This is beauty beyond luxury. This beauty is breathtaking.  
Monet's Nymphéas (Water Lilies), housed at the Musée de l'Orangerie are visual poetry.  Monet painted nearly 250 canvases of the beloved water lilies he planted in his ponds at Giverny, and these are his last eight canvases.  In 1922 Monet donated these eight canvases to the State, stipulating that an appropriate place would have to be found for their display.  The illustrious architect, Camille Lefèvre, designed two oval galleries with natural filtered light for them, and thusly,  Musée de l'Orangerie was conceived and built.  The canvases were not installed until 1927, a year after Monet's death.  The recent six-year renovation of the Museum is an amazing story.  The paintings themselves are a miracle, and the architecture is brilliant.  Click here to read more.

 SANDRO is the trendiest new clothing brand in Paris.  The designer is Evelyne Chetritelt, and she presents an energetic, passionate young, hip line that features an adventurous combination cotton, denim, lace and leather for everyday wear.  The flagship store is in the lively Marais district.  When I was there on Saturday, the line to enter was a half a block long!
To view the collection, click here
Click on the English version and enjoy the show!

Here are the fabulous macaroons I mentioned.  They look just like the blooms in front of the cafe. These are the trendy colors of the season; every sweets store has these same chartreuse and pink colors for packaging.  I love the added detail of the brown satin ribbon and the simplicity of the name on the package.  Très chic!
And oh, yes, the macaroons .... yum! 

Je suis à Paris ! The weather is fantastic; blue warm skies — my 17th century apartment windows flung open to welcome the morning air, the sweet sound of the bells from Notre Dame dancing down the narrow streets. This past weekend, all Parisians were out strolling, shaking off the cold winter, sitting in the outdoor cafes, engaged in lively conversation, enjoying café crème and croissants. This world is in bloom! The colors of Spring paint the flowers, and adorn the boxes of chocolates and macaroons.

This is a remarkable image of the volcano that is causing 
disruption of air travel.  It is a stunning display of both the beauty and the terrifying force of nature.   

click here for full story and slide show 

At the moment, instead of exploring the beauty of Paris in Paris, I am waiting for a flight to safely transport me there, so I can bring you amazing and inspiring images and stories from the City of Lights.