We are almost a month  into 2024.  And I’m home with a bad cold on this Saturday morning and into three weeks of a long “cold”vid. My fancy ensemble is my Old Navy pajamas that’ll be worn from day-into-night and, thanks to NyQuil, DayQuil and Robitussin,  I’ve been able to make it through aanother  week at work.

Welcome 2024. Last year it was Covid. This year it’s a tough cold that doesn’t want to leave! I have christened this cold “Coldvid”

 Three weeks into the cold that won’t stay. I slapped some makeup on my face, am in Old Navy pajamas, ready to cook a tagine for dinner and sit my ass down to write blog posts all weekend!

We headed to Paris for Thanksgiving week.  I started a job with the State Government at a State Hospital scheduling nurses.We headed to Cincinnati for Christmas and it is now, that I am catching up. First things first-please allow me to tell you about our time in Paris…….

Back in Paris. November is my favorite month to be there.

This time around we did things a bit differently.  We planned nothing.  Well……. almost nothing.  We ordered tickets in advance for Vaux-le-Vicomte, an historical chateau outside Paris that was dressed up in Holiday splendor.

This chateau did not disappoint. 

Other than that, we made reservations for dinner—one restaurantreservation   before arriving in Paris and the remainder after we arrived.

What’s better than enjoying kidneys in Paris?  Enjoying them more than once!

Here is how this incredibly relaxed and chill visit went:

We arrived at Philadelphia International airport in plenty of time. And it was a good thing because, as usual, there’s a reason this airport was voted one of the worst airports in the country. The economy lot was impossible to enter so we opted for parking in short term (more about that at the end of the return post). NOTE TO SELF: Next time we fly from Philly, get a car service.

Tuesday, 11.21.23

The flight, thankfully wasn’t full and it was a pleasant trip across the Atlantic.

Upon arrival, there was a little glitch in entering through customs/border control. I was not able to piggy-back on my husband’s EU passport. There have been changes. These days one must stop at a turnstile to have their photo taken then proceed to an agent.  Luckily, the lines weren’t long and it took less than ten minutes.  This is what terrorism does—it makes for longer processes to enter foreign countries.

And, thank you American Airlines, for having us take a bus from plane to terminal. (I am being very snarky here)

Getting our luggage took no time either. In fact, I was suspicious at the timeliness of our landing throughout getting a cab. And my suspicions were justified. Due to a fatal motorcycle accident, it took three hours to get from CDG to Paris Centre.

When we arrived at the hotel, we dropped our bags off, headed to our favorite neighborhood place for a now-late breakfast, Café de Paris, and enjoyed our coffee, croissant, and tartine while watching the passers-by on their way to run errands, head to work and go about their busy city lives.

Our favorite spot for breakfast.  Cafe de Paris is our go-to for breakfast.

First stop after breakfast was CityPharma.  As usual, it was crowded but with sales assistants abound and their  incredible knowledge, I was able to breeze through the crowds.  My favorite face cream, Embryolisse, was out of stock and I ended up with a different French-brand cream which I am loving.

Better than any luxury boutique. CitiPharma is a must-do when you are in Paris.

Stuck to basics this time around.

Next, we sauntered off to St. Sulpice.  My Catholic upbringing has me, to this day, thanking God and the good Saints for everything.  I lit a few candles of thanks and for friends and family.  During this time, I heard singing.  A Capella singing of hymns.  Naturally, I had to find out where these ethereal voices were coming from and so, I followed.

Once a Catholic—always…the candle lightings are a part of it.

At the front of the massive church is a gated area with an altar.  The voices were coming from a Mass that had just begun.  Intrigued, I was peeking in through the gate when a man sitting to the rear of the gated area motioned me to enter.

My favorite church in Paris.  It’s very neighborhood Parish vibe!

So, I did.  And I attended the Mass, knowing how to follow in French. I was able to get a good seat since there were not many attendees.  I was fascinated by one of the priests who had to be at the least, 100 years old.  He bordered on Catholic relic.

I received Communion and upon leaving, my husband was waiting for me with a huge smile on his face.  My initial thought was “how lovely, my husband is always so happy to see me.”  I was wrong. His smile later gave way to laughter as he whispered to me that I was a “Mass Crasher.”  The mass was private and I crashed it.  When I mentioned the gentleman motioning me on, my husband responded that the man was “special” and was motioning everyone who passed by on.  However, I was the only one who took his motions seriously.

Rule 77.  Head to Communion as though you OWN that sacrament!

My husband then explained, I could go to confession.  I passed on the suggestion.

Then we were off to Eglese St. Germain- des -Prés.  This was the church where Daniele’s funeral Mass took place.  Back in 2015, the eglese was dark and kind of depressing in its run-down state, which made it perfect for a funeral.  Currently undergoing a restoration, the church is morphing into a structure of historical beauty.  Even if you aren’t a practicing Catholic, I highly recommend visiting the iconic churches of Paris (NOTE—Notre Dame is currently closed.  There are alternatives)

Honestly, the Church is now so well-lighted that it doesn’t look the same as back a few years ago.

By this time, we were able to check into our hotel room at the Prince de Conti.  It is the one place we keep returning to. The staff is great and the rooms are always nicely prepared.  The bed is always comfortable and……………no bedbugs to be found!

Our bed was extremely comfortable. It was difficult to wake up early.

TBH, my only “need” is a bathtub. Prince de Conti has never failed!

I love the lobby here…

…it is akin to a cozy, old library or parlor–and perfect for waiting for your uber or cab to the airport!

After a restful nap, we freshened up and took a cab to dinner. At some point during our day, we made reservations at Chez Rene in the Latin Quarter.  The restaurant was one recommended by “Les Frenchies” a YouTube couple based in Paris. He is French and she is American.  They raved about this bistro so I could not resist! Besides, we trust this couple so much. They love a good meal as much as we do, so we figured we can’t go wrong!

Chez Rene–so old school French Bistrot. My husband felt at home the second we crossed the treshold.

OMFG!  You have no idea of how thankful I am for Les Frenchies for vlogging about this place.  We had a great table and within moments two groups of Frenchman entered and were seated both next to us and across from us.  What occurred next is the stuff that make any visit memorable.

“Les Frenchies”, Antoine and Colleen. I should be so envious of their decision to move to Paris but…well, I am–tee hee!  Their videos are outstanding–especially their restaurant videos:  Les Frenchies Bistrot Video

I do not know how it happened, but the gentleman at the next table and I, or was it my husband started talking.  It ended up that they are all in the entertainment business and knew my husband’s aunt, Daniele, her husband Yves Robert, and my husband’s cousin Xavier Gelin.  It was crazy!!! The gentleman sitting next to me happened to be the actor, Antoine Duléry, he of many films and TV shows.   In addition, it was fun to see my husband happily conversing with his fellow Frenchmen!

Me with my new friend Antoine Dulery–after consuming a bottle of wine, I was very friendly and happy!

Dinner was great. I had my beloved Rognons (kidneys) and was in heaven. I never had them served as a one-piece and moving forward, we need to make Chez Rene a regular. My husband has made note that on Wednesday, Andouilette is served so next time, we’ll be dining there on a Wednesday!

Forget the Louvre, I’m more excited to have more kidneys at Chez Rene on our next visit back!

My husband started off with eggs with mayonnaise.

Here’s my starter. I can’t remember what I ordered (it HAS been two months), but I remember it was great!

As always, my husband never strays far from his beloved steak with bearnaise sauce and…

…frites.  Although he really can’t wait to return for Andouilette night!

As we really didn’t have anything planned, our visit was that kind when you decide what you’re going to do at the spur-of-the-moment.

Wednesday, 11.22.23

We woke up on the later side. And when I say that, I say it because we did not get up at 6:00 AM the way we do at home.  We woke up closer to ten in the morning.  Again, we had breakfast at Café de Paris and the waiter led us to our “regular” table. TBH, I could have sat outside under the heated awning and with a blanket cozily thrown over me, but the Frenchman cannot stand the cold.  Inside was nice and toasty and we enjoyed our daily coffee, juice, and treats.

Back at Cafe de Paris. If we lived in the 6th, we would be regulars here–I would bake cookies for the staff!

Next, we went to pick up the car rental. And YES, we always rent a car when in Paris because A: my husband enjoys driving around Paris—don’t forget that he was raised there and B: we were going to head outside of Paris to visit sites and have dinner with family.

The past two times, we’ve rented cars from Sixt and are incredibly pleased!

We prefer rentals from Sixt. It is convenient and the staff is very helpful. This time around we had an Audi.  The only issue was setting up the Bluetooth. It was a daunting process as the Audi was ridiculously complex.  After the sales assistant came to explain and help, it was set up and my GPS and music were in excellent working order.  Ask and ye shall receive a lot of help!

We drove to the small shop Fauré le Page, a boutique nestled unpretentiously on Rue Chambon in the First Arrondisement.   This is a brand older than Goyard and Vuitton that produces beautiful bags and accessories.  I had been eyeing the brand’s large Pouchette 33 and treated myself.  The sales assistance was stellar and she recognized my last name—which is always fun!

Faure le Page. Very discreet. Very classic. Very much my taste.

The shop was not crowded at the time and quite frankly, I’m happy the brand isn’t well-known in the States yet.  The items are not priced to be ridiculously expensive—they are not inexpensive but are a wonderful substitute for the brands that keep escalating their prices to unattainable.

The pouchette placed in a dust bag and..

..this is perfect for date nights. It’s bigger than photographed. Holds my phone, makeup and a large journal.

Our next shopping stop was Galeries Lafayette. It’s a tradition to stop by to see the Christmas Tree.  To tell you the truth, I wasn’t wowed by this year’s one. It was pretty but not spectacular.

The Christmas tree at Galeries Lafayette this, or rather LAST year, 2023. I wasn’t wowed.  Past years have been spectacular. My reaction to this was a French shrug..

…it just didn’t look “Christmas” to me.

But, it’s always fun to see the tree every year anyway.

I wanted to shop for my grandsons, Owen and Bennett but was really concerned about sizing.  The French toddlers are built differently than American children.  We ended up with nautical Breton striped shirts from Petit Bateau.

I remain concerned that my grandsons are too American built for the shirts.

We drove back, parked the car at the garage under Place Dauphine, which brought back memories of Daniele’s car and walked over to Samaritaine dept. store.  I dunno.  Years back, it was said that Samaritaine would be turned into apartments or a hotel.  Instead, it was restored into the department store it used to be only this time more luxurious.

There was a fun Willy Wonka display..

But honestly, I preferred the displays such as this.

I forget what floor this was shot but the store is loaded with items that are out of my financial realm–still it’s nice to browse.

Every time I’ve been in the store, it’s never been crowded—mostly with people browsing.  Aesthetically, it’s gorgeous but in reality, there is nothing I would purchase. Then again, I’m not the wealthy clientele the store caters too. Alas, it’s still fun to go and browse.

Understated and classic decorations for the holiday!

On the way back to the hotel, we took photos and discussed all our past visits—the area really is like a comfortable second home to us.

We were fortunate to have great weather so we could walk around…

…and snap photos of randomness.

Wallace fountain in front of the school my husband attended.

My favorite florist on..

After resting we walked back to Place Dauphine to one of our favorite restaurants. Chez Paul.  We’ve been enjoying meals here since almost 20 years.  This year’s dinner was incredible!  And after much wine, it was time to head back to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep as the next day, Thanksgiving, we were driving to Vaux-le-Vicomte.

Dressed for dinner!

Pont Neuf was beautiful that night. I got a bit sad thinking of all the evenings we walked with Daniele from her apartment to Place Dauphine.

Here we are at Paul!  It’s a wonderful restaurant!

Vincent started off with escargots and I had bone marrow. It was out of this world!

More wine!  The remainder of our meal was incredible. But we were so deep in conversation I forgot to take pictures.  Oh well, back to the hotel!

Thursday, 11.23.23—Thanksgiving

While my fellow Americans were home preparing the Turkey and sides, we woke up to skip breakfast at Café de Paris and grabbed a quick one at the hotel.  Then it was off to retrieve the car, enter directions into my GPS and head outside of the city.

We grabbed a quick bite for breakfast and lots of coffee. Happy Thanksgiving–two months later!

We had timed tickets for 10:30 AM admittance at Vaux-le-Vicomte, one of our favorite Chateaus.  Since traffic was on our side, it took about an hour’s drive and we arrived early.  No worries because we headed into town and “discovered” a beautiful chateau.  Chateau Blandy les Tours. Off-season it doesn’t open till 1:00 PM so we just walked around gaping at this medieval structure and adding it to our next visit!

Driving out of Paris early in the morning gives a great view of everything.

And it’s always exciting when we drive on this stunning tree-lined route!

We arrived too early to get into Vicomte but we drove up the road and came upon Chateau Blandy les Tours. It was closed but we added this to our list for next November..or December.

I could live here. Could you?

Okay. Time to head back to Vaux Vicomte!

Back at Vaux Vicomte, it was time to enjoy Noel—the very old-old-school way.  Upon arrival we had the option of wearing capes—to feel authentic.  I giddily accepted whilst my husband declined.  It was stunning. It was magical. It was everything to put me into the Christmas spirit.

Vaux Vicomte. We have been here a few times but never for Christmas. I was ridiculously excited. The Frenchman was not.

I allowed myself to embrace my inner tourist and wore the cape that was handed to me by staff.  It’s part of the Noel experience.  The Frenchman refused to don a cape.

Let’s set the tone here please.  Portos! Athos! Aramis!  D’Artagnan–where are you?  I’m not mean like Milady!!  I’m the cool madame!

When we arrived, the place was empty so it was like being in our private castle.  As we exited, there was a very long line of busloads of people waiting for their entrance and capes!  One Frenchman approached me and started a lively conversation…until my husband showed up at my side.  We had a good laugh about that one because the French are quite unique in their ability to be flirtatious!

A lone Christmas tree..

It was great with nobody around..

Many of the rooms were dressed for the Holidays.

Lots of little touches.

While I loved it, my husband side-eyed both the displays and me.  Perhaps he was side-eyeing me because I was twirling around in my cape!

Can you imagine having a wine cellar like this?

I am not ashamed to tell you how excited I was over this !

Bye for now!

Our next appointment was stopping by Zazi Films office to visit with my husband’s cousin, Hugo. I was thrilled to find out he’s going to be directing another episode (or is it two) of Lupin!  He directed three episodes of the first season and he did a great job.

It’s always a pleasure to stop by. When Daniele was alive we spent a lot of time here!

After our visit with Hugo, we headed to Monoprix—just a block away on the Champs Elysee.  We picked up makeup for Vincent’s granddaughter and a couple of shopping sacs for me as well as a cashmere sweater for Vincent.  The fit of the sweater was perfection!

Drove back to the hotel after a rather busy day!

After a rather full day of running around, we relaxed before heading to a casual dinner at…Café de Paris. I tell you, if we lived in Paris, it would be our hangout!  What I’m going to say next may surprise you but here goes.  My Thanksgiving dinner was, hands down, the best cheeseburger I have ever consumed in my life—and I’m old!

Headed out for Thanksgiving dinner at a local bistrot after a well-needed rest!

In addition to food and staff, Cafe de Paris is has a homey atmosphere and has a fun decor!

While my husband opted for a steak and frites, I went with a burger. Mostly because I rarely eat them here at home. In the first place, restaurants will not serve me a burger the way I want it—blue! Extra rare.  Basically saying “moo” with each bite.  I ordered me a burger and it was the juiciest, rarest burger I’ve ever had.  The cheddar cheese was akin to Cheese Whiz and the bacon was super-crispy.  I was floored.  Who knew that I had to fly to Paris to enjoy an American Cheeseburger French-style.

The wine was also great too. There goes the weight loss I worked so hard to achieve. But it was worth it.

We started with foie gras. It was the closest thing to turkey. Actually, it wasn’t but that’s the way it goes!

The best burger of my life. In Paris. My husband was SHOCKED at how I wolfed it down. I have no shame.  He had his usual steak frites! And it was all perfect!

Friday, 11.24.23

We woke up flummoxed that it was already Friday.  Where does the time go? Add to that, I am such a city-person that it I find it almost depressing to return to the suburbs.  We headed back to Café de Paris for breakfast and I found myself having an intense conversation with our regular-morning server about the burger I had the night before. He gave me instructions on how to make a burger “French” style. It had a lot to do with a flat top griddle and the correct blend of fat to meat.

That said, today was my “Baguette” class at Cookin’ With Class in the 18^th.  Driving to the class was a breeze. And if you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I took a croissant class two years ago here. It was a valuable class and I’ve been making croissants regularly.

My visit back to Cook’n’ With Class.  One of the kitchens..

They even had a tree!

The class was fantastic. It was sooooooooooo much fun to have Chef Sarah, once again, heading the class. She’s the best. I honestly felt like I was visiting an old friend instead of taking a class.  I’m looking forward to making a few baguettes after the Holidays. With so much going on now, it’ll be a pleasure to spend January weekends perfecting the art of baking baguettes and my husband will be one happy Frenchman!

Chef Sarah with all our goodies.  It was all delicious!

We even had an extra. A little tutorial on the proper way to cut various cheeses!

Our carb–I mean, baguette class produced lots of goodies!

Our dinner that night was at Allard.  Another “regular” restaurant in the neighborhood.  We enjoyed a fantastic meal but it seemed as though a few new staff members were being broken in because the place was mobbed and the staff seemed overwhelmed. Regardless, we enjoyed every morsel that was placed in front of us!

More old-school ambience. We’ve never had a bad meal here!

Good wine..

The Frenchman was getting “hangry” for his dinner!

My entree was sweetbreads and let me tell you, I could have had three more helpings. They were THAT good!

My starter was quail and was fantastic!

My husband was thrilled to have frog’s legs and..

Plenty of freshly baked bread to dip into the sauce!

..and yet another steak!

Out of sequence, but we did have Kirs for an aperitif!

We walked back to the hotel and fell asleep right away!

Saturday, 11.25.23

We decided to revisit Chantilly today. A few years back, we drove to this incredible Chateau and felt it was time to return.  And, with the car rental, it was an easy transition from Paris Centre to less than an hour to arrival.

A great day for driving. Sun is out. Air isn’t freezing. Life is good.

Near empty streets. What a pleasure!

The drive was pleasant and eye-pleasing once we exited the highway.  I had forgotten just how mesmerizing and gorgeous this castle is.   We had the sunny weather on our side and after leaving to return to Paris, we realized that we needed to add a passing Abbaye to our next trip.  One thing about France—there is an over-abundance of sites to see. It just never gets tiring.

Arrived!  This is The Great Stables at Chantilly. I believe it is now an equestrian center.

We had a perfect day because Chantilly wasn’t crowded.

Above are photos of the exterior.  It was the best lighting–sunny AND cloudy at the same time.  We spent quite some time outside before sauntering into the chateau!

Check out the candle holders. I swear they are inspiration for the items in Beauty and the Beast!

Some interior shots. I was having such a great time that I didn’t take many photos.

Chantilly is a great chateau to visit.  Everyone is all about Versailles but, my preference is with more intimate places. Chantilly should be a must-see!

Parked the car underneath Place Dauphine, walked back to the hotel and rested a bit before driving to see family for dinner!

Back in Paris and more wandering and perfecting our skills as flaneur and flaneuse, we went back to the hotel to get ready for our drive to the Parisien suburb of Asnières-sur-Seine to have dinner with my husband’s brother-in-law and his family.

To the suburbs for a family dinner!

I didn’t take photos because it was a private and wonderful visit. We stayed past midnight, had a spectacular meal, and had the best time.

Sunday, 11.26.23

Holy shit. It’s our last day here. Under normal circumstances, depression would set in. However, I’m preoccupied with starting a new job with the State Government when I return home and prepping to head to Cincinnati for Christmas.

Actually, it was a busy last day. We started off at…. you guessed it!  Café de Paris for a relaxing breakfast.  Why go elsewhere when you feel at home?  Since it was our last day with the car, we were taking advantage of the pleasure of having a vehicle at our disposal.

Our last breakfast in Paris 2023.  Already planning Paris 2024.

Before retrieving the car, we walked over to Cluny.  Now. Understand for over a decade I’ve wanted to visit this museum.  But, there was always something else that popped up and we never made the visit. This time we did and I was so happy. I could have spent all day there.

Finally. After over a decade I was able to visit Cluny and it did NOT disappoint!

Chock-full of religious icons, it was everything I imagined and more!  It was a Catholic School  dream field trip. Why didn’t the nuns take us to Paris to visit Cluny when I was in school?

Jesus on a pony. This made my week!

We spent hours here. My husband hadn’t been since he was in high school.  I’m obsessed with Catholic iconery (is that even a word?).  If we lived in Paris, I would be here regulary. I might even WORK at Cluny if we lived in Paris!

After leaving Cluny we stopped by Notre Dame to take a few photos of the outside.  The area was crowded and we sauntered on to get the car.  We drove to Montparnasse Cemetery to visit Daniele, Yves and Zazi.  I miss Daniele and tidied up her grave, thanked her for all she’s done for me and, due to the very cold weather, my husband wanted to leave after our familial visit.  I wanted to search for Camille Saint-Saëns’ grave because he’s one of my favorite composers and I also wanted to visit Serge Gainsbourg’s grave because I loved him—I was also pissed off that we couldn’t get tickets to his Maison tour.

Headed to get the car, a daytime photo of Pont Neuf was called for–especially on our last day!

The long coats are now trending in Paris. This young woman’s coat was typical of the coats everyone is wearing. Luckily for me, I have a long coat that’s about twenty years old. I’m wearing it this winter!

The area outside Notre Dame was chock full of people.

We went to Montparnasse Cemetary to visit my husband’s cousin Zazi and…

…and Daniele and Yves. I cleaned out all the old flowers and weeds. Now it looks bare except for the buttons left by fans who loved Yves’ movie “La Guerre des Boutons”  I thanked Daniele for all she’s done for me.  My heart hurts when I think of her.

Compromise, being the greatest benefit ever, set in and because of my husband’s aversion to the cold, we headed back to the car and headed to Le Bon Marché to head to the epicure area and to see the holiday decorations.

We ended up buying some goodies like nougat and other tasty delights! If that big Noel cake was real, I would have bitten into it.

Driving around before returning the cau.

Our dinner that evening was at Chez Fernand, another place recommended by Les Frenchies.  Whoa. This bistro is on Rue Christine. Literally around the corner from Daniele’s old apartment and we were both astounded at how we never knew about it in the past!

It was surprising to see quite the number of people waiting for Chez Fernand to open!

Suffice it to say, this dinner was remarkable. When we arrived, there was a line outside. A line of very hungry patrons!  The staff was ridiculously professional and friendly. The meal we had was excellent and I was, once again, exceptionally happy to have kidneys for the second time in a week!  I even wrote down the table we sat at for next time’s visit!

The menu.  We freaking LOVED this restaurant as soon as we walked in!

This is a Frenchman who is very serious about his wine…among other things!

He started off with Escargots…

…and I, my beloved Bone Marrow.

A change from steak. He ordered lamb chops and loved them.

I went with kidneys and could have had another plate full. They were excellent!

If I were not in a public place, I would have licked this plate clean!

A slow walk back to the hotel on this last night was quiet. We were both thinking of how our time flew faster than a transatlantic flight!

Monday, 11.27.23

Packed and ready to head home.  Because of the extra security policies, we left way in advance for CDG.  At about 6:45 our cab arrived. It was raining heavily as he drove through heavy traffic.  The morning was dark and wet but we arrived at the airport making good time.

Getting checked in was relatively easy.  For some odd reason, I could get our boarding passes on my phone so we had to get paper passes.  There was no line and our check-in was quick.   We stopped at duty-free for last-minute spending and headed off to the gate.  Again, new policies were set into place and for a second time, we had to have our photo taken at a turnstile before heading to border control.  Going through was a breeze due to our timing.

I picked up more stuff I probably don’t need but Duty-Free shopping is fun!

And the airport was all decked out!

…as I said–more stuff I don’t need!

At the gate we found out that we would have to take a bus to the plane. This pisses me off. It’s an inconvenience. I think it’s because all of Paris is preparing for the Olympics which means they could be making CDG airport a bit more user-friendly.  Who knows?

Before boarding, I was called up to security for an “extra” check.  I’m probably on some sort of list due to the nature of my outspoken personality.  The good thing was that I ended up on the first bus to the plane and was one of the first passengers—I was happy to have my overhead space so early!

Basically, I was the girl version of this.

The flight home was smooth and uneventful—just the way I like it.  We arrived back in Philly. Our Global Entry made our arrival quick.  Our checked luggage arrived within minutes. It was almost perfect until we went to get our car.

Flying the friendly skies back to Philly!

Normally, I take a photograph of the numbered parking spot our car in which our car is housed. Whether a parking garage in Paris, or JFK airport or Newark airport. I take a photo of the numbered spot.   Well…the short-term parking at Philly is not numbered.  I took a picture of a sign that had no floor number or location of said automobile.

Trying to find our car at Philadelphia was like a real-life Seinfeld episode!

This means we had a true-to-life reenactment of the infamous Seinfeld episode of the lost car in the parking lot.  I thought we were parked on the fourth floor.  My husband on the second.  We headed to the fourth floor to no car.  I stood by while Vincent checked the second floor.  After a half-hour he found our car, drove up to meet me and collect our luggage and we headed home.  Both validating the proof that Philadelphia International Airport deserved the placement of one of the worst airports in the USA.

With preparations for Christmas and a new job, the next day. Yes—the next day!  Upon arrival home, I unpacked immediately, took a bath, changed into my comfy pajamas, and set down to a slumber of fond memories of this visit to the City of Lights!

Home again. Home again. Jiggity Jig. It was a wonderful trip and now we can plan for our next!