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Geo: 48.8534, 2.3488
(Did I already use that title last year?)
We left Beaune at 8:15, and I got to sit in the front of the bus. It's kind of fun to do because you can see the road and what's coming up. The ride was basically uneventful and not especially scenic, though certainly not unpleasant. This was our last day with Rene because he drives his bus back to his home in the Netherlands today and then starts another tour on the weekend. It's a bit sad to see him go because he's not just the guy who drives the bus. He usually dines with us and occasionally takes over the microphone on the bus when Reid's doing something else. He seems to enjoy his job and is pretty happy-go-lucky.
We got to Paris around 12:30, and Rene tried to take us on a scenic bus tour of the city, but traffic was really bad and he was running up against one of those EU regulations that requires him to take a break, so we only did a short tour (including once around the Arc de Triomphe, always a scary thrill) and then went to our hotel in the rue Cler neighborhood. Most of our rooms weren't ready yet, so I stashed my netbook in Judy and Anne's room and then had lunch on rue Cler with Katie, Sandy and Shiree. I discovered that you can pretty much just waltz up to the outdoor seating at a cafe and plop yourself down, which is handy to know. I was never quite sure of the protocol before. Both Sandy and Shiree had escargot and even though escargot usually smells pretty good, I just can't bring myself to try one. Blecchh!
We dashed back to the hotel and got our rooms and then dashed back downstairs to meet the group. We had a quick Metro lesson (I figured I needed a refresher course) and then while the rest of the group went to Ile de la Cite, I got off at Palais Royal and went to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs to see an exhibition on fashion in the 70s and 80s. I've got to admit, the 70s came off a lot better than I remember them. There was plenty of ugly stuff with mismatched colors and patterns, but there was an awful lot of really gorgeous stuff too. I discovered that I like Cacharel, and Yves Saint Laurent always turned out beautiful things. I think maybe the problem with a lot of the clothes back then wasn't the clothes themselves but the styling.
I was particularly interested to see the 80s clothes and, again, I've got to admit that there was a lot of crap then. Wings on dresses and huge batwing sleeves and a little too much lurex and shiny materials. On the other hand, the styling was ... well, stylish.
The really fun thing was seeing footage of old fashion shows. I couldn't quite pinpoint the year that the runway shows changed from fun to way too serious, but I do know that prior to the 60s, fashion shows did not have music and were almost completely silent except for the salon's manageress occasionally announcing the name of a particular outfit. I can't remember which designer it was, but someone in the 60s introduced music and encouraged the models to dance down the runway. And in the old footage from the 70s, they
were dancing down the runway. They were shimmying and fox trotting and swirling their skirts and coats, and they were smiling and having fun. One show in the early 70s (I think it was a Cacharel show) actually had tap dancers mingling with the models. Then at some point in the 80s, it all changed. Models started to walk a more defined line down the runway and back again, and they suddenly all started sporting that "I'm so bored and superior" look.
I spent about two hours in the museum, and then I walked up to the Monoprix near Opera to look for a tote bag (I'm a bit desperate now). I couldn't find anything, so I walked back along the rue St-Honore and found a Longchamp knockoff at a purse store. It's not even a particularly good knockoff, as it lacks the leather flap on the top. But it'll do for a carry-on bag, so I'm happy.
Paris this afternoon was very, very warm. And there I was in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Fortunately, I now had a bag to stash my jacket in. At least we're finally getting some nice weather! I am absolutely NOT complaining (although I really wished I had had a t-shirt on). So in the heat, I walked from Concorde back to the hotel, via Invalides. It was a long walk, and I was really regretting not taking my podiatrist up on a cortisone shot. Maybe next time I'll have to think about that more seriously.
For dinner, I just stopped at a grocery store and bought a sandwich, some Doritos and a Coke. I know, I know. But anyone who knows me knows how spectacularly unadventurous I can be when it comes to eating out. Plus, I hate to eat alone in a restaurant.
I also didn't take any pictures today except for one of my room, and it's just not worthy of transferring it from my memory card to the netbook, so no pictures today. Or, as the guards holler in the Sistine Chapel: "No photo!"
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Kate Szyperski
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Dang, Teresa! You must be exhausted!! You're going to need a vacation from your vacation. Switzerland sounds gorgeous. How strange about the currency thing in France. How odd that they have restricted exchange days! maybe they really
don't want to encourage travel between non EU and EU countries after all! HA! Take care of your feet! Maybe you can find a nice Parisian salon that does foot massage...