Monday in Paris

Bob and Kelly left this AM to find the metro to take them to Disneyland Paris. I stayed behind and hiked down to the Louvre to the L'Orangerie to see the Impressionists exhibit. It was incredible to be sitting in a gallery surrounded by Monet's Waterlillies. I've got some great pictures to load when we get to a computer that has more than two USB drives. It is unseasonably cold here but that doesn't keep people off the streets. And people are always approaching and asking for money - and you all know that DeRoy's do not give the appearance of money - actually; maybe WE should start approaching people and asking them for alms. I walked about 10 blocks down the Seine to get to the Louvre and the sidewalks were lined with plants and potted flowers of all types. in one courtyard there is a wonderful garden exhibit that will be here all month: Along this side of the Seine, It appears that the stores are limited to pet shops and garden shops and cafes, of course. Food is super expensive; even in little simple shops. My pot of tea cost about 7 u.s. dollars and the girls at the next table were charged about 8 dollars for a glass of coke. the wine is much cheaper. We pack up tonight to head to Beaune. It will be nice to get out of the city. This area is reminding me more and more of Bourbon Street in New Orleans - even to the point of workers hosing down the street every morning and people always in the street.

Gay Paree

Bon soir! We have arrived safely in Paris and are having a wonderful visit. Typing on a French computer is a challenge because the letters on the keyboard are in different locations. It truly is gay Paree here the the part of town where we are staying. Apparently this weekend there is a gay and lesbian convention and we are in the heart of the festivities! Yesterday we arrived quite jetlagged but Bob had us hit the road and we walked to Notre Dame and toured on a double decker bus around town. Wine is tres cheap so we try to have a bottle with every meal. Here are some impressions of Paris: we are the fattest people here; deodorant is not real popular, dogs are in restaurants, no one wears prints; even when you speak French no one understands you; the graffitti here rivals Los Angeles; and, it's really easy to get lost. This morning we got up really early (quelle suprise!) In fact the only place open around 8 was McDonald's. We walked to the Arc de Triumph, theLouvre; the Tuillerie Gardens and saw a movie being made near the US embassy about the Nazi occupation of Paris. So there were actors and extras all around: We took a bus to Sacre Cour and Monmartre. It took a while for the bus to arrive but luckily we were treated to the co,pany of a lovely couple who argued incessantly. They first came to our attention when the woman began shieking at someone across the street: it turned out that she was yelling at her escort: and then they seemed to follow us and as luck would have it ; they were looking for the same tourbus we wanted. She was British; he seemed to be American: it was the Miracle of Sacre Couer that we lost them. it , I went to a Dali exhibition and B&K went for more ice cream; Then it started to rain and got very chilly. So we jumped on the subway . We had just congratulated our selves on our knowledge of the city when we became hopelessly lost; We walked for hours in the rain in what seemed to be a labirynth of streets. Our 7 dollar umbrella that said "Paris" in gold print lasted about an hour before it blew apart: We tried to catch a cab but the driver wouldn't take us because he said we were too close to the hotel (easy for him to say) FINALLY we spotted the retauant where we had eaten dinner: it is called Le pticinelle - the pinwheel: it has mosaic pinwheels in the floor. I will upload so,e pictures when we find a computer with a handy USB drive: ( I crawled around on the floor with my trusty flashlight - but couldn't find the drive and i do not want the staff to think Americans are any stranger than the already do. Also; i couldn't open the door to the room or find my way out of the restaurant to the W.C. that was located outside the restauant) - so much for Franco American relations. Tomorrow B&K are off to Disneyland. i am going to the Pompideau Center to see modern art. e-mail me if this blgging experiment is working. Gotta run - i'm hogging the lobby computer: Happy Memorial Day from Paris!