France.

Typical opening line for a pattibrownblog post:  ”Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve blogged….”

But truthfully, I’m not sorry.  Had I been busy working, or just hanging out around the house, maybe I’d be sorry.  However, I’ve been having the time of my life all month long.  We went to Paris.  It was amazing.  And thanks to   A.) Snow which made bringing the big girl out to play completely impossible and  B.) some very good advice someone once gave me: “Make sure you do NOT see Paris only through the lens of your camera…” I (gasp!) wound up actually kicking back and taking it all in, sans camera.  And, I had a truly magical time.  And so did the hubster.   Just magical.

Here are a few shots.  I have to say, I was pretty impressed with my little Canon G10, which I threw in my camera bag at the last minute just in case the big girl couldn’t handle the cold (thank goodness!) and can honestly recommend it for anyone shopping for a point and shoot.  All shots were taken with it.  Plus, I didn’t have to be worried about being out thousands of dollars if it snowed.  It’s my new “go to” for snaps around the house or when I don’t want to be the obnoxious mom with the ginormous camera at my son’s preschool play.

The cool thing about Paris is that you can take completely average pictures with a point and shoot, doctor them up a tad in Photoshop, and you still get pretty cool images overall.

The first  is of the “Winged Victory” in the Louvre. The others are a few random architectural shots (mostly of the Notre Dame) and a photo of a candle I lit for my son.  The last two are from the American Cemetery in Normandy.   We chartered a tour to the beaches of Normandy on the day that Paris saw more snow than it had in over 20 years.  Our tour guide/driver, who was under much pressure from his American passengers, got us as close to the beach as he possibly could.  When it was simply unsafe to drive the rest of the way, we got out and walked.   Through the snow.  It was amazing.  The moment I turned around and saw the cliffs of Omaha beach was one of the most moving moments in my life.  As an American, I cannot recommend enough that you visit Normandy upon any future trips you may have near the area.   We were also the ONLY people there (due the the snow – it’s typically crawling with tourists) which made the experience even more sacred.   That’s why I had to throw in a snapshot of my husband, someone who has spent his entire life in service to his country, touching the water.  After all, he flew thousands of miles, drove hours through a snow storm, and then walked the rest of the way just to do it.  It’s by far, my favorite from the trip.