This is my second posting for my 2010 trip to France.
This year I decided to view the gay pride parade in Paris. Last year was Berlin. Next year - who knows.
I arrived in Paris on the morning of June 25. My hotel was in the Marais section of Paris, where there's always a lot happening. After a short nap I wandered the neighborhood. Nothing beats a summer day in Paris with all the flowers in bloom.
The first night I went to the very popular Chez Janou. On one of the 17th century streets, a pair of cramped but cozy dining rooms filled with memorabilia from Provence makes up this loud and somewhat raucous bistro. The service is brusque and sometimes hectic, but the food is amazing - just like your old French grandmother would serve. I had shrimp, avocado and grapefruit salad, followed by veal and pasta, with a French wine, of course. No room for dessert. I wasn't tired so I wandered the streets of Paris until past midnight.
This was really a strange combination. The shop wasn't open, so I never got to try sushi on bagel.
The last time in Paris the Bastille monument was being repaired. It is the site of the original Bastille Prison and where the French revolution started on July 14, 1789.
It isn't Paris without the beautiful flowered balconies. Hopefully the subject to one of my future paintings.
On Saturday, the parade started at 2pm, but didn't reach the spot where I was standing until around 4:30pm. Thousands of people marched along with the floats. It definitely wasn't as organized or as colorful as the parade in Berlin last year.
Two of the many beautifully dressed drag queens along the route.
One of the many nice looking men in the parade.
And three hours later, this is all that was left of the Paris Gay Pride Parade.
Dinner my second night was more than amazing. A cute waiter and a cute chef - what more can you ask for. I had caprese salad and veal picatta - to die for. I am getting so fat.
On Sunday, the following morning, I visited one of the local markets, near the Bastille.
Why can't we get fruits and vegetables as fresh as this?
How can anyone go to Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tower.
And here I am, a few blocks away.
One final balcony scene before leaving Paris. Tomorrow I'm off to Nantes and a week of cycling along the Atlantic coast.
No comments:
Post a Comment