France

Ok, a little bit of travel fatigue coming on now, kinda would like to take a quick week's vacation from our vacation back home in Los Altos.....But, sipping a cafe au lait in a leafy Parisien square in the late afternoon and catching the sun's setting walking across Waterloo Bridge with London outlined in the twilight a few hours later can't really be beat, so we continue to enjoy all of this while we can. We are more than half way through our trip, 11 weeks gone and only 7 more to go. I'm dreading this wonderful time being over, yet will definitely be happy to be home when that time comes. And I can hardly moan about the last four days spent in Paris.

We crossed London with Bill last Monday on the Tube, and left him to continue on to Heathrow while we stopped off at St. Pancras station to catch the Eurostar train to Paris. Just over two hours later we were walking out of the Gare de Nord heading for our little two star hotel. After taking turns using the tiny, ancient lift up to the 5th floor of the narrow building, we frowned a bit at the small double bed we were going to share for three days, but delighted as we took the the four steps across the room to see the view of the Sacre Cour and Eiffel Tower from our balcony if we just leaned out enough at just the right angle. We dumped our bags and rushed out to catch a bus that took us past the Arch de Triumphe to the Eiffel Tower. We joined all the tourists snapping away trying to catch the symbol of Paris from every possible angle, and the sun was setting - so pretty. Then we walked across the Seine to go all the way up to the top, and we got caught in a downpour. That fast, the rain just poured down. On the downside we were DRENCHED, on the upside the the only place to take cover was a crepe kiosk so we were wet but licking our fingers. And the quick rain shower chased away all the lesser tourists so the crowd was minimal jostling around on the small platforms of the tower's various levels. Despite the frigid wind and our damp clothes I made the kids stay up at the top till the twinkling lights of Paris appeared: I was not going to go through all that and pay the exorbitant fee to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower and miss that romantic view, even if it was with two whiny kids. The most amazing thing about the tower? - there is a toilet on the top level. I made the kids go to the bathroom, and stay a good long time so they could keep warm in order to hear them whine a little less. It seemed to work, and no emergencey potty breaks needed while we took the late night metro back to our hotel.

The next day were up early to catch the train to Vernon, and from there rented bicycles to take us through the village and countryside to Monet's home at Giverny. This was my dream, has been for years, and I was determined to make it out there. I apologized to Anna and Michael ahead of time for humoring me in this excursion, but to my joy they were overjoyed with Monet's home and gardens. We stayed much longer than I expected and had a delicious lunch in the village on the way back to catch our train. Back in Paris we had enough time to take an early evening walk around Montemarte, starting with the climb to the Sacre Cour. There was so much to take in: the high school students from at least six different countries, the musicians, the view, the kitsch sellers, the drunks, the beggers, the lovers, the Basilica itself. Michael insisted we had to get some bread and meat and have a picnic on the lawn that cascades down the hill. It turned out to be a great idea, and while there we remembered it was Harlowe's birthday so we phoned her and sang a rousing, loud rendition of 'Happy Birthday' that stopped all activity around us and we looked up to realize that one of the big high school groups (from Holland maybe?) was gawking at us screaming down the phone to Harlowe. Anna turned bright red, nothing like an embarrassed twelved year old!

After this late night I really had to drag the children out of bed for the busiest day of all: Ile de Cite, Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle, Louvre, Tulieries, Orangerie (all walking...), and then we went to meet our dear friends and one of Anna's best buddies from Cambridge, Elois and his family. Marine (Elois' mom and one of my best buddies from when we lived in Cambridge) took us to an amazing phenonomen of French playgrounds where the kids can climb all over the trees in a huge forest. After snapping on a climbing belt and taking a quick 10 minute lesson, Anna, Elois and Michael were off climbing ladders, zooming on ziplines, walking across wires and bridges between the trees - maybe 20 or more feet up in the air. Why can't we have playgrounds like this in the United States? There was so much freedom, confidence, trust, responsibility. exhileration for these children! Back at the Massoulie's home all of the children became absorbed in the worldwide child's virtual playground of Wii, followed by a wonderful dinner with their family, and we helped celebrate daughter Brun's 9th birthday. I had an especially great time enjoying delicious wine and catching up with Laurent and Marine.

I had to let everyone sleep in the next morning, we had been going and going straight on for days now. We had our morning croissants and took a leisurely walk to Gustave Moreau's house and gallery where we all learned a lot about Symbolism and this interesting painter's life. One of those small, little-known Paris museums that is an absolute gem. Anna had had enough of art museums by the time we left there, though, so we embarrassedly skipped the Musee d' Orsay and Anna chose to go to the Gallery of Decorative Arts instead. Michael and I waited patiently while Anna spent longer in there than I've ever know her to walk around a museum - definitely up her alley, all those design elements!

On our way to catch the train back to London, we stopped at a cafe for one last coffee and croque monsieur. Michael had to get a chocolate croissant again because they were 'so fluffy, every bite flakes in your mouth!" Bill had told him to try the crepes and chocolate croissants and he now believes Bill has the inside information on all the best food in the world.

Michael goes to my mom's and brother's in London today for a week's stay, while Anna and I head to Amsterdam in a few hours by bus and ferry. We're experiencing every form of travel to the continent, except perhaps for swimming or air ballooning!