December 1, 1998

Dear Everyone,

Just a short note to let everyone know that I’m back in Swansea after a whirlwind tour of Paris and the surrounding cathedrals. My impression of Paris is, in a word, indescribable. The only way to express the beauty and grandeur of Paris is to compare it to the only other national capital I have visited - Washington D.C. D.C. is in comparison a dung-heap, and that is being kind.

My new camera was awaiting me at the hotel. After a long and distressing battle with FedEx they came through for me. I took about 400 pictures. Some of them will be available in a week or so on my webpage.

I made many wonderful new friends on the trip. I also got the most bang-for-my-buck on the trip by not sleeping, much. Lets just say I slept for nine uninterrupted hours upon returning to my dorm room, something I cannot remember ever happening before.

I will have more to say in a few days.

Ciao for now, idano

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.

November 24, 1998

This will be my last email before I leave for Paris. My itinerary is basically this:

Thursday: leave at 12:15 am. Arrive in Paris at 2:15 pm. The rest of the afternoon and evening at our disposal.

Friday: Walk to Notre Dame from the hotel. Then on to Sainte Chapelle by foot and from there to St-Denis (pronounced: Sah-Dahnny) by coach. Return to hotel at 5 pm with the rest of the evening free.

Saturday: Chartres cathedral.

Sunday: Castle of Coucy and then on to Laon cathedral. Arrive back at hotel at 4 pm with the evening free.

Monday: Depart Paris for Amiens cathedral. After the tour we are off to Calais for the ferry ride. Arrive in Swansea around 11 pm.

I will get an email off to everyone sometime Tuesday with a sketch of the trip and my impressions. Sometime later in the week I will have pictures and more details up on the website.

Au revior, idano