One week left in Paris

Today is October 1 and we have realized that we only have one week left in this beautiful city. Everyday has been an adventure and I'm sure the remaining ones will be as well. Last Saturday, September 26, we spent the day at Versailles, Louis XIV's fantastic chateau and gardens. It was a bit unbelievable and one can see why the French Revolution happened. Everything is opulent. There are gold objects and mirrors everywhere. It is said that he could host 5000 nobles and their entourages at once. He is called the Sun King and the entire estate is created to reflect that. We were lucky to go on a weekend because the fountains "perform" from 4:15 until 5 on those days and the effect is quite beautiful. Also, period music is played over speakers in the huge gardens which adds to the sensory experience. As you can tell, this was a full day. One needs to take a RER train out of Paris and then back, which for us means that we take the Metro (1 transfer) to the RER and then back again. On Sunday we were lazy until the afternoon when we went to the islands in the Seine where Paris began (Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis). First we went to Sainte Chapelle, the otherworldly stained glass church that I fell in love with the last time we were here. I could not be in Paris and not visit. Then we strolled down Ile de la Cite, through the flower market, and over the bridge to Ile St.Louis. The first thing we saw was the ice cream shop that we hoped to find! I immediately got in line, determined to wait it out. It was a lovely, warm afternoon and there were at least 20 people ahead of me. Jon walked further and came back to report that the other shop that carried the same brand had MORE people in line! So we waited and after 30 minutes, we had our ice cream - Jon had praline and I had dark chocolate - yum! We walked down to the bank of the river and watched people and boats go by as we ate our cones. We asked a nice lady to take our picture, which she did and I will post later! Monday was an organizing day, with laundry, bill paying etc to do. Tuesday we met our friends the Cozines and went to the Jacquemart-Andre museum. This house belonged to one man and his wife who were art collectors. They were very wealthy and had no children so often had more money to spend on artwork than the French museum officials (including the Louvre!). Their home is now open to the public and still houses much of their collection. Amazing that they could amass such treasures. Do visit it if you are ever here in Paris! Wednesday we went to an area in southeast Paris called La Butte aux Cailles. It is a collection of shops and eateries along one street. To get there, we had to transfer on the metro twice and we saw areas that we had not been to before, which was great. We bought some honey and had a lovely lunch and Jon got his hair cut! Afterwards, we visited the Luxembourg Gardens. School was out by that time and kids and their parents were everywhere, having a blast! There are large play areas with climbing toys etc. set aside for kids, a boules area for adults, and a large pond with small sailboats for rent for the kids to use and the adults to enjoy watching. We sat for quite a while in the shade, just watching Parisians at play. We headed home after a bit because we had invited our neighbor Lawrence (male name, female person) and her two daughters to come over for wine and sodas before dinner. We had a wonderful time getting to know her better. She has helped us out with small bits of information and is a delight! Her girls, 12 and 16, came too and it was fun to have them practice their English on us! Lawrence speaks English quite well. Today is Thursday and our big adventure was Montmartre, home of Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge and all those bohemians of old (Picasso, Renoir, Edith Piaf etc) We went straight to the cathedral and then modified Rick Steves' walking tour to meet our bodies' needs (=took mostly downhill routes). We came home and rested and then walked a block or so to the Arts and Metiers museum that our friend Marcy Lagerloef had suggested. It was a bit too mechanical for me, although I enjoyed it, but it was right up Jon's alley. After two floors, we decided to come back and finish it later - easy to do since it's close by and free. Tomorrow we're off to Chartres! That truly is an all day adventure! more later...