Watching Notre Dame burn in 2019 was heartbreaking. The entire world was horrified. When Lisa and I saw the news this week of the completed renovation and pending reopening, it sparked memories of our trip to Paris in March 2024.
I know that the French get a bad rep, especially from entitled American tourists. Maybe the unfriendliness is true away from the city, but Paris was a delight for us. We stayed in a quaint boutique hotel behind the Louvre. The ancient “lift” took us to within two floors of our attic hideaway. The view was of the surrounding buildings, nothing to write home about but we enjoyed it immensely. The best part of the hotel stay, for me, was the daily warm baguettes for breakfast! I was in heaven.
We are not foodies but enjoyed the waitstaff at every restaurant. They were multilingual, friendly and happy. One time we shared a table with a young couple from Mexico. They were living abroad for work and happy to speak Spanish.
One of our stops was of course Notre Dame. We sat on the bleachers behind a plywood barrier, gazing upward at the scaffolding and the very busy workers. It was a gray day but we sat for a long time taking in both the sadness and the hope. It’s hard to believe it’s finished.
I guess we’ll have to go back. Of the five cities we visited on our whirlwind tour, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich and Salzburg, Paris was my favorite. And there’s so much we missed.
DOS TORTAS
PS Forgive my stock photos. All my pictures were stolen in my phone.
the adventures of dos tortas 
In 1989 my husband and I traveled for three weeks in France. We had about a week in Paris, then two weeks in Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley. We were treated with courtesy in Paris and friendly helpfulness in the areas outside the city. When visiting any part of the world it is, of course, possible to encounter a person who is having a bad day or who is naturally grumpy. The French have an undeserved reputation for rudeness. I hope your leg is healing well. abrazos, Marcia
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Traveling certainly opens our eyes to different cultures. Our judgment shines through our own eyes. I’m naive. I think everyone has a good heart. I try to have one myself. I am healing.
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Love this! And see you soon…need anything from the US? Busy day here – much love for now xo Lorrie
Lorrie Jones
Simple Serenity
simpleserenity.comhttp://simpleserenity.com/
253.312.3117
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Actually I do. WhatsApp me your address.
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Ah, I remember the fire, remember watching in deep sadness and horror, almost as though it were my own house.
I’m so glad it’s rebuilt and open!
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Yes, would love to see the finished product.
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Paris is gorgeous. And Notre Dame reborn looks stunning. Generally, like you, I never found people in Paris (or anywhere else in France) to be rude.
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We loved it and I don’t speak a word of French.
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Neither do we, apart from from hello, goodbye and thank you 😉
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