Does the sun always see to shine brighter when you are on holiday?  Do the clouds always seem to stack up in such a way that the sunset looks like in belongs in a painting rather in front of the dirty windshield as you tear accross the French country side at 160kph?  And is it just me, or is the French country side really that much more beautiful that places that I have seen in the States?  For some reason these things were occuring to me as we drove from Paris to Mulhouse yesterday.  Of course you can't really answer these questions, they are from the perspective of the person experiencing them, and you must take into account that persons day, week, experience to truly be able to answer it.  So consider my weekend while thinging about French sunsets and country side.  Friday Nico, Mary (his girlfriend), Justine and I all pile into the car for the drive to Paris.  A mere 480k.  The drive was wonderful, they put art on the side of the road, gotta love the French.  We arrive in Osny just north of Paris to stay with a friend of Nico's and mine from Berkeley.  And she has cooked up a wonderful dinner (Edouard-I will never again mock you family for a) taking two hours to eat, this is how it should be done b) the multiple course meal, this is how it should be done.  My sincerest apologies to your mother.).  The plan was to get up at 9 the next morning and be out of the house by 10.  Wrong.  Get breakfast at 10, fresh crossants.  And a few chocolate ones.  Out of the house by 11:30.  Nico, Mary and Justine are off to EuroDisney as Nico's reward to Justine for getting good marks in school.  Claire is taking me into Paris to drop me off so that I may play tourist for a day.  I have lofty goals.  And it is 12:30.  The Louve, Arc D'Triumph, the Eiffel tower, a canal tour, Notre Dame, and Saint Chapelle.  Then back to the Bastille to meet for dinner.  Claire leaves me with a great map that Alex gave to her at the Bastille and I set off.  Up to the Louve.  I know there is to much to see in one day, got some great advice from Alex, pick a few areas and just see those.  I arrive.  In awe of the sheer size of the complex.  Get my ticket and head for the Islamic arts area, great pieces, mostly ceramics, off to the Egyptian section.  A few sarcaphgous among other things.  Sculptures, gotta see those, I love the sculptures.  I come accross one that is a reminder of a wonderful period in my life and spend 10 minutes just looking at the real thing.  This may not sound like much, but I only wanted to spend 2hrs in the Louve.  I manage to tear myself away.  When one is in the Louve, you cannot leave without seeing the Mona Lisa.  I race in that direction.  I plan on walking by.  I spend 15mins.  This is an eterenty.  I must go.  She will not release my gaze, I feel like I am watching the washing machine again.  She watchs me, I watch her.  There is a reason this is one of the most famous paintings in the world.  It is beautiful.  Mezmerizing.  I must go.  I leave.  Out of the Louve at 3pm. 
Up the Champs D'Elysse.  Edouard, I know that I am spelling poorly, but give me some slack.  I pass the Obilesque, then up to the Arc.  Wait.  Stop.  Hungry.  Lunch.  Ham and Greyuere.  Gotta love that, not cheese, not chedder, GREYUERE.  Yummy.  Inhail lunch, watch 15mins of the Tour.  Arc.  Up 250 stairs.  Walk around the top.  Great view.  Down.  Oh, did I mention that my knee still hurts from that biking accident in Nepal?  Oh, and sure it feeling good today.  Briefly pay my respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.  And off to the Eiffel.  Walk there.  Paris is a wonderful city to walk in.  The subway is great, but you miss so much being underground.  Arrive at the Eiffel.  Walk or elevator?  The line is shorter to walk up.  I walk.  I know not how far it is up.  First level, not bad.  Second, wow.  Walk all the way around.  Down.  I am tired.  Thiristy.  Water is being sold for 1euro for a half liter.  HAH.  I find a grocery store.  1.5l for .67euro.  Oh, and a bar of chocolate for 1.35.  The Notre Dame.  But first Saint Chapelle.  I get there at 6:45, and it closes at 5.  Oh well.  Rush over to Notre Dame.   Get there at 7.  It closes at 7.  Closed.  I am tired.  My feet hurt.  My knee is saying hello.  A lot.  Subway back to the Bastille, our meeting point for the evening.  I get there at 7:45.  We meet at 8.  I order a lemonade.  I get 7up.  With a lemon in it.  FOR 7 BLOODY EUROS.  I am nearly outraged.  I drink it.  Meet up with Claire, Nico and Co.  We find a great Corsican restaurant.  Wonderful meal.  At midnight we leave.  Back to the Eiffel tower.  What a sight all lit up.  Around 1 we head back to the house.  The plan is to get up around 9 and go for a swim.  We d   r    a        g ourselves out of bed at around 11:30.  Eat another great breakfast and then off to the park for a little picnic.  Relaxing in the park, Mary and I beat Nico and Claire at a game that is a little like Bocci Ball.  Nico has played this game since he was 5.  I have never play, neither has Mary.  Around 4 we head off.  Somewhere past Reims, I see the sky, the clouds and the sun in this wonderful combination that leaves me asking myself questions about the beauty of sky, clouds and sun at home.....................