After a bit of late start this morning (it was a white Granache), I had a croque monsieur for breakfast, and took the metro up to the fabled Montmartre. This arrondissement is one of Paris' most famous, but unfortunately because of two particular movies. The Moulin Rouge, a popular burlesque house in the '50's (more about that later) and Les Deux Moulins, a cafe/restaurant employing a unique woman named Amelie. It seemed the remainder of all these windmills in Montmartre were consolidated to rooftops. I think I saw one real one in the distance, but it really could have been anywhere [View Full Entry]

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Well, I was successful! After my "macaroon trip", I walked back to my apartment (I'm becoming quite a walker, I think I should consider the 2012 Olympics...) and rested for a bit. Then, as the sun began to set in the cloudless sky, I metroed it back to the Eiffel Tower. The gate to the Dome of Les Invalides was locked, and I contemplated climbing around it, moatside, despite the sticky barbs that protruded over the edge (see picture soon). There were many security guards patrolling though, and I wasn't carrying my passport. I decided against it. But I kept seeing [View Full Entry]

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The best part about the Tour Eiffel was a little hairless girl in a pink dress named Gracie. Gracie was just learing to walk, and was toddling about the big grassy expanse (Parc du Champ de Mars) in front of the Tower. Every tourist and local sunbather would stop and stare in adoring admiration, crying out in concern when she plopped onto her diapered rump. Some Chinese tourists even stopped and took pictures. I don't think Gracie's mom liked that too much. Not that the Eiffel Tower is at all boring. Up close it looks like spider-webby hammocks stretched up to [View Full Entry]

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If Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton got together to make a fountain, they would have come up with this one. The Igor Stravinsky fountain was actually designed by Jean Tinguely and Niki St. Phalle, but who's heard of them? I have some pictures that I'll put in later. The fountain consists of a sweeping, shallow pool, with a circus of sculptures spitting out water from various orifices. Some of the hilights include a pair of bright red cartoon lips (the water more dribbled out of that one), a grinning skull atop a wiry structure, and something ressembling a sea creature, (maybe [View Full Entry]

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I found out something new today. Paris, the city, closes on Sundays. Yep, the whole city gets the flu. Luck was on my side however, as last night I thought it would be fun to visit the third arrondissement, also called Le Marais. This is is the allotted gay/Jewish district of Paris (like Hillcrest, for you San Diego-ites...San Diego-ans). It makes for an interesting mix of Delis and high-fashion. Le Marais also has one street, Rue de Rosiers, which gets shut off to traffic every sunday, and is reserved for pedestrians and bicyclists. Accordingly, all the shops along this street open [View Full Entry]

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I got lost again. Anyone surprised? Didn't think so. I'll try to keep it brief, the story's getting boring. Before I even showed up in the City of Lights, I found a site online that said there would be a performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", my FAVORITE Shakespeare play of all time, and the dates fell right when I was in Paris. There's an open-air Shakespeare theater, on the west edge of Paris, in the Bois de Boulogne. If Paris were New York City, the Bois de Boulogne would be like Poughkeepsie. City dwellers go out there to camp sometimes...and [View Full Entry]

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After my wonderful petit dejeuner, I decided to strike while the (wrought) iron was hot, and stick around this district. Checking my handy street map, I noticed a ton of cultural sights in this area. It's called the "Latin Quarter" because it's home to La Sorbonne University. Back in the day, all the scholars were allowed only to speak in Latin, and the Roman influence is still evident today. Rife with students, I fit in on these streets much better than the semi-financial neghbourhood I'm staying in. I walked between the breathtaking Pantheon and La Sorbonne. The light was rising [View Full Entry]

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I'm finally in Paris! This entry will be much better when I get my pictures up. Last night I determined that I would throw caution to the wind, and go for a metro ride outside of my comfort zone. So far, the only time I took the train was to get into the city from the airport, which doesn't really count, since the signs are all still in English there. I've just gotten lost every time I've stepped foot out of this apartment, so I was nervous to put myself on an inexorable speeding vehicle, ending up God-knows-where. But today was [View Full Entry]

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I figured out where I am!! After so many times of wondering "ou suis-je?" as I walk down la rue, I finally figured it out!! It turns out I'd been thinking in reverse, and each time I headed down the street, I was picturing North on the map as South. But today, as I searched for Les Deux Magots cafe, and a Monopirx for shampoo, I found out where I am. I headed in the wrong directon at first of course, but then I switched directions and now I think I'll be okay. I still haven't figured out the cafes. They [View Full Entry]

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Now that I've gone on my first "date" with my online match, I thought it was necessary to add a Hot-Shots-style "part Deux" to my earlier speculations. The apartment itself isn't half bad...I just feel as cramped as I did when sharing a two bedroom-one bath with 7 girls...but now it's only me. I can't say that the apartment owner was deceptive; he made no pretense about the size, or the fact that the room is on the seventh floor. In fact, Mr Mystery Date warned me time and again about what a climb it would be to get up there. [View Full Entry]

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