Arriving at La Petit Toque the following day for lunch, we discovered it was unexpectedly closed. Fortunately, there was a restaurant next door with an outdoor table situated underneath a large chestnut tree in the center of the square. There was a warm and gentle breeze and Dave ordered a bottle of Cote de Rhone…

My good friend, Jenifer, was able to join me for a day. She was on route home to Seattle after a weeks holiday in Spain. We’ve known each other for 14 years and share a love of French food, travel and adventure. The sun reflecting off of Jen’s red hair caught my eye, “Bonjour and…

The sun was shining, the sky was azure blue and it was market day in the Bastille neighborhood. What a whimsical day for a picnic! Dave and I meandered our way through the stalls, marveling at the abundance of vendors displaying cheeses, breads, meat, fish, fresh eggs, pastries and more. Pate, proscuitto, fruit, cheese and…

I’m borrowing the title of this post, African Laughari,  from my grandmother, Tillie Battle. In the early 1970’s she traveled to Africa and upon returning composed limericks and painted pictures of the animals that she had seen while on safari with her husband, Tucker Battle. My mom, Helen Heaney, then helped gather the poems and…

Some of my friends have wondered why I return again, and again, to Paris. Haven’t I seen enough already? How many times can you explore one city? Each time I journey to Paris I encounter something new and explore different neighborhoods. This time was no exception. Dave and I set off in search of a…

Dinner in Paris is truly a remarkable thing. Just remembering meals I’ve enjoyed causes me to salivate.  There are multiple restaurants in Paris and lots of websites, foodie reviews, and travel books to research them all. You can go for the high end 5 star plus with Michelin stars to lots of bistros and other…

There are so many delicious items to eat in Paris. From pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants), tarte au framboises (raspberry tarts), magret de canard (duck breast), cabillaud (cod), caille (quail) agneau (lamb),salade de printemps (spring salad) and desserts galore, it’s difficult to choose some favorites. On this Spring trip  I returned to some favorite spots…

There are some funny, quirky, adventurous things about appliances and home furnishings in France. In all of my travels in Paris and other parts of France there are some common elements related to washing machines, showers, dishwashers and entrances to apartments. Washing machines: very helpful to know French and/or to have someone explain all the…

I arrived at 99 Rue de Seine yesterday morning. The one bedroom apartment is wonderful. It is in the St. Germain de Pres neighborhood. It has a large kitchen (by far the biggest and most open of any apartments I’ve rented before) a large and very comfortable king size bed, a good size sitting area,…