"It's Not What Happens to You...

... it's how you handle it after it happens." I kept repeating that phrase in my head the night of January 1st before I went to sleep. It took me about 24 hours, but I became determined to pull myself together and see those last sights on my "to do" list in Paris. Early the next morning I woke up and headed out to see Sacre-Coeur before the sun came up. I arrived there as a small tourist-y shop was opening and bought myself a disposable camera. Yeah, the kind you used to see on the tables at weddings! My Nikon digital camera battery had died during my visit to Versailles (I know, I know, I forgot the charger) and I needed something that would take photos! It felt odd taking a picture and not knowing what it would look like. Really odd. I did the old crank-crank-crank and snapped my shots!

After Sacre-Coure in the Montmartre neighborhood, I made my way to Musee Rodin. I arrived before it opened so I walked down the street and took in the sights of the Eiffel Tower and the Hotel des Invalides. This is Europe's greatest military museum and Napoleon's tomb is there. I found a coffee shop so I could get myself a Cafe au Lait (as close as they get to a "latte" in Paris, well, unless you go to Starbucks) and a croissant. There seemed to be just locals in the cafe gathering around the coffee bar and chit-chatting, or whatever they were saying in French. I had learned during this trip that my high-school French sounded much better in my head than out loud, so wasn't one to try to join a conversation. Quickly I noticed that the barista was the best-looking French man had ever seen! What on earth was he doing making coffee? He should have been in the pages of a magazine! If only, if only, I still had my iPhone where I could discreetly shoot a fast snapshot of him and then hide it away as if nothing happened. Sigh. The idea of cranking that silly disposable camera in order to take a photo of him, almost made me laugh out loud! I drank my coffee, ate my croissant and scanned a newspaper I couldn't read (nice pictures though) until it was time to make it back to see Rodin's sculptures. I still have the little cube of sugar I took from the cafe and often think fondly of that morning.

The beautiful white church looking out over Paris. I learned there is prayer going on within the church 24 hours a day.

The view out over Paris early in the light of morning. My disposable camera didn't do it justice. It wasn't this dark outside.

Hotel des Invalides

A little cube of sugar from Cafe Richard.

Musee Rodin is actually his former place of residence. Rodin was a very famous artist while he was alive and lived in this Paris mansion.

Looking out over the backyard gardens.

The Thinker

A photo looking back towards the house.

Here is some of the email I wrote to my sister and parents before I got on my flight to home.

Here are some thoughts from today:

1) Sacre-Coeur at sunrise - Beautiful! Snapped a photo on my cool new Kodak disposable camera. ; )

2) Musee Rodin - Glad I made it, I think I liked seeing the mansion where he lived more than the sculptures, although they were incredible.

3) The macaroons I'm bringing home from Laduree are going to be dee-lish (well... I'll let you be the judge of that, but I think they are yummy). Sorry Meg, they won't make it until I see you in February. : (

4) I've learned some damn hard lessons this trip. Either they will make me a smarter world traveler or I'll never leave the US again.

5) Everyone at hotel computer kiosks is on Facebook. Everyone.