Close to home, we spent the day exploring not more than a few blocks from the apartment. Leaning out the window, a shot of Notre Dame and its flying buttresses shows just how close it is. Under the Parvis of Notre Dame, the big plaza directly in front of the church, is an archaeological crypt containing ruins of the original Gallo-Roman city excavated in the late 60's. The center model shows the foreground of Notre Dame around 1750 when it looked quite different, with buildings on the bridge and the area in front occupied by a hospital. After exploring 2000 years of history in the crypt, we came 
out and back across the plaza to enter Notre Dame itself. We lit a candle, joining it with other flickering candles reflecting the prayers and faces of hundreds of visitors and listened to the songs of the mass of confirmation that was taking place. Outside again, we sympathized with the tired visitors resting beneath the statues on the front of the church, remembering our long walks from the past few days, and headed across the street to Le Fourmi Ailee for the specialite de maison, Apfel Strudel aux cepes. The very mild mushroom flavor heightens the apple sweetness, and with a cream sauce just like I remember from the prune whip of my childhood, it's a perfect end of the day treat. Such a wonderful day makes me agree with the words of the Ani DiFranco song that is playing while I'm writing, 'I've got everything I want and still I want more'. I guess what I mean is that I want these days to continue to be so interesting, to teach me new things, to share with someone special and just to continue.