Good wishes to you and your lovely daughter.

Great pictures -- I am glad to see that the tram in Reims has been completed, even if I may have chosen a different color.

Utterly and completely beautiful. It's my first time to Paris and its only our 2nd day here. I'm sitting with my boyfriend and in our (tiny) apartment looking for something to do, and came across your report. reading your trip report has given this magnificent city even more spirit. Looking forward to trying out some of susan's favorites and I hope I'm not being creepy but from reading your report I know a piece of Susan never left Paris.

AA, thank you for sharing this with us. I can't imagine the depth of your grief, but what a lovely memory and remembrance of your wife.

As always, your tenderness and kindness shine through.

thank you.

I hope our paths will meet one day.

love the shots at Reims...and Veuve Clicquot is my favorite champagne. Good stuff!

Gentle, lovely and poignant as a shaft of sunlight on an Autumn afternoon. Thank you,AA.

Well done, Ernie.

Thanks for sharing

An unforgettable tribute to Susan and the Paris that you and Kate shared with her. Thank you.

Anselm and Roo,
A friend has just made me aware of this thread, and I can't tell you how touched I am to have somehow been a very small part of Susan's last stay in Paris. Even in the face of our own tragic fire, your loss is so much more devastating as to be beyond compare. I'm thrilled that you've both rekindled your love of Paris. We're making steady progress with our renovations (the scaffolding is gone), and I hope that you'll be able to visit with us again in the near future. In the meantime, I send you my best wishes and sincerest thanks for sharing your touching story.

Ernie,
Thank you for this bittersweet thread. Like the many who have posted above, I am touched by your story and can only wish you bon courage for the road ahead.

Mike

Anselm,

As so many have said, thank you for sharing such a poignant thread with us. Tears are flowing for your loss, but it's beautiful that you and your daughter continue to travel. I think that is just what Susan would want. Best wishes for strength on your journey.

Anselm, are you back from your trip?
We're missing you.

Thanks again for your comments.

Truffaut, I wondered how you were making out when I looked at the apartment building. You did indeed provide a great deal of comfort to Susan through that lovely apartment; Kate and I thank you for creating and sharing it. I am happy to hear that the repairs are coming along. I would be delighted to be your guest again some day. Would you send me an e-mail when you're back in operation?

Mike, thanks for that. I hope I can make it to the next GTG in Toronto.

Mimi, I have been back for two weeks. I'm still wallowing in memories of Istanbul. I saw wonderful Byzantine mosaics and breathtaking architecture in some of the mosques. And Turkish food! Wonderful!

Ernie

Lovely. Hope you and Kate are doing well.

Hr

I am reading this in bed this morning. My husband is wondering why I am crying. I'll share this with him later. Thank you. I have always loved your writing. Especially when you and Susan were in Paris.

Thank you, travelgirl and Micheline.

Kate and I spent last week in Paris. It was, on the surface, a trip for museums, shopping, and restaurants, but we did one other thing. I had reserved a tiny bit of Susan's ashes; they are now ... well, in Paris. A tiny amount. It seemed like the right thing to do.

We all grieve — and recover — in different ways. Time and effort are great healers. Kate, who found it very difficult, is feeling better, and I have started to see a wonderful person named Jeane, with joy. I still travel as much as I can, and volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society.

The memories — all the good ones and, of course, the bad ones — are still with me, but I feel strong, vital, and optimistic.

I'm so glad this came back. Such a lovely TR.

"Cooking from a suitcase" would be a wonderful title for a book.

I missed this report the first time around, what a wonderful tribute. And I'm glad to see you and your daughter are feeling well.

I was thinking about this report a few days ago. I think it's lovely that you were able to place some of Susan's ashes in Paris. I am certain that is comforting to you and that Susan would approve. My thoughts and continued good wishes are with you and Kate. Your story truly touches us all.

I also missed this when it was first posted. What a lovely tribute.

Much happiness to you and Kate, AnselmA.

Sorry we could not overlap in Paris: you would have been a great addition to the Oct 1 to 5 GTG. How did you like that fancy Palais Royal apartment?

Ernie, so sorry that we couldn't meet in Paris as we had hoped to. I didn't forget about you and meeting up, but if you knew what all I was up to in Paris and my specific reasons for being there (as I had planned to share with you) you may have understood how hectic my schedule was, even though meeting with you and Kate would have been a priority. I am sorry to have missed seeing you. Hope that we can do so again in Toronto or Ottawa.

I am very glad to hear that you are doing well, and that your trip was time spent and enjoyed in beautiful ways with those you love, present and absent.

M.

(PS Adding to the complications, I was pickpocketed during my last hours in Paris en route to London, causing much aggravation and frustration which resulted in missed flights, extra nights at the airport due to the 'Sandy' situation and only just getting home 12 hours ago.)

Thanks to all who have posted.

Ted, the apartment was exactly as advertised (it was the "Palais Royal Elegant Two Bedroom" at www.parisvacationapartments.com). I give good marks to the rental company for prompt communication and ease of payment. The flat itself was huge and comfortable, and particularly appealing to me as I have long wondered what it would be like to live in Palais Royal. I should point out that it is under the arcading, which I knew in advance would make it quite dark, even on a sunny day. I knew, too, that there was a resto terrace immediately below. We were often aware of the patrons' voices; it could be quite intrusive in warm weather with the windows open. (The more expensive "Palais Royal Luxury Two Bedroom" is a couple of floors higher and would be brighter and quieter.)

Mathieu, it's too bad it didn't work out, but there will doubtless be other occasions. Pickpocketed! I am sorry to hear that. Paris does have its unpleasant moments. Was this in the Métro?

Toronto GTG seems to be in order!

AA- This trip report is truly magical. I'm headed to Paris in a little over a week, and will think of your family while I'm there. Thank you again for sharing your life with everyone.

Anselm, thank you for your beautiful report. Wishing you the best in your healing.

If I recall, didn’t you write a lengthy description of your visit to WWI battle sites several years ago with a focus on the Canadian sacrifice? It was one on my favorite trip reports on Fodors.

You write beautifully. Peace and love…

Topping a bittersweet trip report, to read and to glean suggestions for an upcoming trip.