Parks and Math: Themes of 8/02-8/05

Kenna and I had a whole baguette to ourselves for lunch on Thursday. This was a rare treat, for Robin and Shelley usually wanted pieces of the baguette. But Robin and Shelley were going out to a cafe, so Kenna and I stayed home, as we had all morning, and shared the baguette.
The afternoon was a little more interesting. We took the Metro to a park that Robin and I had read about in a guidebook. The guidebook description featured a giant head to climb on, a small world, and an underground shopping mall. However, when we arrived, we saw a dismal sight: most of the park had been closed off for construction, leaving just a small play-area and the shopping mall. Kenna still found fun in this, chasing me around and trying to get me to sit in the toy train. It was a brief walk to the courtyard of the Louvre, where fountains gracefully sprayed water and Kenna chased me again.
Friday morning brought more excitement. A friend had informed Robin of a discovery museum, stocked with scientific and mathematical wonders. I had high hopes for the museum, especially the math.
The museum had high-ceilings and a grand feel to it. I could hardly wait. At last, tickets were purchased, and we were in!
After a few diversions, Robin and I journeyed to the math room. It was less of a room than a dimly lit balcony overlooking a display on what looked like chemistry. Beautiful three-dimensional graphs hung on the walls. Some of them included equations, some of which I eagerly copied down to graph on graphing software at home. There was a fascinating interactive model of a bell curve on the other side of the balcony, but the best part was the Pi Room, a circular chamber showcasing the wonders of pi. Even Kenna, who doesn't enjoy math as much as I, seemed to have fun teaching Robin and Shelley digits of pi.
The next day found us visiting Robin's friend's parents in a different city in France. They took us out to a restaurant, where I had some delicious pasta. Kenna and I eagerly drew on the provided placemats with provided colored pencils. I wrote a proof, while Kenna drew a flock of birds. Afterwards, the whole group of us visited Napoleon's home, a grand castle even if it was smaller than Versailles. I enjoyed the visit more than Versailles because there were more props from the family's life showcased at Napoleon's home and it wasn't as crowded.
Today, we took the Metro to a flea market. Kenna purchased some small things. I spent one euro on a set of old, written-on postcards with lovely pictures and paintings on the cover. I plan to glue them on to the cover of my handmade journals to make the journals look better. I got a really neat postcard of Greek ruins at Delphi.
Sadly, it began to rain, dampening our bodies and our mood. We took the Metro again, but this time to the northern part of Paris. I turned a corner and saw the Eiffel Tower looming up at me unexpectedly. After we ate, we closed in on the Tower. Though we didn't go up, we did go to a nearby park for a little bit.
Now everything is quiet. So I can think. . .

Too Much and Not Enough: 7/29-8/01

It seems to be easier to learn a foreign language when in a foreign country. I'm learning more French vocabulary per day than I ever did at home. It is piling up in my brain. Oiseaux is bird, avec is with... I learn it in one of three ways. Sometimes I can figure out the definition of the word I see because it looks like an English word I know or it has a familiar context. Other times, I see a word repeated a lot and later ask Robin for its definition and pronunciation. And when I was with Pierre-Noel (see the previous post), he'd teach Kenna and I animal names in French. He'd say them, then we'd repeat them rather clumsily. We'd make noises, too, sometimes. My vocabulary has expanded greatly.

Notre Dame

We tried to go to Notre Dame the day after we came back from Robin's friend's family's house, but it was much too crowed to go inside. We stood outside and observed, then walked across bridges to see the city nearby. Kenna wanted to go to souvenir shops in the hopes of finding a small treasure, while I wished to explore the local English bookstore. We split up.
At the bookstore, I found a number of interesting books, though there was a surprisingly small mathematics section.

The locks

On the bridge, there seemed to be an interesting custom of married couples attaching locks to the bridge, possibly to signify an unbreakable bond. This was amusing to view. There was a motley collection of locks. Large and small, black and gold. Some couples had engraved their names into the lock, while others had inscribed them in black permanent marker.
The next day, much to the approval of Kenna, we journeyed to large department stores. There was a lot of browsing on the lower floors. Kenna and I grew impatient. At last, we were accompanied to floor 5, which encompassed children's clothes and toys. The highlight was a lovely baby doll, which Kenna purchased on a subsequent visit.
Everyone had high hopes for our Tuesday excursion. After all, what could go wrong at Versailles, the extravagant castle?
While Versailles by itself was interesting--and very extravagant--the crowd of people hampered movement and the view. It took several minutes, at one point, to get from one room to the next. The whole family was tired, hungry, and, I suppose, relieved when we emerged. Luckily, I got some interesting photographs. There was also some unusual modern art mixed in with the paintings and sculptures aged centuries.
Today was a visit to the Musee d'Orsay--a museum of more art. There were some wonderful and awe-inspiring paintings and drawings hanging on the walls. It was also less crowded. Kenna purchased her baby doll. I think it was a pretty good day for everyone.

Nory mange baguette. Tres bien! Oui?

If you would like to see the rest of the photographs that accompany this post, please use this link. The photographs for the previous posts are located here.

Admiring Cathedrals: 7/23-7/28

The table is strewn with pencils, paper and assorted books as I type this on a shiny laptop. The cool Paris breeze blows through the open door to the balcony, and it is welcome. The day has turned hot. I step out onto the balcony that overhangs the sidewalk, absorb the noises of the city, and think...

The time difference between Paris and my home of Berkeley is nine hours, making the new time not very easy to adjust to, especially after a long flight. From what Kenna told me afterwards, she awoke at 9 o'clock PM and was unsure if it was day or night. The sky was still bright. (In Paris, the sun set that day around 10 PM.) We got a lot of sleep that night.

The cathedral

The next day, we walked around our area of the city a bit. Kenna found refuge from the heat in a large store consisting mostly of electronics and books, which were in French, a language largely unfamiliar to Kenna and I. In the evening, we visited Robin's friend's brother's family, who lived in a lovely old house surrounded by a green garden containing various fruits, vegetables, and trees. I wish my garden was as healthy as theirs.

The view (click to expand)

The next day, we took the Metro, then the train, to Robin's friend's family's house. The youngest of his children--Pierre-Noel--was roughly my age. Kenna took an instant liking to him, as did I, though he spoke little English and we spoke little French. Our friendship benefited when we visited an old cathedral with numerous intricate carvings. There was a high tower with a very tall staircase, which everyone climbed. The view from the top balcony was excellent! It was a clear day, and we could see very far. Kenna, Pierre-Noel, and I took pleasure in circling the balcony. I enjoyed photographing the cathedral. The stained glass was amazing.

A chateau

The next day, we went on a tour of a chateau. The defense systems were interesting. Most of it was still preserved well, especially the tapestries. They were woven with very fine thread and looked like paintings. It was impressive. The kitchens were large, roomy spaces. Robin liked the ceilings, some of which were made by arranging wood in unique patterns. I liked the tapestries. Kenna liked the gift shop.
Today, prior to leaving, Robin, Shelley, Kenna, and I went to a nearby market. I admired the color of the red bell peppers, some of my favorite foods. There was a chocolate shop in the vicinity, where chocolate was sampled. I devoured a thin piece of dark chocolate (70%) that was delicious. Kenna chose milk chocolate and caramel, which she, too, liked very much. When I return to America, I will miss the French food.

When I return to America, I think now, I will miss a lot of things.

This Morning

Is there a favorite post you miss and cannot find? Now, there is a search bar on the right of the posts. I tried it and it seems to work fairly well.
Kenna and I were playing with Legos this morning. Tiny bricks in plastic bags were ( and still are ) spread all over the floor. I'm glad we have the time for Legos because we are on winter break and there is no school.
Kenna is building a medieval marketplace. The horse and carriage seem to clop along as if they are real. My lighthouse opens a wall to reveal the rooms inside, but the "light" of lighthouse is falling apart, or at least, the bricks attached to it are.

Kenna and I felt slightly sick this morning. We drank warm milk and honey while reading Tintin comic books. (Read this post for recommendations.) But now I am going running. Goodbye.

Tintin Comic Books

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
The Tintin movie is coming out soon, and, in preparation, Kenna is reading all of the Tintin comic books. She enjoys Tintin and the Picaros, while my personal favorite is Red Rackham's Treasure.
The fumbling Thompson twins are enjoyable, and one may think that Professor Calculus's mishearing is a one-time joke, but really, the humor is fairly constant whenever you read it. Kenna likes Captain Haddock and his insults.
If you've never read Tintin books, I'd recommend Tintin in America and Tintin and the Broken Ear. The earlier ones help to establish the characters. There are few ongoing adventures in the collection of books, but I advise you to read them in order.

Review of Cars 2

I, for one, like spy stories. These spies always have neat gadgets, always get away just in time, and always have elaborate back-stories. The spy cars inside of Cars 2 certainly meet all of these expectations, and the effects are marvelous, seeing as how this an animated movie. The water in the opening scene looks real, and the explosions are not to be missed, if you like that sort of stuff. Read more of this review here.

Upcoming Feature

This blog's new Puzzle Central will have puzzles, but I need a puzzle from a reader to put in. (I will give credit.) To access it, go to the top of the blog, just below the title section. There is a bar across the top of the page. Click "Puzzle Central."