Paris - like Rome with more room

We're in Paris now. My summary - It's like Rome with more room.

No time to post pictures. We did the Rick Steves Historic Paris Walk (with minor edits), and saw Notre Dame (not the football team, but the cathedral), and St. Chappelle (sp?). The latter was mind-blowing, as it's a chapel with an interior that's almost entirely stained glass windows, about 40 feet tall. Built in the 13th or 14th century. (John is out right now and he has my notes, so this is from memory.) Huge long line to get in, but we made it in before it closed (whew!). It was John's favorite church on this trip. I'd say it might be tied in my book with San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome.

The language barrier in Paris is bothering more than I had expected. They do indeed have a different word for everything, as Steve Martin once observed. After spending more than two weeks in a country where I'm pretty comfortable with the language, I'm now in one where I feel I should know more of the language than I do. (I studied French for a couple of years in college, but that was back in the Truman Administration.) And I hate having to resort to "Parlez-vous anglais?"

Oh, and get this. What's the very first thing we saw in Paris when we came up out of the subway stop? A Starbucks. A freakin' Starbucks!! Mon dieu! (Okay, so I remember a little French.) One thing that I like about Italy (don't tell Howard Schulz) is that there are no Starbucks there.

We'll be flying back to Seattle tomorrow on one of those miracle flights that lands in Seattle only an hour after it leaves Paris. It'll be just like flying to Portland, apparently. I don't know how they do that, but I'm not going to ask. I'm just so glad it's not going to be a long flight.

I hope you have all enjoyed this blog. I'll do an update in a few days with a selection of more photos, if you want to check back.

Arrivederci and au revoir.