My visit in Paris

I left Paris for the end. Because Paris is now common sight. So there is nothing new to tell you except: BIKING IN PARIS WHEN YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I know Paris inside out, so except from one exhibition, I decided that this trip was about biking and I am not going to participate to the Tour de California either. I just fancied the idea to be among busses, taxis, cars and the crazy Parisian traffic. Well I made it: I followed my two sisters and here I was like a pro! Now I am adding pictures that don't need comments. All taken in Paris in July 2008: Can you see the supermarket yogurt aisles (four of them.) The veiled woman (they are everywhere in France) in a wheelchair? The beautiful naked woman poster on top of the Galeries Lafayette (in the USA, there will be a lawsuit for exposing a nude woman!) The Madeleine church and its colorful flowers display? and the reminder how poor we were (the Euro value sign)Don't the statue of Liberty and the Diner belong to a New York street? The first picture on top to the left is the vacuum cleaner than washes the windows of the Louvre Glass rooftop (the Pyramid one.) Cute little machine that goes up and down on its own. I always leave Paris with sadness because Paris is part of my past and memories and because I leave the people I love. I hope to be back soon because this city is always adding surprises for the tourist I am.

My trips to France: Lyons

Well, I decided a few weeks ago, to join my two sisters to spend some vacation time. With no children and no husbands, we knew that this will be a fun trip. OK Daniel, my brother-in-law was with us, but he does not count because he is such a fun traveller, trying very hard to please everyone. So we boarded the TGV to go to Lyons. I could not remember details about high speed trains but we actually could see landscapes while the train was on its way to the South. Now you are asking: why Lyons? Well I have been watching so many movies about Lyons, most of them during the 2nd world war so I was fascinated by the city of Lyons (a lot of partisans like Jean Moulin are from Lyons). Lyons is the 2nd or may be 3rd biggest city of France. Lyons was full of surprises, look at the photos. We saw weddings, statues being transported on the side, Muslim women (all veiled!) begging for money, a strange bicycle, an Indian (don't ask me...) a coffee place called “Au Negre” (translation at the Nigger’s place)a fair’s wheel bearing the European countries flags, a soon to be married bachelor in a strange outfit and absolutely to die for architecture. We spent a lot of time trying to understand how the Partisans circulate from one area to another in the city. Remember, during the occupation, Lyons was the Partisans’ capitale. It was THE city when orders where given and taken to relay messages against the German occupation. The city is fascinating especially the Vieux Lyon. Now look at the Fresque des Lyonnais, a whole building with murals. Lyon was full of murals. We could not see them all but it was pure artistry! Of course, we saw beautiful pastry places because Lyon is the capitale of good food. Nobody goes to Lyon without trying one of Paul Bocuse’s restaurants.