Wed., Set 18 - Paris!!

Reluctantly we headed to the Beaune train station late morning. We loved Beaune and the Burgundy area. We found everyone to be cordial and genuinely interested in making sure that a tourist was treated to first-class hospitality. An observation--as one ventures farther from Paris or other major cities, fewer people speak English. I guess that is to be expected. The afternoons that I spent studying the Pimmsleur French lessons CDs actually were well spent. In spite of a short delay caused by the TGV train, we arrived in Paris in mid-afternoon. We were pleased that our driver from Victor's Cab Service, a very reliable driver-for-hire company, was waiting for us on the platform.

                                       Back at Gare de Lyon - one of the Paris train stations

The weather was wet, so traffic was snarled. That coupled with the fact that the Paris bureaucrats decided recently to convert a heavily used expressway that skirts the Seine into a pedestrian walkway didn't help matters. But our driver knew a few shortcuts, having worked with Paris Perfect, the company we've rented our apartment from. (Sorry to end that end that sentence in a preposition.) The apartment is delightful and conveniently located in a neighborhood we enjoy.

                                        Our living room - comfortable and nicely decorated

                                           Two bathrooms make morning routines a breeze.
After a thorough orientation to all facets of the apartment by one of the Paris Perfect greeters, we were off to the marche (grocery store) to stock up on a few basics (coffee, wine, cereal, wine, crackers, wine, cheese, etc.) We unpacked and headed off to dinner (fortunately the drizzle had stopped) to one of our favorite restaurants, Reed Restaurant. Catherine Reed works wonders with fresh, local goods in an open kitchen. She does everything herself, making for a relaxing, enjoyable evening.

                                              Catherine cooks on an eight burner stove.

Lloyd enjoyed his beef stew and I had a beautiful tomato tart in puff pastry followed by mushroom risotto. We shared a classic tarte tatin to cap a perfect evening.

                                               Catherine and JoAnn have a laugh together

Our apartment is in the 7th arrondissement (a division of the city) so we have a view of the Eiffel Tower everywhere we go.

                                        This photo was taken on our walk back from dinner.

We're hoping that the weather will improve for our usual excursions through the City of Lights.