August update, PARIS

it's August 25, and the 62nd anniversary of the liberation of Paris. They showed Is Paris Burning? on TV last night. The movie was filmed in Paris and I knew where most of the shots were taken. I didn't know that the Nazis where in the hotel Meurice...surprise, surprise, I'll have to go by it again. It was fun watching a black and white movie chock full of American and French movie stars. I think the costumes could have been more authentic though.

Anyway, I went with Cyndee to the airport this morning and I took the RER train back. When I came out of the train stop at Parvi de Notre Dame, it was amazing. Having seen it last night with footage of the square and the prefecture police all of the skirmishes in the streets. I could see where they climbed up on the statue of Charlemagne to throw bombs in the German tanks (not original footage, so I'm not sure whether it really happened or not). Wow.

Tonight they are having a commemorative event in the Place Hotel de Ville, right across the street. I'll be going after I finish this entry. They have a big stage set up (Paris Plage is gone), a lot of chairs and a lot of flags. Get ready to cry. They're going to show documentary footage (and maybe make a lot of speeches).

I have been out in the countryside these last two weeks. First Lisa and I took a train to Rennes and rented a car. We went to Mt. Saint Michel, Caen, Bayeux to see the tapestry, the Normandy beaches and monuments, Etretat, Rouen and finally Giverny. I'll post photos soon. The day after Lisa left, my friend Cyndee came to visit for 5 days. We took a train to Reims, rented a car, visited Veuve Cliquot's champagne caves and facility and stayed overnight in Troyes. Then on to Vezelay, one of my favorite towns (I saw a town named Lucy that looked like a candidate). Back to Paris the next day. Lots of driving, but we bought some delicious plums, cherries and pears at a roadside stand. The food wasn't that great in Troyes. But then again, we went for the easiest, which usually isn't the best here.

A la prochaine, Dominique