Those who know me understand that Italy is home and that Paris is my dream. Since my first visit to The City of Light 20 years ago I always return to Paris with a sense of wonder and astonishment. 2008 was my 6th visit to Parigi  as the Italians call it and this was Juliet's first trip. Our apartment near St Germain provided wonderful views all around the city and in 72 hours we went at a pace typically reserved for sprinters and men on the lam. We had to see it, and see it we did.

All of these photos were taken with Juliet's 2005 model Canon Digi-Cam and I have done my best to bring the most from our torrid photo sessions running through Paris.

I was actually quite exhausted on this journey and by our last night I became violently ill with fever and explosive vomiting. Juliet wanted to take me to the hospital, but I refused to miss the flight. We actually made the plane and returned home where I was fine. It likely had something to do with copious quantities of gluten, sugar, wine, coffee, and joie de vivre that sent my body into a nasty spiral; at least that is what I like to believe.

Cafe life in Paris and the simple joy of moving about such an architectural marvel heightens my senses and almost always brings me to emotions I do not expect. I have teared up more than once at the site of a monument or work of art for the sheer joy that I can be so close to something as absurdly beautiful.

Hemingway's A Moveable Feast  is in my top 5 books and I like to fancy myself watching, creating faux personas for people and of course writing through my days with rose', coffee, and cognac. I am confident by summer 2014 we will return to Paris for an extended period.

I still wear this brown jacket and I will be on the plane to Europe in 12 days. It has been Scotch-Guarded and resists all nasty elements while providing me the necessary informal formality.

My wife was so beautiful in Paris and so enamored with the day-to-day. This video of her is one of the main reasons I had to marry her. To this day I can think of this and smile as wide as my face allows because she is just that charming and silly. In this she did not realize I was videoing the scene and believed she was posing for a still shot with the Metro. If I do not write tomorrow it will be because she killed me :-)

http://vimeo.com/41016841

We practically rode every line in the center of the city seeking our targets and ambling through this richer than life should be, city.

We ran ourselves ragged before our final evening's meal at the venerable Willi's Wine Bar - a wonderful little Parisian restaurant owned by a British Wine Collector. We ate guinea fowl and drank Chateauneuf du Pape before we sprinted to the Eiffel Tower to catch the first shot in this post at nearly 1AM.

As you can see from the photo below, I had reached a contemplative state before our departure much like the state I am in today after 3 bottles of fine champagne last night with friends.

Beginning tomorrow, it is all Italy all the time. Join us for golden oldies and soft pop hits here on TBA Radio. Au revoir