day 4

We went through an outdoor market, visited the Arc de Triomphe, went shopping down the Champs Elysées, ate some Berthillon ice cream on St. Louis island {my favorite!}, met a student named Toby with whom we ate our ice cream along the Seine, tried some pastries that included an eclair, chouquettes, and mille feuille, we devoured our treats at a beautiful little park, and ended the day eating a Romeo and Juliette pizza {with an egg on it?} at a restaurant that served olives and popcorn as appetizers. It was a deliciously wonderful day!

The outdoor market! They do this every Wednesday and Saturday. Wonderful, isn't it?

Such a variety of cheese

Rabbit

Chickens. With their heads and feet still attached. Ew.

It's simply stunning how red these tomatoes are.

Lunch at Paul's

Oh, Notre Dame, how I love it.

Lovers come to this bridge to add a lock to the railing. They then throw away the key symbolizing their eternal love. How romantic!

Mille feuille! So. Good.

My mom thinks I'm funny!

And she just loves me.

Appetizer?

-M

day 3

We went to Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Co. {Oh, my heart!}, walked around the Latin Quarter where Malinda experienced her first crêpe, visited the Orsay {my favorite museum. So lovely.}, spent some time sitting at the Luxembourg gardens, saw the Pantheon, ate at a delicious café {we had the most amazing dessert, tarte tatin}, we sat on a bridge listening to a man play the saxophone and were accosted by three Greek and French men. The loveliness continues!

Inside Sainte-Chapelle. Fantastic.

NBD I'm just reading a book in Shakespeare & Co.

View from Shakespeare & Co.

Moim!

It is so GREEN right now. Ah, Paris in the springtime!

Tarte tatin. Oh. My. MY.

-M

day 2

Day two of my lovely mother's trip to Paris consisted of a visit to the Louvre, the Orangerie a stroll through Les Tuileries and up the Champs Elysèes and dinner at Caroline Raffard's house. It was splendid!

This is for Jacqueline. The original "stance."

-M

My Mom is in Paris!!!

This is what we did on her first day:

We saw the Eiffel Tower! It was the most fantastic day!

A picnic at the Tower!

Awe. Some. Thank you pigeons.

Matching ice cream and sunglasses! Hm hm hmm!

From the top of the tower

Isn't she just stunning?

Oh la la! My mom is so classy.

We went on a boat tour along the Seine. We had a good time.

This is my mom's "I'm in Paris" pose.

-M

NBD

So no big deal, but MY MOM IS ON HER WAY!!!! AAHHHHHHH I AM SO EXCITED!!! I cannot even tell you how wonderful my mother is and to have her in the most amazing city will just be the most fantastic thing in the world! Oh my my I cannot believe I get to see my mom in about 12 hours! Yeah yeah yeah!

-M

I love Paris in the Springtime!

"The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spell-bound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered onto him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea."

-The Wind in the Willows

I still cannot believe that this is my life right now! I hope I never sound like I'm bragging, but I truly live the most fantastic life. It's quite simple, but utterly perfect. Spring has sprung and has made the city even more divinely beautiful than before. Cherry blossoms, chirping birds, tulips, fresh spring breezes. Nothing compares!

Today was such an ideal spring day. I took a walk along the Marne and stopped to read a while. I sat on a little dock letting the sun warm my back and spent the afternoon between watching the ducks float on the water, reading The Wind in the Willows and just enjoying my beautiful surroundings.

I listened to this song along with the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack on repeat and devoured my novel. If you've not read it yet, I recommend you do. Grahame has a wonderful way with words.

Oh Paris in the springtime. My heart!

-M

If I ever tried to take ballet,

I would look like this little girl. Too cute!

-M