3.09.2013
18 hours in paris
Our hotel, in the 15th arrondissement, was only about a 15-minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, so we made a beeline there before it got too dark to snap a photo, and then continued along Les Invalides toward the Seine.
We crossed the Pont Alexandre III and continued straight on Avenue Winston Churchill, between the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, to the Champs-Élysées. It was getting darker and broodier by the minute, which only made the winter atmosphere better, in my opinion. We turned right toward the Place de la Concorde, crossed back over the Seine on the Pont de la Concorde, and found a tiny bar in the 7th called Tabac L'Assemblée to quench our thirst.
Next up was dinner, so following the recommendation of a local friend, we went back through Les Invalides to Le Tourville, a crowded café with a heated sidewalk patio. After a bottle of Burgundy, some roast chicken and a croque monsieur, we were feeling more and more Parisian.
This morning, we had time for a quick breakfast before heading back to Fontainebleau for Seb’s class. Armed with another recommendation from a Parisian friend, we drove a few minutes to Dupont Café on the Rue de la Convention, a street lined with boulangeries, bouchers, cafés and fruit markets. After a petit déjeuner of café au lait and a sliced baguette smeared with Nutella, we set off back to Fontainebleau.
We saw just a tiny portion of the city in less than one day, but it was the perfect snack. We’ll be back!
Top left: the view from our tiny hotel window; top right and above left: views of the Eiffel Tower from the Champs de Mars; above right: Les Invalides; below: a shot looking west from the Pont Alexandre III, one of Paris’ most ornate bridges, built around 1896
Above left: another shot from the Pont Alexandre III, looking north toward the Grand Palais; above right: the Petit Palais; below: looking west again, this time from the Pont de la Concorde, with the Eiffel Tower now lit up; bottom: Dupont Café on Rue de la Convention (this photo’s not mine – I snatched it from Google)
3.08.2013
french lesson #1: driving a manual car
Before mastering how to speak in this country, I must master driving in it. Growing up in the US, I have never driven a manual car in my life. Move to Europe, and I apparently don’t have a choice. Seb’s car is a stick, therefore I shall learn! I’ve had one try, on the fairly deserted road that runs along the Seine, next to our house. I didn’t drive into the river or hit the two old French madames out for a stroll, so I guess that was a success.
Next up: driving in town.
3.05.2013
au revoir, san francisco. bonjour, fontainebleau.
All above: Another day at Lake Tahoe, this time with Mom. We caught a gorgeous sunset over Kirkwood as soon as we arrived, and then in South Lake Tahoe, we ran into some hearty ducks who forgot to fly south for the winter.
Above: Last hike in San Francisco: Land’s End Trail on a gorgeous February morning.
Above: Packing nightmare in SF.
Below: My new digs… Front view of Chateau de Montmelian and two wintertime countryside views from my new bedroom windows.
1.06.2013
back to the farm
oh-twelve wrap-up: fleet week, wine, music, florida and more
October and November are some of the best months in the Bay Area, with warm, sunny weather and lots of outdoor events (turns out it’s a great time to be in Florida, too). Even though it’s now a few months later (I got a little sidetracked), allow me to show off some highlights.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park; yoga for a cause in Union Square
The Fleet Week air show (with blue angels, a stealth bomber and more) in the bay
A visit to Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma with my aunt, in town from Missouri!
Thanksgiving week in Sarasota, Florida: Watching kitesurfers in St. Petersburg; waiting for the sunset at the Hurricane in St. Petersburg; sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico and creating a gorgeous sky; Siesta Key; Longboat Key; buddies at the Mote Aquarium; a manatee kiss on the aquarium window; a rather random group of animals at the Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota
happy new year
The last few months of 2012 were a bit of a whirlwind, with celebrations in various locations from Florida to Singapore. The most recent – New Year’s Eve – took place for us in Breckenridge, and I was so happy to be there, even though it meant skiing with a broken toe (not fun, but I pushed through the pain).
We stayed at the family home of a good friend with a beautiful setting in a valley across from the ski resort. When the lift lines were too long to deal with, we avoided the crowds with sledding and snowshoeing. Winter fun all around.
10.15.2012
sonoma (a.k.a. heaven)
Sonoma County is just an hour and a half away from me, and I go there fairly often, but I never get sick of it… or sick of taking photos of it. It’s like I think the next photo will be the best or most representative, which it never is but I can’t stop. On that note, here are several photos from several day and weekend trips to Sonoma over the past four months.
From top left: Medlock Ames winery; vineyards at Medlock Ames; Dry Creek General Store (a fave place to grab a beer and have lunch); the laid-back Preston Winery and all its cute touches (four photos); alfresco dining; homemade bruschetta with some local produce; Alpine Lake, which we stumbled upon while taking a windy non-shortcut from Highway 101 to the coast; the dam at Alpine Lake; overlooking the Pacific; Bolinas Beach (ok, this is actually in Marin County, not Sonoma, but it was part of a Sonoma trip); Bolinas; Bolinas main street; Saturday morning entertainment at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market; great perch for wine tasting at Iron Horse Vineyards; views from Iron Horse; Red Car tasting room in Graton.