Before and after our recent trip to Normandy (on Uniworld’s SS Joie de Vivre) we spent some time in Paris. Mostly walking around, with a number of stops in cafes. I thought the best way to convey the feeling of Paris would be with pictures and occasional observations. So here goes.

We did visit Versailles to see the private apartments of the royal family. It was terribly crowded.

We enjoyed a walking tour of the Latin Quarter (5), the historic center of Parisian university life.

We found our way to the historic Jewish district and a Yiddish deli. Excellent pastrami!

We learned it’s important to look both up and down when walking around – Paris has a few surprises. The French street artist known as Invader installed mosaic tile art throughout Paris. His artwork first appeared in the 1990s and is inspired by early video games from the ’70s and ’80s. He has expanded to other major cities around the world – but none more prolific than Paris where 1,000 installations can be found. Kids enjoy hunting for the images and you can buy books and maps with their locations.

Ememen is another French street artist working throughout Europe. His specialty is filling in cracked sidewalks and pavement. He works at night in disguise; word is he’s coming to the US, so keep your eyes open.

Notre Dame did not look ready to open. But since we’ve been home, they rang the Cathedral bells for the first time since the 2019 fire – we just missed it. It is now scheduled to reopen on December 8th, 2024.

In honor of celebrating our anniversary later this month, we also indulged in a couple of very touristy endeavors. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and had flutes of champagne. This involved huge crowds (even with advance purchase tickets) and me hugging the walls since I’m not a fan of heights. I stepped forward briefly for our toast shown below. We also got a kick out of the energetic show at the iconic Moulin Rouge. During one of my first childhood dance recitals, we performed a can-can routine – so I could not resist seeing it done in Paris.