Lost in Provence

Five Days in Paris

Arc de Triomphe

How many days would you have to spend in Paris before you were really ready to go home? It's more than five, I'll tell you that. Especially when you're the guest of your loving and generous parents, who are putting you up at the gloriously posh Sofitel Trocadero Hotel.

Walking distance from the Arc de Triomphe, our hotel's central location made it effortless to get around, while the sumptuously decorated interior made it hard to leave the premises. The interior of the elevator was lined with panels of an antique Louis Vuitton steamer trunk. And then there were the beds. "Oh yes, the beds!" Johann's Parisian friend Yannick enthused, when we told him where we were staying. "You just want to get inside them and live there. Goodbye, world. I live here now."

Rodin's Thinker

As tempting as that was, we pulled ourselves away to enjoy the sights. We visited the Rodin museum and garden, which featured an exhibition of the works of Camille Claudel, whose work I wasn't familiar with, but who I liked right away. One of the first displays featured her answers to a Proust questionnaire, which was a popular party game at the time, encouraging lively conversation. She had me with her answers to the following questions:

What qualities do you look for in a man? Obedience to women.

What do you consider the lowest depths of misery? To be the mother of many children.

Gloria Steinem would be so proud.

Pompidou Centre

Other stops on our tour of the city included the Pompidou Centre and its rooftop café, Printemps department store and its rooftop café (important to take advantage of rooftop views in Paris whenever available), the Xian Terracotta Army exhibit, the Arc de Triomphe, Luxembourg Gardens, Café Procope and an insanely expensive dinner at Le Relais du Parc, whose chef trained with Alain Ducasse.

The Metro

Johann keeps saying that the list of places we haven't been in Paris is getting shorter and shorter. If we ever see it all, though, I intend to go back to the beginning and start again, one long weekend at a time. 

Please check out the rest of our Paris pics at right, under "Photos."

Coming Attractions: Lac de St. Croix

St. Croix

Wow. I'm really behind, aren't I? I haven't even posted a coming attraction in over a month! And I'm afraid this post isn't going to make up for it much, at least in terms of length and detail. But I did want to let you know about Lac de St. Croix, where Johann and I spent the day Thursday.

The lake was created in 1975, when a dam was built over the Verdon river, creating this large and lovely body of water noted, like a high-quality diamond, for its exceptional color and clarity. Surrounded by mountains, the lake has abundant hiking trails, beaches, picnic areas and opportunities to participate in water sports from kayaking and canoeing to sailing.

St. Croix

The village of St. Croix is aware of its tourist appeal but has retained its authenticity, scoring points in the categories of lovely restaurants with lake views and in lack of tacky souvenir shops. But since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm going to let my pictures do all the talking here. More views of St. Croix are at right, under "Photos."