Rabbit Island

Right in the middle of the roundabout at Porte Maillot (between the 16th and 17th arrondisement), is a little park with a lot of rabbits.  It's incredible to see them happily hopping around on their own little island.

They even have a great view of the Arc de Triomphe!  What a life!

Blue Skies in Paris

Nothing but blue skies in Paris on Friday.  There were no ashes from the Eyjafjallajoekull eruption as well as no plane contrails....

Saturday was a carbon copy of Friday...

Manifestation !!!

We joined our friend, Hélène, and the Anesthesiologist Nurses in their protest against government changes in their job vs. education status and compensation. Anesthesiologist nurses have a very critical role in surgery and it takes years of additional education past their nursing degrees to perform the job.  Now, to save money, the French goverment wants to change the rules and base their pay and benefits not on the work they do everyday, but on the type of school they attended in the past.   It is simply not fair.

We protested mainly in front of and around the French National Assembly (which is similar to the House of Commons in the UK or the House of Representatives in the USA)

Rehydrating...protesting is hard work!  :-)

I hope that this sign on my back doesn't say "kick me".

Tom and I, looking very anesthesiologist nurse-like...

A mad protester (aka Tom)...

Hélène...

The Concorde across the Seine River

Lunch time!  A baguette, cheese and wine!  I love France!

Marching along the Seine...

Bob's 18!!!

Usually, we head up to the Trocadero for Bob's birthday picture.  This year, we were short on time so the Eiffel Tower (thanks to Hélène) came to us.

A few days later, we went to Bob's favorite Sushi restaurant on his actual birthday.

Amsterdam

Tom, Bob and I just spent 4 wonderful days in Amsterdam.  It's been 19 years since I've been in Amsterdam!

Statue of Anne Frank...

Bob and Tom standing in front of Anne Frank's house.  Anne was 13 years old when she began writing her diary in July 1942.  Anne lived in a small hidden apartment with 7 other people for 2 years before they were betrayed.  First, Anne was sent to Auschwitz and then she was moved to Bergan-Belsen.  Unfortunately, she died of typhus just weeks before the camp was liberated.

The flower market...

The Heineken Brewery...

Of course, no visit to Amsterdam would be complete without a canal cruise.

Amsterdam has 165 canals spanned by more than 1,280 bridges.

Bob's curls on the canal cruise...

A view from the canal...Amsterdam has more than 7,000 gables.

A wonderful way to take your son and 2 dogs around Amsterdam.

I had forgotten how many bikes and bike lanes there are in Amsterdam.  It is such an easy way to get around the city's narrow roads.