A Perfect Paris Weekend.

steve flew home friday

after being gone for two weeks.

it was a long stretch..

we're glad to have him home.

the first week he was gone he 

went Cat Skiing with a group

of guys in British Colombia.

i'd never even heard of cat skiing.

i'm so happy he was able

to do this! 

it sounded like a great week.

from there he flew into LA

for a week for business

and now he's home..

completely jet lagged.

(that's him skiing in waist deep powder!)

i snuck out for a few

hours on saturday by myself.

a much needed break.

i've been wanting to visit the 

musee de l'orangerie.

i loved this museum!

and i'm completely obsessed

with Claude Monet now..

i sat in one of the two rooms

that exhibit his Water Lilies.

and just as he wrote in 1909..

"Nerves strained by work would relax in 

its presence, following the restful example

of its stagnant waters, and for he who would live 

in it, this room would offer a refuge for peaceful

meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium."..

i sat meditating and enjoying the quiet

and the beauty that surrounded me.

i highly recommend this museum

if you're visiting paris.

it's located right at the base of 

the tuileries garden on the place de concorde.

no line to get in..

a quick tour..

and a great bookstore

(always a plus for me as i add

to my growing collection of coffee table books :)

i did pick up two books..

one about the 37 bridges in paris

and the other about Claude Monet himself.

now of course, i'm aching to get 

to giverny this spring!

from the musee de l'orangerie

i walked to the grand palais

to view the cartier exhibit.

i had a little lunch of quiche 

and a glass of vin rouge before

braving the crowds.

sitting next to me at the cafe

inside the grand palais was an adorable

french family...

the two children, a boy and a girl..

looked to be twins and not older than

2 1/2 or 3 years.

the children were dressed impeccably,

and in matching outfits.

 they sat up straight

and ate their quiche (with salmon!), drank 

their water from a glass not a sippy cup,

cloth napkin in their laps,

and not once in the hour that i was there

(they dined longer than me!)..

was an ipad, iphone, etc. in use...

by either the children or 

the parents!

anyway..

back to the exhibit.

it was SOOOO crowded.

but well worth it.

even just to see kate's tiara!

it was stunning yet simple..

kind of like kate, non?

of course there were many tiara's

and jewels on display as well

as the iconic watches and grace kelly's

engagement ring and elizabeth taylor's

baubles.

and of course i couldn't leave

with out a coffee table book!

Parisiennes is a lovely book

about the women of Paris. 

saturday night steve and i 

went out to dinner at one of our 

new favorite bistro's in our neighborhood..

Bistro Saint Dominique

steve gets the love burger

and i have the steak and mashed 

potatoes.

we split the warm chocolate cake

for desert.

sunday we lounged.

i made a chicken soup..

steve took the kids to the library

and scootering and 

the boys rallied around the computer

to watch the patriots :(

a perfect paris weekend i'd say.