Wow, I don't even know where to start. I was just standing there and next thing I know my mother-in-law is in town for two weeks and then she's gone back to the states. So that was cool, and then next thing I know we're in Amsterdam for the weekend and that was cool also. And now there are less than two weeks left in the program, which means next thing I know I'll be back in a classroom and its September. Hmph, time flies when you are having fun. The time with Jeanie flew by, partly since I was teaching most of the time, which seriously cut into my sight seeing time. We went to Versailles, which was really amazing, almost unbelievable actually. I was going to write that I was amazed that the royalty was so out of touch with the common people, the amazing dichotomy between peasants and the ruling class, but then I remembered that George Bush Sr. during his campaign went to a grocery store and didn't know how much milk cost AND HAD NEVER SEEN A BARCODE SCANNER. So I guess la plus ca change, la plus meme chose, if you know what I mean. We also went to Giverny, the home of Monet, which was also lovely, but a bit smaller than I expected. Somehow I had gotten ideas about how big the pond was, and how big the bridge was, and they were both much smaller than that. The gardens were lovely, the pond and water lilies and bridge were lovely, and the weather was lovely. I got the feeling that the house felt melancholy. Seeing the pictures of the family around the breakfast table it was easy to imagine how the house would have sounded with all the children running around and laughing and playing in the house and yard and none of that was happing now. We spend Easter morning having brunch with a group of anglophone ex-pats, followed by an Easter egg hunt in Parc Montsouris. There were at least 7 couples in attendance, with their children, and it was really a lot of fun.
On a local note, the sycamores outside have leafed out finally, and the chestnuts are flowering. Spring is finally here! although there are still cold rainy days. Holly and I got to go out to dinner before Jeanie left. We splurged and went to a really nice restaurant across town. And when I say nice I really mean really quiet. It was the quietest place I've ever been to. The service was exceptional - the server came out with a little silver carpet sweeper (perhaps 10 cm (4 inches) wide) between courses and admonished us to let the wine sit for a bit before he poured it. Recently, Emma and I went to the Paris Ballet at the Opera Garnier (photos to come). The opera house is absolutely gorgeous, in an ornate kind of way - lots of gold trim.

Next time: Amsterdam!