Easter 2008

We had a wonderful Easter.

We had planned various trips for the long weekend, but in the end stayed home. The boys awoke to the traditional chocolate egg trail from their bedrooms to the living room.

They gathered them up ...

... and went into the living room to hunt for eggs and various other little surprises.

Later, we went to La Carette, our favorite Trocadero cafe.

I like their china. It is made by Bernardaud.

True took some pictures while we were waiting for our breakfast.

I had grapefruit juice.

Anna had slowly scrambled eggs.

Sky had baguette and hot chocolate.

True had hot chocolate and croissants.

We sat and talked ...

and enjoyed the sunny day.

Afterwards, we took a walk around Trocadero.

We walked to the end of the esplanade to look at the Eiffel Tower.

The esplanade was beautiful.

We got in the car and took a drive through Paris. True wanted to get out and throw a coin into one of the fountains at Place de la Concorde.

I love the fountains.

True threw his coin.

Just then, the fountains began to gush.

The fountains were installed in the 1830s. This one is called the Fountain of the Seas.

True likes them.

We drove around and ended up along the St. Martin canal. Anna and the boys got out to walk onto the bridge. You can see them on the bridge in the distance.

On driving back, we happened across two beautiful buildings on Rue d'Abbeville.

This one, No. 16, was designed by a man named Georges Massa around 1900.

It would not be remarkable except for the beautiful caryatids framing the second floor balconies (third floor by American counting).

A detail.

Next door, at No. 14, is a wonderful art nouveau building designed by the brothers Alexandre and Edouard Autant and decorated by the ceramisist Alexandre Bigot in 1901.

There is now a laundry in the ground floor.

We headed home. This is my favorite statue in Paris, George Washington astride his horse. It has a welcoming feeling for me because I always pass it on my way home.

I went to work on a leg of lamb which I roasted with moderate success. It cost 45.31 euros for 2.68 kilos, or about $70 for 5 3/4 pounds. That's over $12 a pound!

We died easter eggs while the lamb was roasting. It was a great day.