Paris!!!!!

I can't even describe how happy I am right now. We just finished a breakfast of croissants, fruit, cheese, Nutella and coffee in our little apartment and are contemplating our day.

I arrived yesterday, after a long day of travel, though I luckily had an empty seat next to me on the plane. From Charles de Gaulle airport, I took the RER into Gare du Nord and started the search for the W's. I found them quite by chance as I just happened to look in their direction and there they were drinking coffee. It is was great to be reunited. We stored luggage and started wandering. We found a typical little cafe for a simple but good lunch, Croque Monsieurs for M & I, then continued in the direction of our little apartment. We found it and though we couldn't get in, it was nice to know where it was. From there we checked out the Marche Monterguiel (sic?), M. Debbonair was in heaven, cheese and meat shops, we would be back later to stock our apartment. The weather was so nice we continued on toward the Seine so I could get the vista that I needed. On the Ile de Cite we stopped for chocolate chaud and a quick warm up. It was now time for us to get into the apartment so we took the Metro back to get our luggage and ventured to our little home. Unfortunately it was still being cleaned, so we headed back out for the apartment staples, bread, cheese, wine, coffee and some fruit. Once settled in we tried out the internet, after some work by CF it is up and running, though not on my computer and then went in search of food and movement so that I would stay awake. CF wanted to see the 6th arr. so we went to Blvd. Ste. Germain. They have a Christmas market set up along the street, so we browsed and put our minds toward food. We found a cute little place called Le Pied de Fouquet on the same tiny street where we had lunch last year. Great, affordable dinner. M & I had the confit de canard and CF had the trout, which he switched with me about half way through. Coffee and a chocolate fondant topped of our meal. It was about 8:30 now and I was still feeling pretty good, so we headed toward the Eiffel Tower, I had to see it blue. We caught some glimpses of the top then as we came around the corner of Les Invalides we could see about 2/3 of it and wow, it is so much better in person then in the little live web cam I have on my home page. About then I looked at my watched and said to the W's, "it should start sparkling any second." As I finished that and looked back there it went, sparkling white lights against the blue lighting. I just smiled and thought that I couldn't be much happier then right then, being in Paris with my amazing friends. We still wanted to have a night cap so we headed to Rue St. Dominique, I street I know well from all my time staying in the 7th, because there tons of Christmas lights hung over the street. Deciding to continue a tradition we went into O'Brien's, a nice little Irish pub and had Guinness, cider and Irish Coffee. It was then time to head home, I was turning into a pumpkin. Back at the apartment we talked about what a great day we had and how happy we were to be traveling together again, then I slept and awoke feeling awfully good and ready to tackle another day in Paris.

Thanks for reading.