I begin with a few photos of June 23, 1965, three of them of the wedding. The photo of the bridesmaids is complimented by a photo of the group 40 years later at my son's wedding. I've also included a family photo to introduce you to my firstborn, who died in 2004 just before his 38th birthday.

We decided to celebrate our 50th anniversary in that most romantic of cities, Paris, which we had not visited together since 1986. DH had traveled to Europe frequently on business and his favorite hotel was the Scribe. He wrote to them and the staff was wonderful. We invite my younger son and his wife, and they were thrilled to go.

I've had foot problems and I knew that I would have to find shoes that could bear me through lots of walking. As it turned out, our first day out to explore the city DH also developed foot problems. His "walking" shoes no longer worked for him. Fortunately my SAS did pretty well for me, although they aren't exactly chic. I switched to better shoes in the evening.

I watched the weather forecast and until the day before we left it looked wonderful, but at the last minute the prediction was for cooler temperatures and rain. At the last minute I changed my plans and took different items. I'll explain how that worked in What I Bought.

The Scribe was ready for us. I've included a couple of photos of what awaited for us the first evening. (By the way, when you can't walk another step, a glass of French wine really helps with foot pain.) The hotel provided all four of us with the breakfast buffet (also, forgot to take photos of it) free of charge. We had rooms next to each other. In addition to a fruit plate and goodies every night, they gave us free bottles of water every day, and offered complimentary spa treatments that we didn't have time to take advantage of. They asked DH for a photo, and had it printed up and framed. It was taken at Times Square in 2006 and is a little dark. (I can't find the original.)

In the late 90s we watched a TV show to help us learn the language better, French in Action. We started watching it again (it's on YouTube now) and it helped. Overall the Parisians were great.

DH and I have taken several art history classes as well as a class called "American Writers in 20th Century France," and classes in philosophy and existentialism. Ages ago I read books on Paris in the 20s and 50s, Women of the Left Bank, Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation, along with many biographies of the Lost Generation characters. We decided we wanted to do a Hemingway walk.

My DIL's father was assigned to Normandy a few weeks after the initial invasion and she wanted to go see it. She and DS aren't that interested in art, so we arranged a private tour of the Louvre that ended with champagne, gourmet lunch, including more wine. Then we were on our own. We saw the results of the excavations that had just begun in 1986--fascinating finds.

Many experiences and overall a good trip. Outside the Louvre a teenage boy tried to distract DH and grabbed his iPhone out of his chest pocket. This in the middle of the street. DH grabbed it right back and yelled at the kid, who disappeared. After having his briefcase robbed from us 3 years ago at the Zurich train station, we were all on alert. Still I was surprised at how brazen the kid was.

Photos 1-4 June 23, 1965 and the bridesmaids again in 2005. My two sisters, my good friend who lives in So Cal, and my sister-in-law. (She wears the white outfit to everybody's wedding.)

5-6 The Scribe and the welcome.

7 Family photo from about 1999.

8-14 photos of first day walking around past the Louvre, over the bridge to the Left Bank for lunch, ending up at Luxembourg Gardens where the main characters from French in Action, Robert and Mireille, met on a park bench, perhaps the same one where we were sitting. We ended up having a dinner of mussels at Leon's of Bruxelles near our hotel.

15 Rain predicted, so I'm wearing the North Face jacket--only time.

16-19 Roof of Musee d'Orsay, under construction on our first visit, an Egyptian Goddess, and selfie inside the Pyramid. DH had bought a selfie stick, but gave it to our son instead. Lots of tourists in town. Someday I want to visit the Louvre during an off season.

20-22 Train to Caen, where we rented a car to drive to Normandy. I'm wearing one of my new scarves. Stops at museums and Omaha Beach. Even though we were at the American Cemetery, it was startling to me when the carillon began playing "America the Beautiful" on the half hour.

23-29 Latter part of our Hemingway walk with lunch at Les Deux Magots. The day before we'd had wine at the Closerie de Lilas, but I don't have the photos yet from that day. Next is the location of the original home of Shakespeare & Co, 27 Rue de Fleurus, home of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas and last the "new" Shakespeare" bookstore. What a great place to browse. Of course it isn't anything like it was back when Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Ezra Pound were there.

30-32 On June 23 we ended up drinking champagne at the Bar at the Grand Hotel across the street from the Scribe. We weren't dressed up, but they have a less formal dining terrace and they graciously let us have dinner there. We went back across the street for dessert at the Scribe. And more champagne. Here I am in another of my new scarves. Dessert and the "plate."

Shopping will be another post.