The weather in Paris couldn't be more beautiful. Everyone is happy including the notoriously grumpy waiters!1 - When I first saw these I thought they were an upgrade of the men's outdoor urinals that used to be everywhere (forget about ladies needs!) But equality has come and this convenience for men has gone away. These, instead, are recycling bins. I doubt you can see in the photo but there are pictures of items that can be recycled near the holes, the first picture is (you guessed it!)... wine bottles!
2 - This photo is especially for friend Debby who gave me a neat little book entitled Handmade in Paris. If it hadn't been for that book we wouldn't have found this little alley which is described as the "oldest arcade in Paris", a tidbit that none of the guidebooks we've read know about. The shop we're standing in front of is Pep's, an umbrella repair shop that's been there for over 100 years and where folks from all over the world come to have their umbrellas repaired. They were closed but, then again, none of us brought umbrellas, broken or otherwise.
3 - This is for Bob's sister Carole. We're at the Musee des Arts et Metiers (turns out that essentially means technology museum - not arts & crafts...). Anyway, Bob's standing next to a rustic loom made in the 1600's, part of a great display of various looms. (Carole is a textile artist so we thought she'd be interested.)
4 - For anyone who irons - MUCH more than I needed to know about how electric irons work.
5 - A fairly dramatic way to display old "aircraft". Judy & I decided we would NOT have wanted to be on the crew that hung that one up.
6 - Then it was off to the Paris Opera House (forgot to take photos - sorry) and to the local department stores. This dome was over the restaurant in the Au Printemps department store where we had lunch. Pretty impressive we thought. It's been a looooong time since I've suggested to anyone we have lunch in a department store. The food was wonderful too although John & I will probably be eating beans for the next year to pay for it.
7 - The other dome is in the center of the department store next door - Galeries Lafayette. It looks like a set for grand opera rather than shopping. Prices were WAY out of our price range so even Judy had no problem restraining herself.
8 - Paris' inside outside building where all the services for the building are on the outside.
9 - Look it up if you don't know what this is... We waved goodbye to the rest of our traveling companions at dusk here. They were all set to take a night cruise down the Seine, something John & I did last trip and loved.
Meanwhile, could it be that someone could actually drive straight through from Kenmare to Boulder? That red Corvette must have had the pedal to the metal!
