Forget Paris

So I said I'd talk about Paris & here I go. . .

Disclaimer: Having read through this, it's too long and sort of boring, it should only be read if you are desperate and your other favorite blogs haven't been updated in a while. . .

The City of Lights--I never managed to be out after dark so I wouldn't know. . .
Baton Mouche--missed it this time but the kids went and loved it--having done it before I highly recommend it (it's a tour boat along the Seine--do it at twilight.)
Sacre Coeur--we warned the students (several times) about the guys that weave a 'friendship bracelet' after tying a string to your finger and then don't let you go until you have paid them and some of them still got taken--I call it poetic justice.
Napoleon's Tomb--amazing! What an ego! I had heard it was extravagant and monumental but this was beyond anything I had imagined--there is a photo of it on my website in the favorite photos section, it's the gold dome as seen from the Eiffel Tower. The photos I took on the inside don't even begin to capture what it was like. Having said that, it was nothing compared with the modest white crosses at the American Cemetery near Cambridge. Row upon row in straight lines that are so beautiful with every now and again a Star of David or a marker that pointed out an unknown fallen comrade, known but to God. There is a powerful spirit in that well cared for sacred place.
St. Sulpice--happened upon while looking for the Latin Quarter--didn't realize it at first but Mark remembered that it is the church in The Da Vinci Code with the Rose Line. There is a sign there that debunks the stuff in the book and says the P and S stand for something else--I forget what.
Latin Quarter--my favorite place for several reasons--great food being the main one. There is one corner with two shops & identical Greek menus--one is always busy and the other hardly at all--the difference being the proprietors. The one guy is always greeting the passersby with several languages and yummy samples and a big smile and the other guy just stands there looking mad at the world.
Norte Dame--still there, still charming. The gargoyles were great before the Disney cartoon, but the movie has made it so much more fun climb the tower and be standing right next to them. One of them looks like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.
Louvre--Overwhelming. Mona's got a new room and it's air conditioned--which really helps because there are 3 million warm bodies in there at any given moment. If you want to know about which digital camera to buy, you could hang out there for 5 minutes and see every brand ever made. I personally like the room with the giant paintings by David (da-veed) it feels so very French to say it.
Star Wars--Great fun to be there with a die hard opening night crowd--lots of cheering and a great time was has by all--too bad about the crappy dialogue--I thought he was supposed to fix that. . .One student went along for the fun of the occasion having never seen any of them and said "I kept thinking it was going to turn out all right in the end."
Luggage--by that I mean I've always wondered where the giant Louis Vuitton suitcase is 'cause I was constantly seeing fun photos the students had taken and I wanted one too--turns out it's on the street where Star Wars was playing at the George IV metro stop.
Versailles--still smells like ferret cage and the hall of mirrors is still out of commission and the gardens are still magnificent and I've still yet to be there when the fountains are turned on.
Eiffel Tower--always a treat. Super cold at the top (bad) but much less crowded (good.) The students flew a paper airplane off the top and it went for miles and miles.
Musee d'Orsay--one of my favorite museums. Made even better this time by an exhibit that was so whimsical and wonderful--I'll put a photo on the website.
Pompidou--the fountain off to the side that I love so much wasn't working and the main exhibit was closed so rather a let down.
St. Chappelle--stunning
Pet Stores along the Seine--walking along the river and stopping in to see the puppies and ferrets and roosters was truly wonderful.
I'm racing the clock to publish before we leave for Liverpool and so this suddenly has an abrupt ending and most assuredly typos and the battery on the computer is about to die so I say ta ta for now. . .