I greet you from the bustleing city of Paris, two days into our world adventure. I am sorry that I can't post any pictures as of yet but hopefully soon I will be able to.
We arrived yesterday at 8 in the morning and did not stop until 3 in the afternoon! The most unfortunate part of the trip is getting adjusted to the time zone. You must stay awake as long/late as possible in order to get on track.
So in order to stay alert and engaged we jumped into the tourist scene. First we found our hotel and dropped off our backpacks. Then we wandered rue de clers and its markets for a good "petit dejeuner" only to make the mistake of buying gross croque monsieurs ( ham and cheese sandwich) from a street vendor. We are not returning there.
The one redeeming quality of these sandwiches was that they were eaten in front of the Eiffel Tower....which managed to up their anty by only a smidge.
After our breakfast we wandered under the Eiffel Tower, on across the Seine, and to Trocadero. I got to show Red the fountain I wallowed in back in high school when I was an au-pair---it was the hottest summer on record! He laughed when I described all the Parisennes laying on the banks of this fountain and playing in the water cannons as if it were a public pool. But I tell you this was a neccessary thing at that time! I also showed Red the apartment I lived in with the family I lived with. It was incredible walking that street again and realizing that 9 years have passsed.
We went on from there to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysses, taking our time to people watch, and for me, fashion watch. ( No worries ladies--I will do a post on fashion in Paris to cover all that is to be said)
Riding the metro has been as easy as it is reknown to be. However, there have been quite a bit more musical performers on the trains than I remembered there being. Ask Red whenever you see him and I imagine He will be able to recreate the experience for you with a tune he has had stuck in his head since yesterday morning. It is quite funny. My favorite musician was an older man who played the accordian in the typical French style. He matched his timing to the speed of the train making you feel as if you were flying down a dark tunnel with a mad accordian tuned to every zig and zag. Heart racing I tell you.
After we snuck in a little nap we ventured out again, headed for Notre Dame. Notre Dame is stunning at all times of day; but it is magical in the early evening as the sky is turning deep blue and the moon and venus is settling into place. We off-handedly decided to wander inside just to catch a look at night and stumbled into a full mass! The music alone was unbelieveable. We sat soaking it in. God gains glory from it all.
After being rejuvenated by the sound of music (ah-ah-ahhhhhh) (anyone?) we got lost in the Latin quarter still managing to miss the main street. The Latin quarter is one of the oldest sections of town and is also home to the Sorbonne (university) and other schools. It is heavy on the student demographic but is an awesome area to explore. Attempt numero 2 will occur tonight.
We found a small street cafe and got a decent meal for a great price then headed home to crash. Our 9 o'clock bedtime was perfect.
Today we slept in until 8 and then wandered through the markets to pick up some fruit and snacks. We've spent the day traipsing through the streets of Paris visiting Monte-marte, eating delicious Vietnamese food in China town and relaxed in the Luxenbourg gardens in front of the senate.
It was a perfect day....I must go---I think the hotel is wanting their laptop back. I will write again soon!
A bientot
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