Ok, today we were on the go for 12 hours, so I have a lot to say.

The day started off with AnneMarie's slip ending up around her ankles as we got off the metro. This is quite a sight during rush hour. Rather than throw the damn thing away, she faught with it all day and stuffed it in her waistband. The slip finally gave up and has been retired. I won't mention the issue with her socks - I will let her tell you.

Our first stop today was the Grand Palais, which is a building I love, but now I'm so pissed I may never look at it again. There was an exhibit in there that was a huge (like 100' long and 40' feet high) series of three black rubber balls that you enter through a dark passage (intended to symbolize birth) that looks like a huge nipple from the inside and like a black man's ass from the outside. And you couldn't touch it. And we paid 5E to "experience" this shit!

Thankfully the Petit Palais was much better, with a lovely garden, paintings, and sculptures. And it was free! That pissed me off for paying for the Grant Palais all over again. Then on to the Arc d'Triomphe. It is really huge, so high that I decided to pass on going to the top this time. Then we decided spur of the moment to max out our museum pass by going to a beautiful old mansion that was built by a Jewish banker who lost most of his family at Auschwitz. So sad... It is clear that the owner of our apartment modeled our living room after the one in this mansion because a picture of it hangs in our kitchen.

We decided to go to a perfumerie to see if we could get some custom perfume made, but she was closed for another 15 minutes, so we sat on a bench down the street to wait. We were sitting right in front of the Lithuanian embassy and there were security guys and cars with flashing list all over the place, clearly preparing for something. Finally, the ambassador, several soldiers, and a couple women came out and were quickly hustled into the cars and driven away. Taking a picture seemed like a bad idea given all of the guns. BTW, the perfume sucked.

Next, back to Les Invalides so we could see Napoleon's Tomb. He is buried in the basement of this huge rotonda and you can view his large marble tomb from above. Then, as if that weren't enough for one day, we went to mass at Notre Dame. There are no words...

Dinner (and dessert) were crepes at a cafe near ND so we could look at the river. Finally, we came home. I have a new blister on my little toe that's the size of my little toe. Fuck-ity.

One final post. We arrived home safely last night and I'm still marveling that all flights were on time and we really had no issues at all. Other than our bus challenges, which I only mention again because we finally figured out where we went wrong. The map clearly showed where bus 42 stopped, but we were somehow looking at the bus 43 (vs 42) map. Duh. How did two smart women both miss this? Honestly.

So I just have to write a quick note about the owner of our apartment. Madame Francoise Levefre is her name and we were completely obsessed with her. She is sweet and just a dear woman. She is petite, blond and blue eyed and probably somewhere in her 50s. She shared with us that she had married a black man from Africa and has two kids. She wears very African looking dresses. And she mentioned that she lives in another apartment in our building with her daughter and son-in-law, who is also from Africa. BTW, this means she owns 3 apartments in this building. More on that later. We met Gabriel, the son-in-law, because he stopped by every other day to water the plants on the balconies. Such a nice man. Never met the daughter. AnneMarie is convinced Francoises and Gabriel are a couple, but I'm not sure. If so, then all I can say is go girl.

We also determined that we were staying in Francoises's home, not just a rental. The place is full of her personal pictures, books, papers (yes, of course we looked) and all of her lovely things, so she clearly lives here when it isn't rented. We only saw Francoises at check in and check out because she had been out of town in between. She was sad that she didn't get to spent time with us and hoped that we will stay in touch with her. We also invited her and Gabriel to come visit us too.

We saw several postings of homes for sale, and it would appear that our apartment must be worth 2-3 million. Euros, not dollars! And she owns three of them! A home with 85 square meters is quite large for Paris, and all of the renovation she had done (painting the mouldings and putting silk fabrics on the walls) totally add to the value.

So, I sat next to a lovely man on the flight from Paris. His name is Isam, and he is Syrian. He's a doctor and lives in OKlahoma City. He was so incredibly nice and funny, and we pretty much talked the whole way home. And, he had the nicest eyes, eyelashes and teeth ever. And he's single and in his late 40s. I'm just saying. His neck was hurting so I shared a muscle relaxer from my flight arsenal, which he found quite amusing. He claims to make the best Hummus on earth and said he will send me some so we exchanged all contact info. Nice way to make a long flight tolerable.

So, in closing, this was the trip of a lifetime for which I am incredibly grateful. AnneMarie is awesome to travel with - very adventurous and fearless - we had so much fun. I probably would not have gone to the Eroticism Museum if she hadn't suggested it, which would have been a loss for sure. I won't be sharing any pictures from that one, sorry. :) Our apartment was a fantasy, and I'm so spoiled now. Seriously don't know how I will ever stay in a hotel again. The people we met were so cool, and Paris is just the best. But, I am glad to be home and will be happy to just hop in my car when I want to go somewhere.

Merci and au revoir.

Well, our last day is over and we are about to leave... sitting on my balcony one last time to write this. :(

Yesterday was a nice, relaxing day. We explored the Ile St. Louis, which is one of the two islands in the Seine between the left and right banks. It is very quaint with small shops on narrow streets and very few people, which was great given that we have seen the size of the crowds increase a lot since we got here. Had another fabulous meal at a tiny place (maybe 8 tables) that had beamed ceilings and felt very Provencal. I had onion soup and beef bourgignon and Anne Marie had a goat cheese tartine and coq au vin. They were each just outstanding. Way too full for dessert. Can you believe it? But, we did manage to visit our neighborhood patisserie for one last treat - these incredible almond pastries. I wish I could bring some home.

It has been great observing Paris and its inhabitant for two weeks. Everyone smokes. Everyone wears a scarf knotted around their neck. Everyone has earphones in and a cell phone connected all the time. Children are well behaved and men are very hands-on with their kids. People walk their dogs without leashes on very busy streets but the dogs seem to be well trained. Traffic is nuts - motorcycles, buses, cars and bikes all vying for the same spot, but it all seems to work. the men seem more stylish than the women - especially professional men who wear beautiful suits. Most women seem very average - no fake boobs, spray tans or teeth bleached so white they blind you - and they dress very casually. Some do prance around in high heels, though, and it amazes me.

We have met nothing but kind, helpful, fun people. The rumors of Parisians being rude is just not true. I love everything about this place and can't wait to come back.

Quick note about Thursday evening... It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

After guzzling a bottle of champagne, we decided to go on a boat cruise down the Seine. We knew that taking the magic bus (42, which not only goes by every cool thing you want to see lit up at night, it also stops on our corner) would get us there, so we set out for the stop. Unfortunately, AnnMarie's bus mojo has worn out (note: she is great at figuring out the bus map; I simply cannot get it) because we wandered for blocks before realizing there was no stop for 42 anywhere. When bus 32 stopped, we asked where 42 stopped but the driver didn't speak English. But, he somehow managed to convey to us that we should jump on anyway and that he would take us to a stop for 42. Once on, we stood up front and kept talking to him about where to stop and he kept speaking in some language I have never heard. clearly, he didn't know where bus 42 was either, and it struck me so funny that I had a complete laughing fit right there in the front of the bus. There was actually a little dribble pee. I finally had to sit down before falling down. Or causing the bus to crash, because now the driver has started laughing too. Somehow we got where we needed to go and I finally composed myself.

We realized that the last boat was leaving soon, so we grabbed a hot dog to eat on the boat and got good seats on the top deck. The cruise was so awesome! Started at the Eiffel, went down the river under all the bridges, past Notre Dame, and then back up to the Eiffel. About an hour. During which time i managed to slop some mustard on my jacket. But I didn't know it, so I had rubbed my sleeve in it too. Once I noticed, the harder I tried to wipe it off, the more of a mess I made. It ended up on my shirt and shoes as well. This caused another round of shrieking. I was just a complete wreck. Can you tell I'm beyond exhausted?? Anyway, as we were docking, the lights on the Eiffel started twinkling. This is about the 5th time I've seen that and it still takes my breath away.

After leaving the boat, there was a very loud party happening at the dock. This is quite common along the river - there are outdoor nightclubs all along the river bank. This one was playing YMCA and people (including us) were doing the arm things. I'm sad to report that white guys dance as bad in France as they do in the USA. I'm also sad to report that our bad bus karma continued. It took us several attempts to find the stop for bus 42, then we got off a couple stops too late and had to walk a bunch. Perhaps bus 42 isn't the magic bus after all?

P.S. I forgot to mention that at lunch today, the restaurant was playing a version of Michael Jackson's Billy Jean sung by some French guy who sounded like Louis Prima. So it was sort of a swing version. It was just ridiculously funny to listen to. btw, they love Micheal here; his music plays everywhere.

Well, our second to last day in Paris is almost over. How did the time go so fast?? I can feel depression setting in already. :(

It's about 5PM and I needed a break so came home to rest for a bit. AnneMarie and I each did our own thing today, and I decided to buy a ticket for the "hop on hop off" tour, which is exactly what it says, so I could just ride around all day and get off wherever, to give my feet a break. I went everywhere - I think I was literally in every arrondissement over the 5 hours I rode it. I met two fun ladies from Australia who are backpacking for 30 days across Europe and then on to New York. They sleep in youth hostels every night and share a bathroom and even a bedroom sometimes with other people. Seriously? Yikes. They said it's the only way they could afford to travel for 30 days, which I understand. Now, I'm way too much of a princess for that, but they seemed to be doing ok with it, so God bless them. We all got off at the same stop, so I wandered around the Marais a bit with them, toured Victor Hugo's home and had lunch in Place des Vosges. That is such a pretty little square, surrounded by windy narrow cobblestone streets that are exactly what you picture when thinking of Paris. Anyway, rode around for a couple more hours and I think I was the only one who spoke English. It was so cool! I could hear Russian, Italian, and some Arabic language. But everyone's reaction to seeing the Eiffel for the first time is the same - awe and smiles and oohs. I guess we are more alike than different.

By 4:00 I'd had enough so got off at the Opera Garnier. I never get tired of this area or this building - it is so ornate and so over the top. Stopped at Galleries LaFayette and Printemps for one last look around. I mean, honestly, they're right there by my metro stop. I just had to stop! These stores are the best. They are huge and have the coolest stuff. And there's so many people you want to open a vein. If you spend enough in one day, you can get back the 12% VAT tax, but you have to go stand in a really long line to do so. They can keep the 12% - my feet hurt too much. :)

The countdown until we leave is on... only 3 more days. :(   I can't describe how sad I will be to leave, yet I'm ready to be home. I seriously can't take much more of walking miles and miles and climbing hundreds of steps per day.

To ensure we miss NOTHING, we visited 4 museums before 3PM today! The Musee Marmottan is the art collection of Paul Marmottan who donated his home and his art to be a museum. This has the largest collection of Monet paintings in Paris. It is a beautiful mansion set on a park and the art is displayed beautifully amidst furnishings, so it really is like being in the home of someone who has a fabulous art collection. After being in Giverny yesterday, seeing Monet's work today was even more moving. They have a pair of his glasses that show how bad his eyesight was. It gave me goosebumps to think of how hard it must have been for him near the end. And he still turned out masterpieces. Incredible...

Then we went to the Baccarat Museum, which, of course, is all about crystal. It is a very elegant setting, with a red carpet that sparkles, leading you up the steps, while the biggest chandelier I've ever seen slowly rotates above your head. There was a huge ballroom with several chandeliers and it reminded me of the ballroom in The Sound of Music. It made me want to spin and twirl, which I did because no one else was in there. :)

Then there was lunch. Oh my. We had the plat du jour which was basically many layers of thin sliced potatoes with ham and cheese in-between (think au gratin) plus a green salad. It probably weighed a pound but of course we didn't leave a bite. Dessert was included, so we shared a lemon tart and an apple tart. Nithng was keft of those either! We can't believe that each meal is better than the next, but it is.

On to museum #3 which was a free modern art museum. Several Picassos and Modiglianis so it was worth the walk. And they had an elevator. Praise Jesus. Really done with all the steps.

Final stop, the Yves St. Laurent museum, which is in his design studio and contains a collection of his clothes, accessories and movie clips about him and several of his fashion shows. It was small but wonderful.

Tonight was more neighborhood exploring and pizza for dinner. More of the stores in the covered shopping arcade were open tonight, and they are really quaint, old-fashioned specialty stores. The street is also lined with vendors selling sausages, cheese, bread and olives. After a quick pizza for dinner, we could barely make it home we're so tired. I think we're in a carb coma myself. It is really nice outside so I'm sitting on the balcony watching the sun begin to set and the people on the street below. It stays light here until about 10pm so it always surprises me how late it is. The traffic never stops, even in the middle of the night, but I leave the windows one all night anyway because the air feels so good. We won't have cool air like this at home until November so gotta soak it up.

Today, Tuesday, was the best so far, because we spent most of it in Monet's garden at Giverny. Words really cannot describe what it is like to be there. The village itself is very charming - lots of stone cottages, roling hills with big trees, and artists painting along the side of the road. The Fondation Claude Monet is where his house and gardens are, and the flowers were in glorious bloom. Many irises, peonies, tulips, roses and other flowers in every color you can imagine. When you walk amongst them, it is like being inside one of his paintings.

The Japanese garden with the lily pond was breathtaking. We first went through in the morning, and it was a little cloudy, so none of the water lilies were open. Later in the day, the sun was fully out so we ran back before catching the train to see if they'd opened, and sure enough they had. There were all sorts of pink and white lilies floating in the pond. It was such a happy moment (despite the loads of the other people who were there). It is awesome to think of Monet painting these with his deteriorating eyesight. He created a place where he could paint the nature he loved so much, and I think he would be very happy to know it is enjoyed by so many people.

Ate lunch outside in a garden cafe and had a huge crepe stuffed with chicken and cheese. Yum. We stopped at an artists' gallery and both fell in love with a painting. It was a good thing he doesn't accept credit cards. :)

After getting back to town, it was time for a pastry (no comments!) so we stopped at a cafe and watched people rush by. After we left, we were almost on the metro when we realized we had both left our bags with all of our Monet stuff on the ground by our table, so we went racing back. Our sweet waiter (who went to school in the US) had seen them and put them away for us. Another example of the great people here.

After a brief nap, we headed out to explore our neighborhood a bit more. About 2 blocks away there's anything you could ever want. The oldest chocolate store in Paris (opened in the 1700s), tons of ethnic restaurants, food markets, and these really quaint covered shopping arcades, called galleries or passages, that are filled with little specialty shops. We had Lebanese food for dinner at a table on the sidewalk where we could watch everyone. It was the best food and great, fun people. We had a terrible laughing fit over something really stupid (a little drunk) and then walked around some more. AMC bought a bunch of khotchkes and bargained with the shop owner.

It's Tuesday evening, and I have two days to write about. Was way too exhausted last night.

Yesterday was all about shopping. Finally. You know how much I loved that! We went to La Marche des Puces (aka the Paris Flea Market). Apparently the web site saying they opened at 8:30 is outdated, because on Monday it is widely know to all (but us) that they don't open until at least 10. We got there by about 9 and everything was locked tight. So, we were forced to do what anyone else would have done. Went to a cafe, of course! I wasn't really hungry, but there was a basket of fresh croissants on the bar. Since I only have a few more days to eat bread,  I quickly ordered one. When I asked the bartender for some butter she said "Madam, there's lots of butter IN the croissant." I said "Oui, I know, but I want more." She just shook her head and brought the butter.

The stalls finally started opening at about 10, so we shopped for a couple of hours through stalls selling everything from vintage clothes and purses to beads and buttons to furniture and paintings and all sorts of glorious junk. I could've easily spent two weeks there. Total heaven. I thought the prices were even worse than 3 years ago, although someone later told me the prices had dropped quite a bit since the dollar was so bad (apparently Americans are the primary consumer of items from the flea market). We drooled over some cool paintings but the vendor was not willing to bargain. However, I did hit pay dirt at a vintage jewelry store. This lovely British woman had a darling store with vintage jewelry and after trying on everything in the place, I finally settled on a cool pair of carved coral earrings. She told us a story of a time when she and her sister came to the US, bought an old taxi in Seattle and drove all over the US (8000 miles!) until it died. How fun does that sound? She said it never dawned on them that driving through the desert without so much as water or a phone in the summer wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Before leaving, we decided to have lunch. Mostly because we had to pee. Let me explain something about the flea market. This is not a nice part of town, so I had very low expectations for the food choices. But we were desperate for a toilette so we stopped at an Asian place and hoped for the best. After ordering the plat du jour from someone who spoke neither English or French, we got these things that looked like egg rolls and were spicy chicken wraps called nems. OMG, so good. Then I got this huge plate of lemon chicken and Cantonese rice. It was outstanding. So much so that I ate long past the point of being hungry. I just couldn't leave any. And, the toilettes were spotless. :) What was annoying though, were the guys at the next table. They were talking about us, assuming we knew no French. First they said that since we were blonde that we must have been English. Then they were apparently admiring our cleavage (there wasn't much of it to see, but since French women don't show any, apparently any was quite enjoyable). Glad we made their day. :)

After lunch, went our separate ways. AnneMarie went to the Basilique St. Denis to see where all of the kings and queens are buried. Marie Antionette is buried there, as well as kings dating back to 500AD. They are holding a place for Charles V (who succeeded Napoleon) but he died in exile so can't be buried there until he is out of exile. Since he's been dead for over 100 years, not sure how that will ever happen.

I went to Sacre Ceour, or I should say I tried to go. When I got there, there were at least 10 tours with at least 100 people per tour in each. I just didn't have the energy to fight the crowd. So, I just rose around on the Montmartobus up and down these absolutely vertical and very narrow streets in Montmarte. These bus drivers must have nerves of steel. So, once I tired of that, I did what any self-respecting woman in Paris would do. I went shopping, of course!

Took the bus to the Louvre area, which is my hood from my first trip, so I could shop on the Rue St. Honore. Bought some chocolates and macaroons at my favorite chocolate shop, then went in this cute store that had really fun jewelry in the windows. The most charming man from Amsterdam owns it, and I sat and talked to him for well over an hour. He was saying how much he loves Arizona and we talked about real estate in Paris (no price reductions here). He was so incredibly nice that I gave him my contact info and told him to call me if he ever comes to AZ again. Oh, and I also bought two rings. :)

I must tell you about dinner. On the way, we walked through the Four Seasons George V, which is (IMO) the most beautiful hotel in Paris. The flower arrangements are stunning - these large glass cylinders with bunches of flowers tired together and leaning out the top, their stems barely in the water. As a matter of fact, the flowers are so gorgeous that the florist now has his own show on TLC (he's an American living in Paris).

Ok, so getting back to dinner. We went to the Fontaine de Mars, which is over near the Eiffel area. We sat outside so we could see the actual fountain it is named after. Really charming little square. We started with their appetizer of the day, which was a crab and avocado mixture on crostinis. I can't even describe how good it was. Just melted in your mouth. Then I had a filet with bernaise sauce and pommes frites. AMC had their flank steak with roasted potatoes. This was accompanied by a couple glasses of nice beaujolais (which went nicely with my pain pill BTW - my feet didn't hurt at all!) and a chocolate mousse for desert. It was our best meal so far, without a doubt.

Very full but happy. Great way to end the day!

We left the city today for the first time and went to Chateau du Fontainebleau. This required taking one metro to another metro in order to get to Gare du Lyon. After multiple flights of stairs and escalators, we finally got to the correct train track. The train was almost empty and was really nice and went super fast. We arrived in Fontainebleau about 30 minutes later. Then we had to take another bus to the chateau, followed by a walk of a few blocks.

Fontainebleau is smaller than Versailles, which is a good thing. Much more digestible. It is a royal palace that was inhabited by several monarchs and emperors, most famous of which is Napoleon. There is a Napoleon Museum, the Grand Apartments, and the Petit Apartments. We made the huge mistake of taking the Petit Apartments tour first, which forced us to follow around a French-speaking guide for over an hour. We were unable to understand most of what he said but were unable to leave the tour because there were only 4 of us on the tour, and we were in an obscure part of the chateau. Everything in this part of the chateau has seen better days. They were completely unrenovated rooms that I believe were intended to show the complete state of disrepair the chateau had fallen into after Napoleon's reign was over. Our tour guide was a very expressive Frenchman who went on and on in every gloomy room that was full of cracked walls, peeling paint, and disintegrating fabric. It was a complete shit hole. About half way through we were so done with the tour that I completely lost my shit and couldn't stop laughing. It was rude, I know, but I couldn't help myself.

Then we finally got to the gorgeous parts of the chateau. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) where we started the tour was actually the end. So we were swimming upstream to see these incredibly massive rooms with ornate ceilings, fabrics, frescos and furniture. It was amazing. There are huge fountains and gardens that we were in the middle of when it began to rain. But, it didn't last long and cleared up enough that we could sit outside and have a pastry at an outdoor cafe. OMG, have I mentioned the pastries? Or the cheese, bread and wine? I have eaten more of each of these things every single day than I have in a year. Given all of the walking, I hope it's a wash when all is said and done. Anyway, I just want to close my description of the chateau by saying that the entire grounds smelled like ass. Despite this, it was still an awesome e place to visit, and it was great to have a bit of a quieter day.

Helped AnneMarie get some money from an ATM today. This is noteworthy only because she never does this and was convinced her card would be confiscated. When both card and money were spit out, she was overjoyed, only to spend it all on an incredibly over-priced glass of bad wine in Montmarte this evening. We have bought some seriously good bottles of wine for like 5E (about $7) yet paid 11E each for one bad glass. Only bad thing I've had so far. All of Montmarte is disappointing now, actually. All of the charm of the painters who used to set up their easels right in the square and up and down the windy steep streets have been replaced by commercial junk shops and restaurants. Probably due to the economy.

The washer/dryer in our apartment is making me nuts. It is a combined unit that both washes and dries, but it seems to only like to wash, several times in a row. Everything is really clean, but really wet and really, really hot. Thankfully we can put things outside to dry. Tried reading the user guide in French and think I am doing everything correctly and it still doesn't appear to be drying. 2 more minutes till my latest attempt is done.

Have I mentioned the cheese? I'm obsessed.

Can't believe our trip is half over already...

After a lovely breakfast of homemade French toast with strawberries (thanks Anne Marie!) we headed out to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is the second largest park in Paris that contains a palace built by Marie De Medici who was married to King Henry VI. She modeled it after the Pitti Palace in her native Florence. The grounds are beautiful and there is a grotto with mossy-covered fountains and lots of big trees. Lots of people jogging or walking. There was a statue named L'Effort that we thought strongly resembled a guy making a big effort to fart. It appears that he has been trying for hundreds of years. Poor thing.

We shopped at a cool street market in St. Germaine des Pres, had lunch, and visited St. Sulpice church (made famous by the Davinci Code, forcing the church to post several documents saying it was just a story).

Spent the afternoon at Pere LaChaise cemetery. Sounds kind of creepy, I know, but it is very peaceful and very picturesque with lots of big trees. And lots of hills and steps. So done with steps. :(   Tons of famous people buried here - we visited the graves of Edith Piaf, Sarah Bernhardt, Modigliani, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison.

On the way home, lots of security cops on the metro. Not sure what was up but it seemed like they were looking for someone. A little unsettling for sure, but all was well for our ride.

Had dinner at a cafe (and we actually got cold sitting outside - no complaints here) then I stopped and had a massage on the way home in an attempt to help my aching feet. They seriously hurt so bad that I almost don't want to do any walking. Almost.

I always have great days on Friday the 13th, and today was no exception. Out first stop was the crypts of Notre Dame (not a burial place but rather history of the site). However, I was unable to stay under ground too long because of the Pan Festival being held in front of ND. This is a bread (pan) making competition between top professional chefs from various regions of France, and it was a riot! You could watch chefs making dough, rolling out the various shapes of the bread or croissants they were making. Best of all, free samples while being serenaded by two old guys who sounded sorta Octoberfest-ish. Very charming and fun.

Next was the Pompidou Centre of Modern Art. This building is way cool, with all of the plumbing, ducts and construction on the outside of the building and you ride up six flights of escalators on the side of the building to get to the museum. Now I like modern art quite a lot, and some of it was great, but some just didn't seem worthy. Like a string of christmas lights hung in a scalloped pattern on the wall. Seriously? But, lunch on the roof deck was magnificent. Ultra cool setting with a great view. And the food was even good.

Got lost in the Marais so took the metro to the Opera and was propositioned by a guy who worked in a bakery I stopped at. He said you're from America right? And I said that I was. Then he said "you should have dinner with me tonight. I'm a really good cook." When I said merci but non merci, he said "but how will you ever see me again?" with a huge grin on his face. Like never seeing him again would surely be a fate worse than death. The lady behind me thought he was quite original. gotta give him credit. I told her she should have dinner with him, then. And, all this despite the Birkenstocks!

Gabriel came by to water our plants and chatted with us for a whike. He is such a sweet man and said that everyone in France is so pleased that bin Laden is dead and they think Obama is the best president ever for having achieved that.

The Louvre is open late on Fridays so we went. Last day of our Museum pass. Hardly anyone there. A special exhibit of Rembrandt's drawings of Christ was there a well. Walked the Grand Gallery and took in the huge paintings, almost by myself. Walked right up to Mona Lisa without another sole in the room! That was so unexpected and awesome. We stayed until they closed at 10pm.

Must got to bed...

To finish up Thursday May 12... The day ended with shopping since Thursday night is the only night stores stay open late. Galleries Lafayette and Galleries Printemps are both huge department stores with beautiful stained-glass cupola ceilings. Totally inspires you to spend money. I know, I don't really need any inspiration. Anyway, bought two perfumes from this delightful perfumer and AnneMarie found her treasured John Galliano perfume she'd gotten at Harrod's but could never find again. We both smell really good. Then we hopped a bus so we could see the lights come on at the Eiffel Tower at 10pm. It is so touristy but I just love it!

Imagine upon waking that your first sight of the day is two guys hanging from ropes on the building across the street. They are washing the windows without so much as any platform on which to stand or place their supplies. They were rappelling down the building on long-ass ropes from the top of a 9-story building! I hope they get paid a lot of money. We tried not to distract them while taking pictures and gawking. Would hate to be responsible for them falling.

We waited in line for the Opera Garnier to open to see if we could get tickets for the Bolshoi Ballet, but they are completely sold out. :( So, just toured the opera instead. I say "just" like this is somehow a letdown. Not! There was no one there yet, so I was able to take pictures of the grand staircase with no one on them, as well as the incredibly ornate reception hall with no one in it! This never happens. Met a lovely woman from Scotland, Sandra, who tagged along as I was trying to get upstairs so I could get into the theatre. Every staircase was closed for renovation, so a workman told us of an elevator that took us right up to an open loge that we could get in to to see the theatre. We had that to ourselves too! Glorious. We were able to get great pictures of the famous chandelier and ceiling painted by Chagall. Sandra said "would you like me to take a wee picture of you?" in her charming accent that sounded just like Charlie's mum from "So I Married an Axe Murderer". When I asked if she wanted me to take one of her, she said "good Christ no, me wee ass looks huge in pictures." Apparently wee is a multi-use word...

Since every surface of my feet is now damaged in some form or fashion, I was forced to buy some new shoes. Normally this would have been a wonderful and much-anticipated task, but I was forced to buy the only ones that would fit my swollen feet. Which turned out to be the world's ugliest shoes... Wait for it... Birkenstocks. Now I look not only like a tourist, but a lesbian too. So pissed to spend money on these.

Next we went to Madeline, a beautiful old church that looks like the Pantheon with Corinthean columns all around. We took a short walk up Rue du Cambon to (taking a deep breath to compose myself) the ORIGINAL Chanel store. This is where Coco lived and designed until her death, and this is where the famous mirrored staircase from which she would view her fashion shows from the top step is. Needless to say, my humiliation at walking these hallowed halls in Birkis was almost more than I could bear, but I was able to soldier on. I'm sure Coco turned over in her grave. My apologies...

After racing to the top floor of the Musee D'Orsay this morning, to get to the Impressionist wing before the crowds, we realized the entire place has been reorganized due to some renovations. The impressionist paintings are all on the ground floor now. Damn it anyway! Unfortunately, the space they now occupy is much smaller and it gets crowded fast, but it is still amazing. After a couple hours of looking around and using the handicap elevator because my feet hurt so bad (oh please, you know you would too) we had lunch in the stunning dining room with the painted ceiling, large gilt mirrors and huge chandeliers. And the food was
good too!

Next was the Musee Branly, which has primitive art from all over the world. I didn't expect to like it that much, but everything was displayed so beautifully, with very dark lighting. The grounds are all planted with exotic plants from all over the world and they have this living wall where plants grow up the side of the building. It is really spectacular.

Wandered over to the Eiffel, which always makes your heart skip a beat. Neither of us has the desire to get crammed into a tiny elevator with lots of other people in order to get to the top, so we just enjoyed it from the ground and from the Trocadero across the river.

I walked so much my feet are swollen so took a long hot bath. The narrow end of the tub is apparently the exact width of my ass, since there was water in front but none behind! When I tried to move so the water could flow, the suction was like quicksand. I thought I was going to have to call for help. To top off my humiliation, we then decided to go out for dessert. After I had washed off all traces of makeup and let my hair air dry! Anyone who knows me knows I NEVER go out like that. But the thought of a crepe or some pastry erased all embarassment. At least I was clean, which is more than I can say for many of my fellow metro riders.

Here's the best thing of all. It is 10PM and in the office across the street, whose windows I can look directly into, there is a guy in a business suit dancing on top if his desk while talking to another guy who's sitting at the next desk. He's looking in our windows, too, probably thinking we need to redecorate. :)

Really having to fight the urge to rearrange the furniture in our apartment. This place is decorated to within one minute of it's life. Seriously, I think the owner was trying to recreate Versailles. But I digress...

Today was all about the Louvre. Our focus was on Napoleon's apartments, which took an act of God to find because this place is so huge. I'm pretty sure we walked at least 5 miles before finding them. Or at least it felt like that. Perhaps because I was whining? I can see why people take a tour with an experienced guide.

Anyway, Napoleon lived at the Louvre after Louis XVI (1890) and seeing his apartments provides a glimpse into what life must have been like in this period. Very sumptuous and over the top - the dining table seats 100 people! Do you even know 100 people you'd want to invite to dinner? Perhaps this is a short man thing. We also saw Venus de Milo and Winged Victory but getting close to Mona Lisa was not going to happen by the time we left, so we may see her another day.

Had lunch at a cafe across the street and then walked through the Palais Royal, which is being renovated, but the garden still provides a cool shady place to walk. Did a quick trip through the Biblioteque Nationale, which is a beautiful old library with a circular, 3-story reading room with a stained glass roof. We weren't supposed to go in because we aren't residents but I managed to take one pic before they shooed us out. Snap!

Then, the best of all. Hot chocolate and dessert at Angelina's! It is called Chocolat Afrikan and I'm not sure what's in it, but it is the most heavenly drink ever, served in a small pitcher with a pot of whipped Chantilly cream on the side (meaning, you can put as much in your cup as you want!). Dessert was a fruit tart for me and an eclair for Anne Marie. I can't put into words how good everything was. Is it wrong to be so happy about chocolat? I don't care.

After riding a bus around to sightsee while giving our feet a break, we decided we needed a low key night. Dinner will be cheese, bread, sausage and wine. If we can work the weird corkscrew, that is. Sigh...

Ok, here's a little more about Sunday.

The Orangerie is my favorite museum in Paris. There are two large oval rooms that are fully covered with 30' long water lily paintings by Monet. They depict his lily pond at different times of day - from bright morning light to darkest evening. It is like being there. Truly stunning. Also, there is a large collection of paintings that was donated by one owner. There are probably 100 Renoirs, Monets, Cezannes, Modiglianis and other artists' works. I can't even imagine one person having all of that art, can you? Totally jealous.

Then we walked through the Jardin du Tuileries (lots of people since it was Sunday) and decided lunch was in order. We had cold cucumber soup, sautéed ling (fish) with pimento sauce and jasmine rice, followed by a floating island for dessert, which is like a big soft meringue floating in a creamy sauce. It's a good thing we're doing a lot of walking... Next was a long nap for me while AC went grocery shopping. She came home with wine, diet coke, croissants and eggs. Love her! Sarah joined us for dinner before heading back to Germany, where we had a light dinner of cheese and Croque Monsiour at a casual sidewalk cafe where we could watch people go by. I could do that all day.

Ok, day over, very tired and very happy. :)

Day one in Paris is over, and I already have blisters. But, it is SO worth it!

Since we hadn't shopped for food yet, we ate a quick ham and cheese sandwich from a vendor in the metro while we figured out how to get to Musee Rodin. As we got off the metro near Les Invalides (the large military hospital with a huge gold dome where Napoleon is buried) we walked across Pont Alexandre (favorite bridge in Paris) so we could walk past the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais while we waited for the museum to open. The Grand Palais is one of my favorite buildings in Paris. It looks like a huge conservatory made of glass and green metal with a domed top that lets in lots of light. It is primarily an exhibition hall - lots of fashion shows are done here.

Anyway, as we got closer we could see what looked like a parade on the Champs des Elysses so we wandered over and noticed tons of police had blocked the street, lots of marching soldiers and a military band. It was Victory Day in France and President Sarkozy had just laid a wreath on some war memorial. He was just leaving when we got there so we didn't get a picture of him, but his motorcade whizzed past amidst lots of sirens. It was pretty cool, especially because it was so unexpected. Probably the closest I will ever get to a President!

Then, on to the Musee Rodin. Oh my! The outdoor statue garden is filled with his incredibly emotional work amidst huge trees so it is very shady and moody feeling. Of course, The Thinker is the most famous and is surrounded by roses and you can see the Eiffel in the distance. Takes your breath away. The Gates of Hell are very evocative, and the chateau houses many more pieces of his work. Dean, I was thinking of you the whole time and totally understanding why you love his work so much :) After a quick pan au chocolat (see, the mirror had absolutely no effect on my eating habits) and diet coke we set out for the Orangerie. More to follow later...

We're here!

After two planes, 3 movies, 4 Valium, 2 Vicodin, a couple of glasses of wine, and one really long cab ride through some scary areas of Paris, we finally got here! Sat next to a lovely man from Geneva on the flight from Phoenix, and I'm pretty sure I snored in his ear because when I said I didn't think I'd slept at all, he just smiled and said "trust me, you slept a long time". ;-) Heathrow was very busy so we had to circle in the air and then had to sit on the tarmac until there was a gate for us. This made us really late and we had to run at stop speed from one end of Terminal 5 to the other, which is huge, to make our connection. Needless to say, there was much sweating and swearing going on. But, we made it. Our bags were waiting at baggage claim (how often does that happen?) and once we figured out how to use the pay phone and dial the right numbers to tell our landlord we were on the way, we jumped in a taxi and 60 Euros later, voila!. we were at our apartment.

After four trips in the lift (2 for people and 2 for luggage) because it is so small, we met our wonderful landlord, Francoise (a woman). She is very sweet and did everything she could to get us acquainted with the apartment and the neighborhood - tons of maps, books, and brochures. She also lives in the building, and she and her very tall son-in-law (Gabriel, who she says truly is an angel) from Cameroon clean and take care of the apartment. We were supposed to pay a 200 euro security deposit and after meeting us she decided that wasn't necessary. She had looked up my address on Google Maps and decided that my house looked nice and therefore I must be trustworthy! Not that I'm not, but this place is full of so many gorgeous antiques it will be hard to leave them behind. It's a mix of classic French furniture and African art with walls covered in silk fabric and very ornate moldings everywhere. There's china and crystal and sculptures and an abundance of stuff to see (too much actually) but it feels like you are a guest in someone's home, which is very nice. Will send pictures when I can. My most favorite part is that we have multiple balconies with tables and chairs, each having a different view. The only downside so far is the huge mirror directly in front of the toilet, which provides ample opportunity to view your ample thighs. Perhaps that will inspire me to eat healthy while here? Nah...

Some friends from Germany, Sarah and Simon, happened to be in Paris for the weekend so they came by to have dinner with us. We got the last table at a nearby bistro and squeezed in for a dinner of St. Pierre (fish) and endive salad. Yum - very light. After a couple glasses of wine, the jet lag kicked in and I couldn't wait to get to bed. Left the windows open all night and slept through sirens and other street sounds for 10 hours!

First stop tomorrow, Musee Rodin. Au revoir for now.