Happy 35th Birthday Eric

March 26th, 1978 is my son Eric's birthday. Wow. Where did the time go?

Oysters for lunch

This morning we went to the Saturday morning farmer's market near our apartment and came back with a couple of dozen oysters for lunch. Yummm!

Eiffel Tower on a rainy day

Today is the first day of spring and it feels like winter will never end this year. Nevertheless, even storm clouds can be pretty.

Paris in the snow

It rarely snows in Paris - and even more rarely in the month of March. 

 

We braved the cold and went to the Tuileries gardens yesterday.

  

 I spent a lot of time chasing after people with red umbrellas. 

Albert Kahn gardens

Saturday was sunny and warm in Paris. Finally! We decided to visit the Albert Kahn gardens in Boulogne-Billancourt on the southwest edge of Paris. I first visited these gardens two years ago but Patrice had never been there.

It's been a long cold winter and the first timid flowers are just beginning to appear. The trees are still bare and we made a note to return later when the flowers are in full bloom.

 

This is one of my favorite gardens in Paris.

 

Bob and Martha

Our visit with Bob and Martha included a tour of the Château de Versailles

 And the Rodin Museum

 And, of course, the Cabane a Huitres.

Unfortunately, Francis was not there to welcome us - he has been ill for some months. I hope he'll be feeling better soon.

Paris Catacombs

Our friends Bob & Martha from Taos are visiting Paris this week. Bob had read the National Geographic article about the Paris Catacombs and was hoping for the see more than a bunch of bones. We were a little disappointed, but still surprised by the miles of tunnels. The catacombs were originally stone quarries whose stones were used for the building of Paris. Then, in 1786, the city decided to close the Cemetery of Innocents which was located in the center of Paris and to move the contents to the disused quarries. The site became a collection point for several cemeteries of Paris from the end of the 18th century until the end of the 19th century. At first, the bones were just thrown down the shafts, and only later were they stacked into curious designs. There are over 6 million skeletons located there.