Paris, France to Harby, England
Don and I shared a milestone birthday within four months of each other, so we took a trip to celebrate this “accomplishment”. Long ago, we planned a trip to Paris to celebrate our 20th anniversary. However, 9/11 happened, so it was put on hold. Then life got in the way, but it was always in the back of our minds, so we impulsively booked it. We wanted to see all the typical cheesy things in Paris, but most of all we wanted to explore this beautiful city and live like locals. We were frankly surprised by how polite, helpful, and friendly the French people were. I think they have an unfair reputation and we really enjoyed them.
We stayed in a very French, boutique hotel with typical small rooms on the corner of a charming market street called Rue Cler. This two block, mostly pedestrian, street is a true neighborhood. It has a butcher, cheese shop, bakery, chocolaterie, flower shops, produce market stalls, and more. Intermixed with these lovely shops are lots of quaint cafes. We ate most breakfasts, lunches and dinners outside on Rue Cler while watching the local residents do their daily shopping, walk their dogs, and greet friends. After a long day of walking and siteseeing, we could stop at one of our local cafes for a nightcap before stepping into our lovely little hotel where we picked up our room key from the smiling concierge. It was kind of magical and just what we wanted.
Don’t get me wrong…We were definitely tourists. Our little slice of Paris was located just blocks from the Eiffel Tower, and a few miles from Notre Dame, The Louvre, Tuileries Gardens and Luxembourg Gardens. We saw all these places and more. We strolled the famous Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to The Lourve. We also went to Versailles on a rainy day and cruised on a touristy Seine river boat at night. With the exception of the train to Versailles, we walked everywhere. We wanted to see the people, shops, cafes and gardens. So many gardens! The bigs ones that everyone knows, but also lots of tiny gardens with secret places to find quiet.
After Paris, we flew to London where we were picked up by our close English friends, The Jacksons. Following a two hour drive, we were in their idyllic village of Harby where we caught up with three generations of Jacksons. Chris & Mo are close to our age so we visited their two sons and grandchildren at each of their homes. We walked the fields with the Jackson’s dogs, watched a grandson’s football match, and had fish ‘n chips at the village pub. We also attended a country steeplechase race which was so much fun. Great people, horse and dog watching. In England, they bet on everything. There were five races, I bet on four of them, and I WON three! Unfortunately, I was not brave enough, or stupid enough, to bet very much. My total winnings were 31 pounds! It was a storybook weekend of English country living. Thank you to our hosts, Chris & Mo,
