The Last Train to Paradise

Monday, June 9

We're catching our last train!  This is something to celebrate as the lugging 
luggage through train stations is almost over!!

Today we travel in style...first class on a TGV, or bullet train. Traveling at 
speeds of 180 to 200 mph, we speed from the south of France to Paris in 2 1/2 
hours.  I love Paris's love of beauty...and it starts at the train 
station...even the gare/train station is striking. 

After checking in, we head to the Eiffel Tower and enjoy this awe inspiring 
sight. We see several brides and grooms on the grounds capturing the perfect 
memorable moment. Then we head off via the Metro. We face the daunting Metro and 
arrive at our destination unscathed...and without getting lost!  Go us!

We walk around Notre Dame and note the fabulous engineering of this marvel. Then 
we check out the Latin Quarter and have dinner at an outdoor cafe. We sit and 
people watch while enjoying our meal. We're really in Paris!!

We head back to the Eiffel Tower (it's near our hotel) to enjoy this icon in its 
lit beauty. While we're taking 5000 photographs we notice it's starting to 
rain....no, it's starting to pour....oh, thunder and lightening!  Maybe we can 
get the perfect photo with a lightening strike behind the tower! (Or maybe we 
should head for cover?!?)

We're quickly getting soaked and the umbrella that I had brought for just such 
an emergency has been claimed by Larry to protect his camera. Fortunately Jacque 
and I have hoods on our jackets. But John is not so lucky...so he adapts. He 
wraps Jacque's orange scarf around his head while he continues to smoke his 
cigar. Quite a sight to see!

Of course...we get lost. Now we have been lost before...on many occasions. But 
there's something unsettling about being lost, on foot, in a pouring lightening 
storm!  But we trudge on, just to do a u-turn and try a different route. Repeat. 
Repeat. We are soaked!!  It will take two days for our clothes to dry.