Come Sail Away...

The various events that I have attended over the past few months at the church have provided me with the opportunity to meet a number of fascinating people.  It's always so much fun to get to know them and learn about what has brought them to Paris...whether they are students, short-term workers (like me!), living here full-time, or just passing through.  One such couple was John and Sharon M.  I discovered that they live on their sailboat and have spent the past 9 years traveling all over Europe, navigating both canals and open water as they moved from place to place to their hearts' content!  I was incredibly intrigued by their lifestyle (I've never met anyone that lived on a sailboat before!), and when I discovered that they would soon be setting sail again (heading for Turkey at the beginning of April), I asked if I could come visit them one afternoon to see their boat before their departure.  They were so gracious to say yes, and even extended an invitation to come visit and stay for dinner the very next week.  I had never been to the Canal St. Martin before (marina/arsenal near the Bastille).  As I walked along the elevated walkway (passerelle), I arrived to see their beautiful sailboat, "Seraphim," gently bobbing along on the surface of the water with John waving to me from the deck.  We spent hours talking and enjoyed a delicious meal of salad, vegetable risotto, and almond cake for dessert (and some wine, too, bien sûr!)  I heard about many of their adventures, both peaceful and harrowing, and about how much they enjoyed the Azores just off of Portugal (now I really want to go there!) and how they have seen about 40 different Greek isles - Wow!  What a life!!  I so enjoyed my time with them that evening, and only wish I had met them sooner in my visit.  But I won't soon forget their generosity, that's for sure!

Oh, Mr. Sun-Sun-Mr. Golden Sun...

Please shine down on me!

Sun-filled days were somewhat few and far between in early March.  So when they arrived, I tried to take advantage of them as much as possible.

On one such day I met up with my new friend Ana in the Opéra/Pyramides/Palais Royal area.  We had lunch at my favorite noodle bowl restaurant, Sapporo, and then walked to see another favorite - les colonnes de Buren - black and white columns of all heights scattered throughout the courtyard at Palais Royal!  We were also able to see the new Comédie Française building that has had this area under wraps for months (much to my chagrin!)  As we walked towards the fountain, there was a decidedly fresh aroma wafting in the air - Spring!!!  I'm usually so congested from the effects of seasonal allergies at home that I don't think I have ever smelled "Spring" in the air before - it was lovely!  We continued to walk to the Tuileries where we sat and talked and soaked in the sunshine.  We eventually wandered back towards the Opéra area and ended up at Gare St. Lazare where we parted ways...what a nice afternoon!

Scaffolding...

You know noisy is going to be the new "normal" when this appears outside your place...

Awesome.

Well...

All the more reason to get out of my place and explore this amazing city, right?

Right ♥