More Paris. But First . . .

A fun thing happened on the way.

My pal David Chaudoir and I discovered we were going to be at the Atlanta Airport at the same time, so made plans to meet up depending on flights arriving as scheduled.  

And, the gods smiled.

We were able to spend a short, but fun, time together and Vickie and David got to meet for the first time.  

And then, next thing we knew, Vickie and I were on our way!  To Paris!  Squeee!!!

Let me just say here, for the record.

I hate flying.

No, I'm not scared to fly.

I just hate it.  If you did any flying back before the airline industry was deregulated in 1978, you might feel the same way.

Anyhoooooo . . .

We arrived safely, fell in love at first sight with our hotel, and the staff.  Had a bite to eat in the hotel breakfast room (ahhhh. . . croissants . . . ❤ ) and proceeded to explore our immediate neighborhood.

We had to wait a short while for our room to be readied while having espresso in the lobby.

I'm getting help with this info from Vickie - I'm a little foggy on the arrival details, truth be told. 🙃

I do remember getting to our room, loving it and our view.  

I think I remember that it was starting to rain.

And I think I remember we chose to just chill right there.  I may have dozed.

I think Vicki wandered out and returned with snacks and wine.  

Ah, Paris.

More tomorrow!

Home Again, Home Again!

 

And it's true; there's no place like home.

Paris is all the things . . . but still, there is no place like home.

Our home - My heart

Like any trip, there are moments.  Memories.  Stories.

I'll be sharing a lot.  

I'm going to start out with a statement of truth.  This from a woman who never misses an opportunity to share her thoughts about age.  "You're only as old as you feel."  "Age is just a number." Yada yada yada.

I am 78 years old.  I am not going to presume to know how anyone else feels at age 78, but I can tell you this - I am feeling  . . .  older.

My reflexes aren't what they used to be.  My mind not as sharp.  My body not as thin.  My mobility kinda sucks.  Getting up to a stable standing position after sitting for very long - oh, Lordy, what a struggle.  My legs scream nasty bad words at me when my brain alerts them to stairs and inclines.  My strength is waning and my balance done waned.  Toss in my hearing loss, and here I am.  Forget being a woman of a certain age.  Honey.  I am one old broad.

Does any of this mean I'm ready to hang up my traveling shoes?  

As much as flying has changed.  As brutal as sitting straight up in an uncomfortable seat on a plane seemingly impossible to find a happy medium between "way too hot" and "way too cold" - no.  Nope.  Not ready to hang up my traveling shoes.

Especially when there's an opportunity to travel with someone I love.

(A little unsolicited advice here <even though i truly do detest unsolicited advice> - do not DO NOT travel long distances with someone you do not love.)

And I do love my pal Vickie.  

a few years back

For now, I'm just going to tell you we loved our hotel!  Can't say enough good things about Hotel Les Dames du Pantheon.  Small boutique French cozy.  Parfait!  And having The Pantheon as our next door neighbor was "just right."

From our balcony

The choice we made to stay in The Latin Quarter was a great choice.

Over the next few days I'll be sharing photos and stories about our trip.

So, stay tuned!  And enjoy!

Now that I am back in Meat Camp with Donald and Annabelle, the thing at the very top of my To Do List is to get rid of this nasty cold I brought home with me.  Send some good healthy wishes my way, please!

Later

 

Don't leave anything for later.

Later, the coffee gets cold.

Later, you lose interest.

Later, the day turns into night.

Later, people grow up.

Later, people grow old.

Later, life goes by.

Later, you regret not doing something...

When you had the chance.

Life is a fleeting dance, a delicate balance of moments that unfold before us, never to return in quite the same way again.

Regret is a bitter pill to swallow, a weight that bears down upon the soul with the burden of missed chances and unspoken words.

So, let us not leave anything for later. Let us seize the moments as they come, with hearts open and arms outstretched to embrace the possibilities that lie before us. For in the end, it is not the things we did that we regret, but the things we left undone, the words left unspoken, the dreams left unfulfilled.

                    ~ Toshikazu Kawaguchi

So.

That said - I'm planning a trip back to Paris.  Just me and one of my dearest and most fun friends.  

Me and Vickie

Just the two of us, armed with a list (I do love a list!) of places to shop and eat and walk and sit for some very serious Paris people watching. 

 We've got about a year to make plans, think about it, dream about it, and squeal about it.

We've both spent time in Paris so we've seen the things you should see.  This trip is going to be a little different.  Definitely a "girl's trip."

Donald has always been sweet and patient with me when I shop.  But.  Knowing he's being sweet and patient isn't the same as enjoying the whole shopping experience.  There's a big difference.  Vickie, like me, loves to shop.  The hunt for a vintage Hermès scarf is an experience most husbands just don't understand.  The hunt for a vintage Hermès scarf with Vickie has possibilities I can't even begin to imagine.

I intend to do a wee bit more research before we leave.  And many of my resources are close at hand 😊

And for additional "research" I have a couple more lists:

https://www.kayebarleymeanderingsandmuses.com/2022/02/my-paris-reading-list-non-fiction.html

https://www.kayebarleymeanderingsandmuses.com/2018/01/my-paris-reading-list.html

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