hiddenneststudio

Just last Tuesday, I was here, with thousands of other humans, waiting to observe the fireworks displayed over the Eiffel Tower. Yes, I waited on a bench with a great view for nearly 8 hours. At some point I didn't even care anymore if I saw the fireworks, as I was hungry and tired. Somehow I knew that it wasn't going to be easy to leave, so it seemed that I might as well stay. I have to say that once they started, the fireworks were spectacular, perhaps even better than I had imagined. It was the leaving at the end of the evening that was bad. I suppose if I had been with someone else, it might have just been an annoyance, but being alone as the crowd pressed around me, I imagined that I might be trampled. Instead, I just spent 20 minutes pressed up against the vitrine of a restaurant until the crowd thinned enough to make my way to the metro, which turned out to be closed! Ah, the best laid plans...So, I followed the crowd to the next metro stop and eventually made my way back to my apartment. I was so glad to be home!
This is the lovely, and tranquil Canal St Martin, which turns out to be quite close to my apartment. While Jim was here, we spent a pleasant 3 hours on a canal tour, as it was something I had always wanted to do in Paris. I would recommend it! For the first hour you travel underground, which was quite fascinating in itself. When I need a little relief from the city, I can stroll the canal, or stop for a cafe creme, as I did today after I locked myself out of my apartment! Stay tuned to see how that turned out. I am still waiting to see that for myself, but in the meantime, I am SO grateful for the free wi-fi at McDonald's that allows me a place to camp while I try to figure out what to do next. I never thought I would be happy to hang out at McDonalds in a foreign country, but now I am!
I speculated on what this charming little cemetery angle was pointing to. I found him high above Trocadero, with a great view of the eiffel tower, when I was waiting for the fireworks. Whenever I discover a cemetery, I always wander through, because each one holds surprises and something lovely to photograph or sketch.
A week ago Sunday, Jim and I took the train to Vernon, then a bus to Giverny, an hour away from Paris,but worlds away from the city! We had been here many years before in June when the roses were blooming, and we thought it would be fun to see it at a different time of the year.
As always, it is a treat, and in spite of the crowds we strolled through and enjoyed seeing the waterlilies blooming. Someone asked for photos of dahlias, and this one was spectacular!