What I Did On My Summer Vacation
anyway, onto the vacation recap. i hadn't been home in 4 years so it was good to be back. as beautiful as france is, to me it's a country of smells -- bread baking, cheese (sometimes very smelly cheese), gauloises cigarettes, metro car rubber wheels, pastis, coffee -- rather than sites, and it's always the first thing i notice when i get off of the plane. well after the surly border control guy. when those smells assail me, i know i'm "home."
we hit the ground running. the first four days were spent in paris. what's the first thing we saw?
what else? when you've got nieces who have never been to france, you show them the eiffel tower.
then you go buy water and a "doghnut" (and if you're me, and you've been to the eiffel tower a bagillion times and you're tired and jet-lagged you take pictures of silly misspellings on snack bar menu boards).
next stop, my favorite place in paris -- montmartre.
![](http://<a href="http://twistcollective.com/ "><img border="0" src="http://morici.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/01/twistcollective.jpg" title="Twistcollective" alt="Twistcollective" /></a>){kind=link}
Ahhh, Montmartre. I have fond memories of drinking a beer ina cafe there at sunset (allergic to wine, sorry) with my sister's French fireman boyfriend. She had to work and he took me on a motorcycle tour of Paris. Nothing like riding around the Champs d'Elysees on the back of a motorcycle.
Posted by: Kat | July 21, 2006 at 12:15 AM
I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. In my own travels, I have often found that many of my memories center around the sense of smell. I believe psychologists have proven this sense is particularly evocative.
Posted by: panasianbiz | July 20, 2006 at 08:43 PM
Lovin the photo tour but still wanting more! No pressure ;-)
Posted by: SpiderWomanKnits | July 20, 2006 at 05:01 PM
I want to go, like, NOW. Sigh!
Posted by: Beth S. | July 20, 2006 at 12:03 PM
What gorgeous pictures! I can't wait to see more!
Posted by: Sara | July 20, 2006 at 10:47 AM
I love Montmartre too. I've spent hours just sitting on those steps people watching. Looks like a wonderful trip!
Posted by: caro | July 20, 2006 at 10:34 AM
More pictures, please. I love the Sacre Coeur perspective you shot.
Posted by: Laurie | July 20, 2006 at 09:01 AM
Gorgeous! Looking forward to more details and pictures.
Posted by: Chris | July 20, 2006 at 08:49 AM
Looks like a wonderful trip! Can't wait for the next installment.
Verry sorry about your pup, Rocky looks like quite the love.
Posted by: Heather | July 20, 2006 at 08:40 AM
Beautiful pictures! Montmartre is my favorite place in Paris too. The Sacre Coeur is beautiful. And I like that every now and then you get to see a transvestite hooker proposition a nun. Doesn't happen everywhere.
Posted by: Cheryl | July 20, 2006 at 08:26 AM
oohhh...tell us more, please!
Posted by: elisa | July 20, 2006 at 08:23 AM