Lunch in St. Germain

Discoveries on foot

Les Berges, a mile-and-a-half-long greenway pedestrian park next to the Seine, is an incredible collection of activities for kids and adults. It's kind of like a Parisian High Line, but designed for running and biking as well as walking.

The park starts next to the Musee d'Orsay pedestrian bridge.

There's a climbing globe.

Teepees you can rent for birthday parties.

Free pilates classes (courtesy of Sandie).

I'd been looking forward to running in Les Berges, so we walked over on Sunday morning. Keith and I wanted to run and Sandie was walking, so we agreed to meet in an hour.

These photos are a poor representation of all the wonderful facilities there, and it's all beautiful, inviting and creatively executed.

We ended up in the Tuilleries!

A wonderful display of powder puffs

Fountain and foxgloves

Paris, arrivals and first looks

 Thinking that a rental car might be a great way to get around Paris? Don't do it -- ever, ever, ever. Even if you've driven through lots of busy, crazy cities, don't be tempted. Find another way to get around Paris.

Once we got there, we found plenty to be happy about. We had lunch at a wonderful bookstore in our neighborhood.

Many of the neighbors were drinking wine (and smoking) on their balconies, so we joined in.

We went to Charles de Gualle airport to fetch Sandie, and Keith took this great video.

 We took Sandie to all of the sights and the weather was perfect. We walked for miles.

 

 Our first order of business was a tour of wine bars through the Paris by Mouth website.

 Aaron is an American who lives in Paris and writes a wine blog called Not Drinking Poison in Paris. Aaron took us to three wine bars in the 10th arrondisment and we tried five different wines, with snacks! It was fantastic -- I could have done one of those tours every day.

Aaron sent us an email summarizing what we drank, saying things like "After a few swirls in the glass this bottle began to show a true Morgon nose, pitched somewhere between kirsch and cough syrup. A fine example of the minerality, structure, and piercing cherry fruit of great cru Beaujolais. (Worlds apart from the industrial beaujolais nouveau swill that ruined the region's reputation.)"