Paris in Bloom

I didn't know I had allergies until encountering Paris in Spring.  Maybe I'm sick... but I think it's just a bad case of allergies.  It's kept me a bit wonky the past few days trying to breathe and sleep and everything else.

I really haven't taken many pictures.  There are Instagram babies (as Nick calls them) everywhere.  You know taking a picture where they're not looking at the camera, standing in front of the most popular piece of art and expecting everyone to wait for them to get the perfect photo, setting up tripods in the middle of streets.  We get it - you're an influencer on Instagram and you're going to offer 10% off that shirt... but honestly... Ok.  That's the end of my free rant.  No charge to you.  :)

Also, if you don't know this already, travel can be a lot of fun, while still being a major challenge.  We traveled off and on for the past several years and I can tell you with assurance there are more people than ever traveling.  National Parks, museums, oversized objects you can take your picture in front of are all maxed out.  There are so many people everywhere.  We went to Versailles, it took about 20 min to get there and the line was out the wazoo.  After queuing for an hour and a half we jumped ship because there was still an hour and a half to go - we just couldn't take it all any more.  First world problems I know.  But it's also good to know you can walk away from something and live to tell about it also.  :)

And I'm sure you want to know what's in fashion...  here's what I'm seeing

Wide-legged pants - look good, leather jackets - always in every city and always look good, I've seen a few legging type things with a weird bellbottom at the base - just don't they look awful, oversized/baggy coats, and coats that are more tapestry or upholstery pattern looking - neither of the coat descriptions sound great, but they look good

Poppies in the Luxembourg Gardens (mom if you're reading this one is for you)

Awwww... kids pushing boats around the water in the Luxembourg Gardens.  It's so fun to watch them, they have long sticks that they can give them a shove with, then the kids take off running to wherever they're headed next.  What entertained kids 100 years ago apparently still has some relevance.

We saw Palm Trees in London and Paris!  What in the world.  Apparently they store them during the winter. These were at the Luxembourgh.

View from the Pompidou Center (modern art museum).  You can see Sacre-Coeur (church) in the background on the hill.

Nick from inside the Louvre

The Eiffel Tower light display.

The Eiffel Tower light display without two kids obstructing the view.

Napoleon's Tomb at the Dome of the Invalides.

We both got the giggles looking at this sign in the church sanctuary of Napoleon's tomb.  All the kids, and a few adults, were running around with Napoleon hats on, which were funny in and of themselves.  But the sign that said no hats and the Napoleon hat on the table next to it seemed especially funny.

Steps from the Woody Allen Midnight in Paris.  I've listened to Nick imitate Owen Wilson about a 100 times today.  :) 

Me at my favorite museum in the entire world - The l'Orangerie.  I've been twice now and this room has 8 Monet's that are enormous, they wrap around the room.

A snippet of the queue we left at Versailles.  Brutal.