So far Paris wins.

It has been a while since I posted as we have been busy with holidays and school vacation back here in the States. It’s been amazing reconnecting with family and friends and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, binging on American television and first run movies, inhaling the familiar scents of the San Fernando Valley Chaparral, and listening to the torrential rain pounding on the roof at the Beach in Ventura….wait, strike that last one. But, in the midst of some weeks filled with relaxation and reunions, we also rediscovered a familiar question and refrain “what do you want to do today”…”I don’t know, you?”.

We arrived in Paris near the end of August and discovered that proverbial feast with so many choices we didn’t know where to begin. Still we managed to have some really good snacks to feed our insatiable cultural appetite so far:

• Private visit to Gallery Schukin with works by Pierre Marie Bresson
• Gorgeous day out at Parc de la Villette and with free entry to Cite de la Musique
• Electronic music performance at Cite Universite by Thierry Balasse in homage to Pierre Henry
• D’Orsay exhibition on prostitution and photography by women
• Leisurely stroll through Versailles historical district and art installations at 1am on Nuit Blanche
• Ensemble Intercontemporaine concert featuring new interactive digital works
• Private tour of King’s apartments at Chateau de Versailles
• Visit to Chateau Vaux les Vicomptes
• Two historical city tours revealing the first shopping malls and the real life demon barber
• Picasso Mania at the Grand Palais, with absolutely no crowds
• Two visits to Palais de Tokyo immersing ourselves in far out art installations
• Stroll in la Foret de la Malmaison
• Bike ride through le Bois du Boulogne
• Two Paris Saint Germaine home games
• Quiet no car day in central Paris featuring four hour stroll from Marais to Champs Elysees
• Picnic on the lawn at Les Invalides
• Hannukkah party in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower
• Team Holiday dinner at Shangri La Hotel
• Amazing modern ballet concert at Opera Garnier dedicated to Boulez (who died last night, sadly)
• Daily life etc etc etc etc

And don’t forget our side trips so far

• Dinan, St Malo historical strolls and eating mussels from la Baie
• Mont St. Michel and the Normandy coast
• Chunneling with our car to London and Wimbledon
• Buying books at Waterstones
• Book of Mormon and Les Mis
• Oxford visit with friends featuring stroll through central Oxford and lunches at oldest Pubs in town
• Hampton Court Palace
• Warner Studios making of Harry Potter (actual happiest place on Earth)
• Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall
• Strasbourg Christmas Markets and cathedral visit by TGV

More to come in 2016, we are still hungry.

Happy New Year everyone!