This morning I woke with a smile on my face.  Yes I thought, I really am in Paris.  Sometimes dreams do come true, and this trip is certainly a dream come true for me.  When Bob and I were in Paris several years ago I kept an art journal. I wrote in it that I wondered if I would ever be able to return to Paris and spend as much time as I wanted looking at my favourite paintings in the Louvre.  I will be able to do that and more on this trip.  It is a lovely indulgence to only think about and do those things that interest me.

Closing both windows and their curtains and pulling down the blinds all helped to muffle the street noise so I had a fairly good sleep.

I went out for a walk this afternoon and headed over to the Gare de l’Est to purchase a Navigo Card, only to discover that the booth had just closed   This card gives unlimited travel on the metro and bus lines for about 60 Euros per month.  I like the idea of being able to hop on and off the bus or metro whenever I like all for one easy price. I will do that tomorrow.

I spent the next couple of hours wandering the streets, watching children playing, skateboarders skating and people strolling everywhere.  Parisians love to enjoy their city on Sundays. The streets and green spaces were teeming with people of all ages, which offered some great people watching!

On my trip to New Zealand I took lots of tree pictures and in Paris I think it will be lots of building and church pictures.  They are all so old and have such beautiful ornamentation.  I find them fascinating, there is so much to see here that it is hard to know where to look sometimes.  I visited  the Church of St. Laurent today.  Construction of this church began in1429 and was not completed until 1667.  By the way, if you tap or click on a photo it will load a larger version, for a closer look.

There was a very interesting lady inside, who was dressed all in white, from head to toe.  I wondered if there was some significance to this or if she just liked the colour white!

On the way home, a young man passed me and  as he walked by he turned and said “Vous etes magnifique”. I didn’t say anything as the guide books I had read said not to smile at men on the street or it might be misinterpreted as an invitation to something more.  He turned and said “Vous devriez dire Merci.” (You should say thank you) so I rather sheepishly replied “Merci” and he nodded his head and walked on.  Perhaps a compliment can just be a compliment.  In any case, I walked home feeling rather special.

Belgium strawberries and dark chocolate for dessert.