cindy's birthday!!

Back on the blackberry. Wireless is more elusive than one might think. Hey, today is cindy's birthday and it sure was a memorable one despite mercury retrograde's attempts to wreak havoc. Woke in ghent - good news, cindy's miserable ailment has rounded the corner and she is on the road to recovery. We explored ghent briefly before heading out of town, I finally boght some belgian chocolates and we went to st baaf's kathedral, an ancient and beautiful catholic church - asa we saw the van eyck painting there. Then we hit the road for paris. Thank god cindy was back behind the wheel - ghent was a disaster to get out of. Construction everywhere. Gps literally gave up and mrs. Garmin (the gps voice, per sharon) was basically like, you're on your own. But we did make it out. Interesting thing about europe. It might as well be one big country at this point - not only is all the money the same now, but border crossings are nonexistent. There's just like a sign that says France. Not even a guy waving you through. There's more ceremony at the ag inspection by the ca/nevada border. Anyway I found that interesting.

So we got to france where we promptly stopped to pee at guess what, mcdonald's. And they actually print the nutrition info on all the packaging... Nice!AND I actually communicated in french for the first time in like ever and it was fine. I seem to know more than I thought. Anyway so then the road we were supposed to take was closed due to "a truck that completely burned up under a tunnel at chaes de gaulle airport.". Fortunately we were parking the car at orly not cdg, but it caused a major detour and we ended up on a very pretty drive through te french countryside and a town called soissons which was cute. But a drive that should have taken 3 hours took 5. Finally got to orly, parked the car and took the train into paris but it was insanely crowded and for some reason moving very slowly... Got to the metro and to our hotel with literally just enough time to get dressed for our dinner cruise on the seine, so I asked the girl at the hotel to call us a taxi as we ran up to change. We came downstairs only to find she forgot to call the taxi, then she called and none were available so we had to run outside and hail one. I was so scared the boat was going to leave without us but we made it in time! The cruise was just beautiful. Great food, wine (katie- I drank a whole glass!!), stunning views. Cindy loved her bday cruise and I had much fun too. Though paris is getting a lil too dineyfied, I think, no wonder cindy likes it so much. But even she had to admit the colored illumination, search lights and yes, giant flat screen tv plastered to thre eiffel tower took something away from it I think. Still and all the city is stunning and I am totally frenching it up to anyone who'll listen since I felt so guilty not knowing a word of dutch or german... Anyway our hotel is tres cute and it is after midnight so I am going to crash. Sorry I haven't put up more pics, as soon as I get a decent connection, I will...