Back in Arizona for One Week

Papa and I flew back to the States one week ago.  Along the way, in our travels, Papa caught Covid, and within two days, he had no choice but to rest.  

I had dinner on Thursday evening at Contigo, with our long time friends visiting from Sarasota, Alexandra and John, and their friends, Margy and Garry.  It was wonderful to catch up and to meet new friends.  

I walked with Ornella the morning after our return and every day since.   We arrived to temperatures in the 90’s, and the highs have already cooled to the low 70’s.  Mornings are very cool - in the 40’s this morning, and the air is dry.  We love living in two places that couldn’t be more different!

Passages and Gardens and Lunch with our Friend

We explored a bit today, with our first stop in one of the Louvre’s courtyards.  Always beautiful!  We walked toward the Bibliothèque Nationale and found several covered passages, dating to the early 1800’s.  They were an early form of shopping center, with glass atrium windows, mosaic floors, carved wood frames around windows and doors, and filled with ateliers full of artisans goods.

We walked to the Hotel de Ville, with 2024 Paris Olympic flags still flying, and then over to the Notre Dame.  We circled the Notre Dame, reading about all the work that has been done over the past four years.  There is still work to be done, and the whole cathedral was crawling with craftsmen.

We met our friend and neighbor, Dominique, for lunch at Cafe Le Bonaparte.  She and Romain live in Paris full time, and their home in Lectoure is a second home.  We enjoyed every moment with Dominique and had a delicious lunch.  After we parted, Papa and I peaked in Eglise Saint-Germain des Pres.  It has a beautifully painted interior.  We stopped at Saint Sulpice a couple of blocks south - another beautiful Eglise, on our way to the Jardin du Luxembourg.  I love watching the children guide their boats on the pond.  

We returned from our walkabout, through the Jardin du Palais Royal.  We stopped for an almond croissant along the way.  The afternoon was sunny and warm with everyone enjoying the outdoors.  A good day!

Palace of Versailles

Papa and I took the RER train to Versailles this morning.  We arrived by 10 and explored the gardens until noon, then we explored Grand and Petit Trianons and gardens, before touring the palace at 2:30.  We had an amazing day!

“The Palace of Versailles was a former royal residence built by Louis XIII in 1623, and expanded into a chateau by King Louis XIV, with several expansions from 1661 to 1715. It was the de facto capital of France under Louis XIV, continued by Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, but in 1789, the royal family and French court returned to Paris.  Napoleon, following his coronation as Emperor, used the subsidiary palace, Grand Trianon, as a summer residence from 1810 to 1814, but did not use the main palace.  Following the Bourbon Restoration, when the king was returned to the throne, it was not until the 1830’s that meaningful repairs were made to the palace.  

The palace and park were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.  The palace is owned by the government oof France.  About 15 million people visit the palace or gardens of Versailles every year, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world.”  We were quite impressed on our 2nd visit in 32 years.  It was also fun to see the horse from the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, displayed in the palace courtyard.  There is much more information at https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover.