Days 7 and 8

[Dan’s comments are italicized]

• Train to Paris

One of our best experiences in Paris was somewhat unlikely; after visiting Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame (still closed after the fire of 2019), and walking along the Seine, we visited the Pablo Picasso museum. Neither of us is particularly fond of Picasso’s paintings but we wanted to do something different…and Picasso is nothing if not different!! The organization was brilliant; information printed on walls and rooms decorated to enhance the paintings and drawings. We give that museum an A+! I found the Eiffel Tower surprisingly breathtaking. We rode the elevator to the very tippy top, and I walked the stairs back down. Seeing Paris from that vantage point was well worth the price, energy, and sore feet.

We’ve met some wonderful people along the way and seen people do uplifting things. For example,  a little girl on the metro admired a bouquet of flowers a man was holding so he pulled one out and gave it to her. Another time, Dan unknowingly dropped our room key but a man must have seen what happened, picked it up and ran after us to return it. Our Airbnb host is delightful and the room great for the price BUT it’s a walkup on the 5th floor AND the bed is the top part of a bunk 😂😂😂 That’s not too conducive for my age (or feet after walking 7 miles) though my cardiologist would probably be pleased! Shout out to the Bosnian family we spoke to while waiting to take the elevator up the Eiffel Tower. They understood my sense of humor! The dad and I had a little bit of a dad-joke competition. He was really good at getting his children riled up.

We continue to learn things about ourselves. I’ve learned that I can’t do what I used to (though I’ve still walked over 98,000 steps in the last 7 days) and that I’m developing a fear of heights (lesson learned courtesy of the Eiffel Tower)! I’ve also learned that I love the magic eraser feature on my photo app…

I’m learning that I need to slow down. I watched tourists rushing around Paris to see all the sites. I did not hear anyone sharing about the little things they were experiencing. It is not about the destination, it is about the journey…

Tomorrow, we have a loooong train journey to Barcelona and my feet are already giddy with the excitement of sitting down for most of the day 🎉