The Richards Family Fairytale: Au Revoir Paris, the city we no longer need a map for

Says "Peace" in a bunch of languages.

I think when you feel like you can set out in a city of over 2 million people and you don't need a map to get wherever you want to go you have reached a sort of milestone. I think we are there and have been for a while.

Aside from the fact that we miss our loved ones and some other simple things we would all agree we love it here and should we be forced to stay it would not be all that bad.

We've been busy getting to all those things we don't want to miss, or want to see again. When I left the Louvre I looked back as you would a house when you move out.

I went to the Trocadero to watch(on a TV screen) some of the Euro cup game between France and Sweden. France never scored which is 95% of the reason go see these things. When they score it's mayhem complete with flares, what sounds like gun fire (though I'm sure it's not), police in riot gear, and hordes of screaming fans. Well I had been planning on taking everyone but when Todd got home from work he was too tired so I went alone. It was fun the Champs de Mars, normally full of people was completely empty. Mainly due to the game but also due to the poor weather. What's most amazing is the fact that it does not get dark here until like 10:15. It is amazingly light out. Today is the longest day of the year and it comes as no surprise that they have things planned all over the city. On my run today I saw a bunch of places setting up for concerts. I would venture out but it is looking like less than ideal weather and frankly I am no longer up for poor weather.

Yesterday it was beautiful. I left the kids with Todd and went to the Louvre again. It was amazing and sunny, and felt like summer again.

Euro Cup Fans watching the game

Even when it's raining you can still play outside.

Took the girls on a little outing for ice-cream

Dinner and Baseball in the park

They kept insisting there were fish in the fountain. I kept telling them there were not...there were.

Hard to tell but these are the dudes with machine guns walking around the park...they had pretty shadows.

The carnival has come to the Tuileries.

The boys have been eyeing this weird courtyard with have in the back of our apartment. I had spent the first few months trying to avoid them asking if they could go play baseball in it. About 4 buildings back up to it and as no one is familiar with the concept of baseball I figured my extremely expressive children out there screaming with a bat may not go over well. BUT we are leaving in a few days so I finally gave in and let them play. They have been having fun but at one point they hit a ball over a wall that is about 7' high. Todd went out to help and all I saw was him heave Jackson over this wall. I almost screamed but Todd was laughing so I realized the the ground on the other side of the wall was only about 3'from it's top. It just looked really funny.

I took the kids back to the strange memorial statue thing(yes this is it's proper name) and they resumed their game of tag...with ease.

Ecole Militare 10m

A deserted Champs de Mars while everyone is watching the soccer game

Detail of the Eiffel Tower

Well I am getting good at reflections with all the water.

10:20pm...still light out.

You can rent and ride bikes all over the city, it's pretty cool.

Brides everywhere

As this is likely my last post from Paris I'm going to go out on a limb and get poetic again.

Paris is a dream, it's light, it's sound, it's smells are all intoxicating and one only needs to set foot on any random street in Paris to instantly fall in love. It's every time that's ever been, and as you walk you can imagine walking the same street 100 or more years ago and know how that person felt even then. It's every bit as romantic and poetic as it's described. It's not the museums and the amazing sights. It's the magic of a city, a city that was spared bombings then destruction in WWII , a city spared it's own revolution, a city everyone can seem to understand is significant in its ability to show you, the common passerby that life is beautiful. I went to the Louvre 4 times. I walked through and asked myself why I love these works of art so much. I think for me its like a small window into the lives of those who came before. The people who lived, worked, walked, and loved as and where we do. The landscapes show us that our world is the same. There are small changes but in a larger sense its the same. The Portraits show that we are the same. Our faces full of hope, sorrow, sadness, and joy. Our stories are the same, our dreams and wishes for ourselves and our children no different. I think its these small reminders that life is very short. A reminder to appreciate the small simple moments. The in-between moments. There is pleasure and happiness around you if you would only take a moment to look, to take that step out onto some random Paris street and walk. But in reality once you know what you are looking for it can be found anywhere...it's just easier to spot here.

Me loving the louvre

Leaving the Louvre there was really neat sun rays

View from the Louvre

REALLY good...was planning on saving half for Todd because it was huge...didn't happen.

This is my all time favorite painting ever. "Joseph the Carpenter" by La Tour I have been to the Louvre 5 times and never was able to find it. I finally found it and nearly cried. It's like they tried to hide it it's in such a remote corner of the museum.