A Grand Welcome To The City of Lights

After zipping across the verdant countryside bathed in a warming afternoon sun, Martha and I hopped off the Eurostar train, via the Chunnel, and were greeted by a dear friend. Anne-Sophie Grasmuck had been a French exchange student in 2000 on her first trip to America at the age of 17.

We had had such a good time with her then, as she bonded so closely with Colleen and Alison. But Colleen had lost contact with Anne-Sophie through the years until they rediscovered each other via Facebook a few months ago.

One communication lead to another and Anne-Sophie came to Paris from Luxembourg, where she's working, to greet us. It was sheer delight to reconnect with such an engaging and interesting young woman. Unfortunately, we could only spend a few hours together before she drove home, but she did a quick data dump of Paris, the Latin Quarter, the Metro system, museums and favorite sites before we said our goodbyes on the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Of course, when in Paris, one must shop. Anne-Sophie proudly displayed her latest purchase to wear to work the next day!

Happy newlyweds create space on the crowded Notre Dame square to capture the moment.

Vendors selling new and used items on the banks of the Seine River just before boarding up for the night.