Leaving Phoenix

Heading to Paris

41 minute connection for an international flight. I made it, hope my bag does. I had the window, the aisle seat next to me was empty...made an 8 hour flight much nicer.
Landed in Paris

Bag made it too. Now to figure out the Metro.
Hotel de Grands Homme

Home base in Paris, right at the Pantheon.
Note Dame

I got here so early in the morning there was no chance my room would be ready. So I decided to walk. Headed north up to Notre Dame and Pont Neuf.
Musee de Louvre

On to the Louvre. Beautiful surroundings, but the estimated 3 hour wait to get in the main entrance meant no Mona Lisa for me. I kept walking...headed to the northwest from here.
Av. des Champs-Elysees

I feel so cosmopolitan! Also imagining de Gaulle returning to Paris after liberation.
Arc de Triomphe

It's been a long walk so far. The Eiffel Tower looks close enough, might as well check that box if I've gone this far already.
Tour Eiffel

The French Open Tennis ball suspended in the tower took something away from the experience. But it's still a lot more impressive than the one at King's Dominion.
Luxembourg Gardens

Paris is full of beautiful Gardens and this is a famous one right by my hotel. I'm about walked-out by this point. I was not smart and have been lugging my carry-on this whole time after only checkingLeggi altro
Chateau Versailles

Because I knocked out the main tourist spots on Thursday I figured I'd check out Versailles and Roland Garros on Friday. Turns out you can't get walk-up tickets for the tennis so I spent the day atLeggi altro
Memorial de Caen

Saturday is the trip to Normandy. It's a 2.5+ hour bus ride each way and 14 hours total. Caen is home to a really impressive museum covering the pre-WW2 situation in Europe, the invasion at NormandyLeggi altro
Pointe du Hoc

A team of 200 Rangers climbed the cliffs here to take out 6 heavy guns that could reach Utah and Omaha beaches. The Germans had moved the guns back into an orchard to save them but the Rangers foundLeggi altro
Omaha Beach D-Day Memorial

Impossible to imagine what the American soldiers faced crossing this beach and looking up at the cliffs above. Omaha was the toughest landing spot.
Normandy American Cemetery

Over 9000 Americans are buried here, one of many American cemeteries in France. Can't really attempt to describe it in just a few words.
Croix de Lorraine

Site of de Gaulle's return from exile after D-Day. Part of Juno Beach.
Juno Beach

Canadian landing site, much flatter spot than the Americans had.
Paris, Île-de-France

Evening after the Normandy tour, walking back to the hotel.
Capitolium (Capital Square)

This is basically the mayor's office, the central square of historical, "old" Toulouse.
Toulouse Business School

Toulouse walking tour

Guided tour of the city center. The big church dates from the 12th century.
Toulouse class day #2

The school is on the site of an old military barracks. New buildings surround the old parade square; a nice park separates it from our hotel.
Chateau Bellevue La Foret

Wine tasting at a nice little place outside of the city.
TBS day #3

Nothing exciting today, just class- "international market risk and the threat to portfolio valuation." I had to present on the collapse of NatWest Markets back in 2000.
TBS day #4

Just walking to class after lunch. It's so nice and green here.