We'll Always Have Paris

Ben and I just returned from a four day trip to Paris, where we toured, ate well, and sought out every available internet joint on the left bank of the Seine. At night Ben watched French TV -- either MTV or Olympics coverage. Each day began around 11:00 am for Ben when I would bring up a tray of juice and croissants. We hit the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay and the Rodin Museum. We would have also gone to see modern art Pompidou Centre, but I neglected to notice that it was closed on Tuesdays. Mostly, we sought out highlights of the collections and would spend serious time looking at the designated works of art. Ben was truly impressed by Rodin's The Thinker and The Kiss. He also took his time gazing at the inscrutable Mona Lisa. When we weren't being culture vultures, we (that is Ben) climbed great heights, going up to the tippy top of the Eiffel Tower and ascending the roof of Notre Dam. While Ben tootled on the internet, I took long walks and made myself well enough understood to get a haircut. I finally refused a treatment once the woman in the salon explained in very dumbed down French: "It is for the hair to eat." Meals were great, but expensive. We made frequent stops at various Boulangeries. Even the rattiest hole in the wall in the urine-stenched metro served better food than the English are capable of making. At times, the conversation grew tense -- heated talks about privatization of Social Security and the prisoners' dilemma (Ben could not accept that I wouldn't press the button, and I began to feel like a prisoner myself) -- but mostly, it was a wonderful time in a great city.

Message from Ben
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Hello! Paris was great. The Eiffel tower:amazing. Well, school is going pretty well-- getting back into the swing of things. Mom is constantly critiquing my writing, and acting as a human grammatik. Stay tuned for the adventures of Benjamin and Aviva, as we go around the globe!