Feeling Flowery.....

In the last few days I have been out and about, with my camera, thought I would just share a few of the lovely images I captured....

Strawberry Flower

In a Garden Centre

Poppy and I think a Lily

My Mother-in-laws Flowering Cacti

Poppies
from around the corner

Meeting Online Friends....

from other countries and cultures is really exciting, and we had a FAB time, in Paris as you all know! Unfortunately Barbara could not make it to our lunch, as she had only just had an unforeseen operation.... luckily all went well, and she is now up and about..! So pleased that at last she can get out and about.. Have lots of FUN Barbara, you deserve it!

I just couldn't of left Paris without meeting her, so Leesa, arranged an afternoon suitable for all. Luckily we found time, as we were leaving on the Saturday...only had two days left. We found our way across Paris, to the suburbs....met Leesa and took a lovely walk to Barbara's house...

Lovely flowers on the way!!

and there she was, waiting for us!!! We all went off to a little cafe/bar..and chatted away, so pleased we managed to meet up..even if it was just for an hour or so..Better than not at all!!!!

Caroline, Leesa, Barbara and Me.

It was great to meet everyone, made the trip very very enjoyable, and now we are all FRIENDS...not just online faces behind a blog!!

Bloggers Get Together....

was the main reason we went to Paris.....and it had to be that week as Carolyn and Clive were flying in from Australia, via America....for just that week before flying to the UK...what a trip!!

Clive, Carolyn, Kim B, Caroline, Dasha and Serene


Dawn (standing) Mel and Andrea

Unbeknown to me Leesa had arranged with 10 others to meet too!! We all met outside Aimees Teashop....L'Oisive The...we were getting quite excited about this...and Leesa wanted to surprise Aimee with us all, so had not booked, but unfortunately, it did not go to plan, as Aimee's assistant, took the day off, had to do something else, and poor Aimee was not feeling well....we never did get to eat one of her famous salads, we did go there again but was closed Exceptionally...Maybe one day!!

But there we all were, introducing ourselves, and chatting away, it was quite surreal really...but great!! We were told about another restaurant in the area so we headed off there..It is the Les Cailloux ...a really lovely place, and food was great..I would go back there again. Across the road was a lovely little Honey Shop..Les Abeilles...

We had a fabulous time, lovely food, great company..just a fun time...Thanks to Leesa and everyone for making it a great day!

There was Leesa, Dawn, Elizabeth, Andrea, Dasha, Mel, Kim B, Joanne, , Serene, Carolyn and Clive, Sam, Caroline and Me!! Unfortunately Barbara could not make it due to an unforeseen operation..but we did get too meet her..so another post to do!!

Ok not everyone had a blog..did we care, of course not, We were all with Friends having Fun!!!

Another ......

Wonderful postcard came through my letterbox this week...this time from Amalfi, just look at the coast line and those fabulous mountains, who would not want to have a holiday there!...It really made me smile and happy that wonderful bloggers are out there, taking the time of day to write these cards.....

Click photo to enlarge

The card came from a lovely lady called Laura ..whose blog is Ciao Amalfi...A brilliant blog and just so right for any one who adores Italy...a great insight to this fabulous country..

oh yes, this area is on my "to see" list!!!! I now know where to go, who to speak to when I need to plan a trip.

Laura is also the new Travel Guide for the region of Campania on the fabulous website ItalyItalia.com....if you are planning a trip...pay her a visit..on either site, you will not be disappointed...!!

Even if you are not going there, visit her anyway, it is such a brilliant read and fab photos, you might just be tempted to book a flight there, I know I am !!! Who would not want to visit this fabulous place..!!

Thank you so much Laura, it really made my day :-)

To All My Readers and Commenters.......

I would just like to THANK everyone for your wonderful comments on all the posts about our wonderful Paris trip. It will take me a while to get back to you all, and I have still more to add.

I am so happy and thrilled that I have given you enjoyment, and for quite a few of you, have brought back very good memories. Also shown some of you, places and things that you missed, whenever you visited Paris...so you need to go back!!!!

I have tried to reply to as many of you as possible, before I put up a new post, so if I haven't got to you yet SORRY.

A Climb to the top of the Sacre Coeur Dome......

Well Worn Stairs

provides an excellent view of Paris - at 271 feet above Montmartre Hill it is the second-highest viewpoint after the Eiffel Tower - and the walk around the inside of the dome alone is worth the climb.

The Dome is 83 meters high and is open to the public by way of a narrow stairway of some 234 steps. . At the top, you are treated to a spectacular panorama of Paris. On a clear day, you can see nearly 20 miles.

These are views from all different angles and different areas of the walk up.



I really hope that you enjoy these photos, and that you can one day make that walk up!!

More about Paris........

We saw some fascinating churches, we climbed (by lift) to the dizzy heights of the Eiffel Tower, saw splendid views, but nothing prepared us for the trip to Basilique du Sacre-Coeur.. at the top of Montmartre hill!

We climbed the steps up .. thought if they can do it so can we!!

We had to climb some more, as we had taken some different steps :-( never mind, what we saw at the end was truly fascinating...this magnificent building, dominating the whole area!

The views are brilliant, and we had good weather for the trip too!! It looked a bit doubtful at first, but so pleased we made it without getting soaked.

Once inside you are not allowed to take any photos, on one hand a shame, but on the other it is respectful, and they have mass going on most of the time I believe..

After walking around with the crowds, we stopped for a little reflection time, and just soaked some of the atmosphere up..before leaving to go to 'Le Carré aux Artistes' Place de Tertre,which is the place of artists and the vibrant heart of Montmartre!

Little did we know ,before we made it there, we were going to do more climbing..we found out that you could climb to the top of the Dome!!!

The Postman called again.......

this time bringing me mail from Holland. The wonderful Nicolette of Dutch Comfort, said she loved the idea of postcard sending and asked me if I would like her to send me one...! She sent me two!!! :-)

Thank you so much Nicolette, it was a great joy to receive these....!!

In the top you can see the wonderful Tulips of Holland, brilliant colours, and the typical dutch windmills..

In the bottom postcard from Den Haag, is the Houses of Parliament to the right and on the left is the "Mauritshuis" The Royal Picture Gallery..very famous for a wonderful collection of old Dutch paintings..! In front you can see "The Hofvijver" known as the "Pond".

I hope that you vist her wonderful blog, not just to read about Holland but to see her fantastic Quilting too!!

Another great visit......

was to the Arc de Triomphe..we were in awe once again...how the workman manage to create this magnificent monument is beyond us. On reading the history the foundations took 2 years to build, and just look at the design in the arches!!

In the picture you can see a flame, This is The Flame of Remembrance on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and is a tribute to the dead, who were never identified in the First World War I and the Second World War.

After this we walked down the Champs-Elysées, looking at all the fantastic cafes and shops ..we were on our way to The Lourve and then to meet Leesa!

St Eustache....

Wherever we went we came across churches, they came in all sizes, but one thing was the same...they were all beautifully built and had stunning craftmanship. Inside and Out. We were in awe most of the time..sometimes we just sat and took it all in.

St Eustache was just one of the churches we visited, it was truly amazing..!

The Sculpture in the photo is called l'Ecoute by Henri de Miller...this is located in the square "Place René Cassin", just outside the church. This a popular area for people to take a break from their sightseeing tours, just to have a coffee, a sandwich or simply to rest the feet a bit. Long cement benches surround the square, and the lively atmosphere of this area makes it quite an enjoyable place to sit down for a few minutes.

In 1969, Paris’s ancient central market of Les Halles, having grown enormously, and congested, moved to Rungis, just on the outskirts of the city.

Les Halles dated back to at least 1183. St Eustache, where Louis XIV received his first communion, contains one of the most interesting and startling sculptures ever seen in a church: Raymond Mason’s ” Le départ des fruits et légumes du cœur de Paris, le 28 février 1969” (The Departure of Fruits and Vegetables from the Heart of Paris, February 28, 1969).

We had a brilliant day out, as usual, but this time we had to find our own way back. First time for everything..no problem..! Leesa had been with us just before our visit to the church, she had to head off to meet up with Alex to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Before we made our way home we had a walk up Rue Montorgueil, and a quick bite to eat in Caldo Freddo's, fantastic Paninis. Just right for us, as we were eating later...getting used to the French way of eating!

The Moulin de la Galette...

The Moulin de la Galette is a windmill situated near the top of the district of Montmartre in Paris, France. The area has been depicted by artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Ramon Casas, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. The windmill has been classified as a monument since 1939.

I thought this windmill looked really cute, not knowing, until I arrived home and read up on it, that it was famous...!!