Bringing Down the White Picket Fence
A Couple's Quest to Live Globally
Archives
As much as we love Paris, the city life gets a tad exhausting, with crowds flocking to the city in the heat of the summer. We love the ease of train travel in Europe and find it a pleasure to whisk ourselves away to small towns and the French countryside whenever possible. In all of our trips to Paris, we had yet to make a visit to Giverny, France, the site of Monet’s exquisite… Read More
This is just one of the bustling cafes we spotted on our recent “Paris Walks” tour of the Marais. These highly informative and interesting tours are two hours long and just 12 Euros per person! Just find the tour that interests you on their website (http://www.paris-walks.com) and meet at the designated location. The tour guides speak English and are tremendously knowledgable about the city. We’ve taken Hemingway’s Paris and The Marais Circuit 1 and… Read More
Aviation is an amazing thing. In the span of about seven hours, I went from having this very expensive $12 glass of fine Newark airport wine… to this… Here, you can buy two bottles of wine at the local supermarket for about 4 Euros a bottle. With the current exchange rate, that equals less than $5 a bottle, which makes that aforementioned glass of Newark airport wine a huge rip off. Plus, the 4… Read More
Paris is getting a lot of press lately on their decision to remove the padlocks of love from the Pont des Arts bridge. Of course, everybody has their opinions on the matter, from those who find the locks to be a must-see tourist attraction (right up there with seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre) to those who understand the realistic dangers of thousands of metal locks weighing down the side panels… Read More
We’ve always been deeply curious about you. Over the years we’ve let you linger in the shadow of Manhattan, never really giving you the full attention you deserve. We’ve admired the bridge that bears your name and we’ve strolled across it, yet we’ve never fully explored beyond your grand gates. So recently, as we walked along your quiet brownstone lined streets on a cold and rainy January day, we couldn’t help but… Read More
Raindrops are more beautiful in Paris. On dreary, chilly days like today, I yearn for these images. Paul captured some of my most vivid and gorgeous memories: the elegance that never escapes Paris, even beneath a dull gray sky. © Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts… Read More
Notre Dame at Night Make sure to capture Notre Dame at night. Some of the best views are from the river and the nearby bridges. Sit by the Seine and watch this beautiful building light up the Paris sky. © Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly… Read More
Feel the Rush of the Tour de France! If you are traveling to Paris in July, make sure to keep tabs on the Tour de France as it makes its arrival into the city. Don’t be tempted to follow the crowds as they push towards the Champs Elysee. Instead, head for the Left Bank and land a spot along the Quai Voltaire, anywhere between the Pont des Arts and the Pont Royal. Here… Read More
Lounge in the Parks Watch the colors of Paris illuminate in any one of the city’s immaculate and meticulously landscaped parks. Pull up a green chair, sit back, and watch the puffy white clouds float across the bright blue sky. Listen to the children’s laughter as they steer their wooden boats through the fountains, admire the perfectly aligned trees, read a good book, take a long nap. These are our favorite places to… Read More
Admire the Louvre While tourists flock to the Louvre to sneak a glimpse at the Mona Lisa, we prefer to stay outside the museum and bask in the beauty of the Louvre Palace. Set below the blue skies of Paris, this building is a stunning work of art. At night, the lights transform it into a majestic masterpiece. © Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2014…. Read More
Bringing Down the White Picket Fence 