Pictures from Paris (finally!)

In the unlikeliest of spots, I finally found a computer that is letting me upload pictures--in Sambava! Here is a sample of our time in Paris, including Peter in front of the Arc de Triomphe, me at the top of the Eiffel tower (bundled up--brrr!), Peter with the street sign to his mom's childhood home, and a real French market (so different and so similar to the ones in Guatemala, Mexico, and Madagascar), and Van Gogh's bedroom from the Musée d'Orsay. Enjoy!

Our second wedding Anniversary in Paris: foibles and Triumph

Day two in Paris was our second wedding anniversary. We had a big day planned. It didn?t quite go as we had envisioned.

We woke up late. (Dinner last night had been really good). We set off to see St. Chappelle. The line was MUCH longer than we had hoped. But we couldn?t put it off twice, so we stuck it out. It was cold, and if I recall correctly, a bit drizzly. And then just about 12: 30 we were informed it was closed from 1 to 2. We were not near the entrance. There was much grumbling all around. But we made it just in the nick of time. The chapel, while small, was stunning. virtually all the walls are stained glass depicting biblical scenes and stories. I had never seen anything like it .. becaus e nothing is.

Lunch had us looking for crepes .. and finding much more. Wine, prosciutto and mozarella salad, french onion soup, an entertaning waiter and crepes for dessert.

and Robyn helped me eavesdrop.

Then we went to the Monet museum. closed. The impressionist museum was unworkable because the weather was bad and the other museums closed, so the line was crushing.

Godd humored, we set off to the Eiffel Toweer. Another big line ... but what to do? hours later, after much shoving and hustling with other tourist, and braving wind and rain, we were at the top. We were so cold and wet we had to laugh. And kiss. Happy 2 years!

Then we wanted to take a boat ride down the river. We missed it.

So, off to dinner at Hotel du Nord. But that would assume we had the address.. we had planned to go home and pretty up first, but it was too late now ... too many lines. So we took a metro to where we thought it would be. We were wrong. So we had to beg a cabby to take us somewhere we could barely describe. Valiantly Robyn kept trying ... rejected three times before one guy took pity on us.

We had a great dinner. Duck, tuna, pork chops, kir royal ... and at the end of it all ... WE HAD NO DEBIT CARD ON HAND and not enough cash. Oh my. A fitting end, really. Robyn gave her driver license as collateral and we promised to return the next day.

Better to just go home than keep trying. We will always remember this one!

(Dont get me wrong .. it was great ... it was Paris!)

Rainy, Lovely Paris

Well folks, in so little time there is so much to say. I am writing, here with Robyn, from the Malagasy capitol city , but fear I will not even be able to finish a full Paris post tonight. And due to our camera being low on juice and good batteries being hard to rustle up here, photos , sadly , will be a bit delayed.

But I must still try to bring you at least some news of lovely, rainy Paris. We were only there 3 days, and it was gray most of the time and rainy some of it, but we will still treasure the memories forever.

Our hotel was on the left bank in the Latin quarter. It was small and quaint and refreshingly first world. Breakfast of croissants and coffee was included every morning. The main front desk host was the gloriously gay and multi lingual Edson. He was impeccably dressed.

Robyn's favorite memory of Paris, she claims, was seeing my excited face when we stepped off the metro and into our neighborhood. The old architecture amazed, and yes, they REALLY do have pastries, flowers and cafes every few feet. Delighted was an understatement.

The first afternoon went perfectly. We moved seamlessly from the Louvre, to the Tuliere gardens, down the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe (excuse that I can't spell French) It was cold, but amazing. In the Louvre we saw the Mona Lisa. The spectacle of people around her was almost as amazing as she. We also saw much sculpture that R remembered as captivating that she wanted to share with me ... and it was. I learened more and more last week how much sculpture speaks to her. We also saw crown jewels and Egytpian burials caskets. But you can lose a week in the Louvre if not careful, so we were away ...

On the Champs Elysee we were captivated by a showroom of tiny Peugot race cars. Robyn was surprised by how much the exhibit at the arc de Triumph has expanded.
Paris lay out before us .. and we were hooked!

More later ... food, snafus, art, mom's house, Robyns friend Roberto and our dreams of return.

But in case you are worried or curious ..
Madagascar is beatiful. Changed and the same it turns out, of course.
Robyn's Malagasy is coming back fast, though she wishes of course it would come faster

We set off tomorrow toward the south, and will end, with zeal, in her beloved northern region.
I am very excited, and so honored to have been invited.