TGIF

Sunday continued... We did enjoy our sandwiches in the park, but it was too cool to sit on the benches under the trees, so we walked down to the Seine and by the time we got there, the sun was out again. We read and enjoyed the warmth for a while, and then headed back to the hotel before the showers arrived. We tried a new restaurant and I had my first chicken of the trip. It was warm enough to eat outdoors under a canopy, and the restaurant served some of the best baguette we tasted on the trip.

Monday was cool and rainy, so we decided to take our free pass for the Louvre and make a return visit (we spent a few hours there seeing the main sights -- the Mona Lisa, Venus deMilo and Winged Victory -- on last year's trip). It was the perfect way to spend the day, because once we reached the Metro (which is only a five minute walk from our hotel) we didn't have to go back outside if it was raining because there is an underground entrance to the museum. We spent many hours revisting the Mona Lisa (and getting up close this time) and looking at Greek and Roman antiquities. When the skies cleared, we decided to head over to the Notre Dame neighborhood to a cafe we had visited last year where Ed had his favorite ham and cheese sandwich. We then walked over to Ile St. Louis for another cup of gelato. Yummy! It started drizzling again, so we called it a day and headed back. We returned to La Petit Tonneau for our final dinner in Paris and Ed enjoyed his steak once again.

Tuesday morning we awoke to pouring rain. Charles de Gaulle airport has practically nothing to offer for breakfast, a fact I wish we had known before arriving there with 2-1/2 hours before our flight. Our trip home was uneventful and we arrived ahead of schedule despite departing 30 minutes late. At least they fed us two meals during the 7 hour and 42 minute flight.

Overall, we had a wonderful time despite the weather. We certainly ate better than we did on the first trip. We also rested more, which we both needed. We saw a lot of dogs, almost without exception very well behaved (even off leash), but the owners need more training in cleaning up after their dogs. I find Paris to be much cleaner and cozier than New York City, with its narrow winding streets, and hardly anyone blows their car horns (plus we didn't hear any car alarms). I'm sure that Paris suffers from the same problems as other cities, but I wouldn't mind living there -- although I'm sure I couldn't afford it. The people were as friendly and helpful as last time (except for one Metro ticket agent), and we both found that "bonjour," "s'il vous plait" and "merci" go a long way in encouraging people to help you. Others may claim that the French are rude, but I find a lot more rudeness at home than there.

So, that's my travelogue. I hope you enjoyed it. Our next vacation is not until late August, and then we will be attending a wedding in Michigan in mid-September. That will be the end of our vacations for 2009. If you're looking for us, you'll find us at home. :)

Next up: Zometa on Thursday the 21st and chemo on Friday the 22nd.