La Grande Roue as seen from Tuileries Gardens.

This is the first post using a new MacBookPro. It has taken several days to get all the photos and editing software installed and set up the way I like it. Today we have had heavy rain which is badly needed here in California. The rain reminded me of our recent time in the Loire Valley where it rained every day. One of the wettest was when we toured Cheverny. The chateau is still owned by descendents of the original builders, the Hurault family and is beautifully maintained.
Sacré-Cœur is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre the highest point in Paris. This is a very popular tourist attraction and I wanted to photograph it without the crowds. I got there so early in the morning I was the only person there for about 30 minutes.
There is an elevator that goes to the top of the Eiffel Tower which is 986 feet high. Coming off the elevator you’re inside an enclosed area but a short stairway allows you to reach a platform that is outside. This shot of the Trocadero with the fountains in the foreground was taken from that platform. It was a windy day and the tower was moving enough that I had to increase the shutter speed to get this in focus.
I have just returned from France in a jet lag haze with hundreds of photos to sort through, edit, and post. I visited three areas. Paris, Normandy, and the Loire Valley. Each area is unique and I will share photos that are majestic or simple, happy or emotional, colorful or black and white. Those of you that follow this blog may get tired of France and if you do please comment something like “enough of France”.
This is taken from the Place Debilly Bridge. I thought this bridge, far from the most beautiful in Paris, complemented the erector set nature of the Tower.