View from the bridge

I rushed through dinner on Monday evening to go to choir practice - only to learn that practice was reserved for the alto section (I am a soprano). Elated to have a free evening, I walked back home via the Mirabeau bridge and just had to stop and take a picture.

Can you see the statue of Liberty in the foreground in the middle of the bridge?

Sunday in Paris

We've been blessed with sunny weather for Cindy's visit to Paris. Today's walk took us to a new Chagall exhibit at the Musee d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme in the Marais. The exhibit featured several works borrowed from the Chagall museum in Nice which I visited last April.


Afterwards we crossed the Seine and went back to the left bank where we visited the Institut du Monde Arabe - a spectacular example of modern architecture. The south facade is made up of panels which include geometric motifs. The motifs are actually 240 motor-controlled apertures, which open and close every hour. Here's a closeup.


Oh, and there's a great view from the roof of the building.

Back in Paris

We got off the train at the Montparnasse station and went straight to . . . the Cabane a Huitres. Luggage and all.

That's me and Cindy and Jean. He's there every Saturday afternoon.

Wine tours

The Loire Valley is known for its white wines made from the chenin grape. We decided to take a break from chateaux and check out the local vineyards. Here are a few photos from Vouvray.


These limestone caves can hold 4 million bottles

Hounds and chocolate

Who knew that the highlight of the visit to the family-owned Chateau de Cheverny would be . . . a dog. There are over a 100 hounds in the kennels out front - ready to go for a hunt.


And the chocolate? Just a few kilometers away, the town of Bracieux is home to the Max Vauché chocolate factory. Guided visits illustrate all aspects of chocolate making - from growing and harvesting the chocolate beans, through all the stages of transformation until it ends up in your mouth.


Check out this life-sized chocolate woman!

DaVinci in Amboise

Leonardo daVinci spent the last three years of his life in Amboise. He lived in the Chateau du Clos-Lucé seen below.

The park surrounding the chateau contains scale models of the designs that daVinci created such as the precurser to the helicopter in the foreground.

DaVinci died in Amboise in 1519 and his remains are buried in this little chapel on the grounds of the Chateau d'Amboise.


Only a small portion of the original chateau remains here in Amboise and it's not very interesting, but you get a great view of our apartment down below and the Loire river. The house was part of a convent that dates to 1493.


I love this tree on the grounds of the chateau

Azay-le-Rideau

Elaine and Cindy at Azay-le-Rideau Chateau