Arriving in Paris

We take the TGV fast train back to Paris and stop for a few days.  After checking into our hotel near L'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe, we stroll along the Seine to Place Saint-Michel, passing by the Grand Palais, Petit Palais, the Louvre, and Musée d'Orsay and ending up across from Notre Dame (now with signs that politely say, "temporarily closed").  The sun is setting and the city lights up as we stroll along the river.

 Along the Seine

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Arriving at Place Saint-Michel, we wander through the narrow streets across from Notre Dame and pick a favorite fondue restaurant for dinner, sharing an escargot starter and two fondues:  savoyard (cheese, served with meats and potatoes) and mixed (duck and beef cooked at the table in a pot of boiling oil).

 Street near Place Saint-Michel

 Escargot, fondues

After dinner, we walk back along the Seine.  Night has fallen and the city is lit up on a beautiful, crisp evening in Paris.

 Lights of the city

It's great to be back!

Covid-19

Dear Reader,

The Covid-19 virus is affecting the entire world and has delayed or cancelled many travel plans and we hope that, through this blog, we bring you travel experiences as a distraction from the continuous stream of difficult news and the isolation of the quarantines and stay-at-home orders.  We hope to inspire thoughts of future adventures and dreams of new sojourns yet to come.  We also hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy through these trying times!

And, here are a few of our favorite places, places that we plan to return to soon and often.

The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Montpellier, France

London,England

Shanghai, China

New York (at Christmas), USA

Cinque Terre, Italy

Singapore

Paris, France

Tahiti, French Polynesia

Walking Around Montpellier

We walk into Montpellier's old town and stroll through the streets, parks, and courtyards of the city.  We stick our head into the Montpellier Cathedral of Saint Peter, which became a cathedral in 1536 when the diocese of Maguelone was transferred to Montpellier under King François I.  The cathedral is enormous and beautiful.

Cathédrale St-Pierre

Outside the cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe (there is another similar one in Paris) stands across from the Promenade du Peyrou, completed in 1774, which offers expansive views of the city and contains a statue of the sun king, Louis XIV, originally unveiled in 1718 and later melted down during the French Revolution to make cannonballs.  In 1838, the current statue was installed, one half the size of the original.

Arc de Triomphe

 Promenade du Peyrou

From the Arc de Triomphe, we reenter the old town and wander over the  the food hall, Marché de Montpellier, and admire the displays in the shops and stalls.

Marché de Montpellier

And, after wandering through the market, it's time for lunch in a nearby restaurant:  croque-monsieur Italian (ham, mozzarella, tomato, and gruyère) and chevre (goat cheese, tomato tartar, and gruyère).

 Croque-monsieurs

After lunch, it's time for more wandering through the city, then a plan for dinner at the restaurant recommended by our hotel:  BG, in the Port Marianne district of Montpellier, a modern area.

City wanders

At BG, we settle in for an amuse bouche from the chef, followed by a shared appetizer of tempura de gamba, main courses of filet de bar and filet de turbot, and a cheese plate for desert.

 Amuse bouche, shrimp tempura

 Filets of bar and turbot

Cheese plate

Another great day!