Bonjour

This is the typical greeting for most any interaction in France. Over the past 3 days, my vocabulary for the language has increased. Nicole, Lis and I have encountered a seemingly exponential curve for learning the language and the culture. 

I had the opportunity to travel to Paris, France for a week and, after jumping through a few hoops, it became reality. The time here thus far has been quite a learning experience. It truly is amazing to relish at the beauty of history-in the form of paintings, churches, palaces and other buildings. It's more than a picture, even one that expresses more than a thousand words. Being in the midst of the experience is something I'm treasuring. 

The first day is was a challenge to figure out exactly how to get around using the RER and the metro. The fast-paced systems and people created a hurried atmosphere. However, this is partly due to our relative inability to speak French. The 7 hour time difference seemed to affect the first day, in which we didn't do too much, but tiredness bleed into the second day as well. 

The second day was our first 'look' at Paris. We visited the world-famous Louvre, Notre Dame, Pont Neuf and many other places along the Seine River. In addition, we enjoyed our first real French breakfast composed of orange juice, coffee (half milk, half coffee), along with some bread with butter and jelly. The French are known for many things, but especially wine, bread and cheese. 

The third and current day, we choose to visit the magnificent Chateau de Versailles, a little southwest of Paris. It is an extraordinary palace where many families resided, namely King Louis XIV and Dauphine. The paintings that covered the apartments inside were simply intriguing and detailed. The sheer size and vastness expanded the imagination. Behind the gold-plated gates and palace are well kept gardens along with many fountains. The length from the front of the palace and the end of the water channels and gardens encompassed close to 1.50-2 miles. After Versailles we ate some food at home, then headed to the great-domed Patheon. Inside were more marvelous paintings and sculptures, along with a 'Crypt' in the basement where famous and notable deceased people were buried. 

It has rained every day so far. However, today the rain broke about noon and held off for the rest of the day. We're hoping for more days like this, as it presents a challenge for comfortably and getting around. 

I've been able to enjoy Christ through the smaller things here. Not in bad light, but there are more challenges than I expected. Most of these God is beautifully placing in the my path to bring many things to mind. What a gracious opportunity and gift the Father has blessed me with. My dream is to use this experience for his kingdom. 

Much more can be said, but enough for the night. 

Oh, the Croque Monsieur.

They're legit.