French Food

Okay, I promise, no more Paris, but I had to download all the pictures of the FOOD.  The office cafeteria (restaurant?) staff blew me away with our lunch spreads, particularly the detail and creativity of the dishes.  Now, I required four plates of food to feel full, but everything seemed a delicacy. (And raw.  Most things were raw….)

Egg salad in egg cups - PRECIOUS

One of the nicer dinners out in Paris - a white asparagus and tuna starter, cod in a mushroom risotto, cheese plate (but of course), and sorbet assortment with merengue cookies.

On our group boating adventure there was a picnic basket filled with snacks and salty goodies (And Rose. Did I mention how much Rose I drank last week???)  

My attempts at a healthy dish one night - a salad, sounds safe, right? - featured about 13 servings worth of raw salmon and an entire wheel of goat cheese fried up in phyllo.  

Similar to the other salad I had on the boat cruise - more cheese!  more phyllo!

Needless to say, I'm watching what I eat and upping the cardio workouts this week… :)

A Few Last Paris Pictures

Since I've been home, relishing in the hugs, kisses, and clingy-ness (I don't mind!) of my babies, I haven't done my final upload of pictures from the Paris trip.  Definitely a few once-in-a-lifetime experiences I can't forget!

The Eiffel Tower was as impressive and beautiful as I remember - this happens to be a twice-in-a-lifetime for me, although I've never gone to the top (maybe next trip)?

2016

2011

I forgot how large it stands over Paris.  You can't help but walk with your eyes up to the sky.  Which is a good thing because it allow you to miss all the barricades, security, machine guns, and checkpoints that now surround it.  I guess it's the world we live in, sadly...

My colleague and I signed up for a dinner cruise down the Seine for our final, Friday night adventure. As we walked/pedicabbed to the river, we did a little shopping and exploring, picking up souvenirs for the kiddos (and the caretakers who loved on the kiddos while away!)  

This specific dinner boat cruise has high ratings on TripAdvisor for a reason.  Small, lovely boat, excellent service, tasty food, reasonable prices.  They have the tour planned beautifully, hitting so many famous Parisian landmarks at the perfect time - sunset behind Notre Dame, dusk around the Louvre, circling the Eiffel Tower at the top of the hour to witness the sparkles.  Takes your breath away.

We disembarked a few hours later and emptied into a vibrant nightlight on the streets of Paris. They don't call it the city of lights for nothing!  One final Rose in one final cafe,  and I said goodbye to Paris.  Until next time!! 

(Did I ever post my pics from the 2011 trip? I don't think so!  Somehow I didn't post nearly as much when I had 450% more time in my day...  See album below.)

Paris - April 2011

The Queen Bey. #bowdown

In the US I don't do anything super cool or adventurous, but in foreign countries I'm more exciting. Before my Paris trip I got tickets to BEYONCE - Queen Bey herself - in the Stad de France.

I am a huge fan of her music, so there wasn't a question of if I'd enjoy the show.  What concerned me most after buying the tickets was safety (especially after the Nice attack).  After lots of conversations with my European team (and a quick email to our Global Security team) we decided the risks were quite low.

And you have to live your life.  You can't live in fear, right?    

(For the record, risks were low because security was so high.  We went through multiple security checkpoints from the moment we stepped out of the taxi.  Police and military personnel stood guard every few feet.  Hyper-vigilance, which I greatly appreciated.)  

standing guard

First tasks - a a little snack and toast once we got into the stadium but before headed to the floor.  (We came prepared with snacks in our bags - perfectly legal here as long as bottles didn't have tops?)

to Beyonce!

smoked salmon on rice cakes - FANCY

We arrived on the floor to claim our spots during the opening act, a French R&B group that had the crowd hopping.  As people moved around, we strategically moved ourselves up closer.  

It does not get dark in Paris right now until 10:30ish, so I feared Beyonce would delay her start.  (I may have been at an exciting concert, but I still like my early-ish bedtime!)  Fortunately she got underway on time around 9PM.

  

And did not stop until 11PM!   I have a whole new respect for her as a performer. Incredible.

She played nearly all my favorites, minus All the Single Ladies.  And she truly sang (no lip syncing). She wore about 7 different outfits, had an all female band, back up singers, and dancers, and showed really sweet personal videos of her life and family throughout the performance.  My hashtag for the show would be #girlpower     I left singing "who rules the world?  GIRLS DO!"

The show ended with Halo and confetti floating high about the stadium.  AH-MAZING.

What was not amazing - trying to get back to the hotel.  We worked our way out of the stadium and away from the crowd very quickly (a reco from global security), but Ubers and Taxis were scarce. (None of us were brave enough for the train.)  We made good use of our time by eating snacks we saved in our purses and singing Beyonce songs.  

The Uber driver also got a little show from the ladies, who streamed Beyonce in his car and sang all the way back to the hotel.  He may or may not have been filming it...  If it's on YouTube, I'll use it to embarrass JB and Maryn in 15 years.  

OR to remind them that their Mama can be a cool cat (sometimes).  Not as cool at Queen Bey though. Definitely an experience of a lifetime! 

Sunday Afternoon in Paris

Sunday morning I landed in Paris, France for a weeklong workshop with our European, African, and Middle Eastern markets.  (Same workshop as the one a week prior that I participated in with our North and South American teams).  Since I met with all of our Asia Pacific country teams in March, this rounds out my extreme global networking for 2016. I love it!!

And I love France.  The country, the culture, the people (minus rude Parisian cafe staff).  I hate that my excitement was mixed with fear and concern after the Nice terrorist attack two days before (plus numerous attacks prior).  Paris is a place to openly explore and enjoy!  Not hide away in a hotel to avoid being caught in the next potential crossfire. Although I have the responsibility as a wife and mother to keep myself as safe as I can, I also thoroughly believe in living life with confidence and trust in God (and humanity).  With caution, awareness, and vigilance, I dropped my bags upon arrival and headed out into the streets.  

First stop - a cafe for croque monsieurs. One of my favorite sandwiches of all times.  Let the bread binge begin...

Next we started our walk from our neighborhood to Notre Dame, about miles from the hotel.  The sun was out, and the temps were high.  

People filled the parks and lounged (and drank) in the grass.  We walked along the outskirts (avoiding crowds, part of the guidance from our Global Security team), but still could enjoy the views. 

The last time I visited France (2011), Notre Dame was under heavy scaffolding.  This time I saw it in its full glory. Such an impressive structure!  

So of course I had to selfie the moment.  :)  I was the only tourist there without a selfie stick.  

All that walking made us thirsty.  Rose for the win!  And what a creative way to chill it.

After walking along the Seine (and getting excited about planned river boat cruises this week), we headed over to the Louve.  Once again I did not actually enter it, only admiring from afar.  (I keep saying one day I will actually go inside, but need days to do so.  I've never had free days in France, sadly, but it's on my list of future adventures!)

I don't take this opportunity to be in one of the world's most famous cities for granted.  I know my family (slightly concerned back home) appreciates any and all prayers for my safety.  And I do, too, of course, although I don't dwell too much on the risk, less I miss out on the experience.