Paris and Home Again

Wow! Cool, breezy days, warm showers, drinkable water, great cuisine, and French we could understand! What a contrast!! However, I'll take the people of Burkina Faso any day over the Parisians, tho' they are making more of an effort these days to accomodate the tourists. Many were downright helpful and friendly. Plus, the streets are much, much cleaner than we remembered.
Our time in Paris started off a bit rocky since we did not get any sleep the night before on our overnight flight from Ouaga. The hotel room wasn't available until 2:00 p.m., so that was a long time to wait for sleep! However, our teeny, tiny room was newly renovated and clean, and one block from the Louvre. After a nap, we headed to the Latin Quarter (Left Bank) for supper. What a joy to walk around my favorite part of Paris and cross the Seine during twilight. Sigh....

Thursday, we started early and walked all day -- at least 10 miles! Bob was a trooper. Paris energizes me and I can walk all day, no matter how tired I am to start with. I love Paris! Bob didn't know the city as well as I, so I showed him some of my favorite places and he kept saying what an amazing city it is. After taking a brief nap at the hotel, we headed to the large underground mall nearby and did some shopping (TinTin Books and DVDs) and ate at a bistro under the umbrellas in the rain.

Another change in Paris -- people dress more casually now. I know a lot were tourists, but many weren't. Plus, there are bicycles everywhere! They are really promoting bicycle use, and the people are responding. In fact, they have a system of rent-a-bikes that is phenomenal. There are bike stands about every other block and you can rent them free for the first half hour. We weren't sure we wanted to brave the traffic, so just walked.

Friday was a super day! We headed back to a hotel near the airport because our French friends were driving down to Paris to see us. Andre and Chantal Vanlaecke, the pastor and wife we worked so closely with and who were our best friends in France, came and spent the whole day with us. We talked nonstop for 6 hours! It was like we had never left -- we had so much to catch up on and share. (We left France 17 years ago!) It was really a wonderful visit.

By Saturday, we were ready to head home and be in familiar surroundings. Our trip was long and tiring. Is it just me, or have the airlines shrunk the seats and the space for feet????

Right now we're in Shreveport, Louisiana staying with my Dad. We're looking for jobs so we can get a house and move our stuff up here from storage in Miami. Please be praying for us. We aren't sure what our next step will be.

Thank you for reading my blog. I posted 3 entries today, so be sure to read them all! It's been fun keeping you abreast of all we are doing and I hope you will stay in touch with us.