Paris: Installment 1
In Paris, you don't want pulp or juicy bits. You want pulpissimo.
The general public doesn't lie when it comes to discussing the sentiments a visitor in Paris experiences. It is a romantic city and it's beyond beautiful. Too bad I didn't get to explore it with a romantic boy---it would have been the frosting on the already delicious cake.
Let me tell you the frightening beginning of my journey to the continent...
After figuring out my alarm clock (thank you Sharon!), I decided to set the time for 6 in order to leisurely leave the apartment by 7:30. It takes an hour to get to the bus station and the bus was leaving around 8:30. The alarm supposedly went off, but it didn't register that I shut it off. When I looked at the clock, it was a hazy 5:30 (in reality=6:30). I thought I had time to rest my eyes, even though I couldn't seem to get my body to relax. My gut was telling me it was time to get up, but my eyes told me I had plenty of time. Eventually, I woke up at 7:10=EEK! I took a vigorous shower, ate yogurt while stuffing clothes in my bag, and ran down to the bus station. Record time to arrive downtown= 25 minutes. During the brisk walk, I attempted to hail a cab. He had passengers so we both said Screw It. He went his way and I kept running without any second attempt to stop a taxi. Upon boarding the bus, I realized my pink shoes had cut into my heels. Mmmm, pleasant blisters. This caused me to wear sandals the entire time in Paris. It was amusing to catch people's eyes drift downward to my feet. Sandals really aren't part of their clothing style.
Dom and Gary were wonderful hosts! The first night was a true French dinner at a friend's apartment. It started out with appetizers (baked cheese balls and olives) and champagne around the living room. Then we moved to the dining table for the first course=a cold fish/shrimp loaf with cream sauce, bread, and a white wine. Out came the second course=lamb. I bypassed the meat but ate the baked tomatoes with seasoning. Third course=CHEESE. Oh my goodness, Dom and I decided we could eat cheese every meal for the rest of our lives and be happy. Fourth course=a pear/plum tart. Fifth course was served after France beat the All Black New Zealanders. Go Blue! This course consisted of tea and chocolate pieces of orange rind. The conversation bounced between French and English. If I could do it over again, I would have taken Latin and French in high school so that I could have continued French in college. At least I have a little knowledge of the language, it surely was helpful.
Okay, that's Saturday night. We didn't get back til midnight.
Sunday, we walked to the outdoor market. Delicious, fresh foods everywhere. Fashionable clothes on almost everyone. For lunch, I ordered crepes with chocolate. Then we walked along a street of high-end stores to window shop. Then we stopped at some break-dancing performance while looking at the Eiffel Tower. We boarded a bus at the tower that took us along the Seine so we could see the Louvre, Napoleon's gravesite, and amazing bridges. Dinner was home cooked and fabulous again. Argentina beat Scotland. I like watching rugby, even if I don't know all the rules. Did someone really punch a hole in a Monet print Saturday night at the Musee D'Orsay??
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday soon! Pictures at the end.
The general public doesn't lie when it comes to discussing the sentiments a visitor in Paris experiences. It is a romantic city and it's beyond beautiful. Too bad I didn't get to explore it with a romantic boy---it would have been the frosting on the already delicious cake.
Let me tell you the frightening beginning of my journey to the continent...
After figuring out my alarm clock (thank you Sharon!), I decided to set the time for 6 in order to leisurely leave the apartment by 7:30. It takes an hour to get to the bus station and the bus was leaving around 8:30. The alarm supposedly went off, but it didn't register that I shut it off. When I looked at the clock, it was a hazy 5:30 (in reality=6:30). I thought I had time to rest my eyes, even though I couldn't seem to get my body to relax. My gut was telling me it was time to get up, but my eyes told me I had plenty of time. Eventually, I woke up at 7:10=EEK! I took a vigorous shower, ate yogurt while stuffing clothes in my bag, and ran down to the bus station. Record time to arrive downtown= 25 minutes. During the brisk walk, I attempted to hail a cab. He had passengers so we both said Screw It. He went his way and I kept running without any second attempt to stop a taxi. Upon boarding the bus, I realized my pink shoes had cut into my heels. Mmmm, pleasant blisters. This caused me to wear sandals the entire time in Paris. It was amusing to catch people's eyes drift downward to my feet. Sandals really aren't part of their clothing style.
Dom and Gary were wonderful hosts! The first night was a true French dinner at a friend's apartment. It started out with appetizers (baked cheese balls and olives) and champagne around the living room. Then we moved to the dining table for the first course=a cold fish/shrimp loaf with cream sauce, bread, and a white wine. Out came the second course=lamb. I bypassed the meat but ate the baked tomatoes with seasoning. Third course=CHEESE. Oh my goodness, Dom and I decided we could eat cheese every meal for the rest of our lives and be happy. Fourth course=a pear/plum tart. Fifth course was served after France beat the All Black New Zealanders. Go Blue! This course consisted of tea and chocolate pieces of orange rind. The conversation bounced between French and English. If I could do it over again, I would have taken Latin and French in high school so that I could have continued French in college. At least I have a little knowledge of the language, it surely was helpful.
Okay, that's Saturday night. We didn't get back til midnight.
Sunday, we walked to the outdoor market. Delicious, fresh foods everywhere. Fashionable clothes on almost everyone. For lunch, I ordered crepes with chocolate. Then we walked along a street of high-end stores to window shop. Then we stopped at some break-dancing performance while looking at the Eiffel Tower. We boarded a bus at the tower that took us along the Seine so we could see the Louvre, Napoleon's gravesite, and amazing bridges. Dinner was home cooked and fabulous again. Argentina beat Scotland. I like watching rugby, even if I don't know all the rules. Did someone really punch a hole in a Monet print Saturday night at the Musee D'Orsay??
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday soon! Pictures at the end.