We know it's not just about the food, but we found the world's best bakery!

PARIS

BIG, BIG, BIG!
Monuments, parks, boulevards and traffic
A bagette under everyone's arm
Everyone carries bags-many stores don't give them away;

We are staying in a suburb east of Paris; Vincennes is noted for it's flowers (tons of beautiful gardens, hanging planter boxes from any type of pole and small floral centers in the middle of any odd-shaped intersection) and it's Bois de Vincennes, the largest forest in Paris. It is a lovely little town with street-corner restaurants, boulongieries (best bread anywhere on Earth), fresh fruit markets and fun little stores. We are 20 minutes from downtown Paris on the Metro.

We have been to see everything and I think we walked everywhere there is to walk in Paris. The Metro system is fantastic. You can get anywhere, quickly and easily. All you need to know is the destination's station name, the number of the line you want to ride and the names of the stations at each end of the line (So you know you are going in the right direction.)

Of everything to see in Paris, do not miss Versailles. This is about the biggest monument we've ever seen. The gardens go on forever and they are all free. You have to pay to see the king's apartments, which are so impressive! Skip the queen's apartments unless you really groove on the historical aspect of being in Marie Antoinette's house. You have to pay extra for it and it's really not that impressive.

Bring a picnic lunch and explore the grounds. There are rental boats available on the lake and hundreds of monuments, fountains, statues and ponds to sit around while enjoying lunch. I bet you couldn't see the whole grounds in a week of hiking.

After a week of non-stop, today is laundry day, internet day, sit and drink coffee on the corner day, with some time out for a relaxing walk in the Bois, stopping to read in the sun when the mood struck us.

We will finish the evening with the very finest bagette, a selection of cheeses, some fresh vegetables and fruit and a couple bottles of wine. We have to have two bottles because Gail likes white and I have found a delightful red table wine that costs less than a buck a bottle.

Tomorrow we are of to Switzerland on the train.

Bye for now!

BARCELONA

We forgot to say anything about Barcelona. We only had one night and one long day of sightseeing, but OH! What a beautiful city! The buildings are soooo beautiful. The Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's fantastic church) and the Piccaso Museum are great. The paseo at night along the mail street was the most beautiful (people, clothing, entertrainers) We will return here!