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Part 2

Continuing with our 2 days in Paris, this being the only our second day, we continue our walk about. We didn't do a lot of sight seeing because we know from our itinerary for the Viking cruise, that our first day on board we would be docked on the Seine near the Eiffel Tower, and the day would be spent on a city sight seeing tour and an alternative shore excursion of the Royal Chȃ?teau de Versailles.

The gold really glitters. They say the gold leaf on objects out in the weather needs to be replaced about every 50 years.

This is the River Seine, and the approximate location where our ship the Viking Spirit will be tied up on June 10th.

We look ready to board now, but we must wait another 4 days before that can happen.

This was our second day in Paris, and we enjoyed this walk very much, in spite of the chill in the air. We were expecting temperatures much warmer, but it felt like we were back in Buenos Aires, where winter had well settled in before we left.

At the end of this avenue is Napoleon's Tomb. We had seen it before, so didn't feel the need to walk there again.

On our way back to Nacho's we were hungry, so we stopped in this little cafe for lunch. Pete's stomach was still giving him trouble from the trip. I think the beef dish he had on one of our flights was bad (I had the pasta) because his stomach had been churning for a couple of days. He only felt like having a dish of fruit. I ordered a sandwich, and it was the best sandwich I had ever eaten. I think it was because the bread was so good. There really is a difference in the bread you can get in France, and the bread you can get anywhere else in the world. There is just no comparison.

Oh, yeah, besides the sandwich, I also got a cooky for dessert. It was really good as well.

This was a very simple cafe, but I'd return for a meal without hesitation.

Our three nights with Nacho and Mauricio went by way too fast. We only saw them in the evenings when they returned home from work. On our second night, Nacho prepared dinner again, but on the third night we took them out to a restaurant of their choice. It was a wonderful experience, and an evening of enjoying delightfully French cooking at its best, with our fine friends. The next day the time had come for us to take our leave of Nacho and Mauricio, and join up with Bruce at his Montreuil home. We were in Paris many years ago, and I remember well what Bruce's home looked like when he first acquired it. The building was and old factory, and the various building were purchased by different families and were in the process of being turned into homes. The difference today truly staggers the imagination. One thing Bruce has in abundance is vision, and the capacity to create miracles.

As you enter through a garage door, it opens into a courtyard that is sunny and bright, and most inviting.
Bruce's home is on the right, and it doesn't look anything like it did when we first saw it many years ago.

Bruce has quite the green thumb. But while we were there, some voracious caterpillars had discovered his tomato plant,
and were busily devouring its tender young leaves. Mother Nature can sometimes make the farmers life difficult.

The entire wall facing the courtyard is of glass, so he has unlimited light. Bruce has created a very
warm and comfortable home from a space that was once full of heavy manufacturing equipment.

I was awed by the transformation that has taken place over the years, his vision and his ability to create that vision.

Just outside his front door he has a birdcage with 3 canaries, and they sing beautifully.

Bruce's kitchen is small but totally adequate. It is warm and cozy, just right for pleasant conversations.

Bruce's friend Alexandra lives a few doors down the street from him, with her dog and two very delightful children.

Of course we could not come to Paris without seeing Nana, Billie and Sam, so Nana had invited us to dinner that evening. Nana is the one who captured Bruce's heart when he first arrived in Paris some 19 or 20 years ago. Hence, their two wonderful children Billie and Sam.

L-R: Nana, me, Sam, Pete and Billie. I think Billie was 3 or 4 years old the first time we met
her. The next time she was 11, and now she is soon to be 18. The years just keep slipping by.

The first place Bruce took us was for a drive to Vázelay, to visit the Château de Bazoches, which was south east of Paris.

It was a most enjoyable drive through some very beautiful French countryside. In its 800 year history the Château de Bazoches has had 40 owners belonging to 20 families, the most notable being that of Maréchal de Vauban. Vauban was a military leader, engineer and strategist. In 1675 he bought the castle, which was also a military garrison, using the 80,000 pounds he received from Louis XIV after capture of Maastricht, paying the widow of Count Melun 69,000 pounds for the castle.

More on the Château de Bazoches will follow in Part 3.