Normandy, Shopping, and Cabaret

Friday, July 27.  After a morning tour of Paris, many of us made our way to Edith's favorite crepe restaurant, Ty Crepes, just a short walk from our Hotel.  Edith told us that a specialty of the restaurant is a desert crepe made of caramel made with salted butter.  After savoury Crepes with ham, spinach, cheese, or chicken and a lovely salad, we all ordered her recommendation.  Yum!  We also split a crepe with grand marnier and chocolate.  That, indeed, is a decadent combination!  Shopping followed....but no one returned heavy ladened with shopping bags.....

We left in the evening to go to a latin quarter cabaret called "Paradis Latin".  After our dinner we watched 1) a unicyclist toss cups and saucers to his head with his foot, 2) a trapeze artist swing from the ceiling, (a former trapeze artist in our group sitting next to me whispered commentary to me during his performance!), (3) scantily clad dancers and singers whose costumes, when they wore them, were wonderful, 4) a men's dance troupe, (my dinner partner picked the gentleman second from the right, I suppose as the best!) (just a little shy of the Chippendales), 4) and a singer who sang some lovely French love songs.  The master of ceremonies was a gentlemen reminiscent of, perhaps, Bob Hope, only speaking occasionally in English, but was funny anyway.  My favorite was the merry-go-round with four eventually scantily clad ladies on Suzaki motorcycles.  Very imaginative! 

Hanging out with someone who is definitely not Joe Melnyk

Eight of our group left very early this morning to travel to the beaches of Normandy, where the allied forces landed in June 1944 in a codename of Operation Neptune, within the larger Operation Overlord.  It was the largest amphibian landing to ever take place, landing on five beaches coded Juno, Omaha, Gold, Utah, and Sword.  The total number of troops who landed on D-Day is put at 160,000 troops half of which were Americans.  By the 4th of July more than a million troops had landed with over 600,000 tons of equipment.  I will get additional or corrected information when I see them.

 American Cemetery, Normandy

Time for bed.  I wish the Olympic athletes would walk in a little faster so we can see the lighting of the Olympic flame.  It's 1:30 am and they are  not there yet!  But it is beautiful what The London Olympic organizers has presented so far.      Bon nuit, and a demain........