My heart beckons me back to France to embark on yet another adventure. And I have the opportunity to do just that as I head to Paris & Provence in a couple weeks.
I have a birthday in May and my sweet cousin Bobbi from Texas has a birthday in June so our husbands agreed to let us take a girl’s trip to Provence to celebrate. It’s the best birthday present EVER! (Thanks to my awesome hubby!)
Bobbi and I have a lot of memories from childhood and some fun adventures worth sharing about our trip to Paris last fall.
I’ll tell you a few…
This was with Paris firefighters who are military trained. We felt very safe! Such nice men and they didn’t speak any English. (For those of you wondering, our husbands were with us….who do you think was taking the photos?) Mais Oui!
Story here...yes, we ended up at at Paris fire station (isn’t this a main tourist attraction?) and met very nice French firemen thanks to Bobbi. Her brother is a fireman in Houston and they were exchanging Houston and Paris firemen's shirts. We even got a full tour inside the station which I was told was highly unusual. Bobbi must have turned on the charm! (Or maybe it was her French friend who was translating!!!)
We even got to try on their special helmets and see the fireman’s pole! Let me reiterate again, this is HIGHLY unusual. Paris fire stations are behind locked gates….you cannot just walk in like you can in the states. I guess we looked innocent enough!
Don’t ask!!!
But wait, there’s more.
We had a musical jam session in our apartment with a French guy, Thomas. Bobbi brought her fiddle and also plays the guitar. Her husband plays the mandolin. Thomas plays the piano and guitar and I play the piano. We had plenty of time to sing and make music. Our dinner reservation wasn’t until 10:30 p.m.!!! Apparently that’s not unusual here.
Thomas and his girlfriend Lulu (who made wonderful aperitifs for us) took us into the basement under their apartment that was a part of the historical underground network of tunnels that run underneath parts of Paris. We went down thru an old covered door that connected other basements during wartime.
Spooky…and fun!
I can’t believe we’re down here. Hey wait a minute...this doesn’t look like the Eiffel???
We even picnicked on the grounds of Versailles. When in Rome…(or Paris!)
This is one of the bridges on the Seine called the Pont des Arts. It is notorious for lovers attaching a lock on the side to declare their love. There are literally thousands of padlocks. It's quite a sight. Tim and Harvey surprised me and Bobbi with monogrammed locks. No wonder they say Paris is for lovers.
The men holding our locks!
And we couldn’t just go to the Marche aux Puces! Nope.
After brocanting we headed over to La Chope des Puces (Gypsy Jazz club) at the Ecole de Musique – Jazz Manouche to listen to live Django Reinhart style music.
What’s that you say? You mean this isn’t what everybody does when they go to Paris? Well not everybody has been with my cousin, Bobbi! She has to be one of the most adventurous and fun people I know. She even had her hair cut by a well-known Parisian hair stylist! Ooh la la!
Oh BTW, we did do all the “normal” touristy things, too.
No, really. I promise we did. 
More on that later.
I hope Provence is braced prepared for us!
Blessings,
Kim
13 comments:
What a fun post to read!!!
I've been to Paris many many times with my hubby - mixing business with a little time for pleasure but one year ( also for my birthday ) a girlfriend and I went on our own - what a trip - Paris is most definitely not only for lovers..........
Enjoy yourself!
Hope you're going to have a meal at the L'Entrecote ( my mouth waters every time I think of that place!
Big hugs,
Suzan
What thoughtful husbands. You are going to have a fabulous time. Where in Provence? ~ Sarah
You will be living my bucket list dream! Oh, have fun!
Love this post, makes me definately want to go back soon before my old bones can't take it, haha.
You look so happy in your pics, I am SO GLAD for you to be going - sometimes a gals' trip is just what one needs.
Yay. Going to be awesome to see what you come up with and share with us, whoo hoo!!
Kim, it looks like you two had a blast together! I can only imagine how much fun you'll have this time!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time, Kim! Where in Provence will you be going? I love it there! For my retirement celebration we headed straight to the Lubéron and spent a week in the little villages there. Be sure to go to l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue for the Sunday antique market...second only to Paris! And if you are in that area, don't miss Gordes...beautiful! Have fun and take a lot of photos!...hugs...Debbie
So much fun. You ladies are great and have sweet thoughtful husbands. I have to put France on my bucket list. Looking forward to seeing more.
Provence, firemen, stripper poles. All the makings for a great time!
Bliss
Oh Kim how very fabulous! What awesome pictures. I want to go to Paris so bad and I know I will get there someday. Happy early Birthday to you. You look adorable too btw, loving your fashionable clothing:)
What a great B-Day gift. I'm sure you'll have a blast. Love the pics.
Awww...you two are so cute together! It's great that y'all have stayed friends so long. My husband is a firefighter and well, all I can say is that if you're a pretty woman (which the two of you are) then that may have worked in your favor to get special treatment. LOL! Just sayin.... It was great to get a taste of Paris from your perspective.
What a great gift and a great husband!!! Have fun.
That photo in front of the Moulin Rouge is the best! So much fun and such a reminder of how much I miss traveling. Thanks for sharing and making me wish I was in France right now!
Kate
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