November 30, 1998

What you will discover in this letter: Sleeping and Paris do not mix, what the cathedral builders forgot, how the French give new meaning to ‘going in circles’,

My new digital camera was waiting for me when I checked into the hotel in Paris. (It’s a long story; don’t ask why it was delivered to the hotel.) Once I got settled into my room I took off with a friend of mine. We had the rest of the afternoon and evening to spend wondering along the streets of Paris. We didn’t have any particular goal in mind. It was during this little stroll that I sent an email to everyone from the cyber-café. While meandering our way back toward the hotel we ran across a small cathedral - relative to the others we would in the coming days. Inside the cathedral they were preparing for a Mozart concerto. Emily - my friend - and I managed to get half price tickets and seats right next to the choir to hear Mozart’s 21st concerto and Mass K.317. So there I was, first night in Paris unexpectedly sitting in a cathedral about to hear a splendid concerto. Serendipity truly is the best lead dog.

After the concert I walked Emily back to the hotel and then went to the lobby to sit with my camera for the next four hours learning how everything worked. After that I spent the next four hours walking around the Seine taking pictures. If you every visit Paris I highly recommend taking a late night stroll. The city is beautiful under any conditions but particularly at night.