2007 Arnaud and Stephanie Visit

Prologue

Arnaud and his long term significant other, Stephanie, decided to come to the U.S during March, 2007 for a holiday and to also wish us well before going to Samoa. Their first stop was New York City, then Minneapolis. This was the first trip to the U.S. for Stephanie and the second for Arnuad since June 1999 when he lived with us as an exchange student.

However over the intervening years, Mary and I visited Arnaud during our trips to Belgium and Germany in 2004 (see related links) and also when Kim and Mary in December, 2002, visited Paris and Brussels.

Arnaud, Kim, and Mary in Brussels, December 2002

"Brother" and "Sister" toasting their reunion.

Greek vacation, February 2004

Arnaud and Stephanie
February, 2004
Stephanie is from Charleoi, Belgium, a coal mining city south of Brussels.
She works in a Brussels bank. They met playing volleyball.

Arnaud and Stephaine's apartment in Brussels, kitchen view

Arnaud and Stephaine's apartment in Brussels, living room

Their cat

Arnaud and Stephanie's visit.
March, 2007

Touring Minneapolis/St. Paul

A walk down Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis
with Nicholas and Mary

Downtown Minneapolis

East view from lawyer's offices in Wells Fargo Building

Downtown Minneapolis

North view

Crystal Court of IDS Building, Minneapolis
Used often as backdrop for the "Mary Tyler Moore" TV series and many movies

Stone Arch Bridge over Mississippi River.
View from Guthrie Theater Terrace.
A railroad bridge built by railroad tycoon, James J. Hill,
connecting the eastern part of the U.S. with the western.

Walking the Stone Arch Bridge across the Mississippi River,
Now used only by pedestrians and bicyclists

Minneapolis from Walker Art Center

At Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
Spoonbridge and a Cherry,
water sculpture designed by husband and wife, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

A frozen Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis
Made famous in the poem "The Song of Hiawatha" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Could these by the modern day lovers in the Longfellow poem about
Hiawatha and his Indian maiden lover, Minnehaha?

Looking over the top of Minnehaha Falls

Basking in the sun at Lake Harriett bandshell

Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul

Flowers bloom even in winter at the Conservatory

Mall of America

How can one resist shopping at "The Mall"? It is America's largest enclosed shopping area. There are so many stores, so much to see and do, and with the great exchange rate with the Euro, the bargains are even more tempting.

Enter "The Mall of America" at your own risk.

There is Bloomingdale's Department Store

There are restaurants.

There are crazy drinks.

There are places to be stupid.

There is an indoor amusement park for thrills.

There are water massaging machines.

There are places to rest your feet.

Did I mention? There are places to shop.

Dinner at Kim and Matt's
My daughter, Kim, and her husband, Matt Wolfe,
invited us to their townhouse in Burnsville
for dinner and to see their many pets.