Allez Bleu

We went to a reunion of those who participated in the Masters of International Law program at the University of Michigan Law School at the Hotel Lutetia on the Left Bank in Paris this past week.  It has quite a history of hiding Jews and then housing the Nazis also.  Our opening reception was at the Hotel Talleyrand which was later owned after Talleyrand by Baron de Rothschild.  A most impressive building.  The next night we had a gala (pictures above) at a former palace that is now a private club.  Beautiful gardens for cocktails and then inside for an elegant dinner.  The assemblage of alumni was most impressive - many international judges.  The keynote address was from an erudite woman justice of the German National Constitutional Court discussing among other things adhering to German law as well as EU law.  Another speaker is with a prestigious Greek law firm whose office was bombed because they are working on privatizing some government functions in order to deal with the economic situation.  

We stayed an extra day in Paris to meet up with my cousins from Chicago and did a little shopping as well.  I bought an exceptionally beautiful umbrella from a shop that hand makes the fabrics and constructs them since 1834.  Now I understand the meaning of parapluie and parasol - protection from rain - protection from sun.  Each day is a new adventure.  By the way, we took Lola with us to Paris, and she was welcome in most places except museums.  However, during the first evening reception, we left her in the hotel room, and apparently she barked the whole time disturbing other guests.  So the next night for the gala, the concierge provided a dogsitter.