Tact is as important in manners as in speech. The word is closely allied to the word touch, and a person who has good tact is really one who can touch people gently, carefully, kindly, in all the relations of life. In the animal creation no creature has more perfect tact than a well-bred, kindly-treated household cat. You may have seen one of these enter a room where perhaps a circle of people were seated around a stove or open fire. Puss wants her warm place in front of the fire or stove, but she does not brusquely and rudely push her way there. No. She glides gently, purringly around the circle, rubs caressingly against this one and that, as though gently saying, "By your leave"; and when finally she reaches the desired spot, she lays herself down so gracefully and quietly and curls herself up so deftly that to witness the act really affords pleasure to the observer. A creature of less tact and grace would only appear obtrusive and offend and antagonize the company, and probably rightfully receive reproof and be ejected from the room.

Behind the best tact lies the wish to be kind and to make people comfortable and happy, to avoid wounding and irritating; and so it is true that the basis of true tact is, after all, the moral sentiment.

The Charm of Fine Manners by Mrs. Helen Ekin Starrett

Rachel came to visit me and to travel with me for spring break. Here is our first stop, Paris.

Traveling without parents takes some adjustment. I mean vacationing, not just traveling. I first encountered this phenomenon last semester. It's hard to make decisions on hotels, transportation and then paying for it all! And then there is the misery of not being able to share the experiences with the people who mean most to you, this is why it was so wonderful to have Rachel with me. When I go home, someone will be able to relate, to know, to remember. She is also a whirlwind of fun, we like to do the same things. The Louvre? How about shopping. Boat ride? How about paddle boating (a boat bike in dutch). See more gardens? How about Meg Ryan marathon.



My sister, la belle. I'm so glad we took this picture to commemorate being on top of La Tour Eiffel, can't you tell we're there?


Une avenue

Le pont d'Alexandre III. Here, I was flattered into getting my portrait drawn. 50% off for ma beauté -- how often do you think these guys say that a day? But I was happy with the results which is better than my poor friend, Elaine.



le musée d'Orsay is the museum for impressionist art, my favorite besides dutch painters during the Renaissance. It is in an old train station which is worth seeing itself. This is a picture through one of the large clocks, you can see the Louvre through it.

Baguette, pain moule, pain complet, frommage chèvre, camembert, rosé, des pommes et mousse. French picnic at Versailles, it's the simple things like this that are the joys of life, spending time with people and breathing fresh air. "I have been to Versailles where everything is grand, where everything is magnificent."






Marie Antoinette's "cottage." Before seeing Queen Marie's extravagent, picturesque village, we all discussed the horrible cruelty of killing her and her children but after our stroll through her cottaged town, each of which had marble interiors, our sentiments had strangely changed. Brat.