hello glorious fall!

Standing at my mailbox on the street where I live

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower - Albert Camus

Last Friday the weather was absolutely fantabulous! Mr. Gorgeous surprised me - took the entire afternoon off so we could enjoy the last bit of summer, perfectly mixed with the first strains of Fall. We loaded Coco into the convertible and headed out into the bright colorful beautiful world that only Autumn can bestow...

Me, Mr. G and Coco with the top down!

Usually we're in Paris this time of year. Yeah, we're love jonsing for our beloved city with a fierceness! So we decided to go to a favorite spot we seldom visit - l'Eiffel Bistrot. 

The entrance to l'Eiffel

Though the appointments and atmosphere are perfect - tres parisian, the wine list extensive and reasonably priced and the food is to die for, we rarely go because this jewel is set in the midst of the ubiquitous American mall (frown). So there's no wandering down quaint treelined streets or visiting beautiful little boutiques like we do at our favorite state-side getaway (Geneva). But once you get past the garish shops and endless rows of parking and go inside, it's like stepping into Paris and we really needed Paris that day.

But even before we sat down, we felt at home.

Well behaved dogs are always welcome at l'Eiffel.

There's a beautiful HUGE terrace.

With an expansive lawn surrounding it.

The perfect place to enjoy the lovely day.

We arrived at the perfect time of day:

The terrace was empty so Coco

could wander to her heart's content ;-}

First Course: Lobster, Scallops and Shrimp 

served in a Pumpkin sitting on a bed of spinach - YUM!

We enjoyed a truly lovely bottle Bordeaux Blanc 

with our prix fixe dinner 

The wait staff, as always, was wonderful. Friendly. Attentive. And they brought a bowl of water and a grilled chicken breast for Coco's dinner - at no extra charge.

And when it got chilly, they put this clever little

outdoor fire pit close to our table -

- c'était parfait!

We basked in the sun, nibbled and sipped, made out a little (okay a lot!), talked about the kids (bien sur) and plotted and planned our next trip to Paris. We left just in time to enjoy the sunset on the ride home. Leave it to Mr. G to find the perfect way to get our Paris fix, bid adieu to summer and bonjour to fall.

Vivre! Aimer! Rire!

Temple