Paris. Sept 25-28, 2022

Checked into the Citizen M Gare de Lyon, right across the street from the iconic train station.

All of the Citizen M hotels have huge, comfy lounging/working/eating areas with fantastic coffee and excellent food. Amazing what a hotel can do with this model. And very reasonable rates!

Le Coulee Verte, or the Paris Highline, is an urban elevated plantscape that is a real Paris gem, preceding the Manhattan highline by 20 years. It was originally an elevated railway.

Le Musee de l’Orangerie is the home to many Monet paintings, especially an entire room surrounded by giant panels of his famous water lillies. And other great impressionists.

Do you all recall very nice department stores with elegant lunchrooms, many years ago. Well, the Bon Marche, in Paris, is probably the prototype. The Grand Epicerie is the department store’s building with unbelievable dining room and other eating areas. We had this fantastic fresh haddock over cuttlefish (like squid ink) risotto.

And insane desserts.

Dinner at Bistro Instinct in the Marais district was sublime.

The last night in Paris we walked back to the hotel, with beautiful architectural images and the Seine at night.

Savoie (French alps) chalet with Michael and Linda. Sept 28-Oct 3

Very grateful for the invite to join Michael and Linda at their wonderful chalet in the Savoie area of the French alps. Bullet train from Paris to Modane only 4 hrs, then 10” to the chalet at La Norma ski village.

Although it was rainy much of the time, when the sun did break through, it was spectacular.