Paris in the rain!

Giles and Gillian dancing at Pl. de la Contrescarpe

Even after hours and hours of flying and travel connections, and even through the bleary-brained haze of jet lag, Paris is a fascinating place--even in the rain! We met up with Brittany (notre fille) and Jesse (notre beau-fils) and had a Parisian cafe lunch at the Bistro au Marche, a connect with the concierge at the group hotel, entrance to our Paris apartment near the hotel (a charming and classic Paris apartment), another stroll to buy some groceries where we met a Brit who used to be a guard for Tony Blair... so he says, and likes to go by M'Lord, who advised us on everything from the best cheese and the best wines to why we must eat at the Cafe Petit Cardinal (reviews were abysmal, warning: food not fit for consumption--Parisians have strong gastronomical opinions); a photo op with Renee Descartes' house, and Giles and Gillian dancing and playing at the Place de la Contrescarpe fountain.

And we watching the munchkins entertain us!

After a really good sleep (Giles and Gillian still at it), today I'm doing a walk through of our sites in Paris, to gauge walking distances and times (we have some seniors, including an 81 year old gentleman, and children as young as 7), and to plan out each stop along the way. Hopefully I'll not be doing this entirely under an umbrella. Who knows, I might burst into Singing in the Rain, or some other behavior equally impossible to recover from in Paris. Funny how in an anything-goes setting like Paris, how many things are irrecoverably taboo, things like speaking English! Francais seulement!


The REFORMATION TOUR, 2013 is in commemoration of the 450th of the Heidelberg Catechism. My devotion times and talks will be unpacking, phrase-by-phrase the opening question(s). Here is one of the greatest summaries of the gospel ever penned: 1. Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?  A. That I am not my own,[1] but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death,[2] to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.[3] He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil.[5] He also preserves me in such a way[6] that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head;[7] indeed, all things must work together for my salvation.[8] Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life[9] and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.[10] [1] I Cor. 6:19, 20 [2] Rom. 14:7-9. [3] I Cor. 3:23; Tit. 2:14. [4] I Pet. 1:18, 19; I John 1:7; 2:2. [5] John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14, 15; I John 3:8. [6] John 6:39, 40; 10:27-30; II Thess. 3:3; I Pet. 1:5. [7] Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18. [8] Rom. 8:28. [9] Rom. 8:15, 16; II Cor. 1:21, 22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13, 14. [10] Rom. 8:14.