Yes We're Alive

We have not written in a while.


We're sorry.


There are lots of reasons - running around like crazy people trying to see a few too many sights, getting sick, deleting all the photos on my camera (they're backed up, thank goodness) and Balen's camera breaking, and general laze. However, we're back in business now and I'm going to do my best to catch up at least on some of the things we've done in the past couple weeks. 


Way back on May 9, we traveled from San Jose to Paris. We left at 4am and landed in Paris at 4pm the next day, about 30 hours in travel time. Along the way we managed to lose an ATM card (Balen's) and a jacket (mine, though recovered after 2+ hours searching in the Houston airport - a miracle!). Due to more volcano eruptions, our flight in Houston was delayed, which meant more time for basketball and golf watching in the airport, and cell phone time with family... all good stuff. 

Arriving in Paris, I was especially grateful for finding my jacket because it was cold and rainy. We spent our time there wearing every layer of clothing in our bags, but despite the rainy weather, we had a lot of fun, and saw many of the sights, including:

Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, Pont NeufSacré Coeur and Montmartre
Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore
Eiffel Tower - we went at night, and it was surprisingly clear
Pantheon and La Sorbonne
The Louvre
Musee d'Orsay
Tuileries
Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe
Markets - Mouffetard being my favorite (wonderful croissant goodness), followed by Place Monge

We stayed in the Latin Quarter and ate most of our meals on the Rue du Mouffetard - a wonderful place with lots of yummy food. We also indulged in more than a few crepes :) We also did lots of walking, which I have to say was a feat - we didn't have a lot of warm clothes and it was COLD.


We particularly enjoyed the Louvre, especially the sections of artifacts from Antiquity. I loved learning more about the ancient civilizations - their history, architecture, clothing, utensils, and the way they influenced each other. These collections at the Louvre are really impressive (and vast, like everything else) and I'd recommend them. It was also fun to see the artifacts from Lebanon (the Phoenicians!) knowing that we'd be there soon.


The other highlights were the cathedrals - Notre Dame and especially Sainte Chapelle. Balen and I have both recently read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, a historical fiction novel about the Middle Ages and cathedral building, so seeing some of the most famous examples was timely. The windows in Sainte Chapelle were incredible, even without a lot of sunlight.


I wish I could include photos, but alas, due to various camera difficulties, they'll have to come later. More to follow on Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel. Stay tuned...