Paris

March 15
Springtime came when we arrived in Paris. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! We dropped our heavy coats and luggage at our tiny hotel and set out on foot for the Eiffel tower. We enjoyed the warmer weather as did most of the French and tourists alike. The grassy lawn at the base of the tower was littered with picnicking families, playing children and couples in love. We took tons of pictures and then decided to do other exploring rather than wait the two to three hours it would take to ride up the tower. We have 5 more days in Paris to ride the lift. So we walked over to Notre Dame and sat for a while in the cathedral listening to the beautiful music and being in awe of the intricate surroundings. It was one of the most peaceful moments I've ever experienced.

We left the cathedral and walked the short distance over to Shakespeare and Co., a famous English bookstore where Earnest Hemmimgway and others used to frequent in days gone by.however, we could not get to it because it was being used today to film Emma Watson in a new perfume commercial for Lancomme. We watched for a while and caught a few glimpses of her. We then wandered over a few streets to eat dinner in the Latin quarter. I had onion soup, chicken kabob with fries, and a wonderful Chocolate mousse! We shopped a little in the stores and then took the metro to the Trocadero stop to see the tower all lit up at night it was so beautiful! At one point, Becky and I were walking through the Eiffel tower when the crowd made oohing and saying noises. Becky said "Mom! We're sparkling!" I looked up and the entire tower was full of twinkling lights! It twinkled for a few minutes and then stopped for a while.

As I lay in my bed at the hotel, I watched the tippy top of the Eiffel tower out my balcony window as it sparkled and shone while I drifted off to sleep.

I lay in my bed and