Merry Christmas To All, And To All A Goodnight!

Annabelle, Paula, London, Taras and Chloe.

Oh Baby, This Is Going To Be Big!

Sometimes I’m just like a little kid. I have a secret or surprise, and feel like I’m just going to burst if I don’t tell someone. I’m also exactly the same when someone else has something on me. Just ask my husband about the weeks before my birthday, Valentine’s Day or Christmas. Pester, pester, pester. What did you get me? Give me a hint, just a little hint. Does it start with the letter “D”? Is it shiny? Do I need to have my passport updated? Come on; give me something, anything… pleeeeeeeeease?

So, I was going to wait for the big reveal in the New Year, but I can’t. I’m dying. I’ve got to squeal. It’s too cute. It’s much too darling. It’s way too sweet. It’s: Paris Market Baby!

Paris Market Baby was born out of a desire to expand The Paris Market line to include the next generation in the cool, hip, and clearly not ordinary. No frills and ruffles here. This kid is 100 percent smock-free.

Eco-friendly, clean lines, simple, elegant, comfortable and fashionable. Who knew all those adjectives could describe a child’s furniture and clothing line. So hang on little tomato, the best is yet to come.

Stay tuned for the official reveal in January 2010.

Thanksgiving

Usually by this time of year I feel like a whirling dervish, trapped in the chaotic seasonal frenzy of the holiday rush. Buy, sell, buy, sell, restock, smile, thank you …next! Repeat, repeat, repeat. The onslaught lasts until mid January when my husband and I finally collapse into a disheveled heap of post-retail depression.

This year is different. With all the changes of the last two months, everything is fresh. New perspectives, new attitudes, new priorities, new challenges all leading to a more calming serenity than I have ever experienced. This year I am truly thankful. Thankful for family, thankful for friends, thankful for the complexities of life, which have suddenly become so damn simple. Work is work, but family is everything. Despite the trials and tribulations of a family Thanksgiving, this year make sure you call everyone that matters. With our ever-widening world, overwhelming instantaneous information overload, this year, come back home and get grounded. This year be thankful for what you have.

My husband and I have decided to start our own family tradition. We usually donate to the requisite charities including our favorite: Animal Control. We will continue to donate as we can, but this year we will do something else. We encourage everyone to do the same. Pick something or someone, randomly, and do something good. It doesn’t have to cost anything; it can be a simple gesture, a helping hand, some random act of kindness. We hope this will catch on, even if for a limited time, spreading some hope and happiness. I never did think much about the future, but now I can’t stop. I want it to be better, to leave this world a better place than I received it. Not just to use it, but to cherish it, enhance it, and replenish it. This year, be gracious, be good, and be fulfilled.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Wesley Winter

In 2009, the young women of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church formed a fellowship group called The Susanna Wesley Circle. Susanna Wesley was the loving mother of John and Charles Wesley who did much to encourage the careers of her notable sons. In keeping with their namesake, the women of the Circle desired to make a lasting impact in the community through dedicated Christian fellowship and service. The Wesley Winter Candle fundraiser supports local goodwill initiatives including a renovation to the church's own Espy House playground.

Please come join us Monday, November 23rd, 2009 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Priced at twenty-five dollars this soy wax candle has over 50 hours of illumination and makes the perfect holiday gift. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the sale will be donated to this noble cause.

Wesley Winter is produced locally by Savannah style maven, Natalie Evans, and her wonderful Low Country Luxe Candle line. A lively complex of earthy greens, sun-dried spanish moss and effervescent citrus accented with aldehydic rose, midnight gardenia, white magnolia, fresh herbaceous sage and ambered woods lifted by nuances of hydrangea and woodland fern, Wesley Winter is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Balance

Sometimes it is the unexpected, the serendipitous, or the unforeseen that transforms us more than anything. Chance? Accident? Luck? Maybe a combination of all three. Maybe none of the above. Divine intervention? Not according to my previous calculations, although I never have been that good at math. Fate? Destiny? Karma?

I have recently been dealt the perfect hand. Check and checkmate. In the midst of my usual self-made storm, one of my homespun hurricanes, I suddenly find myself smack dab in the eye. The torrent of life and work still swirls around menacingly, but I have pause, relishing the peaceful, serene center. Those of you, who know me well, know what I am referring to. To everyone else, I hope this will suffice: I have been granted my balance.

Don't Forget

Toast to the Season

Friday, September 25, 2009
6:00 - 9:00 pm
30 West Broughton Street
(Ballroom located on the top floor above The Paris Market)

Join the Friends of the Philharmonic for an evening of cocktails, classical music and tastings from many of Savannah’s fine restaurants.

Minimum donation $25/person*

(100% goes towards your membership to the Philharmonic)
*tickets available at the door.

Silent Auction

RSVP 912.232.6002 or email: friends@thesavphilharmonic.org

www.thesavphilharmonic.org

Too Much On Your Mind?

Ever feel like you have too many irons in the fire, too many projects on the backburner, with a bunch of new ideas piled like kindling in your brain? My to do list yearns for a GPS system, just some, any, guidance through the myriad of tasks - old and new, crossed out, underlined, highlighted. Sticky notes have become a flowing, ever-changing, workspace performance art piece. My iPhone just groans instead of ringing. Voice, data, text – oh, my!

So… I’m sitting on my porch swing, wearing my clown nose, drinking some coffee, eating some left over cotton candy and contemplating my day. Give up and give in, never. Clown nose off, smile on, forge ahead, Monday, here I come.

Nominate Us

Okay, this time we are asking for your help. Nominate us as a “Shine a Light” small business. We only have until Midnight Sunday September 13th. Sign up, read our story and vote for us if you think we are deserving. If we make it through the selection process, we will return the favor with a big party! Tell all your friends. Let the voting begin!

http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=9134

Two Blocks, Three Blankets, and One Strap

Ingredients of the perfect torture formula? …Maybe. The above, however, also constitute the “enhancers” of my twice-weekly Yoga practice. I was first introduced to this holistic spiritual experience while in India a couple of years ago. Graceful, serene, and elegant, the exercise melds mind body and soul in a series of unified poses and transitions. Initially coy, the isometrics insidiously build one upon another, pain mixing with pleasure, endorphins vying for adrenaline’s attention, until one is ultimately reduced to a quivering, perspiration drenched, noodle of relaxation.

My current Yogi, Lynn Geddes (yogamefit.com), has helped transform my “plank pose” with ever more flowing, measured modifications gradually creating a more seamless, sinuous me. Now granted, compared to Lynn, I still feel like a mechanical robot, crudely bolted together, with several rusted parts that seem to creak and groan at inopportune moments. I am, however, better than before, stronger than before, and more determined than ever. The incredible poise and stamina gained through Anusara Yoga emboldens one for the day-to-day circus of life, and I’ve got one of the best seats in the house.

Namaste.

Circus Circus

In the spirit of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey to Cirque Du Soleil, The Paris Market and Brocante proudly presents Cirque De Paris. What better way to reflect the current retail environment than channel our very own circus. From vintage circus posters, fabrics and textiles, to cookies, sweets, and cotton candy, this circus is sure to cheer you up. Be astounded our dramatic new window displays featuring the bearded lady and a genuine fortuneteller. Be amazed by our restyled underground labyrinth of new furnishing and accessories. Impress your friends with your very own rubber chicken and bright red clown nose. The extravaganza lasts all month. Don’t miss a minute of the mayhem. Please note, we are not responsible for spontaneous and irresponsible acts of pure childhood fun.

Stay Tuned!

Overture, curtains, lights,
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and nursing a part
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, you'll hit the heights
And oh what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Ruby, Just a Diamond In The Rough

Thanks for the publicity, albeit slightly tainted with reality TV humor (www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows /ruby /videos/index.jsp). We know we aren’t everyone's cup of tea, in fact, that’s exactly the way we like it, off-kilter, off-the-beaten-path and unexpected. So here’s to Ruby, our own hometown weight-challenged heroine. Your film crew makes Savannah shine. May you experience continued success and lightness of being.

The Kool Kessler Kollection

If you think parts of the new Bohemian Hotel look familiar, you're right. Check out the unique lighting though out the hotel. From the chic lighting gracing the river street facade, to the swarovski-crystal oyster shell creations of the roof top bar, our very own Tim Adams has continued his magic. Our wine sphere lighting adds just the perfect touch to the hallways. Please note, all lighting is trademarked and available exclusively though The Paris Market and Brocante.

Vegetarian? I Don’t Think So!

Introducing…”Shake Ya Pork Chop”. Come sample our most flavorful jewelry line yet. Organic, hormone-free, these free-range delights are sure to satisfy your hunger for style. Available only at the Paris Market and Brocante, each specimen is unique – expand your diet today.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
-Marcel Proust

Cafés and conversations, architecture and attitude, shopping and schlepping, ahh our trip has come to an end. In a deliberate, concerted effort to have a real relaxing vacation instead of our usual wondrous but harried and overly exhausting adventure travels, we have succeeded in finding a new Paris; the serene, non-touristed Paris. Late morning wake ups (no alarm clocks allowed), afternoon catnaps (just a couple of hours, but who’s counting), late night out-on-the-town prowling (shall I have another glass?) and not one visit to a typical Paris landmark besides our incredible dinner at Jules Verne. Enlightened, invigorated, refreshed and rejuvenated, we return. Our minds full of new ideas, the next direction clear… watch out, The Paris Market and Brocante is about to blow your mind!

Le Flaneur

(Noun: one who wanders without a destination in mind). Whenever I have exhausted and completely satiated my body’s maniacal shopping gene, I seek out more peaceful surrounding to regroup and contemplate the day’s activities and ponder possible future endeavors. Paris offers solace in many places to reenergize, regroup and even retire for the evening. Some of my favorites include:

Jardin de Luxembourg: This 6th arrondissement treasure is perhaps Paris’s finest. The Palais du Luxembourg is surrounded by acres of manicured grounds and shaded paths, an oasis for locals and probably the best people-watching space in the city. My husband, also an avid runner, claims the perimeter – as measured by his nike/ipod - is the most gorgeous 2km track in the world.

Jardin des Tuileries: Louis XIV’s gardener Le Notre’s palatial grounds. Structured, ordered, an exquisite platform for the Louvre.

Bois de Boulogne: The “main lung” of Paris. Traverse by horse-drawn carriage through forests, lakes and waterfalls, Baron Haussmann’s landscape architecture at its best.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: Napoleon III’s most distinctive and romantic gift to the city.

Place des Vosges: Built by Henri IV, this square exudes style and symmetry with some of the most elegant and expensive real estate in the city.

Jardin du Palais-Royal: This courtyard is currently being renovated, but the remarkable symmetry of these grounds gives much needed respite to the frenetic 1st arrondissement right outside.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery

A lesbian thespian, a creative destructionist, a romantic neoclassicist, a homosexual celebrity, a heroin addicted rock star, a tuberculosis ridden comedian, la vie en rose, a literary master, and a musical prodigy. What do they have in common? A final place of peace and eternal tranquility. Colette, Baron Georges Haussmann, Eugene Delacroix, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Moliere, Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust and Frederic Chopin all lay in the wonderfully haunting grounds. My husband and I have always tended towards these somewhat macabre but intensely stimulating locals (see our Argentina - June 29th, 2008 blog). No, we didn’t have sex on top of Jim Morrison’s tomb or rub the rather large “extension” of Victor Noir, but we did stride silently among the over 300,000 bodies not pondering death, rather cherishing life.

Mange Bien

From basic, simple bistro fare to bold, dynamic culinary creations, Paris has it all. After losing most of the last decade to the Spanish wizardry of el Bulli’s Ferian Adria and the like, French chefs, newly emboldened, have emerged ever stronger. The following is a listing of some of our favorites. Please note, we did not hit each of these this trip. With the euro at a near all time high, keep your American Express card handy, no pre-set spending limit is a must for some of the joints. A saving grace is the government’s recent (July 1) decrease in restaurant taxes from 19.6% to 5.5%.

Bistro Paul Bert (18, rue Paul-Bert): classic cooking for that ultimate insiders bistro experience.

Le Cinq (Four Seasons Hotel George V, 31, Ave. George V): Chef Phillipe Legendre has received multiple Michelin stars at this Parisian palace hotel.

Le Jules Verne (Eiffel Tower, South Pillar): Set 400 feet up on the entire second level, experience the Eiffel tower with your own private elevator. Alain Ducasse creates wonderment with a million-dollar view. My birthday treat this year!

Le Comptoir du Relais (9, Carrefour de l’Odeon): Yves Camdeborde’s slice of heaven.

Petrelle (34, rue Petrelle): Jean-Luc André’s restaurant, furnished with mismatched antiques, feels like the cluttered home of a Parisian artist. Come to see French fashion designers and film stars vying for his equally stylish bistro cooking.

Chez George (1, rue du Mail): La cuisine bourgeoise (comfort food).

Aux Lyonnais (32, rue St. Marc): Alain Ducasse reinvents and betters the gastronomic capital’s favorites at this Belle Epoque classic. Also visit his chandelier-studded namesake at the Hotel Plaza Athenée.

Taillevent (15, rue Lamennais): named after a 14th century chef to the king and the author of the first French cookbook, this restaurant is perfection. Go ahead and book now, if you get reservations then schedule your flight.

Le Grand Véfour (17, rue de Beaujolais): If Aristotle Onassis could woo Jackie Kennedy here, the sublime dishes and Louis XV decors will surely assist your romantic advances.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (5-7, rue de Montalembert): not just a “workshop”, a dining revolution.

Cristal Room Baccarat (11, place des Etats-Unis): Enhance your bling quotient and maybe spy a celebrity (we saw Tom and Katie). This place is wow.

Shopping Partie 2

Beaubourg and Les Halles: Skip the vast underground shopping complex and hit rue Tiquetonne and Rue Montmartre for avant-garde design and jewelry. Many of our current labels have their warehouse showroom located in this area. Grab lunch from one of the huge array of outdoor food vendors and make your way to St-Eustache for a picture perfect picnic, or sway to the beat in the hyper industrial Georges (6th fl, Centre Pompidou) for equally perfect views from above.

Champs-Elysees: Feeling at the top of your game? Throw on those spanx, your highest stilettos, shortest skirt, fix your hair and makeup and make sure your tan hasn’t pooled around your knees and ankles. Rue Montaigne and Rue George V beckon. With their flagship five star stores with six star prices, arrive as a princess and leave as a pauper. While in the area splurge on lunch at the Four Seasons George V (31, Ave George V), our favorite hotel in France (while there check out the world’s most exquisite flower arrangements by Jeff Leatham), or the Plaza Athenée (25, Ave Montaigne), book ahead and have lunch in the courtyard.

Shopping Centers: These are not your suburban malls; marvel at the constant commerce of Galleries Lafayette (40, Blvd Haussman) and Le Printemps (64, Blvd Haussman), recession? what recession? Left Bank treasure Le Bon Marché (24, rue de Sevre) with Le Grande Epicerie de Paris (best food hall ever). Need to fix a flat or work on some renovation? Head to BHV (le Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville, 14, rue de Temple) Paris’s classy version of Home Depot.

Place de la Madeleine: Gourmet foodies rejoice. Visit Fauchon (26,30, place de la Madeleine), and Hédiard (21, place de la Madeleine). Don’t just browse, both have excellent restaurants in which to sample their creations.

Any way, there is something for everyone. This list is entirely skimming the surface and the city begs for dedicated browsing. I have also kind of tangentially included some eating suggestions, but I think I will dedicate an entire installment to this endeavor. Bon shopping!

Branché

(Adj: plugged in, “trendy). All right, let’s talk shopping. Synonymous with style and fashion, Paris has it all. It is hard to give specifics in short order, but the following is a brief description of some of our favorite shopping districts and destinations.

Tuilleries Quarter: put Louis XIV to shame with jewelry from the likes of Cartier and Boucheron, and clothing and accessories from the expansive boutiques along Rue de Rivoli and Rue St-Honoré. Wildly fabulous and incredibly expensive (want a 600 dollar t-shirt?) these store are frostily staffed by a poker-faced crew that would even make Paris Hilton nervous. Check out Colette (213 rue St-Honoré) for the latest hipster cool. Too hot, join the “in” crowd for refreshment at the basement water bar.
Kind of past its prime the Hotel Costes (239, Rue St-Honoré) is still the darling of the rich and famous. Have lunch in the courtyard with the other gawkers. Astier de Villatte (173, Rue St-Honoré), don’t skip the basement, if you can’t go in person, check out their cool website.

The Marais: Probably the coolest collection of stores along the narrow passageways. Too many places to list, but don’t skip the peripheral streets. We found the most fabulous store – sorry our secret for the next year.

Latin Quarter: Filled with students from the neighboring Sorbonne, lycée Henri IV and Louis le Grand (the future French prodigy and elite) the streets are filled with bookshops. Lose yourself in Shakespeare and Company (37, Rue de la Bucherie), and leave with a specially stamped literary treasure.

St-Germain des Prés: See our previous blog for hints through this left bank exclusive quarter. Also check out Taschen (2, Rue de Buci), and Assouline (visit Prosper Assouline’s flagship store 35, Rue Bonaparte).

Stay tuned, more to come tomorrow.

La Soirée Parfaite

Ah, back on the terrace. It has been a whirlwind. Despite the fact that I haven’t been getting up before 10am (except last weekend to shop the Marché aux Puce), and have been taking a perfectly wonderful nap most late afternoons, staying up to the wee hours of the morning every day has had me collapsing in bed too exhausted to document the days adventures – and adventures we have had! The best thing about changing time zones (for a self declared night-owl like myself) is that around 10pm Paris time, you really start to feel good. Having dinner at this respectable hour allows one to then go out and sample Parisian joie de vivre en force.

Strolling the streets at night is one of this city’s finest treats. Café society at its height, the tables, often imperceptibly spaced, are overflowing with food and drink. As the uber-sophisticated intermix with the bobo, the satirist with the sophist, the proletariat with the aristocrat, and the tourist with the local, lines are crossed, definitions altered, and distinctions become as blurred as ones eye and mind, aided, of course, by a bottomless wine glass.

After a glorious dinner last night with our friend Gil (one of several ex-pat friends who, years ago, found himself in Paris and could not bear leaving), my husband and I strolled though the 9th arrondissement. Although it has been unusually hot this week, this has made for some rather exquisite evenings. Still about 80 degrees, the cloudless sky, punctuate only by the half moon peering over the rooftops, just the perfect backdrop for the drop-dead halogen lighted architecture, my head somewhat abuzz, we walked together, thoughts intermingling, hands lightly touching, it was truly heaven.

Marché aux Puce de St-Ouen

Nothing better to get you in the mood for some treasure hunting than a 25 minute taxi ride provided by a groovy elderly French women, hurtling us nonplussed by pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, street barricades and the like, while humming schizophrenic versions of Serge Gainsbourg, interspersed with fragmented English staccato-like sentences thrown in our direction, all the while staring suspiciously back through the rear view mirror. “La, la, la… merde… la, la. Sacre ----, la, la, belle day oui? (horn blaring), la, la.” At first very charming, by the end of the ride, just kind of freaky. After dismissing us about two blocks from the actually market “you get out now, oui?,” she kept an extra 5 euro tip “change okay, oui?,” and roared off down the road “…la, la, la”, horn blaring, local scattering, barely escaping her path.

One thing you need to know, the actual good part of the market is surrounded by the usual chaotic, mostly garbage, kitschy trinkets that you find all over the world. Don’t get me wrong; if you want a ten-dollar Eifel Tower sweatshirt that says I love Paris and a pair of two-
dollar matching socks (all made in Paris, China), Marché Malik is for you.

Passing through this madness brings you to the authentic Marché aux Puce. This area is actually comprised of several distinctive markets, each with its own personality and style. Our favorite markets are Marché Vernaison (jewelry, fabric, lamps, furnishings), and Marché Paul Bert (furniture, taxidermy, architectural accents). The same vendors have occupied some of the market stalls for decades, even generations. The scale and scope of the entire Marche aux Puce is initially overwhelming, but actually quite manageable in one to two days. I could tell you my favorite shops, but then I would have to kill you – just kidding. There are too many great places to list, but be sure, there is something for everyone, and even my husband’s heart starts to palpitate when we get near Marché Paul Bert.

Helpful hints:

Bring comfortable shoes; this market is huge. For you fellow retailers, imagine the entire Americasmart all on one level.
There are several good places to eat on Rue des Rosier. Skip Chez Louisette at the end of the Vernaison market (unless you are dying to eat to endless Edith Piaf renditions), and try Café Voltaire (92, rue des Rosiers) or Napoli Sarl Gemma (136, rue des Rosiers).
Some of the more exclusive vendors will take credit cards, but bring cash for the best deals.
Most vendors will assist you with shipping to the USA.

Marché de la Porte de Vanve

Up as early as we can muster, today marks the start of our “bric-a-brac” adventures. This market (Ave Georges-Lafenestre and Ave Marc-Sagnier) is best early Saturday morning. A slowly curving walk is punctuated on both sides by numerous aged and dilapidated vendors with wares sprawling from equally aged and dilapidated trucks. The vendors carry a wide range of items from books, to jewelry to lighting and furnishings. This is one of our favorite markets to find “smalls”, although sometimes my husband and I exit the market looking like a couple of vagrant pack-mules overloaded with various frames, chandeliers, and furniture.

Market Hints:

Come early, it starts at about 7am and most of the dealers have picked through the good stuff by the late morning. Things usually wrap up around 2pm.
Bring cash, there are a couple of cash machines around, but these usually run out of money when you really need it.
Try to arrange for return transportation prior to arrival, it’s usually difficult to find a cab in this area on the weekends, and its painful to take the subway if you have a lot of “treasures” in tow.
If you are hungry, the little kiosk at the end of the first row makes some mean frites and as usual for Europe, excellent espresso.

St-Germain-Des-Prés

I can’t believe we have only been here one night. Probably has something to do with the fact that I’ve taken at least two naps each day – I love vacation. Last night was highlighted by a sunset walk along rue de Buci. The streets were packed with people, locals, and tourists, all taking in a perfect summer evening. The air was filled with the chatter of conversation from the surrounding outdoor tables (both earnest and excited, never meaningless), sumptuous smells from the overflowing cafes (sugar, spice and everything nice) mixing with the lingering cigarette and cigar smoke; a stylized movie set? No, just another typical night in Paris. After perusing the scene, we picked Del Papa (38, rue de Buci). Still humming at 11pm, we squeezed into our table, surveyed the neighbor’s entrees and ordered the perfect oven baked pizza. Piping hot, razor thin, this chef would have made an Umbrian proud. Completely stuffed, we wandered Boulevard St-Germain, just barely able to complete our crème glacee (purchased from one of the multiple vendors) before it melted in our hands.

Today we rediscovered St-Germain-des-Prés. The 6th arrondissement is fantastic, exclusive, and expensive. It also houses some of our favorite stores. You can have all the usual international houses and style anywhere, here some of our local favorites include:

Deyrolle (46, rue du Bac), skip the first floor and go directly to the second for an exquisite collection of taxidermy (large game, song birds, insects, fish and reptiles). We purchased a book documenting the aftermath of the fire a couple of years ago. Fabulous photos, fabulous!

Flamont (8, Place de Furstenburg), the European version of Restoration Hardware. I know, kind of mainstream, but occasionally this place has some cool set pieces.

Librairie Alain Brieux (48, rue Jacob), store is a cabinet of curiosity. From ancient medical devices, books, journals to a one of a kind early nineteenth century paper mache anatomical model.

Jacques Hervouet (40 rue de l’Université), cool objets d’art, with a distinctive design whimsy.

Lunch today at Laudurée (21, rue Bonaparte with 3 additional Paris locations), a haven for respite after shopping and walking, and don’t skimp on the desert.

Afternoon café crème at Café de Flore (172 Blvd St-Germain), redefine your inner existentialism and recharge your battery.

All right, it’s off to dinner, tomorrow it’s the start of the shopping weekend (Saturday, Sunday and Monday are the flea market shopper go-days). Get some rest tonight, tomorrow we shop.

Arrivée à Paris

After spending our last several Paris trips sampling the grand hotels: the Ritz, the Plaza Athéneé, the Meurice, Bristol, Crillion, and of course, our favorite, the George V, we have decided to partake in a far more Parisian affair: the Esprit St. Germain. Tucked along the Rue St. Sulpice, this quaint hotel still exudes luxury, but gives one the feel of actually owning a grand pied-a-tier in the heart of St. Germain des Prés. The 6th Arrondissement imbues a sense of Paris perhaps better than any other (much more about this later).

I could blog about this city forever. If you are planning to follow along with us the next few weeks, please, dear reader, have patience. I will do my best to give you at least a smidgen of enlightenment each day, but, alas, I too am awestruck and overcome by my muse – Paris. Sitting here on my own personal balcony, watching the sun set over the Eglise St. Sulpice, the final rays off the golden star topping the aging dome, a gentle warm (but without the Savannah infused deathlike humidity) breeze in my hair, I could almost weep with happiness (or maybe it’s just the combination of the residual pre-trip ativan, peri-trip ambien, and “rough-air “ –politically correct but still freaking scary turbulence- additional ativan, plus who’s counting glasses of champagne – hey it’s Paris after all, and, god-love-them, it’s complimentary at this hotel – now I really am crying tears of joy).

Any way, before your can say, run-on sentence, I will leave you with one airplane travel trip from my husband. Never wear designer jeans, no matter how loose and comfy they may seem, if they have large buttons on the rear pockets. After eight hours on a lay flat seat, I think my husbands butt is permanently dimpled. Well, it’s off to Carrefour de l’Odeon or Rue de Buci for dinner, more tomorrow.