Day 51

Hi All,

So here's a picture of the morning after my "slumber party." It was Vicki and her good friend, Kelly, who spent the night with me. We all went to the Ritz (Ecole Ritz Escoffier Paris) for the cooking class followed by dining together as a class and enjoying the fruits of our labor. The chef gave us a tour of the kitchen where all of the food is prepared for the Ritz hotel guests. It was 11:00 pm or so before we left the hotel. Of course, we decided we needed a dessert and cofee so we took the metro back to my neighborhood where we finished off the evening with sweets and stimulating conversation. It was after 1:00 am when we got home, so our slumber party was all too short.

This is seeming very strange--Day 51--can it be? I cannot imagine that this fabulous journey is nearing its end. But then again, perhaps it's not. I am considering going back to Germany when my stay is over in Paris. I'll keep you posted--if I do, I'll extend my stay by a week or so. My wonderful friends in Weinstadt want me to come back and celebrate Bernd's birthday on July 6th. I'd love to do that but need to figure out the logistics with the airline, etc.

The cooking class was a winner! We made two very gourmet dishes--sea bass and salmon tartar with fine herbs dressing and also sea bass with a shallot and tomato crust, green pea risotto and saffron cockle juice. I'll post a few pictures but both of my batteries gave out so the final presentation was not "digitally" captured!






We had breakfast here in the apartment--cantaloupe, orange juice, baguette, yogurt and coffee. Sitting around talking "girl talk" was so enjoyable--I just wish they could have stayed longer. Vicki had to get home to bake a carrot cake for tonight's party (I'm invited) and Kelly had some activities planned with her children.

I took the metro and met Vicki and Kelly at the Ritz. The hotel is in a beautiful part of Paris and I thought you might enjoy seeing a few of the sights and some of the street scenes along the way. One picture is of the entrance to the Ritz Paris and another shows the Place de Vendome, the large plaza right out in front of the hotel.




Soccer games dominate the conversation around Paris--what about back home? I saw that the U.S. team tied (but perhaps could have won if the call had been in their favor). The Lakers win also dominated the news but unfortunately the "aftermath" did too with several arrests for unruly behavior. Of course, the oil spill and the BP executives are in the news daily. Other than that, not much news from America. My good friend, Eddy, sends me weekly mailings of news articles from the LA Times and NY Times which I thoroughly enjoy reading. How lucky can one lady be???

I'm off to Vicki and Joseph's for a BBQ at their friends. I'll get back with you later.

Much love, Judy