A Quick Trip to Paris

I'm back, at long last! For the first time since moving overseas eleven years ago, we didn't head to the States for the summer. We really needed to save the money we normally spend on trans-Atlantic travel and too-frequent/easy stops at Taco Cabana and Chipotle. But in between family yardwork jobs for some traveling teachers, we managed a few inexpensive European getaways, like this "quick trip to Paris" a few weeks ago.

Even after five years of living in Europe, it's hard to believe such a thing is possible for us. We're four hours away, but it had been four years since we'd made this trip (three for the Girl, who'd been with a friend). The Boy was headed to a four-day teen adventure camp down in Garmisch, so it was a good time for a visit.

We spent a good bit of time in the Marais, one of our favorite neighborhoods. We enjoyed both the European Photography Museum and the Musée Carnavalet, museum of the history of Paris. 

I was super-excited to stumble upon the amazing shop Au Petit Bonheur La Chance, which I'd read about several times in the past. Apparently, it can be difficult to find it open, but we hit it just right, though we were informed about 15 minutes into our frenzied treasure-hunting that the proprietress would be closing up shop "in five minutes." That was probably a good thing, financially-speaking, as I got out with only two purchases. 

After asking another local shopkeeper for a recommendation, we had lunch at Au Bouquet St. Paul, a friendly place with good food and fair prices.

To save money, we stayed outside of Paris in a boho apartment we rented through airbnb. Just a 12-minute walk plus twenty minutes on the Métro, it was perfect for the three of us, plus dog.

We even had a private deck and garden, something you certainly won't find in the center of Paris. See that little table at the bottom of the photo? It was trash-picked by Husband on a street nearby during one of this early-morning walks, and it now sits in our upstairs bathroom. 

The garden was perfect for Yoshi, except that while exploring it, he managed to tip himself backwards right into this ridiculously-tiny pond. He was not amused, though Husband and I, who witnessed the incident, definitely were. Bad dog-parents!

We finally made it to Giverny, to Monet's House and Garden. We'd been telling the Girl we'd take her there someday, ever since she was a tiny thing reading Linnea in Monet's Garden (and watching the video). 

Warm and sunny, it was a perfect day for our visit. Yay!

Back in Paris that evening, we picnicked with the masses next to the Eiffel Tower and watched the sunset. Lovely!

Back soon with more about our summer!

Annecy, Waterlogued

I had fun playing around with some of the photos from our French Alps trip. Waterlogue is such a cool app!

An Annecy Miscellany

Here are some more photos we took during our four days in lovely Annecy, France:

Annecy, in the French Alps

This was a Spring Break first for us: we made a last-minute travel decision based almost entirely on the weather. Husband said he was not about to spend the last four days of the break (following mid-week removal of The Boy's braces!) anywhere chilly or rainy. And that was that! So we waited until the day before we planned to leave to make a decision on a country and a city. Based on something from my Pinterest Travel Love board, combined with a very promising weather forecast, we chose the town of Annecy, France, about six hours southwest of here.

Since it wasn't High Season there quite yet, we were able through airbnb to book a quirky, fully-stocked apartment in the heart of the Old Town for four nights. We stood on the living room balcony to take this photo.

Above is a view from the window that opens out onto the balcony. We overlooked the most photographed building in Annecy, the Old Prison.

We cooked and ate most of our meals in the apartment, at this long, old farm table.

There was so much good food to be had. The cheeses were, unsurprisingly, a major highlight. The Boy became a big fan of the regional Reblochon and Tomme de Savoie. We shopped for food in the Monoprix just around the corner and also at the outdoor market, which we got to visit twice during our visit.

The lake? Really calm and beautiful--it's one of the purest in Europe. You can go on boat tours or rent a paddle boat to take out yourself. Swimming is allowed in certain areas during warmer months. 

Annecy is known for its canals. It's often called "Little Venice of the Alps."

Those are my three dudes, right there. The one in the middle got hissed at by a swan. It could easily have happened to the one on the right, who as a youngster was bitten by an ostrich, kicked by a pony, terrorized by praying mantises, and nibbled on by rabbits and goats. I'd say it's unlikely he'll work in a zoo or become a rancher or beekeeper. 

But back to Lac d'Annecy. See how clear the water is? The air is crisp here, and everything feels clean. 

Annecy is just a truly lovely place, and I recommend it to anyone planning a visit to the French Alps. I'll be back with more photos.

Metz Miscellany

My most recent Metz photos weren't all of doors, though it's true that at least half of them were.

We found Le Vélo Rose at 28 Rue Taison, behind the Cathedral. It's a mix of new and vintage items, and I found the prices quite reasonable. Check out the shop's actual "vélo rose"--complete with a set of boules attached to the handlebars!

On the same street, I spied another cute shop with this wonderful jewelry in the window. I'd love to have one of those necklaces made from vintage watches.

On the corner, we found the tiny but very busy pâtisserie-boulangerie Aux Merveilleux de Fred, where Husband fell in love with a couple of warm-from-the-oven pastries with caramelized sugar--so much so that he went back for more! Friend Jodi and I (see our reflection?) took a couple of photos before moving on. Yes, I had one of those pastries, and it was fabulous!

I liked this place's mailbox, as well as their door handles.

And I thought these mini-trucks were pretty adorable.

We flâneurs got hungry (and thirsty) after wandering for a couple of hours. We stopped in this cute café/bar for drinks and tartines.

Now we're seated and looking at the menu boards.

This is Loroyse, a beer from the Lorraine region, where Metz is located.

We enjoyed the food and friendly service at Autour du Zinc. We'll likely return!

Doors of Metz

Last Saturday, we went to Metz again. We had no particular agenda (other than a visit later in the day to the huge Carrefour in nearby Thionville), so we explored some of the streets around the famous Cathedral. I couldn't help noticing some very photogenic doors; here are some of them.