Paris - tour of the Marais

Before/after my bike trip I spent a few days in Paris. I've seen many of the city's super touristy things on previous visits -- they're great -- but I wanted to get off the beaten path a bit this time.

Richard from Eye Prefer Paris gave me a walking tour of the Marais one afternoon, a neighborhood I'd only breezed through before, and I absolutely loved what I saw.

The Marais is a vibrant mix -- there are giant old mansions tucked right off of wide, busy boulevards, contemporary art galleries down the street from traditional Jewish businesses, and trendy clothing boutiques next to classic cheese shops.

Here are some photos I snapped during my afternoon in the Marais...

The prettiest drinking fountain I've ever seen:
Beautiful courtyards:
Vegetables and cheese:
Place des Vosges:
Chocolate shoes(!) and chocolate bites:
Impressive old mansions:
My afternoon treat from Gerard Mulot:
A family enjoying this well-hidden rose garden:
Doors of the Marais:
Carved wood panel from a different door:
Street painting:(That's good to know, because I love N.Y. too.)

Paris always provides lots of options when it comes to food:Before our tour I'd told Richard that I have a short attention span and that I wanted to see a little of everything that the Marais had to offer. In three short hours he showed me great architecture, contemporary art, food markets, pastry shops, upscale boutiques, street food vendors, churches, synagogues, parks, etc. It was exactly what I wanted, and I'd definitely recommend him as a tour guide. Here's his website if you're interested.

Stay tuned for more posts on my delightful French holiday...

Monty Monday - Macaroons

I brought these delicious macaroons back from France for Chappy:I left my carry-on bag on the kitchen floor -- someone went inside it and thought the macaroons might be for them:Monty used his nose to push and push, and he almost got the lid off:But that didn't work so he decided to take the whole box back to his bed:He was persistent:Using his paws he actually removed the top of the box and was working on the tissue paper:I took the box away before he could eat any of the macaroons, but decided we'd share a cookie since he really, really wanted one. Here's his little piece:He loved it so much! (Who knew dogs liked egg whites and sugar?) I gave him another bite:I know he missed me, but he definitely loved the macaroons I brought back.

Melissa C. Morris on FameGame.com

Many thanks to the fine folks at FameGame.com for featuring me on their homepage today:Melissa C. Morris Fame Game profile.

FameGame.com.

Self-Portrait

Self-portrait of a cyclist -- relaxing after 185+km of riding with 1,600+m of climbing:Three days down, three to go on this biking trip...

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Book Giveaway - Mating Rituals of the North American WASP

I had such fun reading Mating Rituals of the North American WASP, Lauren Lipton's second book, when I was traveling earlier this year.

Now you too can bring 'WASP' on your summer vacation. I'm giving away five copies -- scroll down for giveaway details.Here's the short version: A mismatched pair end up married after a wild night in Vegas. She's a bubbly and outgoing store owner from Manhattan, he's an aloof and introverted writer from an old line Connecticut WASP family. Realizing they're completely ill-suited to one another, they try to have their marriage annulled. The matriarch of the WASPy family intervenes, a deal is made, and you'll have to read the book to find out the rest...

This is a sweet and unlikely love story. It's laugh-out-loud funny at times, and totally tension-filled in other moments. I got into it and especially loved her clique of Connecticut WASPs - they were spot-on.

So, want to win a copy for your beach bag? I'm giving away five of them...

To enter the giveaway:

- email MCMgiveaway@gmail.com with WASP in the subject line.
- tell me your favorite drink for tailgating (and yes, there's a great tailgating scene in WASP).

Entries will be accepted for 1 week starting now - contest ends at 11.59PM on June 26th. Five winners will be selected randomly on Saturday, June 27th. If you win, I'll email to get your shipping information.

(The fine print: This contest is only open to US and Canadian entries. Sorry, but no shipping elsewhere.)

The author, Lauren Lipton, also has a delightful blog that's on my favorites list.

For more information on Mating Rituals of the North American WASP visit the publisher's website.

Good luck in the giveaway!

Monty Monday - Hiding in the Sweatshirt

Monty has been unimpressed by all the cool, rainy weather we've been having the Northeast. When he woke up last week to yet another day of grey skies, he'd had it...

He decided to stay warm and dry by crawling inside my sweatshirt:See him in there?

Hello little Monty!:I was lounging on my bed, working on my laptop when Monty wriggled his way inside my oversize sweatshirt. I'm not sure where he got this idea - perhaps he thought he was going under the bed covers? - but he was very, very happy inside there.

After half an hour I asked him if everything was all right in there:He didn't answer, so I assumed all was well.

He was just so sleepy and cute. I couldn't resist giving him the occasional kiss when he popped up to look around:
I thought he'd get tired of the sweatshirt cave once I stood up and started walking around, but he didn't budge. No hands, and he's still happily hanging out in there:Complete silliness!

The cutest little nose I've ever seen:He stayed in there all morning. We went up and down the stairs, made/enjoyed a cup of tea, did some paperwork - he just lounged inside the sweatshirt like a little kangaroo baby in its pouch. Awwwww!

The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards - dress rehearsal

This past weekend I went down to Radio City for the dress rehearsal of the American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards.

The Tonys celebrate excellence in the theater. I'm a huge theater fan and a proud supporter of The Wing so I always watch the Tonys on TV, but I jumped at the chance to be there in person. It was such a treat to see all the talented actors and performers put on this fabulous show. I loved it!

The stage at Radio City:The dress rehearsal gave me a behind-the-scenes look at all that goes into producing a huge awards show like the Tonys... the amount of direction, choreography, set changes, lighting designs, and camera work is mind-boggling! They pulled it off with style.

Neil Patrick Harris was the host. He was downright delightful:
I had a great view from the orchestra... and I did my part to keep Phyllis Newman's seat safe and sound:
The opening number was dynamite. It included performances by Dolly Parton, Liza Minelli, and Bret Michaels:
Throughout the show all these super accomplished actors practiced presenting their awards. So many were dressed down for the rehearsal, but they still looked great. It was a real thrill to see Jane Fonda, Jeff Daniels & James Gandolfini, Anne Hathaway, and Angela Lansbury:
One of the highlights of the show was when the cast of Hair rocked out, ran into the aisles, and had everyone in the audience singing along to 'Let The Sun Shine In':It was such a fun Sunday morning!

For a full list of the evening's Tony award winners please visit TonyAwards.com.
For more information on the American Theatre Wing please visit AmericanTheatreWing.org.

Solar One Benefit

Earlier this week I went to a benefit party for Solar One, NYC’s first green energy, arts, and education center.

The Solar One center is totally solar powered, and they offer all kinds of great programs to spread awareness about solar energy and to promote/implement the use of solar energy in New York City. Bravo to them!

We have solar powered outdoor lights in our CT home. They work well, save money, and are much greener than traditional outdoor lights. I'm all for using solar power, and I hope Solar One can spread this fabulous technology all over New York City.

The scene inside the party tent:
With fellow Solar One supporter Brooke Shields:(In person she is drop dead gorgeous and sweet as can be. And she was wearing Lilly!)

A rendering of the organization's next project, SOLAR 2, a 100% green-powered education and arts center:
On the 'green carpet' with our canvas goodie bag after a fun, inspiring night:
For more information on Solar One please visit their website.