A Paris reunion

One of the most delightful aspects of our stay in Paris has been sharing it with friends and family.  Not too many months before we came, we found out that our friend Lynda, from New Zealand, had planned a trip to Paris that overlapped with ours. We had not yet met her husband, John, so we made plans to get together. (The verdict? He's a really nice guy, but knowing Lynda, we're not surprised.)

Lynda and John were only in Paris for a few days, so we made the most of our time with them. (One thing we have appreciated is that our guests all have had different interests, so while we have visited a few of the more well-known monuments more than once, each visit has also led us in new directions.)  Of course, we went to our favorite haunts in Montmartre and downtown Paris.

An evening stroll in Montmartre.

On one of the bridges weighted down by lovelocks.

A practical suggestion, given that one of the railings on another bridge collapsed recently from the weight of lovelocks.

Taking a break from sightseeing.

Notre Dame in the rain.

These pigeons have it made!

A picnic under the arches of the Louvre. Out of the rain!

At the Arc de Triomphe, we triumphed (briefly) over the rain.

We ended our day late, at the Eiffel Tower, ready for our adventure the following day.  

And do you know what's really sweet?  Lynda and John made their European trip thanks to their side business of bee-keeping. The sale of their delicious New Zealand honey, made from the nectar of the manuka tree, paid for their trip. We were the beneficiaries of both their company and some of the world's best honey!