Saturday, June 26, 2010
Finally! The perfect Moules Marinieres!
The perfect bowl of moules mariniere! They were not available in the South, but I was finally able to find them at this little cafe in Paris. Delectable, tiny, wonderful garlicky sauce--quite possibly the best meal we had.
And even the dried fruits look delicious!
The Normandy Beaches
I posted some pictures from the
We set off on buses for the two and a half hour journey from where the boat was docked. As we approached the area where the
First, we went to the WWII museum at Arromanches, very well done but it would take you two days to see it properly and we had less than an hour. Then we went to
It is unquestionably most hallowed ground. The spectacular semi-circular monument at the entrance to the site is engraved “To These We Owe The High Resolve That The Cause For Which They Died Shall Live.” After that there is a beautiful reflecting pool which, on a calm day, reflects the huge bronze statue at the front.
Then you walk out into the sea of crosses. You begin by reading a few of the names—Robert W. Rigg, James D. Boone, David G. Dean, James W. Winstead, and occasionally, a Comrade in Arms Known Only to God. It blows me away to think that these were real people with lives and dreams and hopes for the future that would never be realized.
And then you stop reading the names because there are too many, and you just walk and walk. It seems to go on forever. There are more than 9,000 graves at
It gives one a new appreciation for how lucky we are to be Americans.
The Church of St. Germain des Pres
This Church gets very little press but if you look closely, the murals and pillars all have the original decorations and paintings. The Cathedral at Albi, which is better preserved, is the only one I have seen that has these original paintings in such good condition. We couldn't believe our good fortune having come across it by chance. Be sure and click so you can see how beautiful they are.
Montmartre--again not in the right order
The magnificent Sacre Coeur--we could see this landmark from our hotel room although it is a long distance away. I'll show you that picture later.
The street scene: unfortunately way, way too many people.
This used to be a green park with artists all along the periphery. They've turned it into a giant cafe with shoulder to shoulder tables. Hideous...
More Paris Pictures, captions not necessarily in the right order...
A spooky view of Pere La Chaise Cemetery where many famous people including Chopin, Honore de Balzac, Sarah Bernhardt, Maria Callas (ashes only), Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and last but not least, Jim Morrison, are buried. We walked and walked and almost didn't find our way out...
A pretty view of one of the many bridges over the Seine.
A lovely little shop tucked into a corner.