January 2002 saw the visit of Jeremy and James, who were touring Europe before returning to the US to complete their Duke MBA studies. Since Jeremy had already landed a job with CSFB's Energy Group, he opted for more comfortable and funky accommodations at a hotel in the 6th. Thuy led the guys on a little tour of Rue Moufftard and they stopped for coffee at Cafe Delmas. Then Julien joined the gang after work for a birthday dinner (won't say who turned the big 29) at Les Amognes, a restaurant serving "cuisine inventive". Conversation focussed on Politics, business school and French, American, Canadian and Japanese culture. Before an early departure for Geneva, Jeremy managed to take in the sights of the Louvre, the Champs Elysees and the Pantheon in which famous Frenchmen are buried and where Foucault's Pendulum rests.

In June, Angela and her boyfriend Nick came to visit from Ottawa. They had been in England and were going to go to the Loire valley, Brugge and The Hague after Paris. As Thuy was well in her 7th month of pregnancy, everyone decided to take it relatively easy that weekend. Thursday night, they dined a la Moroccan. Saturday, was Vietnamese and Sunday was roast chicken from the day's market at rue Mouffetard. Thuy managed to get in some serious walking exercise with Angela and Nick on Saturday as they walked along rue Mouffetard to the Pantheon, over to Jardin du Luxembourg, then to the Marais to check out the fine teas in the Mariage Frere store. Then they lunched at a typical French restaurant at the Places des Vosges, walked back home along the Seine, taking in a Fish Fair and finally cutting through the Jardin des Plantes to end up home, exhausted, but in better shape than ever. It was great to see Angela again after sporadic e-mail contact over the last 9 years, since Thuy and Angela first met in History class in 1993.

More stories of friends' visits...