It was all just so pretty.

One night we went to dinner in a local bistro not too far from our hotel. It was busy and the place seemed like fun, so we warmed ourselves with their hearty food and red wine, soaking up the atmosphere.

Paris = Perfect
pour moi.

We were back meandering in Paris again in December. We went because we’d not seen real Christmas lights since… we were last in Europe, I guess. So we decided to make the most of it and after we’d seen London’s we took ourselves over to France. Luckily we were already back in London time the snow came and the Eurostar trains decided enough was enough and got themselves stuck in the tunnel.

We stayed a little East this time, which meant we got to try different cafes in the mornings and to walk along the Seine via the Île Saint-Louis and the Île de la Cité to get back to the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc is my favorite monument in the world and I do love to see it each and every time we’re there. The first time I ever saw it I was stunned by how large it is and the incredible attention to detail on it’s underside. This time we also went to La Grande Arche de la Défense since the sky was so clear. Once we got down from the viewing area, we pottered toward the Christmas market with all the workers on their lunch breaks and enjoyed foie gras sandwiches and hot mulled wine as we browsed the stalls.

The last five months have gone by like a very content whirlwind, that just seems to swirl never ending. So much has happened, and all of it good. We have a beautiful new apartment, good jobs with great prospects, wonderful friends and of course, Paris nearby.

I also took the step of detoxing my life in more ways than one. Sure, food is pretty central but everything in your life has an impact. Anything that wasn’t having a positive effect I tossed to the side. So much clutter has gone and those who were passive-aggressive, competitive, dishonest or angry were just not given my new telephone number. It wasn’t hard work, it just seemed natural. And now it just feels plain good.

Do you remember all those boxes we packed & shipped? Most of their contents wound up in the trash room downstairs in our apartment block. It’s funny what you think you’ll need. It certainly kept us going for the interim period, but we have shifted as people as well as geographically and it feels good to start anew.

A magazine and a macaroon make the journey home breeze on by.

It sure is good to be back!

I’m not certain I can recall why I wasn’t in such a great mood when we got there. Maybe it was because the weather was a little less perfect than we’d been enjoying, or maybe I was just tired as this was slap-bang in the middle of our time in the US and what I really would have liked, was to have had my feet up in a luxury hotel someplace. Or at least to have started the day with an iced americano.

Let’s just say I wasn’t too chatty at 9am that day.

We drove the long, empty roads in the park and the feeling eventually started to lift. Walking along some cliff tops, a barely visible shower misted our arms. When the clouds drifted over, I noticed the reflected blue light in the depths of the canyon and my mind began to focus. Months earlier Andy had taught me about atmosphere when we went to a Monet exhibition. It changed how I see things and it made me feel part of the day as I stood there, surveying the views and absorbing the peacefulness.

Still tired, we drove back down to Moab just for an iced coffee. We even pulled off the freeway for another break an hour or so later. Andy had a power nap and I read a book with my feet perched on the dashboard. My mind occasionally drifted back to the enormity of the landscape that surrounded me and how I’d maybe like to come back one day to get to know it more intimately.