Back from Beirut

Sorry for the silence...the internet was hard to accomplish during our short stay in Beirut. What an amazing place. Needless to say, security was high following the assassination of the MP last week but there were really no difficulties. We did miss a trip out to Jeitha caves because we couldn't get through downtown Beirut on Tuesday when the parliament was meeting but we still found lots to do. The city is an interesting melange of old and new, abandoned and rebuilt, expecting trouble and building for the future. The number of cranes at construction sites is staggering - new hotels and condos going up all over the place.

We visited the American University in Beirut and the International College, which is the school where Peter's father was the president and thus where Peter and his siblings grew up - quite a remarkable place in an exotic setting. No wonder Peter has such a curiosity about the world and a real wanderlust.

We are now in London at the Priory of the Assumption where I will give my talk tomorrow night. We're hearing the sounds of Vespers being sung right now - lovely! Later we'll be off to wander by the Thames and search out some pub time!

Home soon!

What's Scottish for geek?

because I am one now. I have totally fallen in love with this country and the people. We've been touring around and eating salmon and going "Oooh, look a' tha'!" I now own a beautiful new celtic cross, a scottish knit sweater and a Scotland cap - as I said - I'm a total Scotgeek.

We're in St. Andrews now and Peter is about to play a practice round before the tournament tomorrow - so I'll be the dutiful wife walking along with him, praising every shot, thinking how cute I look in my new sweater.

Adieu, Paris

Packed up and ready to head to the airport at noon, just one short radio interview to do before the taxi comes. It's a very different feeling leaving Paris this time, no tears or broken heart, just incredible joy and gratitude for all that has happened. I had dinner with Matthieu last night (cute little crèperie) and we reflected on the whole book process and the last two weeks.

There's every indication that there will be favorable articles and reviews starting to come out this week so that's kind of nice. Saw some more old friends yesterday which was great but I'm looking forward to seeing Peter at the airport in Edinburgh this afternoon. He's been cramming in as much golf as possible - five straight days of 36 holes each day - hope that will last him for a while.

I'm not sure how much internet access we'll have for a couple of days but I'll do my best to describe the beauty of Scotland as soon as I can find a connection.

Now off to the land of kilts and single malt scotch!

Places to go...people to see...

Me to talk about...how could I not be having fun. Everyone has been just terrifically nice - the reporters are all considerate of the brain lapses that occur from time to time - hate it when that happens on live TV but...c'est la vie! Gilles Paris, Super-Publicist remarked -after I noted how nice every one was - that if I wanted he could find someone who would be mean to me. And then he and Laurent (who has been my long suffering baby-sitter,who takes me everywhere and keeps me from getting lost, retreived my wallet when I left it in a market -what a dope!) began naming all of those reporters who who could be counted on to be less than sweet - humour Parisian style.

I was in Lyon on Tuesday - beautiful city, birthplace of Antoine de Saint-Exupery and burial place of St. Ireneaus - one of the big names of the early church; yesterday in Brussels - which included a sprint through the train station to catch the TGV home and now back in Paris. Peter is in Scotland - he played well enough to make it into the second round of the tournament at St. Andrew's but alas - is now playing for fun instead of the prize. I'll be joining him on Sunday. Miss you all but the Vicar is having a blast!

Prada - at last!

On avenue Montaigne - one of the swankiest streets in Paris - I got all of the Prada I could afford. Maybe some day, if the book sells a bazillion copies - I'll go in and buy something!

The Green Wall

This is the outside of the Musée Branly - the anthropological museum near the Eiffel Tower. The plants - of many sorts live and grow in a mesh on the wall. I'm wondering how that would work in a California courtyard?

Those cute little kids

I'm so glad that Peter snapped this one quickly - they were adorable!

Children's day in Paris

We had the afternoon free before doing a live TV show at 10 pm so Peter and I hopped on the Metro in search of the wonderful new museum Musée Branly - the museum of anthropology. It's right next to the Eiffel Tower so it was also a fun stroll. In the park under the Tower we encountered the most charming scene - dozens of little be-smocked five year olds - the girls in pink and boys in what looked like graduation robes - mini Toulouse Lautrecs running around on the grass. Undoubtedly to protect their school clothes but a delightful sight. Peter managed to snap a photo (soon to put on the blog) before their teacher - aka the warden - shooed us away with a sweep of her hand and a grand cloud of cigarette smoke.

On the way home we fell upon some more charmers - two kids coming home from school on the Metro with their nanny. They were eating the traditional four o'clock snack, baguette with chocolate. The girl had Julia hair - for those of you from Faith who understand the reference. Blond and curly and an attitude that said; "Watch out world, and especially you men; you don't stand a chance!"

The Museum is terrific - a multi-sensory delight - more later... Off to the Musée d'Orsay...un jour totalement libre!

Motorcycle "Mother" Gracen

Ah, Paris

We arrived with a minimum of travel troubles - Air New Zealand has great leg room! We started off with a bang - a meeting as soon as we arrived - a team of five working on the publicity which began yesterday with six interviews and filming: The schedule was pretty frantic so at one point I got to go on a motorcycle ride through Paris. There was one moment between a bus and a truck that was scream worthy but it was really a blast! and the fastest way through the traffic here.

I haven`t yet figured out how to get pictures from their various hiding places but I will soon and then you too can see how ridiculous I look in a helmet!