Saturday, June 11, 2005

Saturday June 11, 2005 3:25pm

It's been a busy last few days! We saw the Palace of Versailles yesterday, and it was incredible! The gardens outside are hundreds of years old, and just as they had been initially designed. The palace inside was exquisite, and perhaps a little gaudy, but I have decided that's just how the French do things. What they call beautiful, we as Americans would look at and say, "yikes! that's just too much!" (Except for Donald Trump...his apartment seems to reflect the decor of the French royalty) Last night, we had dinner at the Hard Rock cafe. I had a good old burger and fries and a beer. As much as I love Paris, I do miss home. :) Today we actually made it to the Louvre! I think it may have been one of my very favorite parts of the trip. I can say I have seen the Mona Lisa and the Venus di Milo, as well as the Winged Victory. After our two hour tour, we decided on a meeting place and I headed off to rent a headset and wander the Louvre. I saw Napoleon III's apartment and some of it's furnishings, and then went through the halls of the Italian and French painters. I know sometimes I get emotional, but sitting there among paintings that date back to more than 300 years before Christ and admiring the beauty of everything around me made me feel a little emotionally overwhelmed and I misted up just a little bit. I can't believe how fortunate I am to have seen the things I've seen. The French make history accessible in a way that I never imagined. I have walked where kings and queens have walked, and I have seen the very places that they were beheaded. I've seen the Obelisk that stands in the Place de Concorde that is over 3000 years old and came from the Luxor in Egypt. (This should mean something to Dan Brown fans) And even more importantly, I have met so many people that have gone out of their ways to be so welcoming and kind. There is a little shop on the Rue de Rivoli called Mod Shop. The owner's name is Cristine, and she was wonderful! She wrapped up all the gifts we bought there, and she even gave Kim and I silver Eiffel Tower pins as her gift to us. (We took her picture!) The crepe guys on the street like to greet us in their broken English, so we (try) to speak to them in our meager French. And everyone smiles and somehow it all works out just as it should.

Tonight, we are going to have dinner at the Mexican place we like so much, and then on to drinks at Fouquet's on the Champs-Elysees. Apparently it's where all the celebrities go when they are in Paris, so we're going to have a drink there to say we've been. Then we will walk the Champs-Elysees and see Pairs lit up at night. I can't think of a lovelier way to end the vacation I never dreamed I would have. Will I come back to Paris? Absolument!!

So my next blog will be upon my return to Bedford. That makes me sad, too. Just people watching here has made me think about how things are at home versus here. Here's what I have learned:

1. No matter what you may have heard about Parisians, they care about other people. Twice I have seen an elderly person fall, and there was no shortage of people rushing to help.
2. Americans get too busy to even say hello sometimes. Here, when you see a friend on the street, you are greeted with enthusiasm and a kiss on each cheek.
3. Appreciate everything. There is beauty where you least expect it.
4. If you say "I'll do it tomorrow", you may never have the chance, so do the things you want to do now. It seems that the French have figured out that life is to be lived.

All this may seems so corny to everyone else, but this trip has been an eye opener for me. I'm coming back a little different than when I left...and I don't mean with a funny French accent (although it may take a day or two to stop saying the few things in French that I have picked up). Life keeps reminding me of all the things that mean the most, so I can't wait to hug each and every one of my friends and family when I get back. I love you all and I will be home tomorrow.

Love,
Jennifer

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