MarkandJim.com

We’ve made it to Paris. It’s always the most beautiful city on earth, but in the spring … what can you say? Trees and flowers are in bloom, the mornings are cold but the afternoons (so far) have been brilliantly sunny and warm. There are probably a thousand great little restaurants we could be eating in. It’s just about perfect.

Mark’s dad met us here so we’re spending four days with him before we head down to Lyon and then Provence for some bicycling. Great food, beautiful parks, bright sunshine, long runs along the Seine – what more could you ask for? Admittedly, there is some culture shock after six months in Southeast Asia; no fresh tropical fruits, wearing long pants, not a beach or swimming pool to be found, hotel rooms smaller than some of our bathrooms in Asia (seriously).

We’re staying at the Agora St. Germain, a little three-star hotel we discovered on a trip to Paris in 1993. The location is perfect, just a couple minutes from the Seine and Notre Dame, in the middle of all the charm the Left Bank has to offer. In the twenty-plus years since we first stayed here we’ve been back a bunch of times and we couldn’t count how many nights various Sullivan family members have stayed here. And yes, it’s small, but so is everything in Paris. And it’s our little home for a few days.

How fun!