Je suis ici!

I am here! Despite not sleeping at all on Sunday or Monday (brain was too excited) I'm feeling good -- thankful for small blessings like the open seat next to me on the flight from Liberty to Paris so that I could stretch out some. Thankful for getting to check in early at the hotel and for a shower and nap. Thankful that the cyber cafe is open since most everything else is not. Paris is quiet and everyone seems to be on vacation elsewhere. I guess even those who live in one of the most fantastic cities in the world like to have a change of scenery -- go figure! :) Looking forward to something to eat and drink, and walking around. No real plans, aside from Montmartre (to see if the cat man is there) and a few museums -- and that is the way I like it.

All is well. I am safe and happy.

Amy

Thank GODDESS!

I would write about the drive from Strasbourg to Blienschwiller -- but I'm not ready to think about it yet. Let's just say I got there and that the car was in one piece. Thankfully, the trip to Germolles went better. I am so happy to be here. Christian and Matthieu are wonderful, the place is more amazing than I remembered and all I can say about the room I'm staying in is that I think I gasped. The chateau is beautiful, and there is so much more to say but it's finally cooled off and I'm headed to the garden.

:) Amy

Je suis ici!

I am here and everything is going well. My flight from Portland to Houston was very smooth and Houston had a nice surprise -- no connection in Newark as I expected -- just straight through to Paris. I had nice seat companions on the long flight -- Eleanor (a teacher in East LA) and her husband. Eleanor had some great info on Paris to share so I'm going to check out some of the spots she showed me.

I took the RER from the airport -- much faster and cheaper than the Roissy Bus -- and a station agent kindly helped me when I forgot to validate my ticket (though he did scold me a little bit). I found my way to the hotel (only two changes on the metro). My hotel is in a great location! It's just down the street from the Ecole Militaire. I'm on the top floor in perhaps the tiniest room you can imagine but I can see the Eiffel Tower from my window! A room with a view! Imagine that! The shower curtain is rather amorous and I can pretty much do all necessary actiities in the bathroom from one spot, but I really don't care. I'm having a wonderful time so far.

Okay, I'm suddenly very hungry... time to find a patisserie!

A bientot!

Amy

Let's wave as we pass each other...

I leave tomorrow!

It's very exciting!

I'm still a little nervous about the driving, but I made it through two driving lessons and my first solo drive without crying. (Woot!). I have, however, told Christian to alert the rest of France that I'm going to be on the road, so watch out! I also heard back from Niels, our fantastic host at L'Orangerie, whom I'll get to visit with when I'm at Germolles. It will be really fun to see him and David again -- they are the definition of lovely people. Niels serves a breakfast that makes a non-breakfast person like me think that maybe breakfast IS the most important meal of the day.

My thanks to Rhonda and Kim for helping me learn to drive -- especially Rhonda, who handled the first part of "Amy grinds gears and burns rubber" like the most fantastic person you ever met. Heart you, lady!

Deb is coming back from Kansas which she reports is "very flat with no trees". Stacey returns home from Alaska tomorrow where she's been having a whole bunch of fun. I'll be taking off so we've decided to wave to each other out the plane window.

Look up tomorrow -- I'll be waving.