The rue des Martyrs is getting quite a bit of press on all that is available there. It starts way up at Abbesses in Montmartre but it’s quite a way down the hill before you start hitting the interesting area.

There was this nice little, new to me, chocolate store with places all over France. The chef has won a major French award for both his chocolate and his pastries.

They sold chocolate with violet in it.

And something I’ve never seen before, crepes in a jar with armagnac sauce. Yum.

Lenny Kravatz has a sushi type place with lots to go. I had no idea he was into food.

I liked the fresh green of this chestnut tree.

We got a glimpse of Sacre Coeur with the sun shining on it against the dark gray sky. It looked like it was getting ready to pour so I headed home.

I was in the neighborhood of Palais Royal and I never pass up a chance to take a look inside the garden, especially in the Spring when so many things are blooming.

It has been gray and a little rainy here in Paris but, this being Spring, the sun can suddenly come out as it did in this case. It absolutely poured in and it was so brilliant that I needed sunglasses, something I don’t often need in Paris.

The daffodils are gone but the tulips were still going strong.

I headed through Palais Royal out the other side to rue des Petits Champs and saw this little restaurant with its bright red exterior and a charming painting. It’s called Maceo. I ate there many years ago and it was very good.

I didn’t go across the street to look at the menu but I bet it’s good. There is a growing trend here to have quick meals, usually sandwiches, as those famous 2-3 hour lunches are mostly a thing of the past.

Across the street was Passage Choiseur, not as beautiful as some but it had some interesting shops inside and some places to eat. I liked the entrance.

And here it is inside. It was fairly early in the morning and there weren’t many people about.

Last week we had a couple of fabulous days that were in the 70′s.(Somehow I wrote this post and misplaced it so it was written about six weeks ago. It is in the 50′s again this week.) I decided to stop at Palais Royal to look at their flowers. The bulbs there are always great.

When I exited the metro, I saw this daffodil display. They were selling them to raise money for something.

The park there was packed with people enjoying the sun and mild weather. This park is used by many people in the area for kids to play even though there are no swings or things like that. They also use this contemporary “art” to play or sit on.

A bride and groom were there getting photos taken.

What I call a tulip tree. I think that’s what it’s called. It didn’t look very full either because I was there too early or because our Siberian cold front did a number on it.

There is a small area with grass but, as you can see, you aren’t allowed to get on it.

In Place Colette, people enjoying a drink outside the cafe there. Such a nice day.

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. Mine was quiet but we did have friends over for a lunch of lamb and white beans, a French tradition.

A mix of photos. I took some of them so long ago that I’m not sure where I took the photo sometimes.

This grafitti was off Rue du Buci covering a whole wall. Could it be Kate Moss?

This certainly caught my eye. I’m not sure what’s streaming out from his chest, probably not just heat.

Some ancient steps with the sun softly shining on them.

I think this was in the church of St Germain des Pres. It’s usually a very dark building but the sun came in the window while I was there catching this saint in the sun and casting shadows.

I thought when I first saw this bike outside the window that it was a clever way to store a bike in a small Paris apartment. After I took the photo and was walking by, I noticed that there was a bicycle rental place below.

For my birthday this last weekend, Maurice and I went to Chatelallion where we will one day have an apartment. The last time we were there it was just an empty space but there is a building there now and things are moving along but it will still be September or maybe even October before it will be finished. We stayed at a nice hotel just up the beach and Maurice signed us up for Thalassotherapy, something new to me. Thalassa means “sea” and there is, in fact, a very nice TV show here of that name in France all about the oceans and people and countries involved with the sea. So, as you might expect, Thallasotherapy involves sea water, warmed up and used in various ways. In the early 1900′s it was very popular in France and led to a lot of spas being built. So, we had some exercises in a sea water pool, a massage under a shower of warm water, jacuzzi treatments and once we were coated with an algae solution and then wrapped up liked chickens in plastic and then a warm blanket where we rested in a dark room with soft music and bird calls overhead. It was an interesting experience.

There was a sort of party going on down the beach and these young people went out into the water for a photo. You can see that even that far out, it is very shallow. Some people went out even further. Around Easter there is what is called the Great Tide with a very high tide and a low tide. A man told us that on that day you can walk from the shore several miles out to an island. I’d like to try that sometime. There are many rocky areas along the shore which are perfect for oysters and we could see trucks and tractors out each morning and evening collecting oysters in large sacks.

I liked this little place right by the small harbor and a short walk from our apartment to be. The owner was a local and told us all sorts of things about the area. So far, all of the people that we have met here have been very friendly.

A house along the beach sweetly painted.

Our apartment will be the one on the right. I would have loved the one next to it as it has a larger terrace but it only has one bedroom.

Our view. I can’t wait to sit on the terrace and watch the sun set and rise.

A sunset from our hotel. Here and there I was reminded of Pebble Beach in California.

Hard to beat this sunset. I love being close to nature.

http://www.chatelaillon-plage-tourisme.fr/Webcam-HD

Here is the link to a webcam at Chatelaillon. It recycles in 15 minute bits and it stops being accurate at 6:45 PM until 8 AM but it will give you an idea at how lovely it is there. I always love the light. Our place will be waaaay down the beach. We used to be able to spot the site because there was a crane there but they took it down when we were there. There will be a kite festival this coming weekend. I plan to check in several times to see what’s going on. I look at the webcam at least once a day as it is.

They are having a photo exhibit of a famous photographer named Doisneau at the Hotel de Ville. Every time I’ve gone by, there is an incredibly long line. I hope to get by early one morning to beat the crowd.

A look at the line one Saturday about noon.

I can see part of the exhibit in the metro stop even though the reflection sort of messes up my photo of it. It’s of the giant hole that was dug when les Halles, the market of Paris, was torn down, and a shopping mall was built.

A self portrait.

Totally off the subject, I loved this little bouquet of flowers in the sun.