Gay Paree

What a wonderful time we had in Paris. This French capital has always wooed visitors with its reputation for fine dining and high fashion. In fact, we were told by friends that there wasn't a bad restaurant in the capital...this was indeed true. Everywhere we ate, we loved. Now for the high fashion...I didn't see any. Roger must not have taken me to 'Fashion Boulevard' because all I saw were tourists in jeans and hoodies.

Paris continually cashes in on its mystique as the land of love and romance. I truly felt that mystique. It was a wonderful time to spend together after our humanitarian trip to Cairo.

One of my favorite sites was Notre Dame Cathedral,famous for its intricate gothic-style design and for its aesthetic grandeur and harmony. Notre Dame arguably represents the pinnacle of gothic-style cathedrals. Notre Dame Cathedral's facade is recognized across the world. There is reason for this: the facade shows a distinct harmony of design, and represents a level of detailed craftsmanship that perhaps no longer exists in contemporary architecture. Notre Dame's organs were restored in the 1990's and are among the largest in France. We visited during a mass to witness some astonishing acoustics. That afternoon there was an organ concert. Hooray! We planned our Sunday around the concert. Thank you Roger for endulging me. I was fasinated by the 7800 organ pipes and its acoustical brillance (FYI: the SLC Tabernacle Organ has 11,263 pipes). The first organ at Notre Dame was installed in 1402 and numerous enhancements have been made since. The music is quite intense and you'll need to set your volume setting high.


We didn't get to the Louve but toured one of the world's most-visited museums, the Musee d'Orsay. While museum's aren't my favorite, Roger loved it. One gets to see detailed and breathtaking look at the birth of modern painting, sculpture, design, and even photography. The Orsay's permanent collection spans from neoclassicism and romanticism to impressionism, expressionism, and art nouveau design. You'll see which piece of artwork Roger loved the most...because he was dreaming of a great ski season this year.

I was confused to see all the lingerie shops. I kept seeing storefronts with the title 'Brasserie'. It didn't take me long to discover these shops were my favorites. Can you imagine, the thing I loved the most in Paris were their pastries! Every corner had succulent pastries. We ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner....even bought a few to eat in our cozy 8x8 hotel room each night. (P.S. I wouldn't recommend the Hotel Laude Bernaud) I thought I was back in the 19th century when we got in the elevator at the hotel. Not much room for baggage.

We saw many famous sights during our 'Paris by night tour' . When I saw the Ritz Carlton where Princess Di was the night she was killed, it made me sad.

An explanation is in order when you see the picture of me with the 4 young policemen. Alicia told her father that her first kiss was in Paris (16yrs old?) on a high school group trip to Paris with her french teacher. Alicia, I can't believe you kissed a perfect stranger? Ooh la la! Well, Alicia, I found out that Frenchmen understand the word "no." They may follow you around the city for hours, but when you finally get up the nerve to tell the pretentious, chauvinistic hotties to kiss your derriere, they'll take the hint. We were all in a good mood, so none of us resorted to rudeness. I just gave them two, three or four kisses on the cheek and said "Au revoir." (Roger had fun taking the picture)

We loved walking along the Seine river banks. The Seine is lined with beautiful quays and crossed by many old bridges. It was an exceptional way to relax and visit Paris. I love being with Roger, whether we are strolling along the river, listening to new sights and sounds or wondering whether we are lost; he is a man for all seasons. Thank you Roger for leading the way with gentleness and giving me a thrilling way to explore the world. (at least until our next third-world trip!)