Bonjour!

Despite being far away in Longjumeau, France (a suburb of Paris) I have amazing internet access end even a vonage line to make calls, thanks to my roomie's fabulous family who lives here. So while I thought I would be horribly disconnected for three weeks, I am instead updating Facebook and sending emails and calling my fiance (which helps with the missing him, but only a little).

Don't worry though, I am not wasting my vacation in front of the computer. I've spent two days straight wandering through Paris, visiting the Louvre, Notre Dame, and my absolute favorite, the Musee D'Orsay. Impressionism being one of my favorite periods of art, that museum was designed for me. Multiple floors of Monet, Degas, Cezanne, Pisarro, Van Gogh, and some Renoir for good measure, plus sculpture and architecture to boot. I know the Louvre is the big mac daddy of museums, but I can skip the Mona Lisa and head straight for the artist's garden at Argentuil.

Weather here continues fine (I love saying that, and wrote it on a few postcards) not too hot, skies mostly cloudy with sunbreaks. My favorite weather, honestly. Seventies and mild. And the city is on a river and the buildings are made of beautiful stone and on every corner is a cafe and today on the way to the museum we stopped for cafe au lait and pain et chocolat and it was fabulous. I do wish things weren't so expensive (we had to search forever to find lunch for less than 10 euro) but I'm on vacation, so that is to be expected.

I can't play tourist forever though, so I am looking forward to next week, when we rent an apartment and live on the beach for a week. We'll get some bread and wine and cheese from the market, throw on bathing suits and sarongs, and live in the sunshine. I fully expect to come back with a serious tan. Now if only I can keep that tan until October. It would go well with my wedding dress...