Paris Trip 2026
- Off to Paris now Oct 6, 2026
That was a great time in Luxembourg!

- Guess why she is grinning from ear to ear in front of our hotel? Oct 6, 2026
The hotel adjoins all her favorite retail stores on the Champs-Élysées!

- In front of the Arc de Triomphe Oct 6, 2026
We went for a short walk along the Champs-Élysées to relive the memories of many more walks like this in the past.

- This is my new discovery this trip Oct 6, 2026
These days I have been trying to research and create mocktails. Which are much harder than cocktails, for various reasons. Found out this non alcoholic orange spritz this trip. Tastes and smells just like the Aperol Spritz. Need to try this once I am back home. Have to source some Crodino first.

- Had some culture injected into me today Oct 7, 2026
I am not generally the one drawn to art and the finer aspects of life. Whatever little I know has seeped in through sheer osmosis from living with an artist wife.
So, when I was left unsupervised to wander through the Musée d’Orsay after normal hours, I was not entirely sure what one was supposed to do. I recognized a few names. Beyond that, my main qualification was an ability to nod thoughtfully while looking at things.
Unfortunately, Sharmila was not with me. She would have truly appreciated it. Although, she has been here several times before.
As for me, I mostly earned the bragging rights of saying I have seen an impressive number of famous paintings and sculptures up close. Last year, I was similarly left unsupervised in the Louvre Museum. The previous year was Notre Dame.
I suppose this is a culture of a sort, too!

- Beautiful fall color arrangements in the hotel Oct 8, 2026
This is the Marriott at the Champs-Élysées

- Daytime walk to the Arc de Triomphe Oct 8, 2026

- Casual stroll led to the tower! Oct 8, 2026
We were simply strolling around after doing some shopping (I need to be more precise in defining “we”, when I talk about shopping 🙂
We were looking for a place to sit down and have lunch. Turned a corner – and there it was – the Eiffel Tower!

- The Seine river on a cloudy day Oct 8, 2026

- Crêpes in Paris are like mangoes in an island to her Oct 8, 2026
Remember how, on every island, she somehow finds a roadside mango vendor and insists on trying the local fruit? In Paris, it is crêpes.
In her half-dozen visits here, I don’t think I have ever seen her leave without at least one street-side crêpe. Some traditions are apparently non-negotiable.

- Eiffel Tower in the evening Oct 8, 2026

- Because this has never been photographed before 🙂 Oct 8, 2026

- Because, you know, sitting down while riding a motorbike is way overrated!! Oct 9, 2026
This was in Paris this morning. This gentleman rode his motorbike the entire time standing up, through roads that weren’t exactly empty either.
I was impressed with his skill, of course. But I still have one small question: what exactly was the point?
