We did something in Paris this time around that we have never done before. We explored fashion. Not shopping, because I despise shopping, but via museums. First was the Palais Galliera, where we wandered through an exhibition titled Fashion on the Move. We spent more time than intended because it was so fascinating. For instance, this was what one wore for cycling around 1900.

My other favorite was a tailored suit. Invented in Great Britain in the 1880s, the suit was very popular. But just before World War One, women began using the tailored suit for recreational activities. You see, women at the time had taken up a form of power walking the French called “footing,” and this was considered the most appropriate clothing for such an activity.

Yep, nothing says, “Let’s go for a workout,” like a nice blue suit.

Next up was La Galerie Dior. This was definitely a hot ticket. The line stretched halfway down the block. Luckily, we had a reservation so were led right in, once Robert was able to locate the electronic confirmation on his phone, which spent much of the time in France being exceedingly unhelpful.

Once inside, we came to a screeching halt. Before us was a towering entry of glowing perfection. Small Dior creations in every color. Everyone had the same reaction – wide eyes and big smiles. Men, women, and children united in fashion euphoria.

Here’s a shot of just a couple of levels.

There was so much to see and so many beautiful things, it was overwhelming. I wanted one of everything.

One of the most interesting things was a brief explanation of the fashion design process. We stood in a room surrounded by white clothes as the young man told us how designs are sketched, then cut into patterns, then something like a white muslin is used to create the form. From there, they try different fabrics and textures to determine what will best suit the vision they have in mind.

The following day was The Louvre. Since it was Robert’s birthday, he got to pick his wing, and he chose his favorite, the Richelieu. We couldn’t resist a silly photo.

(Seems this fellow wanted to borrow Robert’s phone.)

After seeing enough statues to fill a museum (get it?) we wandered by the French Crown jewels on the way out. I didn’t get as many photos of those as I would like because suddenly it was as though every human being in Paris decided to converge on The Louvre and block our view of everything.

At that point, we masked up and headed through the way too crowded museum, making a beeline for the exit, which took a much longer time to locate than one would think. I mean seriously. Those exits are HIDDEN.

The following day, we packed and got into a cab to Versailles where more food awaited, but hopefully a good deal less walking.