Hope your week is going well so far. Mark and I are eager to finish off our work days before flying to Paris tonight!
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t put on some Sex and the City Season 6: “An American Girl in Paris” as I packed last night. While the Paris scenes got me very excited for our trip overseas, I decided to leave my Carrie Bradshaw outfits out of the suitcase. :)
Instead, I will be sticking with more conservative attire (i.e. mostly black with some color here and there). Spring in Paris should bring 50 and 60 degree temperatures with some sun and rain. I have also packed several running outfits, as I am planning to hit the pavement (or trails in the French countryside) a few times while I am out there.
Speaking of running, after a lot of thought, Mark and I decided to skip the Paris marathon. The decision was a tough one to make. In the wake of the Brussels attacks last week and given the fact that the course is expecting to host a crowd of nearly 60,000 runners, I felt more comfortable opting out of the race this year. I never thought I would ever drop out of a marathon due to safety concerns. We haven’t received any notices of increased security from the Paris marathon race committee since Brussels, which I find a bit odd. And ultimately, my goal race of Boston is a mere three weeks away so I was only planning to run part of the marathon anyway. When Mark said he wouldn’t be disappointed to switch the focus from the marathon to more wine drinking, croissant eating, and sleeping in a bit during our stay in Paris, we agreed on the decision. I am sure that everything will go smoothly on marathon day, and I am looking forward to hearing all about it. I do hope to run the race one day!
Other than exploring the city of light, I am looking forward to getting out in the French countryside in the second half of the trip. We are planning to head from Paris to Normandy and Loire Valley with our friends Ann and Jon. With the exception of some essential sites, we have no set agenda except to continue the croissant eating, wine drinking, chateau-exploring, and hopefully some running here and there. Baguettes, cheeses, croissants, chocolate soufflé, crepes, and macaroons are (Boston) marathon taper staples, right?!
Thanks for the pics @paulinedal and @barbiertraductions!
I won’t be able to update the blog much while in France, but I look forward to sharing some photos along the way and catching up with you when I return. Maybe spring will have truly crept into Boston by the time I am back!
Spring slowly approaching Boston this week:
Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and weekend. Try to spend time with those whom you love and give them an extra hug, your energy and patience, an ear for listening, or shoulder to lean on. Amusez-vous bien et à bientôt!
Jane Runs Wild 
Awesome! Have a fun trip! And yeah, you’ll just be better prepared for Boston :)
LikeLike
Thank you! :)
LikeLike
Be sure to walk around all the little quartiers and take notes on all the Paris trends for me, then don’t forget to have a picnic for two in the Luxembourg Gardens afterwards ;) Bon appetite et bon voyage mes amis! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for those recs– I will be sure to check out the Lux Gardens! Talk soon! xoxo
LikeLike
I am so sorry you both dropped out of the race. But I completely agree and it is really sad that safety is now a deciding factor when it comes to participating in some events. Have fun in Paris and I can’t wait to see the pictures!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! There were several reasons behind the decision to back out. Once I get to Paris, I am sure I will be disappointed not to run, but I think relaxing and just enjoying being in the city might trump those feelings. Have a great week and thank you for your support!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Be safe, and have a blast! To be quite honest, traveling abroad is a bit unnerving right now, so I don’t blame you for dropping out of the race. It would be heartbreaking, but I would do the same thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your support! Have a wonderful week :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally respect your decision to back out of Paris….BUT having done the Paris marathon last year I can highly recommend it. i thought briefly about whether I should after the Boston bombings, but made the decision that I wouldn’t let terrorists ‘win’ by letting their decisions change my goal.
It worked out well, obviously, but I get that Brussels is a little too close to Paris. And that Paris has been hit since I ran.
Enjoy the pastries and wine (they were the best reward after the race!!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pastries are healthy carbs. Never forget that. Bon voyage!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I won’t ever :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Safe travels! Have Fun!
LikeLike
Have fun in Paris! It’s a shame about the marathon, but I hope you and all the runners this weekend are safe, either way.
LikeLike
Safe travels and have fun! I probably would have made the same decision about the Paris Marathon. Even without Boston just 3 weeks away I would have been very unnerved after the recent attacks to participate. Enjoy all the site seeing, wine, and eating!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your support! Have a great weekend and hope you guys don’t get too much snow on Sunday– only in New England is it 70 degrees one day, snow the next!
LikeLike
Excellent! I hope you have a great time. I lived just outside of Paris for five years and now Grenoble for seven. It’s a beautiful country with so many wonderful things to discover. Hopefully there will be no strikes when you get here! ;-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is great- I have loved your pictures! Grenoble is gorgeous, perfect for any kind of outdoor activity. I heard that there is an ongoing transportation strike in Paris, so we will experience that :) Have a great run this weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Yeah, lots of nice runs. Lots of nasty strikes too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have a wonderful time in Paris! Take tons of pictures on your runs in the countryside. I’m sure everyone of your followers would agree, we would love to see them :) Safe travels!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Have fun in Naples! :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoy Paris and all it has to offer and arrive back fresh for the Boston marathon.
Have a wonderful trip.
LikeLike
Thank you! Hope you have a great weekend and are able to get in some good runs! :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed reading your blog for the first time today. I am a runner and traveler too. I understand your decision not to do the race. I probably would have done the same thing. Enjoy your trip!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Have fun! I’m sorry you won’t be running the race, but your trip will be great anyway :-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Paris is the most amazing city! Be prepared to get your walking shoes on, in one day I walked 26 miles, you see so much more. Be sure to get on a boat trip, you get a great view of the sites 🗼 My aunt lives there and is running the marathon 🏃🏼🏃🏼
LikeLiked by 2 people
Have a wonderful time! Sorry to hear that you won’t be marathoning. But it probably is a wise one. Sad to come to that. But enjoy the trip!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Enjoy your trip and eat some baguette for me! Wish you guys could pop by in Dublin on your way back :D
LikeLike
Have a great run in Paris. I have a good friend that will be there running as well. She had just emailed me after the breakfast 5k with some great pictures. Wishing you ALL the quickest time.
LikeLike
Enjoy – it sounds divine!
LikeLike
I totally understanding your reasoning for opting out of the Paris marathon, but hopefully you can do it next year! I love love love Paris so much–the food is incredible! I stuffed my face with baguettes, cheese, chasson auxmands (pastry filled with almond paste, incredible!), macaroons, etc. Enjoy!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Three things I love: Carrie Bradshaw, colorful macaroons, and Parissssssss. It has always been a dream of mine. I was planning on taking a complete Euro trip in October starting with London, but it has been postponed ( for good reasoning), but still disappointing. I am from Boston as well. Born & raised. I liked the Boston Commons picture at the end!
LikeLike