J'aime Paris!

I'm in love. We've all heard that Paris is the city of love, and I've fallen head over heels for Paris. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Seine -- all have captured my heart. Here is Paris at sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Isn't it beautiful!

First Day in Paris!

For so long I've dreamt of traveling to Paris that now it seems almost unbelievable to actually be here. This photo of me, standing on a bridge spanning the Seine, is the spot where I first saw the Eiffle Tower. Look closely, and you'll notice it behind me in the distant sky. I made it to the Louvre on my first day, and was quite moved to walk the historic Palace and art mecca I've imagined for so long. Arriving late in the day, there was no line to enter, and a very small crowd around the Mona Lisa. Two other top picks I saw were the Winged Victory and the Wedding at Cana. I've got so many stories to share already, but I'm on a thirty minute internet limit. However, now that I know my tech works, I plan to post each day I'm here. I'm blogging from Paris. Now that is cool! Au revoir until tomorrow.

Mysteries in Paris

Author Cara Black has set each of her mystery novels in one of the 20 neighborhoods or municipal districts, called arrondissements, of Paris. Her latest, released this summer, is entitled Murder in the Latin Quarter. I find it interesting that when I'm focused on something, there suddenly seem to be reminders of that something all around. For example, I'd just confirmed hotel reservations in the the Latin Quarter for my September visit to Paris. Then listening to NPR's Morning Edition, I hear Ms. Black's story (In Paris, A Mystery Writer Whose Name is Noir).

Paris' 20 arrondissements are arranged in a clockwise spiral, beginning in the middle of the city on the Right Bank (north side) of the river Seine. Black has written ten books thus far:

Murder in the Marais
Murder in Belleville
Murder in the Sentier
Murder in the Bastille
Murder in Clichy
Murder in Montmartre
Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis
Murder in the Rue de Paradis
Murder in the Palais Royal
Murder in the Latin Quarter

She has ten more arrondissements to go!

Have you read any of Black's books? Do you have a favorite Paris arrondissement?