Rob and Sarah

Today we leave the South and return to Paris for a day and a half before we return to the US. Blogging has been light while we've been in the south because we've had so much fun relaxing and soaking up the Midi sun. Some highlights of our time in Provence include: 1) A trip to Cassis, a small fishing/beach village about 20 km east of Marseille. Cassis is known for the beautiful coves, or calanques, that mark the coast. We took a boat ride to see the inlets dug into the chalk cliffs over millions of years. In the 1980s, a diver found underwater caves in this area that bore the markings of prehistoric man! Drive time from Avignon - about 2 hours, depending on how lost you get. It's probably better to take the ... read more

As we get ready to head south we thought a quick review of our stay in Le Meridien in the Montparnasse area (left bank of the Seine in Paris) would be nice. 1. Location: great location, close to decent restaurants, laundry, and the Eiffel Tower. Very convenient for access to the metro and RER. Several grocery stores within a block or two. Several movie theaters close by. 2. Hotel Exterior: looks like a non-descript, boring tall box from the 80's. Even though its huge, finding it when you're in Montparnasse can be tricky. 3. Hotel Lobby: very euro-cool, sleek design, nice seating and free wifi. Space is typically filled with flight crews from all over the world, Japanese and American tourists. 4. Elevator: Creepy. Sarah and I first got in and could not figure out what ... read more

People seem to find a favorite part of this large and exciting city. Many people say the Latin Quarter is their favorite (definitely not ours!), or perhaps St. Germain. Robarn and I continue to confirm our expensive tastes by independently deciding the little island next to Notra Dame is our favorite part of the city. Of course, real estate is most expensive on this tiny strip of land in the middle of the Seine with cobblestone streets and gorgeous old mansions that have been converted into apartments (with beautiful courtyards, of course). o Not very many tourists make it here, which is one reason why we like it so much. It's quiet and quaint. We had dinner here two nights. On Tuesday night, we just had a light dinner at a corner cafe that looked out ... read more

We walked by Notre-Dame several times over the last few days and finally committed to braving the crowds. The line for the cheap-ass entry was long but ushered us in quickly. The line to the far left is for those wishing to climb up to the upper veranda. The inside is a dramatic contrast to the bright, penetrating sun, school groups, and tourist-trap salesmen outside. People move relatively respectfully through the monstrous and caverness alcoves. A surprising amount of access is granted to visitors. Much of the church continues to be used for services. They offer an interesting version of confession - an ancient alcove was encased in modern, frosted glass with about 10 chairs out front for those seeking absolution with the attending priest inside. The flow is counterclockwise with the middle portion sectioned-off but ... read more

The day started late - Robarn woke me at 8:30! I had slept almost 12 hours (I guess that's what jet lag does to you). I was worried that we would be unable to see the Louvre today because all the guide books say you MUST get there before it opens (at 9 am) to avoid all the lines. But, we quickly got dressed and set off. Of course, we were walking less than 5 minutes before a cafe enticed us in for petite dejeuner. Cafe (you think cafe would mean coffee, but it always seems to mean espresso), orange juice, and yummy french bread with lots of sweet butter and apricot jam. After a leisurely meal, we were off again. We're staying in the 14th arrondissemont, which is in the Montparnasse section of the city. ... read more