Last day!

I'm so excited because my family is coming home tonight!!

They have a lot of adventures without me, but 'm okay with that as long as they come back home when they're finished. I think I'll celebrate by doing the laundry and making sure the kitchen is clean. If it's warm this afternoon, I might even pick up the yard a little.

THEY'RE COMING HOME!!

I'm All Alone . . .

I, like most men I know, have mixed feelings about spending time alone. We like to have a little quiet time without having to be a Dad, husband, provider, calling fulfiller, bedroom pickerupper, yard maintainer, or dish doer.

A few days, though, is plenty for me, and I'm gearing up for next week's big hugs. Until I can get them, I have this, my computer desktop. Thanks again, Jodi, for the beautiful photos.

I kind of feel like Joshua's questioning my every keystroke, but I'll let him stay. I think he and I share a mischievous gene, and I need a partner in crime.

A few more

Because I can't really bring myself to come home from vacation, and because I rediscovered photobucket, here's a few more good shots from Paris.

The Journey Home

All good things must come to an end, and so did our trip to Paris. We awoke at 5:30 AM to get ready and clean the apartment. That is the only disadvantage to renting an apartment, but it only took about 30 minutes and was worth not being in a hotel. We then headed out and took the train to the airport. I must admit that a train ride is much nicer than driving to the airport. The only drawback was the drunk man running around trying to keep his pants on. It is in times like these that I appreciate even more having a big strong husband to take care of me. :)

Everything at the airport went smoothly and before we knew it we were on our way. The first flight was quite pleasant, but what 45 minute flight isn't? We even got a little nap which is impressive for such a short flight. We then enjoyed a little time in Zurich, Switzerland and well, it is just awesome that we have now been to Switzerland as well, even if we didn't ever leave the airport. And the best part about Switzerland is that they served Swiss chocolate on the flights . . . mmmm . . . yummy! Security was a bit of a pain as we had to go through several checkpoints and even take our shoes off again. Ugh! But by the time you got through the final checkpoint, which was right in front of our gate, we were able to just board which was nice.

The flight to Chicago is about 10 hours which is definitely not something one looks forward to but is all apart of the experience. As we boarded, a couple was being helped out of wheel chairs and onto the plane. They were an older, eastern European couple that seemed to be the couple that no one would want to sit next to. So, of course when they were asked where they were sitting our ears perked up to make sure they were no where near us. To our dismay they were going to be sitting right next to us--to be more specific right next to ME! I'm a pretty tolerant person, but they (mostly she) pushed just about every button I had. I'm pretty sure if James had been sitting next to her the next 10 hours would have passed very differently. It is good that I was the buffer. She began by asking the flight attendants for cooling gel and something to drink. It only took those first few minutes for the flight attendants to learn to avoid our row. She finally sat down and settled in and it seemed that she would sleep through the flight. If only I were that lucky. I'm not sure if she was claustrophobic but she seemed to be having a hard time with the amount of room afforded her in her seat (and about 1/3 of the room in my seat as well). Then, the worst thing imaginable happened . . . the lady in front of her put her seat all the way back. Now we all know that this is something we hope doesn't happen to us but it pushed her (I will now refer to her as crazy lady) over the edge and she started hitting the seat in front of her telling the lady to put her seat back up. And I thought sitting next to her was bad! So, the lady actually put her seat back up. I was a little surprised but very grateful. I was not surprised, however, when the lady put her seat back again while the crazy lady was in the bathroom. At this point I wanted to laugh but used every ounce of control I had to focus on my movie. When crazy lady returned she managed to get back in her seat but began hitting the seat in front of her again. The lady in front, however, had decided to ignore her. The joy of head phones . . . you can pretend not to hear. But then when crazy lady's husband got up and went around she had no choice but to acknowledge them. She was not happy about it all but moved her seat up a little. I know you can't imagine this being a true story but I promise it is! Shortly after this one of the flight attendants became involved--thankfully! Crazy lady wanted her remote turned off (the one in the seats that controls the TV) which he, of course, couldn't do. Then, she wanted to complain that the lady in front of her because she keeps putting her seat back. He then tried to explain that she could put her seat back to compensate. Unfortunately, her legs were too short for her to feel comfortable this way, so she kept her seat up and the flight attendant told the lady in front of her that she could put her seat however she wanted. And she did. It was pretty fun to hear the flight attendant tell the lady that she was in coach on an airplane and that this is how it is. If she doesn't like it, she shouldn't fly. Sadly, I fell asleep shortly thereafter and by the time I awoke crazy lady had moved to a different seat as did her husband. There were not many empty seats, so they were no longer able to sit together, but I now had an empty seat next to me. I felt that was my reward for not telling her what I really thought. You should all be proud. It was crazy but with a few movies, a couple of short naps and a little Sudoku and even a little Tetris (technology on planes is amazing) we made it home!!!

We had decided to check luggage, so we could bring fun things home, so we then went to wait for our luggage. After a few bags had come through an airline employee called out for a few passengers. It is times like these that you do not want to hear your name, but alas, as the day has shown it was not my day and I was called. My suitcase was still in Switzerland. :( It took about an hour to get James' suitcase and then file the paperwork to have my suitcase mailed to me-hopefully Monday? By this point we were ready to be home. Unfortunately, we still had a 3 hour drive home. The drive wasn't bad but by the end we were very tired as we had now been up for about 21 hours. Then, about 10 miles before the Galesburg exit a car full of young people decided to play tag with us making inappropriate gestures every time we passed them. Did we do something wrong? If we did we did not know what it was. But I was just too tired, so I left my cruise on and ignored them. By the time we got home we were so happy to be there!

Michael and Joshua were still up, so we got to enjoy a few minutes with them. We were glad to hear that all had gone well. It is not easy leaving your children for a week, but I was glad to see that we could do it and all was well. Even though it was a long, crazy trip home we survived and are glad to be home with our boys. It was a successful trip and one I would be willing to take again-maybe even with the boys. But for now I plan to enjoy a normal week and then head out to Utah on Saturday!

Paris—Day 6

Six days are not enough in Paris. Today, our story dawns on two tired travelers, ready to squeeze the most out of their last day, but realizing that they've done everything on "the list," and their feet might be too tired for general aroundtownment. Yes, that's a word.

We returned to some our favourite places to grab a little piece of this or that, or pick up a souvenir or gift. We spent several days learning the best places for all these things, and we enjoyed getting back to them with some considerable ease. We're finally starting to know our way around the metro and the immediate neighbourhood—so much so that it would seem a tragedy to visit again and have to learn a new area. We'll keep this one bookmarked, just in case life brings us this way again.

We've learned a lot about Paris and it's people in the last week. Here are a few tidbits:

• The clean the streets in the early hours of the morning, and they're always wet when we leave in the morning. This clean, shining pavement gives the impression that a light, clean rain sweeps through each morning to freshen things and help greet the morning.
• There is bread everywhere, and these people love it. We found a place nearby with a killer baguette (and pain au chocolat, and palmier . . .) that we've enjoyed these many days. Our first try was actually only acceptable, so we were glad to find a replacement.
• For food in general, you'll rarely find something bad, but there are levels to everything. If you do a little research, you'll find stuff that's just that much better, and rarely costs much more than it's also-ran counterparts.
• Contrary to what I've heard, the French really do like it when you try to speak French. Of course, they'll often rattle off a French response, but some will smile when you speak in broken, anglo-tinted French, then respond to your querie in English because they know that even though you can speak it, you likely won't understand it when zipped through in response.
• There's a common notion that the French are rude and intolerant, but I've permanently placed my opinion in the opposite camp. My observations this week lead me to believe that the French are patient, accommodating, and kind, and that Americans are rude, intolerant, and impose their ideas universally on the world at large and the individuals around them.
• Parisians tend to run into you if you're in the way. It generally only happens in large crowds at busy times, but when someone needs to move forward, get out of the way. Sometimes you'll get a muffled, "pardon," but normally not.
• Personal interaction is important to the people here. Only in the largest stores will you ever walk in and not be greeted with a kind "bonjour" or "bon soir." And they always, always, always tell you "merci, au revoir" when you leave. There are always opportunities to talk with people, and I've regretted my lack of language skills when presented with such opportunities.
• Big cities are awesome and varied, and Paris is no exception. I learned, for example, that I love Lebanese cuisine, and I learned that while on vacation in Paris. I wish I lived closer to a big city so I could enjoy the variety of life and world culture that exists in such places.

Maybe I'll add more later, but reflecting on the week really makes we wish we weren't leaving in the morning.

Paris—Day 5

Today was a Parisian day, plain and simple. We didn't go anywhere tourist-y, we shopped at normal stores, and we had an incredible time doing it. No fun photos, just great memories and great weather and tons of fun. We slept in, ate last night's leftover baguette smeared with crème fraîche with eggs for breakfast, and wandered down Rue Rivoli looking for fun places to explore and enjoy. We found them, and even tried on some clothes, which we were both afraid to do because let me tell you—these Parisians are skinny. Like SKINNY skinny. And they wear tight clothes.

We were, however, able to find some fun things that looked great on us and had some good laughs as we grew steadily more hungry. We found a place with linen on sale and a great place to buy the world's best chocolate in bulk, which we did not buy, despite my great hankering to do so. Liz asked for a bottle of water all by herself at a shop, and I was so proud of her! It was a double win—Liz gains independence, and I don't have to order everything for her!

She had panini, and I got something at the Lebanese place again, which might be my new favourite thing in the whole wide world. We found L'Atelier au Chocolat, one of the finest candy makers in the city, and let me tell you something about Rocher—amazing. Those little Ferrerro things you get in the grocery store and nothing compared to the real thing, which are at least twice as large, and 143,721 times more delicious. I will learn to make them. soon.

We stopped home for a potty break, and I realized that we were about to miss the last chance at a market I wanted to visit, so we ran like mad for the Eiffel Tower area, and made it with 1/2 hour to spare. Unfortunately, markets close up early in Paris, so we missed it, so we sat on a park bench nearby and planned our next move. We decided to return to the area near our hotel from earlier in the week, and wandered through the antique shops, although I think they were less vibrant than usual because of the colder afternoon. We enjoyed time and talk as we wandered through the streets on the way home, although one of the stores I wanted to visit was closed.

We're learning that we like living here, at least for a week, but we're going to need better shoes next time. Our bodies are starting to wear out a bit, but we've enjoyed the tiny luxury of our relaxing apartment to help stave off holiday exhaustion. Tonight was Liz chat night, so while she taught, I ran a few errands, and was even stopped to sign a petition by a man who just rambled at me in French; he didn't assume I was a tourist! It was so great; I love that feeling.

After Liz's chats tonights, we ventured out for our single French restaurant meal. I made the reservations yesterday, and we ventured over just in time for our 8 pm spot tonight, plenty hungry, and ready for some good eatin'. In France, the menu is a fixed set of dishes that sometimes has options for each course, but that charges a flat rate for the meal. Your option is to order from the carte (or card menu) at a separate price for each dish. That, of course, is where we get the term a la carte (from the card.) We enjoyed the prix fixe menu, and were able to choose from those things listed to make the meal we wanted most. We had amazing things like braised asparagus (the fattest I've ever seen) and slow roasted lamb shoulder, white fish over leeks, and vanilla custard and rice pudding for dessert.

Better than everything, however, was the third course—the cheese plate. Think of the largest serving tray you own, then expand it just a little. Then pile it high with cheeses of many sizes, shapes, and colours, soft and hard, mild and strong. They just left it at our table, and we helped ourselves, using knives and our fingers to gather slices and slabs that suited us just so. When it was time for another guest to enjoy it, the waitress came and asked if we were finished, and encouraged us to take just a little more. We decided it's the perfect way to run a restaurant: one waiter, one bartender, who was also the owner, and one other man to take our coats, interact with guests, and help around as necessary. I'm sure there was a full staff in the kitchen working brilliantly to keep us all fed, but we only ever saw three people.

One of the fun things about the meal is that our tiny table was up against a wall, and there was another tiny table butted right up against it. Shortly after we arrived, an older French couple was escorted to the other half of our table, and we shared the evening together, each on a different course at a different time. We chatted just a bit with them, but mostly we each kept to our own conversations on our own halves. It was natural, fun, and different than what we'd accept or expect in the states. It was a great cultural exploration, and with a dining room the size of our living and dining rooms combined, there wasn't much choice. I bet there weren't more than 20 of those small tables for two in the whole place. It was different, intimate, and a grand adventure. We were there for over two hours, and enjoyed every relaxed, beautiful minute of it. I can't remember the last time I went out to eat and wasn't ready to go within 40 minutes and wondering what to do with the rest of the evening. This was so much better.

Tomorrow's our last day in Paris, and it looks like we've done everything we came to do. Tomorrow should be a great day of fun doing a few things again, eating a few snacks, and having a dynamite day in the city.

Paris—Day 4

We actually arose on time this morning, despite our late night last night entertaining our washing machine. We are confident that no washing machine has ever washed clothes with the ferocity seen in our washing machine last night. Our tiny load in that tiny machine took almost two hours to wash, rinse, and spin, and to cap it off, we had to hang them to dry. Oh well, we're still grateful for the machine.

We got up early so we could get to the Louvre before the real crowds started, and we were glad we did. We still waited in a long, bust fast line with the entire Parisian population of visiting Asians, but it was worth the early morning get go. Apparently Asians are prompt morning people, yes? Seriously, we've only seen six of them in the last four days, but today we saw hundreds all queued up and ready for their time with the art.

The Louvre is, indeed, a spectacular palace, museum, and general crazy place. Visitors be warned: the map looks like, tells you, and does everything in its power to convince you everything on floor one is on the same plane. Don't be fooled, however, because stairs.

STAIRS.

STAIRS!!!!

My thighs'll be burnin' tomorrow!

Despite the exercise, we enjoyed some time with famous works such as Dear Mona, the Jocund:

Venus de Milo:A guarding sphinx:
A room full of hieroglyphs that you can actually enter:
and Hammurabi's code:
My favourite two however, were the boxing/unboxing room we spied on our way up to the exhibits:

and the Medieval Louvre, the foundations of the original defense fortress found at the lowest level:

We also spied the Opera Garnier on our walk around.
We shopped, ran up and down our favourite street, Rue Montorgueil, and did something I've always wanted to do: we enjoyed lunch at a sidewalk café as we watched passersby and enjoyed our Lebanese meal. I seriously need to identify the spice used in my chicken, because it made my very heart sing. Liz's falafel wasn't as good as yesterday, but it satisfied her (at that moment) unconquerable need for a little nourishment.

We also stopped to get some gelato and had an interesting experience that happens all the time, but not quite in this way. The shop's proprietors were Italian, and jabbered to each other as they worked, and as non-Italian speakers, we opted for the best method of communication: speaking in French. Usually people opt for English as the neutral third language, but this time it was French. It's good we weren't haggling or trading stocks, because my French could not have accomplished much more than ordering two gelato whose flavours were posted on them. Phew!

We took an early evening trip to Sacre Coeur, up on Montmartre, the artistic center of Paris for the last 150 years or so. It's not the nicest part of town, but it was interesting to ride the train out and enjoy the area on the mount. The sudden hill is so high that the top of Sacre Coeur is the second highest point in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower, of course. We snuck in to look around, and enjoyed some chant by the resident nuns there, but slipped out before the Ash Wednesday service began. We didn't want to leave in the middle, and didn't want to stay for the whole thing, so we opted out. The church, however, was beautiful, and it steadily filled with people as we sat for a few minutes. It was nice to finally see a church with people in it to worship rather than just ogle.

We wandered back home, enjoyed the beautiful evening, and made sure Liz had a pain au chocolate with which she could finish her evening before heading in for a relaxing night. We've been out and about a lot, and we've done most of the things we knew we wanted to do, so we had another moment of gratitude for the apartment, and have settled in for the evening. We've decided that one of the reasons people need vacations after their vacations is that they feel the need to spend the entire time doing things, especially when they don't want to just sit in the hotel room. Having a tiny apartment, even one that's not much bigger than a hotel room, makes a vacation much more like what I think a vacation should be. We'll definitely do it this way again.

This is a shot from our apartment's stairwell. We're on floor 2, which of course means the second floor above the ground floor, but looking at this reminds me how grateful I am to be not on the sixth floor in a place where the apartments have 16 foot ceilings. :)

Paris—Day 3

Today was/is Mardi Gras, and in Paris that means only two things: One, children in costume like it's American Halloween, and Two, tomorrow will be busy at the huge cathedrals. Needless to say, I'm glad we've hit the churches we really wanted to see before Ash Wednesday changes the simplicity and beauty of the Parisian churches. We hit St. Germain-des-Pres, where Descartes is buried, and St. Sulpice with its Fountain of the Four Bishops, which has beautiful Delacroix murals and which Dan Brown popularized in The Da Vinci Code. Most of what he wrote was false, by the way.

We also explored a little while at the Musée D'Orsay, which specializes in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. We reveled in the works of Degas, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Gaugin, Rodin, and so many others. It was a spectacular stroll through the transformed train station, and there was even a special artifact-based display on Gustav Mahler, the famed conductor.

We enjoyed a little Pierre Hermé in Luxembourg Gardens and had our photo taken at the Medici Fountain which was serene and beautiful, and surrounded by couples, including a little duck family around the back of the fountain in their own private pool. If you've never heard of Pierre Hermé, by the way, it's a good little Google moment wherein you can perhaps appreciate what amazing little pastries we experienced there. They are, perhaps, the best in Paris, and therefore the world. The best part is that we didn't have to wait in line as I'd feared.

The gardens were peaceful and full of real Parisians basking in today's warm rays, enjoying picnics, jogging, and leisurely strolling through. It is the largest Park in Paris, and truly a treat to wander through. There are so few tourists, and people all looked relaxed; we appreciated it very much. We did a little shopping at La Grand Epicerie, saw the haute couture boutiques on the South Bank of the River, and headed home for some afternoon rest. We got lost coming out of the metro station, but with a little brave exploration, we found that it was a great station exit, quite close to our apartment.

We ran out for some falafel at the famous L'As du Falafel, and it was Liz's first. We both enjoyed it immensely, and wandered over to the Picasso museum which was, of course, closed until next year for renovations. On the plus side, however, much of its contents is on tour around the world, so look for it visiting at a museum near you.

We made some nice mushroom three cheese pasta with tomato and roquette and enjoyed it with what was one year voted the best baguette in Paris. They hold a competition every year, so the prize constantly changes. I tell you what—that was an amazing baguette; I'm glad we got another for breakfast.

Today was a fresh 60˚, so we planned to return to the Eiffel Tower tonight. A friend of mine suggested that going up the tower often seems a let-down because when you look out at Paris, you can't see the Eiffel Tower. To counteract that tentative disappointment, we planned an evening trip so we could see the city lights at their best. It was spectacular, and I highly suggest it to anyone who might consider it! It was so glorious to gaze upon the city of lights from the highest point in the city, and sneak a kiss or two with the love of my life.

Paris—Day 2

And what a day it has been! We started the day with a croissant and pain au chocolat while Liz checked email and I blogged about yesterday. We checked out of our hotel, then began our leisurely walk toward our apartment to meet our landlord. We lugged our rolling suitcases behind us, and we didn't mind one bit as they clattered along, sometimes on concrete, sometimes on brick, sometimes on cobbles. It reminded me of a year ago as Justin, Jodi, Jaime, Liz and I wandered aimlessly through the streets of Shanghai hoping to find a hotel that would allow 5 foreigners for the night. We were glad to know where we were going and that a nice warm space would be there for us when we arrived.

We needed to buy a new flat iron for Liz after our faith in our voltage converter was rewarded with popping, crackling, melting, a little fear on my part, and some angry tears on Liz's part, so we stopped at BHV, one of the most unique megastores I've ever experienced, and marveled at seven floors of designer brands, clothing, parfum, art supplies, cookware, home electrics, electronics, and just about everything else you can imagine, including off-brands, store brands, and the best names in just about everything. It's what I think Saks Fifth Avenue would look like if it was acquired by WalMart, which , of course, it might be some day, which would be great, because I'd love to have a neighbourhood BHV.

We met our landlord, a wonderful woman named Laurence, and settled into our beautiful little apartment. You can see the interior and the courtyard here.

We then set out for a day of adventure. This was the coldest day of the week, which we had initially planned to spend at the Louvre, but we got a late start, so we'll plan that for another cold(-ish) day.

Instead of spending the day wandering leisurely through the great art of the world, we huddled together in a line along the North face of Notre Dame praying that the wind and the cold would not steal away our very souls. An hour and a half later, we ascended the spiral staircase of the North tower. It was narrow, and hundreds of steps, but we got not only exercise, but also beautiful views of the city in all directions. It was fun to see Paris laid out in every direction without the hindrance of six-story buildings. We could Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, The Eiffel Tower, and the Pantheon, and it made Paris feel rather small.

We also gazed upon the gargoyles that guard the Cathedral and had a nice private moment with the Grand Bell of the tower. We descended the opposite tower, and were relieved to feel the sun on our faces as we finally emerged at the bottom. We took a quick turn inside the great gothic cathedral, then set off for more adventure.

We headed South off the island and found ourselves at the Pantheon. We didn't pay the 8€ each admission to wander around inside, but we understand that it's the place where M. Foucault proved that the earth was revolving using his now famous pendulum, which is still there. We wandered toward Rue St. Michel, Liz bought a scarf that makes her look like a movie star, took some photos, wandered through the flower market, and checked out the Palace of Justice and L'Église-Saint Chappelle within its walls. We paused for photos on Pont St. Michel, then headed for home.

We stopped for a moment because we saw this awesome structure, Le Tour-St. Jacques, which is the remnants of a church that used to be on this site. It was a meeting place for pilgrims of all nationalities since the tenth century, and it has a statue of Pascal at the base. It was cool.

We popped home for a quick rest and foot rub, then headed to MORA, a cooking supply store not far from here to see about finding a crepe pan. Well, the good crepe pans are worth the €, but they are heavy, so I'll have to determine whether I'm able to get one home. I did grab a few little kitchen goodies, though. Interestingly, at the store, you go to one counter where they ring up your purchases, then hand you a receipt. You take the receipt to the register where you pay, then when you return to the first counter, your items are wrapped, bagged, and ready to go. Very efficient, and a great service, in my opinion.

We enjoyed dinner in, just a baguette with roast pork from the charcuterie, some stinky cheese, and roquette, which I think is similar to/the same as arugula. It was a good dinner, but definitely some new flavours for us; we were glad to have bread and pork to fall back on. Liz has a little work to do tonight, so we're in for the evening, and glad to be resting. Vacation should involve rest, no?

Paris—Nous sommes arrivés!

We made it! The day was extra long, with a leisurely afternoon at the Montreal airport, but if I’m going to be stuck in an International terminal, that’s a pretty good one to choose. The flight was full, uneventful, and we arrived in Paris around 8:30 in the morning. By the time we got our luggage and found our way into the city, it was coming on 11, so we dropped our luggage at the hotel, then set out so as not to miss a thing on our first day in Paris.

Our first purchase in Paris was our train tickets, of course, but our second was les macarons, a little meringue sandwich cookie that’s all the rage here and, well, everywhere else too. We both tried chocolate, and I ventured bravely with a rose flavoured one. Initial reaction? It tastes like perfume, but I think I could get used to it. They were like nothing I’ve ever had before, both taste and texture, and were an excellent introduction to culinary France. Liz tried to capture my “this is so good I could die” face, but every shot ended up looking like “this tastes like a toddler’s diaper,” so I’m not including them here. Apparently I need to work on my expressive faces.

Because we couldn’t check into our hotel until after 1, we wandered down Rue de Rivoli, and watched thousands of people running the Paris half-marathon. This is the third time I’ve been on vacation and run into a marathon: Rome, Madison, and now Paris. Perhaps I should stop watching and starting running the first mile and collapsing on the ladies serving water and bananas. We’ll see.

We hopped on the metro and headed for the Louvre, because we thought it would be a great way to spend a Sunday that wouldn’t require too much mental exertion on our part. Unfortunately, the first Sunday of the month is Free Admission to the Louvre day, and the half-kilometer line was not moving at an inviting pace. So, we took some photos, then headed to the Eiffel Tower.

By this time we were exhausted and realized that we didn’t really want to do anything but take a nap, so we opted not to go up the tower today, but we’ll definitely do it another day this week, perhaps even at night so we can see the City of Lights in all its splendor. I don’t think we’ll be taking the stairs, but you never know what might happen when you combine my thirst for adventure with Liz’s ever-present thrift.

Because we were on that side of town, we popped over to the Arc de Triomphe, then got on the train back to the hotel. We split a baguette sandwich with chicken, then settled in for a one hour power nap that turned into a glorious three hour (or more!) siesta and awoke refreshed and ready for evening adventure.

Of course, evening adventure consisted mostly of a leisurely dinner of les sandwichs at the same café where we bought our lunch, and a stroll down to Le Bastille, where there is no prison, because it was torn down in the revolution, but there is shiny new opera house and a monument to the citizens who died in the later revolts of 1830. Many of them are buried in a crypt below the monument, which now sits center in one of Paris’s massive traffic roundabouts.

So, there's day one. More tomorrow!

Swimming Lesson

Michael and Joshua have been taking swimming lessons for over a year now and love it. But poor Jacob has been left out because the homeschool class is for 6 and older. Some of the moms have talked about trying to put together a class for the younger kids but we haven't had enough interested to get the class going until now. So, now Jacob gets to take lessons right before the older boys' class. It is perfect timing and he gets to enjoy swimming with his friends. Here are some fun pics that I just had to post! Oh, and in case you didn't notice he looks just like all of his friends. It is the cutest thing ever!

On the first day Jacob jumped right off the diving board but went under pretty far, so he was a little more hesitant this time. Other than that he has loved it and will hopefully be a swimmer before we know it!