A SAILOR GOES TO PARIS: WATER, WATER

Paris, France

You've probably noticed we have a hard time staying away from water, even in France. I read in a guidebook that Paris has a 105-foot waterfall. Really? Casey offered to give us a tour, so today, we packed a picnic and headed for Buttes Chaumont park in the 19th arrondisement.

The 61-acre park is a dramatically beautiful swath of green cutting through an otherwise city of gray.

It perches atop a hill with sweeping vistas crowned by the highest point in Paris, Sacra Couer.

There's a little guy on the right there for scale.

Then, Remi took us on a tour of another water feature: Canal Saint-Martin.

We've been planning our next adventure after Cara Mia. It surprises some, including our kids, that we perceive a life after Cara Mia, but it's part of our sailor/traveler/adventurer mentality. We are travelers first, sailors second (a close second), adventurers always. What we don't perceive is life without a boat.

Our plan, as it stands today, is to tool around in the Bahamas, maybe the Caribbean, and then, wait for it..... sell Cara Mia and buy a canal boat to traverse the extensive French canal system that meanders throughout the country, including the wine regions. It will be an adventure with a business element. We will put the canal boat in a charter program and/or conduct wine tours from onboard. Perhaps you'll join us for a tour? (Okay, you might have to wait a few years.)

Chip and Remi doing a little Canal Saint-Martin recon.

This particular canal was created by Napoleon to supply fresh water to the growing population and is controlled by a series of locks. Today it is mostly a tourist attraction and a lovely one at that.

Remi escorted us to a tres cool bar tucked way back in an alleyway, one we would never find on our own, the ultimate reward for hanging out with locals.