jan 31-fev 1: Paris is cold.

The title says it all. The weather says it's 41 and feels like 32; I believe it. (Or if you're up on your Celsius, it's 5 and feels like 0.) But I've had quite the walk already, from my hotel around a bit towards the river where it was especially windy and frigid. Then up through the 5eme arrondissement where the Sorbonne is, over to the Arènes de Lutèce, a Roman ruin which was much less interesting than it sounds. But it was redeemed by a visit to the Panthéon which is quite awesome, though also freezing.

It's especially exciting to recognize quite a few places, whether walking around or on the bus ride in from the airport this morning. The bus went through parts of Montmarte that Tim and I visited, then dropped off at the Opéra which is reasonably close to the hotel.

I'm off now to track down a bit of lunch before checking in to the hotel and enjoying some rest finally. To Valbonne on Saturday -- hooray toasty Côte d'Azur.

Adventures begin

Tomorrow afternoon it's off to Paris to start my adventures in France. I'll spend two days there getting adjusted to the time change and trying not to blow my budget in this big city. I'm staying at a hotel in the 9eme arrondissement near where Tim and I stayed the one other time I visited Paris. I'm looking forward to some more exploration of the city, though it looks like rain there, so maybe I'll go to at least one museum for some good indoor time. Perhaps here.

Then on Saturday I'll take the TGV (tres grande vitesse) train which makes the 560-mile trip in just about five hours. I'll speed down along the Rhone in a window seat on the upper level. But more about the train trip after it's happened.

I'm ready to put all my years of French study to use and to learn a thing or two about the French and about farming. Here goes!