PARIS

After some very enthusiastic photo-taking in Vernet, no one would stand still long enough to have a camera pointed at them, and so we took a bit of a hiatus. No fear, though, for the last day, the cameras and iPhone were out. Photo credit to Mom and Caroline, who picked up the slack while I was in class.

I expect to find the front door at home looking like this when I return in May

A gelatto flower!!

Last picnic in Paris.  woot woot!

A one-legged pigeon joined us for the occasion.

This lady brought a baguette to share with the birds.  Not quite up to Mary Poppins "feed the birds" lady standards, but she's working on it.

The Lee family home-away-from-home down an especially historically significant passageway.  Here, the first guillotine was assembled, and revolutionary flyers were printed in what's now a (delicious) pastry/chocolate shop.

Ladurée to sample the best-of-the-best macarons.

Flavors carefully chosen to match their shirts.  (Caroline's is covered up, but rest assured it matched her framboise macaron)

Caroline, queen of selfies.

Nighttime tour of Paris from the Seine

The only person more dedicated to photo-documentation than us.  

This one's for you, Roman.

Au revoir, family!! Thanks for a wonderful week!

VERNET PART II

Our second full day in Vernet was divided between two day trips: l'Abbaye Saint-Martin (the Abbey of Saint Martin) perched up in the mountains, and at the beach in Canet..

Started off with the hike up to the abbey. Short and steep. Also very scenic.  

Saint-Martin le vieux (the ossuary) halfway up the trail.  The perfect place for another ham-and-cheese-on-baguette picnic  

Intrepid explorer.

I spy Vernet!

The monastery was built in the 11th century.  At the moment a group of monks, nuns, and lay-people live here, give tours, open their gift shop in fifteen minute spurts, and do not interact with the public on holidays/Monday.  This last bit was key, because we were unaware until we made it to the top, on this particularly beautiful Monday.  We only found out when one of the monks broke his vow of silence to fill us in.  

Good news is we got a nice hike in, took some (loads and loads of) photos, and we came back the next morning for a tour, and a fifteen minute shopping spree in the gift shop before our trip back to Paris.  (Unfortunately I don't have those photos on my camera, so stay tuned.)

Then to the beach, for a quick dip (toes only, except, unintentionally, for Caroline)