Europe in a Nutshell, Part 1

I've been in Paris for 4 days now and, the frigid weather notwithstanding, it has been nothing short of bliss. The first few days I lingered around Paris doing the usual Paris-activities: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (which is incredible, by the way), Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and the Bastille. I snuck in on a Christmas service at the Notre Dame, bought a couple of lovely scarves, ate crepes, went to a Christmas concert, "picnicked" in front of the Arc, spoke in French to my heart's content, and developed frostbitten extremities. After a couple days of this routine, I took a daytrip to Amsterdam yesterday and got an eyeful, so to speak. Though Amsterdam has a bawdy reputation which I experienced firsthand, it is set against a fascinating backdrop of gothic architecture, WWII history, charming row-houses, and numerous canals. It is a delightful metropolis and I can't wait to return for another lookaround. Some of the highlights included a tour of the Anne Frank Huis, and seeing the Corrie ten Boom house in Haarlem (it was closed...sad). Today, I spent the day at Versailles meandering in the amazing chateau and gardens. INCREDIBLE! Tomorrow, I'll climb the Eiffel Tower, see the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay, and finish the day with midnight mass. More later...Merry Christmas :)