We (Paul, Urban, Maria and I) arrived in Paris about 1:30 pm on Tuesday afternoon (May 8th); got to the hotel about 3:30. The friends we were supposed to meet were out so the 4 of us went in search of something to eat. At Maria’s suggestion, we chose a neighborhood brasserie and had soup/sandwiches… which tasted so good. After that we just walked around the area which happened to be one of the more exclusive in Paris. Beautiful homes, nice little restaurants, nannies with their charges in the parks. Within a couple hours, we met up with Smiley and Dan and continued walking to Notre Dame and nearby areas of interest. We finished with hot chocolate at a restaurant near the hotel; a nice touch to a very busy, very long day.

We all slept very well that night (9-10 hours) and were ready to get on with the business of seeing Paris. A friend of Smiley and Dan’s; David; from the Dijon region of France, joined us for the day. Once again, we walked…and walked…and walked. The weather was warm and sunny; we were so fortunate. As we were making our way through a shopping district, Maria remembered that a member of the family with whom she lived when she attended school in France 10 years ago worked in a certain store we had just passed. She went in to see if she was still there and she was! So, Maria arranged to have lunch with her while the rest of us went ahead and did more sightseeing. We walked along the river to the Louvre. Because we were so pressed for time, we did not go in. However, Smiley gave us an informative little history lesson as we stood in the courtyard. We continued walking along the Seine, recognizing many buildings along the way.

The six of us had lunch at Deux Magots on the Boulevard St.-Germain, a restaurant that was featured in May’s issue of Bon Appetit. The food was excellent and the location great for people-watching. We then walked to Napoleon’s tomb where Maria was waiting for us. Some had already been to that exhibit / museum so waited outside in the gardens while the others went to check it out. The weather was spectacular and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting by the fountains.

From there, we walked to the Eiffel Tower. Obviously, we enjoyed great views from the top. It was a fun, ‘touristy’ thing to do. While there, we think we were in close proximity to Matt Lauer who was in town that day doing his "Where in the World is Matt Lauer" series. (He did end up being shown at the Eiffel Tower). We saw a stretch limo parked next to a truck [on which movie cameras were pictured] in a location which had a great view of the Eiffel Tower. Who knows?

We then took a subway (it was after 7:00 pm by then) back to the hotel where we changed for dinner. Once again, we headed off on foot in search of a fondue restaurant that Maria and Smiley had discovered 10 years ago. What a delightful place that was. Dinner took a couple hours and was wonderful. Maria, Urban, Paul and I opted to walk back to the hotel; the others decided to take the subway. We thought it was going to be a relatively short walk but we got momentarily ‘confused’ and ended up walking quite a ways before we finally got back around 1:00 am. It was nice being out and we felt somewhat virtuous that we at least attempted to walk off some of the calories from dinner!

The next morning, the same quartet made its way to the shop where Maria’s friend worked. We all made our selections from wonderful silk ties, scarves and leather belts with some difficulty as there was so much from which to choose. On the way back to the hotel, we discovered a wonderful chocolaterie where we purchased some gorgeous pastries. Then it was off to the train station. Maria, Dan and Smiley headed to the Cognac region while Urban, Paul and I boarded a high speed train to Amsterdam.

We were in a compartment that seated 8 which meant it was difficult not to overhear other conversations. As it turned out, all but one of the others spoke English. One man was from Ghana, in Europe on business. One couple was from Utah, had been in Europe almost a month and were avid bike riders. So was the woman from Amsterdam. Their conversations about what they’d been doing were quite entertaining and the trip went quickly. An older couple got on about mid-way through the trip and what a pair they were. He had been 18 during World War II and had come back to the region in which he had fought.

Almost immediately, we fell in love with Amsterdam! The weather was unseasonably warm and everybody was happy after months of gray and gloom. After a very crowded tram ride to our hotel, we were ready for dinner. As Paul mentioned before, at the recommendation of a very helpful hotel employee, we ate at a Thai restaurant in a non-touristy neighborhood. Excellent food.

The next morning is when we discovered the internet cafe and availed ourselves of the service each of the following mornings. We’d get up early and walk to the main location, which took 20-30 minutes, depending on what we saw along the way. The city definitely caters to late-night revelers; nothing opens before 9:00 (at the absolute earliest). Other than Paul, myself, the street cleaners, and a few other jet-lagged tourists, we rarely saw anyone that time of day; it was so quiet and peaceful. We usually walked along the canals which were flanked by 17^th century row houses. At some point, owners were assessed by the width of their homes. Consequently, most of the homes (at least in this area) were very narrow. I had an excellent guide book that described in detail the buildings along the canals, along with a brief history of some. Of particular interest were the leaning buildings. One wonders why they are still standing after all these years.

I was amazed at the surprisingly orderly manner in which bicycle riders, pedestrians, and vehicles navigate the busy streets. There is no horn-honking, ‘flipping off’ or screaming obscenities as everyone manages to maneuver their way around the city. EVERYONE rides bikes. And most of the bikes look like rusted out clunkers…but they work and get people to where they need to be.

Paul and I did witness one mishap. A taxi had stopped to let out its passengers; the person in the front seat opened her door about the same time a cyclist was passing (on the right side, no less). The cyclist rammed into the door and ended up on the street. We didn’t stick around for the fireworks but a short time later, saw the biker going on his way. It was our understanding that cyclists always have the right-of-way but we weren’t sure but what he shouldn’t have been where he was in this particular incident.

We would get back to the hotel in time for the continental breakfast (available at 8:30) and then start off again on foot. We did a little shopping at a London-based department store the first day, when we also stumbled across LUSH, a favorite shop of Paul's. That alone made the trip for him!

We sat down on the steps of the palace in the main square (The Dam) to have a bit of lunch the first day. I had one of the many flashbacks that took me back to when I was there with the music group…a hundred years ago when I was 18. We had performed a concert in that square! Ahh, the memories.

There was a tram that made a circle around the main section of Amsterdam which we took just to get a feel for the city that first morning. Then we had lunch at the Esprit Café which Paul had read about in one of the guide books. It lived up to its recommendation.

After lunch, Urban decided it was nap time…Paul and I continued exploring. We found a great little shop; both of us made purchases. The young couple who owned the store talked with us at length about any number of things. Mainly the weather…they were thrilled that the sun was shining!

That evening we ate at another ‘local’ restaurant; this time our choice was Italian. We were able to sit outdoors this time and enjoyed the view. After being able to ascertain what most things were on the French menus, we had been presented with an Italian-only menu and didn’t have a clue for much of it. Another adventure! I had artichoke stuffed ravioli…once we learned what the word for ‘artichoke’ meant.

The next morning (after our early-morning walk and breakfast at the hotel), we set off on a coach/bus tour (recommended by brother Mark) to flower fields south of Amsterdam. Two stops were included, the first of which was mainly for people to buy bulbs to have shipped to the States later in the summer. The next was of an absolutely gorgeous display of flower beds among a huge expanse of beautifully manicured lawns. We took many pictures as there were unlimited possibilities for gorgeous photo-ops.

After returning to Amsterdam, we found a place called the ‘Soup Kitchen’ for lunch. Again, a great opportunity for people watching while eating wonderful food.

Next, we headed to the Anne Frank house. Need I say that it was a sobering experience. One wonders how that many people were able to live in that small of a space for that long of a time. We were all dismayed to see the photo of Anne Frank’s statue on which a swastika had been spray-painted. The neo-Nazi movement obviously denies that the Holocaust ever happened; this was their response.

We then did a little more shopping; Paul & I headed back to the hotel and sat on the ‘deck’ at the lower level of the hotel along the canal…enjoying the sunshine and the scenery. I just had to purchase a beer from the hotel vending machine…just because I could. Heineken right next to the bottled water and for the same price. I love it!

That evening we had dinner at an Indonesian restaurant that had come highly recommended. We discovered why; it was incredible. We ordered what was referred to as the ‘rice platter’. Along with rice, about 12 dishes were brought to the table; chicken and beef on skewers, vegetables, more meat on platters, a mixture of coconut and peanuts, etc. We all ate too much…and still there was so much left.

The next day we did the Internet drill again. After purchasing some gorgeous fresh fruit, we took it back to supplement our continental breakfast. Then the three of us went on a self-guided tour of the canal streets. Discovered a real coffee place (not to be confused with the cannabis-selling coffeehouses) and sat outside to enjoy our purchases and lament the fact that we had to leave Amsterdam in a few hours. On our way back to the hotel, we ended up in a red light district. Not THE red light district…but the same things were going on. What a surprise that was on a Sunday morning; seeing rather scantily-clad women displaying their attributes in the windows.

Just after noon on Sunday, we took the high speed train back to Paris, this time sitting in first class. After arriving at the main train station, we took yet another train to the airport area where our hotel was located. Maria was waiting in line at the check-in desk; timing couldn’t have been better. However, we were at the wrong hotel L . There just happened to be several of the same name. (Not too confusing.) Finally we got to the right place and went to have dinner. It was fun to be together again and catch up on what we’d all been doing.

The next day, after some confusion, we got on the right bus to the airport. We walked into the terminal and, even if it wasn’t total chaos, it definitely was crazy. Once again, we were grateful for the fact that Maria was fluent in French and that Urban works for Continental! In the midst of all the confusion, Paul came up with one of the best quotes of the trip when he said, "I should be in charge of France!"

We got on the flight with no problem; the gate employee even arranged it so we could all sit together closer to the front of the plane, which was greatly appreciated. The flight attendants had senses of humor, which made the flight that much more enjoyable. We had lots to eat…lots of movies from which to choose (including "Chocolat", "Finding Forrester", "Miss Congeniality")…and no crabby people or crying children sitting anywhere near us. The flight arrived in Houston in just over 9 hours; we cleared customs; said our good-byes and went to our respective gates. It was a whirlwind trip but I don’t doubt that we’d all go back in a heartbeat. We didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all that was available. (I think at least one return trip is in order!)