* 3 times in Paris in a month

Our European travel plans started in Paris, then to Amsterdam, back to Paris, Eurostar to London & Oxford, then back to Paris. Three times in Paris for a total of 11 nights.

The first time we treated Paris as if it was our home city, which in many ways it is. We stayed at the Perle Hotel in the 6th, where we have been many times before. After morning coffee and croissant at one of our favorite cafes, I got a new carryon bag at Galeries Lafayette after not being able to get a wheel changed on the one I brought. Pat found an optician to change out her lenses into a new frame. We met up with our friends Rawy and Nijole, had a nice dinner around the corner from our hotel, ice cream across the street.

At the church of Saint-Sulpice, down the street from the Perla, are three magnificent generally unknown paintings by Eugene Delacroix. This one is a portion of Heliodorus Driven from the Temple.

We left most of our luggage at the Perle and took the train to Amsterdam for our houseboat adventure. On our return, again staying at the Perle, we went to a magnificent exhibit at the Petit Palais – Paris 1900: The City of Entertainment. This is but a small sample of what is a remarkable collection.

From the Petit Palais it’s a short walk to the Champs-Élysées, where we enjoyed a small repast at an outside but shaded table at La Duree

Abercrombie and Fitch opened its flagship store on the Champs in 2011. From the front gate to the excitingly dark interior to the half-naked studs available for photos, this is way more than just a store.

Last year in Paris we accidentally met Philippe Benhamou and were invited to attend his two-man comedy show, which was great entertainment even though we didn’t understand a word. (He told us his part was in English, but neglected to mention he didn’t say any words.) This year we met on purpose and learned he is preparing a one-man show which will open in January.

Whatever else we do in Paris, the best thing to do is to walk around and just soak it all in. The building below is the Musee D’Orsay, which was magnificent as always but does not permit photos.

We often forget to take photos of our apartments. This is one of Adrianne Leeds, on rue de Roi du Sicile.

Time to go. No more Paris until next year. Of course, you never know.

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