Good food, good weather, favorite places.
I wrote yesterday about my lovely hike through Bois de Vincennes, in central Paris. We had arrived in Paris on Friday afternoon after a quick ride through the Channel Tunnel; only two and a half hours from London to Paris!
A lovely hike through Paris woodland.
As I sat over my tea and croissant in an unremarkable Paris boulangerie, looking out into the pre-dawn darkness, snow began to fall. Large, fluffy flakes quickly dusted the sidewalk. Traffic was light on this Saturday morning, although it was nearly 8am. Sunrise wasn’t due for nearly another hour, but I bundled up and headed out, across the street and into the Bois de Vincennes, a sprawling, forested park sometimes called the “lungs of Paris”. I was determined to continue my unbroken sequence of weekend hiking – today was my fifteenth consecutive weekend hike, now spanning five countries.
All the Alps in one view.
Zürich woke to yet another cloudy morning, as the sun rose on winter solstice. On this, the shortest day of the year, we hopped on a plane to Washington, DC, following the sun to the west. Flying high above the clouds, we enjoyed daylight for 15+ hours, though inside the plane we never really got to enjoy the sunshine. When I checked out the window, soon after we reached cruising altitude, I was blessed with a grand panoramic view of the Alps – the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps – spread out beyond a sea of clouds.
Less than 24h in Paris – but still a photographic opportunity.
After a few days in Provence, I needed to travel to Paris for my flight home. The timing did not work to connect from train to plane, so I was forced to overnight in central Paris (darn!). On Saturday evening I took the opportunity to enjoy a full French meal in a delightful brasserie, then ambled back to the hotel among the throngs of summer tourists and Saturday-night revelers. I woke at sunrise on Sunday morning to stroll around the city while it was cooler and quieter. Read on and check out the photo gallery.
Continue reading “Paris”
A short week in Provence during a record-setting heat wave.
I joined the family for a three-day visit to Provence, outside Avignon. We rented a villa in a tiny village surrounded by pastoral beauty, giving us a good base for exploring the area and plentiful opportunities for early-morning bike rides through the countryside. It quickly became my habit to hop on a bike shortly before sunrise, cruise randomly along narrow lanes through ancient fields of lavender, sunflowers, wheat, apricots, and more. I concluded each of my outings with a stop at the Boulangerie in the village, arriving home with fresh-baked pastries and bread. Not a bad way to start the day. Read on for more – and don’t miss the photo gallery.
Continue reading “Provence”
A few days in Avignon and some of the surrounding areas, under sunny skies and in fantastic weather.
I had a chance to spend a long weekend in Avignon, one of the most beautiful old cities of Provence. Read on!
David Kotz 