Eastern Europe, Day 18 -Saturday, June 1, 2019

Paris

I awoke after a wonderful night’s sleep. Nick and Jose-Maria had gone out to pick up some  things for a picnic lunch. When they returned, Nick was glowing. I have seen that glow in two locales. One was on his friend’s boat the first time we were invited to go sailing. The second is in Paris. Paris is Nick’s favorite city. He glows when we are there,  and having friends to be there with is the icing on the cake.

A palace is a royal residence, and a castle is a fortification. Fontainebleau was originally a castle  that dates back to the year 1137. Because it is about thrity-five miles from Paris, the members of the royal family who owned it began to use  it as a sort of vacation residence, so it became a palace.  Every successive owner added  to it in some way. It was saved from destruction during the French revolution because the object of the peasant uprising was Marie Antoinette, and she was at Versailles. Napoleon was  crowned at Fontainebleau, and he abdicated there, as well. The building is  absolutely exquisite, and retains some of its original furnishings and artwork.

Each room was more amazing than the one before. Several of the Rooms are dedicated to the reign of Napoleon.

After taking in the incredible beauty of the building, it was time for lunch. Agnès pulled out a blanket and we sat on the lawn to enjoy our picnic of  rotisserie chicken, cherry tomatoes, bread, cheese, and strawberries, all in the sunshine of the first warm day of spring. Magnifique!

We enjoyed the ride back to Paris. In the evening we strolled through the neighborhood, reaching a restaurant that features organic food.  We were seated al fresco,  enjoying fish and veggies all  while taking in the lovely evening. The four of us shared two desserts, a strawberry cheesecake and an intense chocolate cake.

10,000 steps

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