I Love the Train! Heading South to Paris

Taking the train is my favorite way to travel.  It's like checking into a spa.  Meals are served in a dining car with waiters and fancy, white cloth napkins!  The rocking of the wheels on the track puts me happily to sleep.  No waiting in security lines or agricultural inspection.  Heaven!

Nosey, Just like Me!

I meet and make friends with a lot of dogs as I journey around the world.  This little pooch is in Paris, The City of Light.  

Sweet Max

My friend, Maximilien, is showing me around his Dad's very cool and trendy men's clothing shop, Sausalito, in Montmartre, Paris.  The family put me up in their bright and beautiful apartment while I was visiting them in the 18th Arrondissement.  Their neighborhood is the art center of the city.

Street Music

Traveling opens your eyes...This piano just sets on a Paris street and is available for anyone to sit down and play.  I love that!  Traveling opens your heart, too!

The River Seine

Boats have long traveled on this very important river which cuts through the heart of Paris dividing it into the Left Bank and the Right Bank.  Lots of tours boats, like the red-bottomed one above, show visitors the sights, now.  If you want to read a great chapter book about the River Seine and a homeless family, check out...

FAMILY UNDER THE BRIDGE by Natalie Savage Carlson.  It will warm your heart and make you laugh, promise.

Our Own Thomas Jefferson

Right above the bridge in the above photo, stands this statue of our 3rd US President and Founding Father, and principal author of the Declaration of Independence.  Thomas Jefferson was our Minister to France and the French people love him! 

The Art Center of the City

Montmartre is always high on my list of places to see when I visit Paris.  I love talking to the artists and sharing stories.  I get inspired there, also, when I see work that I know I could do, too.  To be an artist, you must be brave because you are truly "putting yourself out there."  Be Brave.  Do Art!!

Spectacular Architecture

The very old buildings in Paris take my breath away.  I love looking at the fancy handiwork of a bygone era.  The builders loved their jobs and it shows.  The attention to detail is what impresses me most.  Did you know the basic plan for Washington, D.C., was designed by the French-born American architect, Pierre L'Enfant.  That's why the District of Columbia is full of traffic circles or roundabouts as they are sometimes called. They have lots of those in French cities.  L'Enfant was also a volunteer in the American Continental Army.

And Another View of Paris

I just wanted to stare out this window for hours...it was so beautiful.  Beauty lifts your spirits and produces endorphins which make you feel happy.  I call it "happy juice."  Keep a garden and your heart will be full.  You could also have a window box and/or big pot on the balcony or porch.  Just grow something and you will grow, too, mostly contentment and deep smiles.