Saturday, June 21 (summer solstice)We have been in Paris a few days but have been lazy about blogging so here goes. We arrived off the train relatively sleep deprived and feeling grungy and taxied to the hotel near our apartment. The woman didn't have the key, which was strange, so we dropped our bags and headed over to the apt to see what was going on. When we got there, Marie (the keeper of the apt key who works at the hotel) came running down stairs and said that there was a problem. The man who was supposed to be vacating the pt today had everything stolen from him last night (at first we think she means someone broke into the apt, but it turns out that he was out the night before and had everything stolen off of him...where was he?). So she tells us to come back at 4pm. We head to rue Moufftard and pick up sandwiches and head to Jardin du Luxumborg where it is sunny and great people watching. We head back to the hotel (this is where El is going to stay so we figure we can freshen up and nap (?) In her room). Before going back to the hotel we try the apt again. I go up the stairs and knock on the door. No answer. I use the key and go in. It's quite but doesn't look competely cleaned up. No one is there but the bedroom door is shut. I knock. No answer. I open it up and the man from Witchita (sans passport) is sleeping in the chair. I hurry out and down the stairs. We head back to El's hotel and fall asleep. Three girls on the bed and Marc on the floor. Its a small room but we are exhausted. We find out that tonight is the Fete de la Musique (night of music) and next door to the hotel is a catholic school with a concert in the courtyard. Sarah and I go to hear it. A string quartet. It is lovely and in the shade (it is in the low 80"s here). We find Em and Marc and decide to go back to the apt and try again (its now 5pm abnd we figure he should be out). He is. We hang out and wait for Bop, Gok and El, whose plane is delayed several hours out of Florence. When El arrives we decide to walk to Bop and Gok's hotel and get dinner. Easier said than done. Its the night of music and the streets are filled and crazy. We finally make it but have difficulty finding a restaurant for 7. Marc tries Bouquineste on a whim (just goes in and asks!). We soon are seating and having a great dinner and wine.Deb and Marc and Bop all have Sea Bass, El has Smoked Salmon (as do Gok and Em) Sarah has chicken. We finish dinner just before midnight and head home (imagine walking a mile through the french quarter at midnight on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. That's pretty much what it was! To bed.