Adieu Paree

(Sorry for the delay in posts. We are traveling down the canal and are finding it hard to get an Internet connection. I am posting what I can today and will try to catch up tonight. Also, I will update the pictures later...having some technical difficulties.)

C'est fini! BBB here writing about our last day in Paris. Last we spoke, we went out to dinner to celebrate Linda's birthday. For some reason, a third and fourth gear kicked in for all of us and we didn't go to bed until 4 a.m. Some of us were out dancing, others of us were at the apartment enjoying night caps and reminiscing our previous three fabulous days. It's up to you to guess who was where.

Needless to say, it was a slow Sunday morning. We awoke with a desire to watch news about back home about any memorial celebrations dealing with the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Wait a sec..... ok I'm back. Had to stop for a while because we are moving the boat to another holding position. More on this another time...

Back to my story... we were able to watch a CNN special of the commemoration events. We were all moved and talked about the memories we each have of that fateful day. May God bless America.

After munching on a wonderful quiche that Kathy made for us, we were off on our last adventure. We caught two cabs and were whisked off to Montmartre, another historic (what isn't) part of Paris and the area where the original bohemians, including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, hung out. Our taxi dropped Julianne, Susan and I at the bottom of the butte so we had to hoof it up some cobble-stoned streets. With some huffing and puffing we made it to the front of Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica at the top of the hill and met up the Karen, Amelia and Linda. What a gorgeous view!!! You can see Alaska from up there! (Can you tell a little exaggeration when you read it?) Ok, maybe you can't see Alaska but you can see pretty far.

We entered the massive structure that was actually built just a century ago (brand new by Parisian standards). Rick Steves' book mentions that France's catholics raised money to build the church as a kind of penitence. They were convinced they were being punished for the country's liberal sins. There was a Mass service being held while we were there with nuns singing and the priest praying for harmony throughout the world. A special prayer was offered for the victims of 9/11.

We walked around the little square, did some shopping, and even stood outside the small lounge where Edith Piaf first sang "La Vie en Rose". Karen and Amelia did more walking and the rest of us headed back to the apartment to pack and get ready for the third leg of the trip. We asked our cab driver to drive past the Moulin Rouge for pictures; we knew we wouldn't be able to see the famed Can Can dancers but at least we could say we saw the building.

We had pizza for dinner; finished off the rest of the open wine and all was good with the world.