It's Tough To Catch Up

I can hardly believe it has been almost a month since I have written. It has been a busy month, with lots of ups and downs. The last time I wrote I was preparing to head off to Spain for a sunny beach vacation. Well, I went to Spain, but the sunshine did not! It rained most of the time we were there. We stayed at a resort outside Valencia, but, lo and behold, it was not "in season" so the little town was practically deserted. Not much was even open! Nevertheless, we attempted to enjoy the area, walking on the beach, scrambling over Roman ruins and visiting an underground river in a big grotto. We also visited the aquarium in Valencia, which is incredible, and I went to the best Imax theater I have ever seen. Upon our return to Paris, we found that it had been sunny and hot the whole time we'd been gone. Hmm...

Over the next couple of weeks, my schedule at the new school increased and I have a pretty full slate of students. I still travel to my "favorite" place - La Défénse, but only twice a week instead of every day. The rest of the time, I travel around Paris to the offices of my students.

This past week has seen a plethora of vistors! First, last Saturday, I met up with a friend (Jane) of a friend (Jeff, from New Orleans) who came to Paris with a couple of her friends. We all went out to dinner and had wine at a sidewalk café in the Latin Quarter. Although Jane knew Jeff from when they were in Oklahoma, she now lives in Evergreen, Colorado. We had quite a fun time. Then, my friend, Lisa, who I met in Paris two and a half years ago and who now lives in London, arrived in Paris after spending 10 days in Cannes for the film festival. We met for dinner with three other people and had a late, great night! Two nights later, my niece, Lauren, arrived from Germany, and the next day, my sister, Karen, and friend, LaRae, arrived. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were spent running around Paris doing lots of touristy stuff: walking under the Eiffel Tower, strolling through Montmartre and visiting Sacre Coeur, weaving through the alley-like streets of the Latin Quarter, admiring Notre Dame as the sun set, taking a boat ride through the Canal St. Martin and all its locks, "shopping" at the Marché aux Puces (flea market) and, of course, museums! Sunday was a free museum day (first Sunday of the month) so we not only visited the Louvre, but the Musée d'Orsay as well. And, of course, we ate and drank wine!
So, is it any wonder I have fallen behind with the blog? I'll be hanging around for the next month or two and then August is a vacation month. So, for now, I am trying to work out where I will go and what I will do. Oh, yeah - and continue that elusive search for a better, yet less expensive, apartment!
A bientot . . .