Libertel Maxim Paris

... a nice lady on the plane not to tackle the RER (train into the city) with all of our luggage. Once at the school we met Chuck (housing director) who gave us our key, the metro stop we should get off on thats closest and that was about it. Angela and I do not speak French (yet) so we stood there with our mouths hanging open until we mustered up some courage at 8:00 in the morning by the way to grab our luggage and dive in.

The metro was a nightmare carrying luggage but ...

... planning to have dinner out before heading to the Moulin Rouge but the long queue at the tower had killed that plan so instead we grabbed a quick meal and then even quicker showers before arriving at the theatre just on time. The waitor showed us to our table, opened and poured our champagne before leaving us to it with a bucket of ice. Then it was time for the show! Wow and what a show! The cast of dancers and singers span, twirled and kicked there way ...

... elite, such as Hemmingway and Picasso - it is now merely a tourist venture - complete with the requisite Crouque Monsieurs and snooty waiters. The end of the week came all too quickly and I made my way out to the airport to meet Jenn. It was an interesting feeling being on the other side of that sliding arrivals door. Having not been in that position more that once of twice in the past years I felt myself overcome with a mixture of ...

... French restaurant went up to Montmartre and to the Sacre Coeur Church (via furnicula which I am now a pro a using) and I think that's my favourite part of Paris. I found the church and its history very moving and the nightime view of Paris is so beautiful from there it's actually very peaceful and soothing. (weird I know). We travelled to Switzerland via a very long drive yesterday and are now in Lucerne until tomorrow. This is my new Favourite place. It's surrounded by the Alps ...

... has had at a cool $30! (I must remember to breathe - thank goodness it was Fiona's shout). Feeling refreshed (you have to enjoy a drink that costs that much) we walked to the Opera House for a quick stop before heading on to the Gallerie Lafayette. This is kind of like an up market David Jones. Personal Note #1, Carmen: You MUST visit here when you get to Paris, you'll just love it - name brands everywhere! Personal Note #2 ...

Two of my friends in Paris commented, "Leona, when you're here, everything changes!" Well I'd like to think I was that powerful, but in fact I know that I was blessed with a soft landing here in Paris. As much as there was a strike going on in full force, it had quite a positive affect on me :) Stephan, Rick and I gabbed till late in the night, and after Rick made his way back to his hostel on foot, Stephan talked to the ...

... we never found. So either they don't exist or we just didn't have time to make it through this enormous museum. They say you can spend a month in the Louvre and never see it all... I agree. The next day we headed off to Versailles to appreciate one of Europe's most amazing palaces. It was easy to appreciate. The admission ticket we bought included a free audioguide which I have to admit was really helpful (the ...

... how Napoleon was the first leader in Europe to proclaim their emancipation. And we also discovered how so many Jewish leaders have helped incubate some of the ideals that the French hold so dear, such as the separation of church and state. Because of a pioneering rabbi who refused to swear on the bible before his trial, witnesses in French court don't have to do this today, thus maintaining a separation between civic law and spiritual law. Lastly, our museum tour took us to ...

... out, "Wow. This is a great idea!" And sure enough, I've never had so much fun in a museum. We walked through at least 75% of the museum, taking more time to linger only at the important sights, and snapping pictures of us imitating artwork with silly poses. It made for great fun. Here's a list of some of my favorite pieces: -Winged Victory of Samothrace (wow. powerful statue.) -Venus DeMilo -Hammurabi's Code ...

Barb + Shannon are playing tummy drums right now and Shan's being loud so we're probably gonna get buzzed on the intercom again and told to please talk slow (we had been told to "talk slow" instead of being asked to "quiet down" earlier). Anyhow, we saw both the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower today, pretty impressive! Saw the Louvre and the Seine river as well ...