise you the entire write-up, including a timeline, was riveting. Now its just notes :)
Thank GOODNESS we're home.
Full of good cheer, Jeff and I hopped on the Metro (lines 1 and 9) to Pont de L'Alma and the Paris Sewer Tour...Les Egouts de Paris. A first for us, the sewer tour piqued our curiosity, because we thought we might see more of the historic sewer. But no, this is a trip through hundreds of feet of active waterways and dripping ceilings. There was a very informative museum display...arranged down a long tunnel with rushing sewer water under a grate at your feet. The displays told the story of sewage from Roman Times through the Middle Ages (ick) to Revolutionary and modern times. The air was humid with a strong odor and seemed to stick to your skin, so a quick stop at the restrooms on the way out was required to wash up.
Bright sun and strong gusty winds greeted us when we emerged from the sewers. We aired out as we strolled along the Seine to the new Musée Quai de Branly. We didn't go in, but instead walked through the courtyard and interior gardens of this object of contemporary design. The architecture is captivating...with striking modern wings seeming to growing out of a classic Parisian historic building. Old and new were blended perfectly.
We continued our blustery stroll beneath the arched legs of the Tour Eiffel. The crouds were smaller today as they bunched together to brace themselves from the wind.
We boarded Metro (line 6) at Bir Hakeim and zipped by 9 stops, arriving at Denfert-Rochereau and our next activity...after a quick bite...walking makes the tummy grumble. THEN it was on to the famous Catacombs, where the bones of approximately six million Parisians were relocated in the 18th and 19th centuries from cemetaries all over Paris. The bones were systematically moved into abandoned limestone quarry tunnels deep within the earth. The walking tour of the Catacombs takes you past piles and piles of orderly stacked skulls, arms, and legs...many arranged in decorative patterns.
Exiting the catacombs several blocks from our entry point, we strolled around the neighborhood...briefly passing by the apartment building where Jeff and his friend Matt stayed in the fall of 1996.
Oh, and we tried out one of those automatic public toilets that pop up frequently around the streets of Paris. I was impressed how sanitary the toilet felt, including washing and drying hands. The entire enclosure is automatically cleaned and sanitized between each patron. All for free!
We walked back in the direction of the apartment by way of the Jardin du Luxembourg...not THROUGH since the park police were blowing whistles to hustle everyone out for closing time. We strollled down the Rue de Tournon, past quiet shops and noisy cafes. We got an energy boost from a pastry followed by creamy Italian gelato in St. Germain des Prés. Strolled back to the apartment along the Seine...enjoying the dusk-views of the river, its long boats, and adoring lovers in the shadows on the quai.
We ate a final, hearty meal at Starcooker...one of our favorites this trip. A final drink at the Open Cafe, and then back to pack for the morning.
A steady rain has arrived...its time to go home. Our next update...from the USA.
The gang and I went back to the apartment to meet up with Jeff and have breakfast--pastries from Gabrielle and fresh orange juice (construction on the street took a rest for the weekend).
We decided to hit two major stops today--the Arc du Triomphe and Tour Eiffel. We walked a fairly direct route between these landmarks, but this was still a heck of a walk...particularly with a 4-year-old in tow.
The first leg of our walk: through the grounds of the Louvre, past the giant pyramids, sat and watched ducks at the fountain in the Jardin des Tuileries, rode the Tuileries caroussel (twice), walked along the Champs Elysées past the Grand and Petit Palais, ate lunch along the Champs Elysées (another Quick stop), and continued on to the Arc du Triomphe.
Along the way, Keegan spotted a young woman with a bright blue balloon. His face lit up, and the woman gave Keegan the balloon. For the next two hours, Keegan's gaze was fixated on that balloon as it bounced around in the wind.
We spent some time up on top of the Arc du Triomphe. The sky was a colorful mix of blue sky, rain-filled grey clouds, and bright washed-out sunny patches. Keegan loved pointing out how we were giants compared with the people below. I was delighted to finally have a strong telephoto lens with me to visually compress some of these long-distance city views. (For the record, my new digital SLR is performing exceptionally well.)
We strolled down the Avenue d'Iena towards the Tour Eiffel. Passed several embassies. Lost the blue balloon. Mourned the loss for five minutes. Walked through the Jardin du Trocadéro, across the Pont d'Iena, and arrived at the Tour Eiffel.
The lines were long and the winds strong. As we boarded the elevator to ride to level 2, Keegan told us, "I'm so excited!" which made the wait and chilly winds worth it. Keegan had a look of wonder as he gazed over Paris below. He thought we were as high as Superman flies. Kids are so cute keeping things in perspectives that they can understand. This is certainly something he will always remember and us as well.
Keegan started to lose steam as dusk turned to nite, so it was the Metro to the rescue. Lines 6 and 1 brought us home...Keegan was asleep as we crossed back onto Íle St. Louis. We had traditional French cuisine at the nearby Brasserie de Íle St. Louis. We finished the evening with family phone calls back to Michigan announcing the impending birth of grandchild number 6 (Julie's second) and our 7th nephew/neice. Wow, I really had to think about the math there.
Today was a Museum Pass day--our pre-paid free-entry card for Paris. We set out to hit at least three museums.
We started at the Musée Cluny, which was closed yesterday. The collection in the Cluny focuses on the Middle Ages. It has four famous Medieval tapestries of a maiden and her unicorn. The Cluny is housed in and named after Hôtel Cluny, a grand mansion on the Left Bank. It also happens to sit on the same site as a Roman bath complex...these unearthed structures are also visible as part of the museum.
We strolled down the noisy Boulevard Saint Germain, and quickly ducked into the (free) Abbey Saint Germain des Prés. The highlight was the silence. This Abbey was similar to most...cross-shaped, huge arched ceilings, somber mood. This one had very few 'attractions', which explained the small number of visitors.
Back out to the Boulevard and on to the Musée d'Orsay...specializing in impressionist paintings. The collection of Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezannne, Van Gogh and a zillion others was..well...impressive. (Five points for an impressionist pun.) The paintings are both familliar and approachable, and if you don't like impressionist painting, then the building is amazing as well...a converted Industrial Age train station on the Seine. (And...yes...there is a huge green metal Rhino out front, which Jeff and his buddy Matt enjoy photographing...with their heads up the behind--a tradition dating back to their trip in 1996. Jeff and I both recreated this scene for Matt. It is Matt's turn next.)
With the setting sun, we crossed the Seine via the Pont Solferino. The low sun was dramatic as it lit up landmarks up and down the Seine. One such landmark: the newly renovated Musée de L'Orangerie, which is the former greenhouse for the Jardin des Tuileries. This stylish renovation primarily showcases several waterlily murals by Monet in large oval galleries, but there is also an entire impressionist collection on the lower level...an excellent collection in its own right just steps from the Musée Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. Well worth a visit.
We closed our day walking down through the Jardin des Tuileries, past the Louvre, and along the Seine to our little Íle. Our evening was finished out with a comfortable dinner, yummy desert, and a cappuccino. We are off to bed early tonight. Tomorrow, Jeff's sister Julie and nephew Keegan are visiting from Germany, where Julie is stationed in the Army.
After breakfast (no Gabrielle... again!), we spent most of the day on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter and Saint Germain neighborhoods. The sun surprised with its presence this morning, so we decided to follow the sun-starved Parisians to the Luxembourg Garden and its Italian-inspired Palais du Luxembourg--home of the French Senate. As expected, the park was full of Parisians, drawn out of their offices and classrooms to sit by the fountains or jog or play pick-up soccer.
We grabbed a quick burger at Quick...a Franco-Belgian chain and a modest imitation of McDonalds that served its purpose. Afterwards, we attempted to use our Museum Pass at two nearby landmarks--the Pantheon and the medieval Musée Cluny--but were thwarted by the French tradition of inconvenient mid-week closed days.
Undaunted, we wound our way over to the St. Sulpice cathedral--infamous for its role in The Da Vinci Code. Yes, the 'Rose Line' from the book is clearly marked, and every tourist (including us) stopped to photograph this tiny golden line. Otherwise, the church is an impressive, yet understated, monument to Roman Catholic grandeur. It was free...so no complaints from us.
From there, we entered the Saint Germain neighborhood, which had street closures all over from either a rally or a protest. We saw smoke and steered clear.
We made it to the Hôtel des Invalides and enclosed Église du Dome right as sneaky rainclouds unloaded on us. (Note that this landmark is quite near the Eiffel Tower, which is where we were poured on this past summer...don't go near the Eiffel Tower without an umbrella!) Inside, we toured Napoleon's Tomb...a huge marble box for a tiny man.
Tired from walking, we hopped on the Metro. Lines 13, 8, and 7 deposited us near our Isle. We took a quick walk through the Village St. Paul, with its inter-connected coutyards brimming over with antique shops. We discovered why they call this a village--apparently it once stood outside the city walls of Paris--we spotted small sections of St. Paul's former walls.
Dinner was a delightful find--the Starcooker on the Rue des Archives in the Marais. Jeff had a wonderful risotto au poulet and I had a cheesy mushroom ravioli. We had equally hearty deserts before finishing our evening with drinks at nearby Amnesia while watching AbFab with French subtitles.
[Hmmm, is anyone still reading these scribbles?]
With our O.J. sugar buzz going, we trotted off to conquer the confusing RER train service to Versailles. We were confused by this system last year with Chris, and were determined to get it right. Well, we still went to the wrong platform (again), but stopped short of boarding the wrong train.
Thirty minutes later, we de-trained at Versailles Rive Gauche, and a light rain began...an ominous repeat from our drenched visit last summer? Fortunately no. The rained cleared up and the sun even made a brief, colorful appearance right before it set.
Even though we had visited Versailles just last year, we were treated by with a new billet office, one simple main tour thru the principle rooms including some new rooms, and a very good audio tour in English. Coincidentally, we had just watched Sophia Copola's Marie Antoinette on the flight to Paris, so the images and history were fresh in our minds. The movie was filmed at Versailles, so it was fun trying to place scenes in the appropriate rooms.
A highlight of our visit was the newly refurbished Opera--entirely made from wood cleverly fashioned to resemble marble and plaster. The result is a lush opera house fit for a king. It was built by Louis XV in honor of the marriage of the Dauphin to the young archduchess of Austria, Marie Antoinette. We also took a new tour through the Dauphin's private apartments on the ground floor. Jeff was a little dismayed that large sections of the Chateau were not included on the regular tour. Inquiry at the ticket office did not answer how one would see those rooms. One area that was supposed to be open, the apartments of Mesdames, was closed, but no one bothered to post a sign or warn when buying our ticket. We're getting used to this :)
The gardens were a little barren compared with last year, but a fun walk nonetheless. We made our way to the Jupiter Fountain and the Grand Canal. The highlight, however, was almost getting attacked by two agressive swans...yes, we have pictures.
The trip back into the city was FAR simpler! Finished the day with dinner, wine, walking...and tonight an ice cream sundae...and more walking.
Our first activity after breakfast was to climb Notre Dame's dual circular staircases to the top of its famous bell towers. Even though the visibility was limited by weather on the verge of drizzle at any minute, we climbed to the top of Quasimoto's perch. The views (and architecture along the way) were amazing. We also did a repeat stop-over into the stunning Sainte Chappelle.
We grabbed lunch on the way to our next destination. Lunch was a hearty galette followed by a chocolate covered crepe. This fueled us up for a colorful museum of the history of Paris itself--the Musée Carnavalet.
A light drizzle cut our walk-about short...but only briefly. We still headed out for dinner: fusion Italian food at Caffe Boboli--Jeff's pesto pasta was particularly good. We ended the day with a walk and drinks.
We discovered that the day AFTER Free-first-Sundays (and in the middle of winter) is CERTAINLY the way to guarantee the fewest visitors at the Louvre. This left us with no lines and more personal space to enjoy the myriad of galleries. We were even able to get close enough to the Mona Lisa to discern details in her face. We stopped long enough to enjoy an unmemorable lunch at a Louvre cafe. Lunch was saved by a warm Nutella and banana crepe for dessert. We stayed in the Louvre until we were shooed back out at 5pm. Dusk had just settled in, so we were able to snap a couple pictures of the Louvre pyramids illuminated.
We rested briefly back at the apartment and then headed out to take some nighttime photos of Notre Dame. We ate a hearty, traditional French dinner on our little Isle at a cozy place near the apartment, and then we walked over into the Marais for a couple of mojitos at Open Cafe.
To bed... To bed... Our eyes are droopy. I am sure we have another fun day ahead.
All troubles were soon washed away as we were greeted by Victor--our friendly driver into the city. A 30-minute, traffic-free drive later, Victor crossed the Seine--halfway--to enter Isle Saint Louis. This tiny island sits in the center of the city alongside the Isle de la Cite, which houses Notre Dame Cathedral.
Unlike our previous European itineraries, this trip will be based in one place, so we decided to rent a cozy apartment to get a sense of Parisian life. We're at 52 Rue Saint Louis, Paris if you want to Google Earth us. The apartment's most dramatic distinguishing feature is its painted wood-beam ceiling. (Our thanks to Brooks for this fantastic recommendation.)
We shut our eyes for an hour, freshened up, and headed out to find lunch. The low-40s air was nippy, but no complaints...not a cloud in the sky. (From what we hear, that will change.) Today, lunch was in honor of our friend Chris and our brief visit in June: croque monsieurs from a cafe next to Notre Dame. After lunch we walked and walked with no particular destination in mind: we strolled out to the Pont Neuf and along the Seine, wandered through the Marais, people-watched at the Palais Royal and Centre Pompidou, and daydreamed in the Tuileries gardens by the pond with little boats sailing across.
We decided to return to a familiar restaurant in the Marais for dinner. Afterwards, the walk back to the apartment was chilly, and the starless sky foretold the end of our one-day sunny day streak. Nevertheless, we are hitting bed satisfied and exhausted.
We landed at CDG in the early AM to begin a relaxing week. Stay tuned.
So, I alluded to our new GPS navigation helper who we have named "Emily" after her lilting British accent. Other than our test runs at Christmas, we haven't done any long roadtrips, so we've taken to trying to fool Emily as we drive around the City. We plug in obscure destinations and then mock Emily as she tries to take off our "normal" route. 
We hit the de Young as the afternoon sun was just starting to light everything up with a hint of red. This really set off the panoramic landscape around the de Young's observation tower. One cool aspect of the tower is that it is free to everyone, not just museum visitors. A very nice gift to the community.
The sunlight also set off the new Academy of Sciences, which is under construction directly across from the de Young. Slated to open in 2008, this building already captivates the imagination with its sine-wave roof.
One of the stranger sights that might catch your glance as you drive through serene Marin County is the historic San Quentin State Prison, a maximum security facility complete with gas chamber. It also happens to sit on prime SF Bay waterfront property, with vistas to remind 6000 inmates how good life is on the outside.
The Rocky Mountain states were a captivating sight during my return flight from North Carolina Sunday afternoon. The sun was low, which set off unique textures and out-of-place facilities. This smokestack created an incredible show that I just had to try and capture. It was impressive in color, but dramatic in black and white.
Take for example the odd young woman (pictured) who approached me at the rear of an orderly line to board my flight home to SF. She asked me politely whether I knew which zone was boarding, I said I did not, so she proceeded to walk four passengers ahead and cut into the line. Not that anyone cares, but it was an odd action, wouldn't you agree?
I spent three days this week in Las Vegas at a side conference associated with the mammoth Consumer Electronics Show. Fortunately for my wallet, meetings and dinners kept me very busy, such that I left Vegas fairly unscathed--my only loss was $40 gobbled up by an uncooperative Lucky Larry Lobster slot machine.
Rooms are hard to come by during CES, so I stayed at the aging Flamingo hotel for the first time. The helpful woman at the front desk took great pride in giving me an upgraded room on the 'executive floor', since 'more and more of the other rooms are just shabby'. So, it was with great excitement that I inserted my room key--several times before the lock disengaged--and entered my palace.
Even after housekeeping responded to my dismayed call to clean out the last guest's toothbrush, rumpled bed linens, and used water glasses, the room still looked much like a brown-hued Motel 6 room...for $450 my first night. (And wait till you see the flashing neon sign hanging directly outside my 27th floor window.)
Nevertheless, I compensated for a disappointing room with a few truly spectacular meals. Tuesday night, my coworkers and I ate at the amazing Mesa Grill in Caesar's Palace. I had the most fantastic ribeye steak that I have ever tasted.
Wednesday evening, we returned to Caesar's Palace for drinks at the Seahorse Lounge and dinner at the Vegas outlet of Spago. My truffle-encrusted salmon was delicious...even if it couldn't top the previous night's steak.
Thursday night, it was down to just my dear friend Ellis and me for dinner, so we wandered a bit further down the Strip to the classic Mirage--which is still popular and glamorous after all the years. We ate a rich meal at Stack--one of their steakhouses. My steak was very nice, and was accompanied by the indulgently named Adult Tater Tots (potatoes with bacon and brie).
We finished off the evening at the new Revolution lounge--themed after the Beatles and created by Cirque du Soleil to accompany the new Beatles/Cirque show 'Love'. Revolution was a feast of psychedelic color, retro styles, modern decor, and of course amazing music. One drink turned into a few--assisted by inviting bean bag seats. (Note to Kim, Cheryl, and Kellie: it is your duty as card-carrying Beatles fans to come see this extravaganza!)
As I packed up and left this morning, I noted just how quickly CES wound down from the barely-controlled chaos when I arrived. Technology and gadgets were seamlessly being replaced by leather and lace as the Adult Entertainment Awards and Expo rolled into town. In Vegas they never miss a beat.
Sooooo, I broke down before Christmas and picked up a new digital SLR that I had been eyeing. Frankly, its a bit intimidating, because I haven't shot with an SLR in over three years. I've been enjoying the spontaneity of my little sub-compact camera, which I am in the habit of carrying EVERYWHERE. Nevertheless, I am trying to improve my people photography skills, and for that, I really want the power and speed of an SLR. (Of course, I will still continue to carry the small camera as well.)
On Saturday, our friend Pamela--a photo classmate of mine at Ft. Mason--and her husband hosted their annual cookie decorating party at their beautiful home in Telegraph Hill. This was our second year, and we had such fun painting with colorful glazes and sprinkling with dots and sparkles other miniature bits. The cookies sparked imaginative conversations for a perfect December weekend.
For the past several years, I've been buying the annual Christmas ornament from the White House Historical society. I began collecting when I bought my townhouse in Virginia. One of my coworkers used to take orders for the office. Since then, I've kept up the tradition and bought them to remind me of my DC Christmases. Jeff and I like the historical themes. Each ornament honors a former president, and includes a discussion of life in the U.S. during that president's term. The ornament to the left is the first I collected. The one below is one of my favorites.
On a tree filled with glass decorations, one of my favorite ornaments is fake glass. I fondly remember making these pseudo stained glass ornaments with my mother and brother in the house where I grew up. In those days, our tree was mostly filled with things that Cliff and I made--blobs of felt, handmade frames with school photos, and melted stained glass. When Jeff and I spent our first Christmas together in San Francisco, my mother sent this ornament along to help start out our new tree.
I never thought that I would be one of those "ornament collectors", but each year when Jeff and I pull out our boxes of ornaments to decorate the tree, I am taken back to trips we've been on or font memories of family members. So, since most of my rabid readers are not in SF, I thought I would share a few of the stories that our tree tells.
Our annual Holiday Photo Show at Ft. Mason was a rousing success, once again. We had a continuous stream of people both Friday and Saturday, and moderate sales. (Moderate means some people sold a little, my dear friend Susan sold a LOT, and I didn't sell anything.) Nevertheless, the true measure of a good show is the positive feedback I receive from friends and strangers alike. Many many thanks to my friends who fought traffic and ravenous holiday shoppers to visit.
Time gets away from me each December. My excuse for not posting in over a week? Well, I did have a photo show, been decorating, doing Christmas shopping EARLY (well...earlier), went to a Christmas party, working on some photo projects, loading up my iPod with Christmas music.
