gabriella & jd (and alex! and vincent!)

Vincent and the Luxor obelisk, Place de la Concorde We've been busy once school started again on November 3.  JD had a choir concert, and Vincent has been dragging us all over Paris to see everything he is learning about in school. On Armistice Day, a national holiday in France, we went to see the "Luxor Obelisk" Vincent learned about while studying Egypt.  The obelisk was a gift to France from Egypt in 1832 and is covered in hieroglyphics.  We had just missed the military parade down the Champs-Elysees.  Then we had a nice long meal at a classic old bistro, "Le Grand Colbert". In between, Alex is obsessed with baking moelleux au chocolat, a "molten chocolate cake that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake and a soufflé".  Yum. pictures Vincent's camera baking baking baking (and the choir concert)

Alex's class, CM2 (5th grade) Alex 10 1/2  years old: Vincent, 5 1/2  years old, grande section (kindergarten):

...that Vincent learned about in his class. Vincent just finished a lesson on "prehistoire" and we were urged to visit the Musee Nationale de Prehistoire in Paris to see the skeleton of the mamouth, which we did on our last day of vacation. This is the famous huge museum in Paris, akin to trying to find the "ruby slippers" at the Smithsonian.  We went to the wrong building first, but that's ok, it was a cool exhibit of mammals and whales.  And then when we found the paleontology building, well - we had never seen anything like it. No pictures of the lion penis in a jar (felis lion) or all the other stuff in a jar - amazing, gross, cool, a paleontologist's dream.  And then there was yummy lunch in a bistro and a walk across the bridge to the 14 Metro home. pictures have you ever seen so many skeletons? building collection dates from 1850's:

You better believe we did! This is the sticker from the US, obviously, when I took Grannie to vote early in Maryland.  We voted absentee from France. Some of the coverage in France: US election seen from France: America's 'angry white men' the next day -

Funny Brexit advertising, Paris is trying to lure business from the UK: Just finished the 2 week Toussaint (All Saint's) school vacation.  Vincent and I flew to the US for 11 days to help Grannie with her 1st cataract surgery.  All went well so we don't have to be around for the second, a friend is taking her.  It was a lovely time to visit the DC area - warm weather, leaves turning colors, and time to visit friends.  Vincent loved riding his new bike Mr. Romano put together for him, helping Grannie rake leaves, and eating some good ole US frozen waffles with syrup.  We had lots of time with Carrie, Mitchell, Natalie, got stories about Spencer at Parris Island (he graduates Marine Boot Camp Dec 2), saw Rose & Beth, Mithchell's band competition, Bert play rugby at St. Mary's College, and Kathleen in Rockville. pictures more US pictures coming Halloween in Levallois Vincent and I arrived back in Paris on Halloween to a sunny, warm day.  I think only the s