Joyeux Anniversaire, Cher Ariel!

I'm happy to report that Ariel blew out ALL HER CANDLES last night on her birthday cake, so she can look forward to all her wishes coming true this year!

Can't wait to have all of you guys for Sunday dinner over the next three months!

À Bientôt!

Le Musée Picasso Est Fermé

Today we got courageous and took the boys walking around The Marais in the rain to go to the Picasso Museum.

We were especially excited to go because we attempted a visit when we were here last fall, but the museum was closed for renovations. When we found out we were coming back to Paris for Study Abroad, one of the first things on our list was to finally, once and for all, see the Picasso Museum.
Well, looks like it was closed for renovations last year, then it was open this summer, and now it is CLOSED AGAIN UNTIL 2012!

Fine. I'll just go see the Picassos at the Pompidou Center! Take that Picasso Museum!

The reason I'm sharing my pain is that I don't want you to make the mistake we did and waste your valuable Paris time trying to visit (and believe me, finding it can take more time than you would think. I mean, have you been to The Marais)?

The upside is I found some really amazing little streets full of cool boutiques to go back and visit. I'm planning a trip for whoever is interested; we'll talk more about that soon!

À Bientôt!

Lunch at La Boule Rouge

Hey Everyone, It was great to go to lunch with all of you yesterday, and I'm happy to report (although I'm guessing you already know) that Mike finally made it to Paris this morning, so let the program begin!

I thought you all might be interested in seeing some of the photos Steve and I took yesterday, and we look forward to seeing you all (bright and early) tomorrow morning!

Don't Forget, it's Ariel's Birthday Tomorrow!

À Bientôt!

Paris Pratique

Hey everyone, how are you doing with getting around Paris? Are your maps you brought from home working? Well, even if they are, would you like a REALLY good map of Paris? If so, pick up the Paris Pratique at any newsstand. I bought it at the one across the street from our apartment, and it cost me 6 Euros. It has all of central Paris broken down by arrondissement, and has every last little alley and back street in it. It also includes a list of absolutely every street in Paris in alphabetical order, as well as a metro map. My only complaint is the maps are pretty small and metro map is too small to read on the run, so be sure to keep a bigger one with you or check out the ones in each Metro station. And the neighborhood maps in the stations are excellent too, in case you leave your Paris Pratique at home or just want a little more detail without straining your eyes.

Hope you're all having a great time, we certainly are!

À Bientôt!

Bienvenue!

Well, you all made it (okay, except Michael, but he's working on getting here A.S.A.P)! We're so glad you're here, and hope you've enjoyed your short time in Paris so far. I know taking you on a freezing river cruise while you were terribly jet lagged may have seemed cruel and unusual, but we hope it helped you stay awake and thus get over that dreaded jet lag as quick as possible. I thought you might want to see some of our pictures from yesterday, and I hope you got some good rest!

À bientôt!

Nous Sommes Ici!

We arrived in Paris on Tuesday, and have started to settle into the apartment, get over jet lag, figure out where to get groceries, and we've seen a few cool things too. We're so excited for your arrival next week, and can't wait to get our adventures started.

The weather has been cold, but we had some sunshine today and walked to the Eiffel Tower with the boys. Remember to bring a warm coat, but don't overpack. Seriously, I was the one telling you all how to control what you brought, and I'm already thinking of a long list of things I could send home. Really, the most important thing is a warm coat, hat and gloves, and good shoes. And remember, a lot of things can be bought here, especially because all the shops are having their annual after Christmas sales (or SOLDES). And if you're at all interested in trying to blend in while you're here, check out this great little article on how Parisians dress. I found it hilarious, and very true, even for the guys. Actually, I dressed in all black today to give it a try and had some Spanish tourists ask me for directions, the sure sign people think you're a local. I don't think they trusted me when I gave them directions to the Metro in English (which, by the way, were correct), but it was nice to be mistaken.
However you dress, be sure to be comfortable (I have a personal black fetish anyway, so it wasn't a stretch), and just enjoy!

See you soon!

Great Expectations

Now that our adventures in Paris are almost here, the reality is starting to set in, at least for me. Even though I've been to Paris several times, I find that each time I've visited, I've had a very different experience. The last time Steve and I were there, one of my favorite days was one when nothing went right. It rained A LOT, the museum we went to in the morning was closed except for one very bizarre, very French exhibit. Just before we got in to see the Chagall paintings on the ceiling of the Opera House they closed for rehearsals, and we were left at loose ends. We were still jet lagged, so we thought we would go back and try to get some sleep in our hotel room. When we were almost there, we changed our minds and went to the Cemeterie Du Pere Lechaise instead. The day ended up being magical.

This experience reminded me of one of my favorite parts of the film Paris, Je t'aime, a compilation of short films about most of the arrondissements in Paris. This section kind of sums up what I'm trying to say:

I think that you may be surprised to find that what you love about Paris may be where you least expect it. And I guess this is my wish for all of us, that even if our time in Paris is not exactly what we planned, that it will exceed all our expectations.

We leave on Monday to get ready to see you guys on the 18th.

See you in Paris!