Greetings from Paris France!

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport this morning, Friday May 16, at 8:15 a.m. (Paris time--1:15 a.m. according to our bodies!).  It was a good flight, with movies to watch on demand and two meals, dinner right after we took off from Newark, and a light breakfast before we landed.  Trying to sleep on an airplane is a challenge but some succeeded by all accounts.  Bleary eyed and disoriented, we disembarked in the open air and boarded shuttle buses that took us to customs and then to our baggage claim.  After looking around for a few anxious minutes our driver appeared (actually two drivers--they split us between two Renault vans.  

A wild ride through Paris traffic took about an hour and we arrived at our hotel at 10:30.  The hotel manager was very pleasant and helped us store our luggage while we went to Champ de Mars, a green space near the Eiffel Tower, just a few blocks from our hotel.  Enjoying the open air and a beautiful day, we spent the next hour and a half winding down and marveling at how far we have come and thinking, "Pinch me, I can't believe I'm in Paris!"  We returned to the hotel at 1:00 sorted out the room assignments and then had a nap, too short to really suit what we wanted but just enough to set us up for a good nights sleep tonight.  About 5:30 we headed out the door for Saint Michel, a good eating area for multiple types and prices of food, and then over to marvel at the beauty of the facade of Notre Dame.  We'll have more of a chance to explore the inside tomorrow.

Up tomorrow:  "The Cluny", the museum of medieval art, Notre Dame inside, out and underground (the crypt), and Saint Chappelle, built by Saint Louis (Louis the IX) and a marvel of gothic engineering and stained glass artistry.