Our second trip in August was to Paris, the city that always brings us happiness. Marianne and I had the afternoon to ourselves to take in this magnificent city to discover new places. We were meeting our crew for dinner to celebrate one of our crew member’s retirement.

STRAVINSKY FOUNTAIN

We turned a corner and came upon this whimsical fountain called the Stravinsky Fountain. It’s an exuberant display of color and motion. The fountain has 16 colorful, mechanized sculptures, it’s a masterful interplay of water, movement and color.

There is always something new to discover in Paris!

We then found the perfect cafe to watch all the Parisians walk by.

With not a minute to spare, we met our crew for dinner to celebrate Mike’s retirement.

We ate at a charming classical French restaurant, starting with escargot and ending the dinner with a celebratory sparkling dessert for Mike.

There was one more thing to do in Paris before Mike was officially retired. He needed to see the Eiffel Tower twinkle one more time. As luck would have it, across the street from the restaurant is Paris’ highest skyscraper hotel, the Hyatt Regency.

The Hyatt Regency gave the ideal stunning view of the Eiffel Tower twinkling. It was a perfect way to end our day. The Eiffel Tower twinkles for 5 minutes on the hour, every hour after nightfall, until 1145pm.

No matter how many times, we see the Eiffel Tower twinkle, it evokes a feeling of magic and awe! The tradition of illuminating the Eiffel Tower dates back to the 1900 Universal Exhibition. The tower was adorned with electric lights to celebrate the event and has continued to do so. It’s a symbol of hope, joy, and celebration and a testament to the enduring magic of the tower.

As Marianne and I see it, the world is a book, and Paris is one of the most beautiful chapters!