Notre belle ville de Paris- Part 1

It's been close to a year now since our last trip to France with wonderful memories I would like to share with you today about one of our favorite places, Paris.  The full moon over Paris was beautiful and a nighttime stroll with Notre Dame all aglow set the stage for another delightful Paris visit.
Paris is alive and has an energy that invigorates. It is busy at all hours and is beautiful day and night.

 We make it a point to ride the Batobus  at least once every time we visit Paris and we enjoy watching them cruise past on the Seine.

I read a magazine article about Paris by Nichole Robertson ( www.the simple things.com) that resonated with me. She was asked, Why do you love Paris?  What drew you there? I wrote down her answer because her words described my feelings too. Nichole said, " Trying to put into words my love of Paris is as difficult as putting into words why I love my husband. It's more than the sum of its most notable and universally adored parts-light, culture, outstanding bread, breathtaking architecture. It's an energy, feeling a part of history and being surrounded by beauty at just about every turn."

The Sorbonne, University of Paris' humanities department, flanked by busy cafes.

The Pantheon at night, a beautiful Neoclassical monument was closed for renovations so we did not see the inside that is full of French history and where Rousseau, Voltaire, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Louis Braille are buried. Our hotel was across the street.

 Hotel Des Grands Hommes.

Daytime view of the Panthèon. You can see the dome renovation.

We enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch here a few doors down from our hotel. It was teeming with local Parisians which was a treat for us to observe.

These precious french children had a ball playing as their parents enjoyed conversation after their lunch. I can still hear their giggles.

 Strolling along we delighted in the beautiful flowers and people watching at Jardin de Luxembourg last September.

 The locals soak up the sun in Paris parks especially on Sunday.

 One of my favorite memories was seeing the children sail these little boats across the pool.

Vue Da La Grotte, Fontaine De Medicis , Jardin Du Luxembourg.

Polyphemus preparing to crush Acis the Sicilan shepherd preferred by the goddess Galatea. Close up below.

I love love this pic and have it framed in my home. Fontaine De Medicis was built on the order of Marie de Medicis around 1630. Read more here.

The next few pics were made in the month of March on another Paris trip if you're wondering why some people are dressed in coats and others in shorts. These men are probably regular Parisians enjoying their chess game. They don't look like tourists.

I love their facial expressions and bet they meet here often.

Quintessential Parisians. I try to photograph typical people that are not tourists to have a memory of what regular life in Paris is like.

On of my favorite photos on Rue Cler, one of my favorite streets. The French know how to relax for lunch. Oysters and white wine.

Did I say that I love Paris?

I hope I've piqued your interest in Paris. I'm having a great time reliving memories of our trips there. I probably have several thousand pictures but will try to pick the best ones to share. Stay tuned to more of Paris.

Additional Paris pictures here.

Linking to: The Enchanting Rose and Wow Me Wednesday.