Winter travel ends with Paris

And finally Paris.  Because my friend Casey and I failed to meet up in Istanbul as planned, we decided to rendezvous in Paris at the end of her three months in Syria, where she needed to report into MSF (Doctors without Borders).  Having never been to Paris, I was more than happy to meet her there.

In this part of the world, going to Paris is on par with going to America. My family and my friends at work were most excited—and envious-- about that part of my trip. I tried to oblige their interests with lots of photographs and souvenir shopping (doesn’t everyone in the world need a miniature Eifel Tower?).

And Paris is as beautiful as everyone says it is. I basically spent almost the whole three days just walking around and taking in the sights. We did make it to a couple of museums—the Louvre was free as it was the first Sunday of the month, and then the garden behind the Rodin museum, filled with his work.  I would love to go back someday and see how even more beautiful it must be in the spring and summer. 

Following my time in Paris, I flew back to Kyiv, took the overnight train to Simferopol, and arrived home tired but happy to be back, for which I am so grateful. On to my next six months of living here and seeing what life brings.

On a bridge across the Seine filled with locks. A tradition I have seen in Ukraine also

In front of the Louvre.

Waiting out the sleet.

And the sky clears in time for a pic of Casey.

With Venus de Milo in the Louvre.

We found a copy of Sara's book!