Kristin looking up into the bell. 

This gargoyle looks like a duck! 

Looking off toward Montmartre 

A last look at the city. 

Walking to Notre Dame

Kristin arrived around 11:00 on the morning of November 3rd. After a joyous greeting, we took the metro to the center of the city and walked from there to Notre Dame. We had lunch in a little cafe across from the cathedral, and then went to the top of the towers.

You can see what a beautiful clear day it was. We couldn't believe the weather was so glorious in November. We enjoyed it!

A beautiful statue we passed walking from the Metro to Notre Dame. 

I love the way statues and intricate fountains show up in Paris as a matter of course. 

The Seine on a glorious sunny day in Paris. The building on the left is the Conciergerie. 

The beautiful Notre Dame de Paris. 

Here we are! Vicki Sansum, Kristin Wolden Nitz, and Erin MacClellan, the other three "Sisters of Royaumont," our e-mail writing group reunited in Paris. 

I believe these are kings of France overlooking the entrance to the cathedral. 

I love the intricate carvings over the doors. 

Morning at Montmartre

On Thursday, November 3rd, 2005, Vicki and Erin and I spent the morning at Montmartre. We looked around at the church of Sacre Coeur and the view of Paris and enjoyed the little shops. Later, we met Kristin at the hotel, and our group was complete.

The church of La Trinite, near our hotel. 

Climb those stairs? No thank you! We took the funiculaire. 

Sacre Coeur, on top of Montmartre 

Closer to the dome 

A victorious statue on Sacre Coeur 

Detail on Sacre Coeur 

A gargoyle on Sacre Coeur 

Beautiful puppets in a shop in Montmartre 

Writers Reunited!

I'm writing this from a 13th Century Abbey outside Paris, having the most wonderful trip I could possibly imagine. First, I have to tell you the story.

In April, 1999, I went to an SCBWI conference at the Abbey de Royaumont. SCBWI stands for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. At the time I was working on finishing my first novel for kids, and I was discouraged because I didn't know anyone else with such a dream. What I hoped and prayed for at that conference was to make some connections--some friends at about the same level of writing, who shared the same dream.

My prayers were wonderfully answered! Vicki Sansum was my roommate, and we stayed up talking late into the night. At meals, I met Kristin Wolden Nitz, who was interested in starting an e-mail critique group. Vicki met Erin MacLellan, whose story reading was one of the best at the conference.

We began e-mailing our work to each other for critiques (along with a few others who fell by the wayside after awhile). Of course, sharing such a dream, we became very close to one another over the years, even though we had only seen each other a couple of days. In the six years, Kristin and Erin had their first books published (Defending Irene and Run from the Nun), and Vicki has had a picture book accepted for publication (due out in 2007). I'm hoping my turn is next!

Last year, we found out that SCBWI was holding another conference at the Abbaye de Royaumont, this time for "advanced" writers. One by one, we got signed up. So here we are, at the Abbey. We spent a few days in Paris together before the trip and discovered that we are indeed good company in person, not only over e-mail! We'll have a couple more days in Paris afterward.

As I left my house Wednesday morning, I was praying for the trip, and suddenly there appeared before me a rainbow, apparently directly in my path. I took that as a sign that it will be a wonderful trip!

Below is a picture of Vicki, Erin's friend Robin, Erin, and me at a Paris restaurant on Wednesday, our first day together. (Kristin arrived Thursday.)

Erin and Robin knew each other when Erin was fresh out of college and lived in Paris for a year. Now Robin is married to a Finnish magician! She definitely had interesting topics of conversation, and she found us a wonderful restaurant with fantastic service, Le Relais Beaujolais.

Three members of our e-mail writing critique group, reunited after six years, in a restaurant in Paris, along with a friend.

Altenbaumburg

May 29, 2005--We took my friend Kathe and her family to dinner at one of our favorite nearby castles, Altenbaumburg. Of course, we had to let the kids roam around the castle first.

One thing I like about castles is that they always seem to be in a lovely location. In this area, instead of in a valley, with a moat, most castles were perched high on top of hills--meaning that even today, they have a great view.

Josh is so cool! 

A lovely old wall on a beautiful day. 

My cool son with Altenbaumburg behind him. 

Tim, Josh and Ben are all in this shot. 

A lonely tower of Altenbaumburg, surrounded by the beautiful hills