WHO: Gladys Dziezic, 75, of South Dennis
WHERE: Paris
WHEN: One week in April
WHY: ''My friend Dominique Monteil wanted to show me 'her' Paris."
BON AMI: ''On a 2002 Seine River cruise with Grand Circle Tours, I met Dominique, one of the leaders. We became very close. She just turned 50. It's a lasting friendship, just one of those wonderful things. She called me last June and said she was in Boston. She'd never been to Boston or Cape Cod. I told her she should visit, and I showed her the Cape." After Dziezic finished another tour in France, she visited Monteil in Paris.
WHEEL DEAL: A day spent with Monteil on the back of her Harley was a highlight of Dziezic's life, she said, and the highlight of this trip to Paris, her 10th time visiting the city. ''Dominique was afraid that I wouldn't get on the Harley. We went out on a Sunday. It was quiet and not much traffic. We went to Villejuif, a little village near Paris." The pair visited Monteil's biking buddy and his family.
OUT OF THE WAY: After a day on the bike, they stuck to the Metro. ''Dominique had said, 'I'll show you my Paris,' and she showed me her Paris. We went to out-of-the-way places, and one or two that were my favorites. The chestnuts were blossoming, and I was amazed there were pink blossoms. The Champs-Elyses looked just fantastic. We also went to very small museums. I've been to the major ones. I'm an artist and art historian and teacher. We went to two places that were fascinating. One was Muse Guimet, with an Asian and Oriental art specialty. And Muse Marmottan in a private house. They had a special room that had early Monet paintings. They were donated to the French government by his son. Some of them were not even signed. To me, it was very important because I could see how he thought and how he planned his paintings and compositions."
HER PARIS, TOO: When Dziezic's husband was alive, one of their favorite places near Paris was Chartres, the Gothic cathedral and old town. ''It dates way back to 11th or 12th century. Dominique had never traveled there, so I showed her something, too. The other thing she did not know about was the 4:30 organ recitals at Notre Dame in Paris on Sunday. So sometimes someone else can give you new adventures as well."
BACK ON THE HOG: ''Dominique is coming to the Cape again in October. We saw that she could rent a Harley here. I have biking buddies and they're going to show us the Cape." As for Dziezic's reputation as a biker, ''my family and friends were just gaga. One friend now calls me 'Mama Hog.' One went to a thrift shop and bought me a biker's vest and another friend bought me a
To see other reader vacation snapshots, visit www.boston.com/wheretheywent. Send your story suggestions to ddaniel@globe.com.
