With apologies to all, I can’t resist posting the photos, the ones the Maitre d’ took, of Paris on July 4, 2006.
And here is the other
The view was spectacular and so was the food. The waiters were very complimentary to the girls. The one on the right is my youngest daughter; the other two are her cousins. We had two marvelous weeks, beginning in Bordeaux and ending in Paris. She is now working on getting an internship with the French aerospace company her uncle works for.
So Michael – have you seen Midnight in Paris yet? A friend raved about it while a reviewer on Big Hollywood panned it.
No but I have some French language movies for her to watch and work on her French. My favorite is Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Michelle le Grand was my favorite composer when I was in college 55 years ago. It is amazing he is still with us. I love it.
The French can sure make some different movies – like their cars. The Citroen DS 21 was revolutionary when it came out in the 1950s – directional headlights, hydraulic suspension – but one look and it could only be French.
The strangest French movie I saw was called the Page Turner – my friend the movie connoisseur and I had a disagreement over the message – he felt that it was a psychological thriller and I thought it was simply a young woman who was a nutcase who dedicated her life – and years – avenging a small slight done to her in childhood.
Without giving anything away I recommend this movie and you can decided for yourself ;-)
In any event you saw France the right way – not from a tour bus!
Looks like a pleasant evening.
Isn’t that Dan from Madison sitting at the next table?
Yes I think that was me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvZgwtpPmLY
More seriously, beautiful family and looks like a great night.
Actually, I think those three guys at the next table are Paul Ryan and his friends. I’m glad that lefty “business” professor couldn’t see our wine labels.
Michael,
France is such a welcoming country if one is open to its experience. We just came back from a month long trip that took us from Paris, Burgundy, Languedoc, and Aquitaine.We met great people along the way and fell in love with France. I am finishing my masters for counseling, learning French, and hopefully live part time there.
We met a man from Australia in the Dordogne and we were telling him of our adventures-sites we saw. The man said ” Did you take note of your feelings at that moment?” An Englishman asked us if we “…sat somewhere and just took in the culture….?” He continued to say “…that is the real experience of France….” I think this is representitive of what France is all about. American’s, like myself, get overly excited to see all the historical sites, the newness, and trying to maneuver around the language that sometimes I think we overlook the real experience of France which is its people and everyday life. Maybe it is just me but did your family feel this as well?
I am glad you had a great time in France and your family enjoyed it enough to want to have some of its members stay. What a great opportunity for your children and other family members.
I have been in France a number of times over 30 years. My children have all been there at least once. All these trips were not tours but undirected travel limited only by hotel reservations or train tickets. My youngest daughter, the one in the photos, has been there every years since she was 14 and wants to live there. Her favorite city is Bordeaux although after her first trip to Nice I found her checking housing prices.
My middle daughter prefers Spain and plans to spend at least a year there when she gets her PhD. She spent a year there two years ago.
Nice photos, MK. The top one is especially evocative. The picture of the photo and all that lovely gray light….
– Madhu