Paris, France Day 6

Dec. 31

The last run to the little Statue of Liberty was so much fun, we decided to do it again this morning. Katherine and I just went by ourselves. Thomas had to work and Anne wanted to sleep a bit more. It was a chilly, fast paced run through the crowded sidewalks. We arrived at the statue area with a few people already on the exercise equipment. The same homeless lady was there under the bridge and a huge police boat passed. We got our workouts in and then headed back to the apartment. No one got lost, so it was a success. The streets around Paris can get a little tricky.

Katherine was feeling a little bit sick in the abdomen for some reason. We were pretty sure it was from all the rich food we had been eating, but she was not about to let an upset stomach ruin New Year's Eve. I ran a few errands with Thomas while Katherine rested and we packed our gear.

Tonight was the big New Year's party at Anne's parents' house. Anne made some wonderful dips and we brought some goodies. Her parents were gone at their beach house, so the kids had the house to themselves. The drive was quick with no traffic and we arrived around 6pm. I watched in amazement as they transformed the place into a full party scene. Katherine and I wanted to help, but we just seemed to get in the way. They had a master plan, and we sat and watched the whole thing unfold. By 8pm, the back room was ready for the party. A 4 foot black light was over the food, hors d'oeuvres were out on the other table, beverages were in strategic locations, and the DJ center was up and cranking. The New Year would be here soon enough. Party attendees came right on time and there were a lot of family members around. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all not speaking French. Many people came to me to practice their English. It was a lot of fun and it was great arriving in the New Year hours before my friends and family in the USA. If it was the end of the world, I would have seen it before them! There was lots of dancing and eating the rest of the night. I was amazed at how much American popular music was played. There was a bit of traditional French music and even some French Canadian music to round things out. I did hear MC Hammer at one point too.

We all turned in for the night by 3:30 or 4am. I didn't really look. The night was great and it was different to spend New Year's Eve with our French friends. They sure know how to throw down!

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