Oh no, I haven't updated in ages! Ok, so only 3 days or so. But still.

I don't have class this week because it's vacation, but I still have work. Have to wake up the kids at 8 to take Adèle to preschool and Louise to her pony camp and then I'm free until 4:30. On Monday, I went to Paris with Linnea. First, we went to Pigalle in Montmartre to see the Moulin Rouge. The entire street is lined with sex shops and strip clubs. I would never want to go there by night. After that, we hiked up the hill to Sacre Coeur. I really love that church, so much prettier than Notre Dame! Linnea and I hunkered down on the steps in front, where we enjoyed the view of Paris and the guy playing guitar and singing. That's the other cool thing about Sacre Coeur - there is always some sort of musician performing on the steps, and they're usually pretty good. So we sat there and listened and even after it began to rain, we didn't move. Just sat there and looked out at Paris, which has become home. 

Yesterday, after I dropped the kids off and had breakfast, I put on my sneakers and running shorts and went for a looong run in the forest by the house. It was kind of cold, but very sunny. The leaves are turning and although they're not fiery red like those in New England, they're still beautiful. The forest was quiet, save for the sound of leaves rustling against each other. I really love that forest. It's huuuuge, but I've never really gotten lost. No matter how many different paths I take, I always find my way back somehow. I ran for more than an hour, then walked back home. After that, I just hung around and did housework.

Today, I met up with Sarah and Linnea in Versailles. We were going to go see the castle (or the Chatizzle de Versizzle as Sarah and I, being hardcore gangsters, have dubbed it), but the line was waaaaaaaaaay too long. So we went for a 2-hour walk in the grounds instead. After that, Linnea had to go home, but Sarah came over and we watched Into the Wild, which was really good. Then I watched the kids, which was fairly uneventful. I do love those girls. 

Oh, and here some pictures from Père Lachaise, where I was on Sunday with Linnea and Sarah:


The cemetery is so big, it has roads. With names. That's Linnea walking in on the shot. Crazy Swede.




Some might think this sort of thing is disrespectful to the dead, but we decided a bit of tomfoolery might cheer them up. Quiet tomfoolery, of course, as we didn't want to disturb the other people. Not that anyone really is that quiet in the cemetery. There were people walking their dogs there. Like it's just a park.


Creepy trees.


Me and Sarah with the creeeepy trees.


Oscar Wilde's grave! We were going to put on lipstick and kiss it, too (it's tradition), but we got kind of grossed out. It's pretty unsanitary. We also saw the graves of Jim Morrison, Molière, La Fontaine, and others. Very cool.


I was trying to look sad, but then I gave up. It was just too beautiful a day to look sad.