Bonne annee! By Tracy
Today we headed off to the Louvre along with several thousands of other tourists! The queues were enormous - a 4 hour wait if you didn't have a ticket - only 1/2 an hour for those of us who pre-purchased. Inside it was a squash of pushing and shoving and not exactly the right atmosphere to take in the spectacular art... And so onto crepes, baguettes and chocolate waffles for a late lunch and a trip back to the apartment to find a second wind. We then went back to the Champs Élysées to see the wonderful lights. Paris is super busy (and this is supposed to be low season!). This is a wondrous and magical place with stunning architecture and history - but its also a big place full of issues we aren't used to. There are constant warnings about pick pockets (and someone attempted to open warrens jacket pocket on our first day). The police and military are heavily armed and are very visible walking the streets. We are reminded to be grateful for so many things back home - and especially as this year ends and a new one begins, we are feeling very fortunate.