Paris visit

Just a general recap of the week long visit in Paris by Mindy and Dawn. We saw just about everything on the museum pass including a few new things like the Conciergie. We shopped at just about every souvenir shop on rue de Rivioli, Ile de Cite, Montmartre and a few in the Latin Quarter. Oh and we took in the Salon du Vin with over 3000 wineries. We brought home plenty of wine on that first day adventure in Paris.

We had one excellent day of weather, the day we visited the Arc. We ventured out of Paris to Versailles and had a lovely crepe luncheon Breton style. We took in a walking tour on the day the heavens opened up. All that rain meant for a smaller group including a couple from Houston. We gave them our Paris tips and I guided them back towards their hotel. This gave Mindy, Dawn and Chad the idea I should start a tour business to help other American tourists. I shall see about that "job opportunity."
I taught the girls the basics of French. Bonjour, merci, une baguette s'il vous plait. We also learned some other French. Le Scotch for scotch tape, Le week-end for weekend, Le Patch chauffant for the heat patch. My french teacher told me today 70% of french vocabulary is similar. Just pronounced with the French accent. Unlike LEOPARD.
We got the cursory pictures of the Eiffel Tower (I actually have made it up that old iron lady a year after the fact), the Pyramid at the Louvre, and a rare treat the Crown of Thorns ceremony. It comes out on the first Friday of the month as well as during Holy Week. Notre Dame was all decorated for Christmas and they have the coolest Light show near the creche on the mural of the life of Jesus. If I get some time (between loads of laundry, french homework, and keeping warm with tea or mulled wine) I will post the video of it and our other tourist photos.
Yesterday we missed first Sunday at a museum but took in the marche de Noel at La Defense. A prep course for our trip to Germany next week. Not much to buy except sausages and food items like a nutella crepe. I wonder if Mindy is jonesing for her crepe or Camembert and Dawn her croissant. A plus tard!