The 3-hour train ride on the TGV from Bordeaux to Paris was uneventful. Oddly, at €65 ($85) each, First Class tickets were cheaper than coach, not that there was really that much difference in the seating, anyway.

We arrived in rain and took a cab to our new accommodations, Frédérique’s and Virginie’s 12th floor apartment in the 15th Arrondissement. Fortunately, the rain stopped just as the taxi did and it turned into a beautiful day.

The view out the kitchen window was so stunning it almost knocked me over:

I zoomed in with my other camera; the iPhone takes great pictures, but it has a few limitations.

At night, the Eiffel Tower is all lit up, a rotating spotlight at its top.

There’s no doubt about where we are now.