First Day in Paris

15 hours of travel, ON A TRAIN-wow!  I actually got to sleep this time and Big Mama 2 was not breast feeding or wearing silk PJs, so it was much better.  I'm just happy to be in Paris and to see my friend Lesley.  I take a shower and we venture out into the rain.

After a hearty croque madame and a beer, Lesley and I decided to go to the Musee de l'Orangerie.  About 30 feet from the door of the restaurant is the entrance to the Metro.  We are soaked in that distance.  Not to be deterred, we get off the train and up to street level.  It is pouring.  This nice, nice girl at the water booth sends us on a wild goose chase AROUND the entire Louvre complex.  Getting splashed by a huge puddle when a car went through didn't stop us.  The rain didn't stop us.  We walked and walked and walked, even over a train grate.  "My skirt, my skirt!"  Lesley screamed at her skirt flew up and her umbrella went inside out.  I was thrown the umbrella as Lesley addressed the dress.  It wasn't like we weren't following the signs, but we could not find this musee anywhere.  Finally a guy on the street overheard us and kindly told us it is closed due to the weather.  Man, I wish my work shut down when it rained.  I would love to stay in bed on those days.  It was time to go back to the hotel to regroup.

Oops, after a long nap, we headed to grab drinks with James Wagner who was in town with his teenage tour group.  I don't know how he does it.  But he escaped and met us for drinks in this really cute part of town.  It was us and many, many locals.