Paris Day 3!!

This morning we moved into Robert's apartment, then we will be going down to our very own apartment on Monday, then we will be there for the rest of the trip! Stephane left for Belgium today and he'll be back on Monday and Robert is off teaching yoga right now. This morning we took the bus to the Opera. We stopped and had a croque monsieur, a cafe au lait and a cafe noisette at a really cute cafe across the street from the Opera. Then we headed to check it out! It is soo beautiful and extravagant! We got to go inside the many foyers and inside the auditorium itself. We were reminded of Oregon when we looked outside the window and it was raining, except for the part when it stopped raining. Then we walked to the Madeleine; inside it was quiet, reserved and beautiful. We followed the rules, no camaras, while others didn't. We lit a candle during our excursion. Then we went shopping!! Oh, however, we didn't buy anything. We went into Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Ralph Lauren and BCBG where we tried on a few dresses. The lady helping helping us tried to get us to try on a size 4 and 6, when the size 0 fit Emily and the size 2 I tried on was too big... not very good help. Then we caught the bus and headed back to the apartment. Now we're relaxing and a dinner in tonight, we think. Tomorrow there are going to be lots of concerts all over Paris for the soltice and open air markets!

We miss and love you all!

Sami & Emily

Our first bottle of wine... and they didn't even ask us how old we are.

The Opera

The beautiful intracate staircases

One of the foyers

Me (Sami) in a fireplace at the Opera

The ceiling in the auditorium of the Opera

The Madeleine

More Paris Pictures!

Dinner/Picnic at Notre-Dame


Notre Dame across the river


Us in front of Notre Dame


Notre Dame

Luxembourg gardens

Paris Pictures!

Emily in the Luxemborg Gardens giving this statue a kiss.


A beautifully ornate painting in the pantheon.

Iniside the pantheon.

A view outside the pantheon.

The Pantheon. Just a 10 minute walk from the apartments!

Paris Day 2!!

This morning we had a light breakfast in our room then headed off to the Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens. The Pantheon was beautiful and we saw the tombs of Rousseau, Emilie Zola, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie and Pierre Curie. There were some school groups visiting and we realized were all done with school! :D Then we headed toward the Luxembourg Gardens and found some cute shops along the way. Don't worry we didn't buy too much. Once we got to the gardens we took some beautiful pictures and went for a little walk. We think we are starting to understand the neighborhood a little better. Then we came back to Robert's and we went to the store to pick up some stuff for lunch. Just got done eating and we're off to write in our journals and take a little cat nap. Then maybe off to the Islands to check out Notre Dame and get our barrings. Pictures to come later!
We miss and we love you all!
Sami & Emily :D

Looking out the window of our appartment


The sitting room in our appartment



Taking off from Portland

Paris Day 1!!!!

After we got up yesterday at 3am, we started our long journey to Paris, France! Our first flight, which left PDX at 7:05, was a small plane that held 50 people. It was a short flight to Vancouver. The airport there was...interesting, like a ghost town, hardly anyone was there! We went through customs super fast and picked up our bags and droppped them back off (pointless haha). The next flight to Toronto was a little more interesting. There was a young boy who sat directly behind us who was sick the entire flight. And instead of his parents advising him to get ginger ale to calm his stomach, they let him get a container of pringle chips, you can imagine how that went. The flight was a bit bumpy, but we made it to Toronto in a little over 3 hours! We had a long layover in Toronto where we spent our time eating delicious roast beef sandwiches with french dip sauce and fries and roaming the large airport and the numerous gift shops. We saw a lot of billboards and a ton of fan gear for the 2010 olympics, which is in Vancuover and Whistler. The flight to Paris was very smooth and seemed relatively quick. There were the coolest TV touch screens on the back of the chairs! Sami and I watched Bride Wars, but there were so many options! (including Taken haha) We sat next to a cool guy, he was part of two bands that were touring through Europe! He was much more enjoyable than the sick boy. We got through customs in Paris, picked up our luggage, and got onto the RER B line with no trouble! When we came up the stairs out of the metro sation, Robert was there waiting for us. We dropped off our bags at his apartments and went for a stoll, which included buying pasteries, seeing the Pantheon and Eiffel Tower! All within a ten minute walk. We came back and Stephane made us a delicious avacado and goat cheese salad with fresh bread (obviously french bread). We showered up and ventured out with Robert. We went on the metro to a new gym facility where he is going to start teaching yoga at. Then we shopped around in stores and markets and went to see Sunshine Cleaning, a good movie. Now we are sitting here, drinking a beer with 1% alcohol content, and going to have pasta, red sauce and chicken. Today was incredible! Although, we don't really know what time it is...who cares we are in Paris! We miss you all and give you our love!
Sami and Emily :)

Tomorrow Morning!!!!

So...we leave tomorrow morning!!! Can't believe it... but I'm all packed and I hope Emily is done too or close! Our flight leaves at 7 tomorrow so we have to be out of the house around 3:45... yeah it's early... We will be arriving in Paris around 10am on Thursday or 1am here in the states.

Pray for our safe travels!

Sami

Three Days!!

Now it is only three days until we leave... Today we have a ton of graduation parties then tomorrow and Tuesday are for some serious packing... Then Wednesday off to France via Canada!

Us