We woke up this morning to a very strong and not-so-pleasant smell in the apartment (no, it wasn't one of us, I think). It turns out that the cheese in the fridge was groing stronger and more powerful; we needed to get rid of it before it could open the fridge door on its own! But it sure was tasty.

Tim was at our door first thing this morning, and we headed out without a solid plan of what we would do today. The weather was exceptionally great: Florida sun without the sweat. The Luxembourg gardens were our first stop. There was a small pond in the middle of the perfectly manicured lawn, and in it were a dozen or so small wooden sail boats. The boats could be rented from a man nearby, and kids set them free on the water. They had no motors, only sails, so the kids would watch intently as the boats sped around and across the pond. They would run back and forth around the water's edge, meeting the boat wherever it landed and setting it back out again. It seemed like a really fun thing to do, and I have to admit I was tempted to rent one :)

Brittany's favorite thing about the gardens was a big fat duck that sat near the lawn chairs and begged for food like a dog. The thing would just plop a foot away from someone with food and stare them down. Inevitably, the duck won. We killed a lot of time at the gardens and took things slow, just enjoying the day. Tim treated all of us to a great luch. I had to go for the boeuf bourginon just so I can say I've had it. It tasted a LOT like the roast beef and carrots my Mom used to make. I don't know if that means my Mom's is really good or the restaurant is slacking, but I liked it either way :)

From the cafe we walked to the Pantheon. It is a really gorgeous building and I especially love the sculptures inside. The large ball at the end of Foucault's Pendulum (which scientifically proves the rotation of the Earth) was barely swinging. I hoped that we would get to see someone restart it before we left, but we weren't that fortunate. Mom loved the crypts below the Pantheon, which contain famous people like Victor Hugo, Voltaire, and Alexandre Dumas. Dad and I spent most of the time trying to figure out how they wired the lights when everything was centuries old stone. Tim and I had a major deja-vu moment walking out of the Pantheon because you can just barely see the Eiffel Tower from its steps. From that spot was the first time I had seen the Eiffel Tower, and it looked so close that Tim and I thought we could walk to it no problem. We spent a solid eight hours walking towards it way back when and didn't make it until sunset. That was a looooong day, but we laughed pretty hard looking back on it. Stuff like that is always funnier years afterward.

Our final big stop of the day was the Musee Rodin, right next to our apartment. The museum fills a large building that the artist once lived in, and many of his works are sprinkled around the resident gardens. I have to admit: I'm not a fan. The gardens were spectacular and absolutely filled with sweet-smelling roses, but the sculptures themselves seemed dull and repetitive. The one exception was the largest version of The Thinker. I like that particular statue a lot. I'm sure plenty of people would argue the genius of Rodin's talent, but from my doesn't-know-anything-about-sculpture standpoint, this one is barely worth the trip. But it was on the way home and free with our Museum Passes; there are certainly worse ways to spend an afternoon. Tim had a train to catch, and it came time to say our goodbyes. We might have pushed the limits on how long two guys are allowed to hug, but it'll have to last me another few years :) I am so incredibly glad that I got to see him again.

It was a little early for dinner, so we walked up the stairs of our apartment and took a short nap. I had found a 24 hour internet cafe near the Opera house (who knew France had anything open 24 hours???), and because Dad wanted to see that anyway we all headed there together for dinner and a little exploration. We found a small restaurant off the main plaza and had a fantastic meal with an exceptionally good bottle of wine. They really nailed dessert, especially for me. I don't like having massive plates of cake or pie like we get back home; I like just a little bit of something sweet to finish the meal. They brought me a small plate with three bite-size desserts and a little cup of coffee. Perfection! Now if only that would catch on in the States...

Mom, Dad, and Brittany are on their own now, and I am catching up on my blog entries. This whole travelpod thing is great when you can keep up with it each day, but when it piles up it REALLY piles up. Maybe I can use that as an excuse to finally get an iPad.