So much to say, only going to say some of it

Hello all!
It seems like ages since I last posted, partly because it has been, and partly because I've been doing so very many exciting things!  I am tired and now that I'm on my second day of my month of classes I actually have work I need to do, instead of lazing about when I'm not be an uber tourist, and since I actually have things to do I am going to start all of my storytelling at the beginning and say as much as I can in this post and make sure that there are pictures to go along with all of it, and then over the next week or so I will write more posts until I finally catch up to where I am now!

Last I wrote it was Sunday in Paris and nothing was open and I was lazy.  Most of the week and exactly what order I did everything in is, sadly, kind of hazy.  I believe it was Wednesday when Elizabeth's friend Soe, Elizabeth, and I all traveled to see the huge military museum in Paris, which also happens to be the place where Napoleon's tomb is.  It is a huge brown granite (or something shiny like that) monument surrounded by huge statues of angels to watch over him and a beautiful church (which has one of the most impressive organs I've seen) with gold everywhere, and paintings on the ceiling that rival that of the Sistine Chapel.  It's nothing if not impressive.

Elizabeth and the Eiffel Tower

This is Elizabeth and me, it's cool that you can see the Eiffel Tower in the background

Love the armor window treatments

Note the large arrow pointing at Napoleon.  He really thought highly of himself, and the museum staff aren't helping his humility

Not large in real life he looks very imposing when he is a large statue that is placed high above everyone's heads

This made me think of Sam when he was younger, he would have had a picture taken sitting on one!

All churches have great light fixtures!

Such a beautiful organ

He really thought he was much bigger than he was...this thing is freaking huge!

A picture of Paris in the rain...ah, if only it was midnight...

I felt very lucky that at that moment a horse and carriage rode past

This is Elizabeth and Soe

After visiting the museum and the final resting place of Nappy Bonaparte, all three of us went out to dinner at a great little cafe called "Le Royale".  It was almost completely empty, but I have no idea why.  For 12,90 euros we were able to get a full three course meal WITH a drink of our choice.  Soe got a carafe of rose wine with her three course meal and it was really nice wine, she shared.  All three of us, by pure chance, got the same three courses.  The first was a delicious vegetable soup.  I don't like veggies, but it was sooooooooo good.  If I could eat that every day I might actually be able to be a vegetarian, I wouldn't, but I could.  Then we had a traditional steak and frites.  Finally we ended with an amazing chocolate mousse.

As we were trying to find a good place to eat and walking the streets in the rain we would have to stop under the coverings near doorways to read Elizabeth's map.  Once as we were stopped at the doorway to a different restaurant a woman came out and stood looking out at the rain and across the street.  I looked down at her feet and found that she was wearing pretty little pink ballet flats that would do absolutely nothing for her feet in the rain.  I looked at her and said in halting French "your shoes, they're not good for the rain" and she looked at them and at the rain then back at me and laughed in that way that people laugh when it isn't really funny, but if they didn't laugh they don't know how they would stay posative.  She said that it wasn't a good choice of footwear but she didn't know that it was going to rain that morning.  I then told her that I liked her glasses, because they were really cool and brightly colored.  She then smiled a real smile and thanked me.  After that she looked forlornly across the street at the sign that said "TAXI" and said she was headed that way.  I wished her luck.  She smiled and said goodbye.  All in all it wasn't a very exciting conversation, but it was all in French and we both understood each other completely.  It was awesome!  Admittedly, now that I'm living with a French family and taking intermediate French classes talking only in French isn't very exciting, and in fact I find myself missing speaking in English, but at that point I was ecstatic about being able to understand at all.

It's late here and I have so much more to say and so many more pictures, but I need to sleep.  School tomorrow!  A sneak peak of what's to come: Notre Dame (the "real" one, yes Quasimodo), Louvre, l"arc de  Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and much much more...stories at least...

I miss everyone so very much!  I love reading comments and it helps me feel more connected with my home, so if you can comment please do!  I like to know that out of sight isn't always out of mind!  <3  Good night, good morning, good afternoon, etc to everyone!