This morning was my first meeting with a group of MESSAGE moms here in Paris. A group of women living in my area (Area 1C covers the 11th and 12th arrondissements) got together (at a Starbucks, of all places) to chat and share stories about being a mom in Paris. The 5 other women are all permanently settled in Paris -- four were from the U.S. and one was from London. Two of the women married Frenchmen and had no plans to go back to America. Another woman, Laura, had a really interesting story: she and her Italian-American husband moved from San Diego to Paris back in 2003 to seek political asylum... actually, they left the U.S. because they could no longer stand to live under the Bush administration. She sold her web development company, their house and cars, packed up, and moved. Laura has picked up some web development work here, but her husband is still looking for work. I told her that she and her husband are living out our fantasy.

We ran a few errands today, and they all happened to be near the Champs-Élysée and the Eiffel Tower. We purchased tickets to one of my favorite operas which happens to be coming to the Theatre des Champs-Élysée --> Le Nozze di Figaro! Just a half a block away was the Hotel Plaza Athénée, site of the final episode of "Sex & the City". The outside of the building was just beautiful -- red flowers bursting out of the balconies and terraces. The lobby was smaller than I would have imagined, but very charming, and the service we encountered on our quick walk through the lobby area was friendly and warm. But at 555€ a night for the least expensive room (on up to 6500€ a night!!), I don't see staying at the Plaza in our future any time soon!


Our next stop was Le Tour Eiffel for Emmett's first visit. We were there to pick up my La Parisienne race materials at the Trocadero (at the base of the Eiffel Tower). Emmett loved the water fountain there and even got to meet the Squirrel mascot of the race.