Just a regular week

This was just a regular week. Josh started it with a BDay party in a Laser Tag arena here in Paris. Of course he loved it: he's 10, he was dressed like a marine during a combat training, surrounded by his hyper excited screaming friend in the dark and he could shoot at any moving object! All his dreams came true.

Then on Thursday he came home with his French tutor (Margaux) and his friend Gabe: they did home works together and watched a movie in French. He seems to get better and better every day in his French and lately I noticed that he uses more his Italian to help him in the translation. Alla buon ora (finally!). Let's hope that he's going to get enough to continue when we are back in LA. I told him that there are sailing classes in France and that, if he continues to practice in Pasadena during next year, he might be able to participate to one of them. Catamaran? Who knows, why not. 

Friday morning I had my first experience with a bike here in Paris. This is such a smart idea: once you buy a Velib' card (around 60 euros/year but there are even daily tickets for so much less), you are entitled to take any of the thousands bikes that are parked  around the city and you can return it where you liked it. So much fun! I discovered streets and squares that were totally unknown and I realized that, despite months of walking, I am totally out of shape!!!!

Saturday Giuseppe flew to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, for a short workshop. The poor guy was invited from the University (business class...) and he's going to be back in 5 days. He'll see places where I spent my childhood, the desert, the dunes, the Red Sea..so many memories. I asked him to stop by the monument of the thumb...you'll see what I'm talking about. 

Today I took Josh to the Mass in Notre Dame: it was not just any mass, this one was in Latin and the children's choir sang Gregorian music. It was astonishing: just to sit there, in this majestic Cathedral, hearing prayers and lectures in Latin and listening to Gregorian chants and to think that someone, 800 years ago was having the same exact experience! Isn't it incredible? But of course we couldn't understand a word. I wonder if we would have understand better in French!