We returned from Paris and Brussels to the wisteria in our arbour in absolute full bloom, smelling heavenly, and also humming with hundreds of bees! Blossoms a bit of a mess for the pool but it is lovely. Our landlord did a major gardening job when we were away and now the pool is getting quite a bit of direct sun. it's gone up from 59 to 66 degrees so perhaps we'll get some swimming yet.
It was interesting being a tourist in Paris again....crowds unreal even in April...can't imagine what it's like in the summer now. Since we've seen everything we usually just wander and discover new areas to explore and of course go through and around Notre Dame numerous times and possibly head into Sainte Chappelle if the light is right. It was fun to go to the Louvre again and the Mona Lisa is a much better experience in its new room. I think they need to do something with the Venus de Milo like they've done for David in Florence...make a big space for it and keep people a distance...impossible to enjoy it now...glad I saw it without the hordes.
We had wonderfully sunny weather our last two days in Brussels and happened on some very old and famous brasseries which was really fun. What a pleasure to go into the Beaux Arts Musee and find NO CROWDS, NO LINEUPS... we knew the Breughels were there....fantastic... but got a real bonus with the Magritte and many amazing Reubens....
