The first stop on my trip, Paris France. I wasn't sure what to expect, in fact, I began to have one of those moments...you know, the one when you ask yourself, what am I doing??? If you'd been in touch with me just before my trip you would know that I was scared to death and wished I could go back in time and not have even bought my plane ticket. Anyhow, it had all turned out okay.
As it turned out I found myself seated on the plane next to a young girl from Ottawa going over to Paris to meet her boyfriend. We got along well and both her and her boyfriend had taken the time to invite me with them on the subway and gave me a crash course. They were extremely helpful and understanding of my situation -- the situation of being in a foreign country all by myself and not having much of a clue as to what I was doing. I had arrived at the hostel successfully and without incident. David & Julie. I send many thanks to them.
So, I could have practiced my French a bit more -- nothing prepares you for the pure french language that is France. Why I had chosen France to be my first destination, I'm not entirely sure, may be it posed the biggest challenge and after being at home for 4 months I really needed a challange.
My roomates at the hostel were equally as great as David & Julie. I was bunked in with a grandmother, Chris, and her young granddaughter (14) Ashley. They were from England and they were so funny and friendly. I didn't feel alone at all, in fact, I looked forward to coming back to meet with them at the end of each day to discuss the things we had done that day and to laugh. They had both arrived and departed according to my schedule and this made my time in Paris an easy transition to my traveling and for that, I am forever grateful.
Paris..in a word, huge. I know, because I was starved for exercise so I walked from end to end of the city. I did the typical touristy things. I went to the top of the Eiffel tower for 11.50 Euro's. The anticipation of getting to the top was more exciting than getting to the top itself, but the view had confirmed just how large this city was. I saw a few monuments... they love their presidents, kings, and of course, Napoleon. I also went to a huge church, the original Notre Dame church I'd guess...
I'm not much of a museum person but when in Rome.. (that's a later trip) I went to two museums. I couldn't pass up seeing the Mona Lisa with my own eyes. She was heavily guarded, enclosed in a wall behind 2 panes of glass...and no chance of taking a photo. Though I was happy to have seen her, it was other paintings that I'd found myself lost in. I've never been so moved by art like I was at that museum. There was a presence in there...paintings that were well over 500 years old, it was amazing. Not to mention the Greek Sculptures. This was the museum that the famous Da Vinci Code had been shot at/in so there are photo's of me near the glass pyramids. Also, I went to a museum dedicated to Pablo Picasso -- this was amusing to me. Strange things that people classify as art...see the posted photo, "the flower picker"
Otherwise, I went out for a beer once. And just to be completely unoriginal, I went to a place that was called...wait for it, The Great Canadian. As if I had missed Canada already, I went in. It was Canadian I'd say -- except for the smoking. Smoking...argh...it's everywhere, inescapable. Coffee Bars amused me the most -- they are just that, places where people go and stand around a bar and drink expresso's from tiny little cups and smoke cigarettes. Of course, it isn't unheard of to also be having a glass of wine on your "coffee" break.
Other sights included people eating bread, bread, and more bread. Walking down the streets with a bag of bread in hand just as Canadian would with huge cups of coffee. Eating Baguettes straight from the bag...sandwiches on baguettes...I was tired of eating bread after the first day, but its so cheap, I couldn't help myself, 0.40 Euro's. And cheese... plentiful & cheap...I've been indulging only because I can finally afford to eat it. Truthfully though, my weakness was none of the above. Those who know me well may hazzard a guess at my weakness being wine, but no. It was the street vendors who sold crepes smothered with Nutella and Banana's.... mmmmm. These baby's would run me 3.00 Euros, $4.58 CDN money to translate, but they were worth every penny. Worth the trip alone I'd say.
Overall, Paris was okay. It was a huge city with great archetecture, lots of fashion, and more "boulangeries" (bakeries) than Tim Hortons in all of Canada... and also the final resting place of Jim Morrison from the Doors, to whom I felt necessary to pay my respects to. Alas, I've made my way to Geneva Switzerland and am staying at a friends place on the border of France. Let's see what the Swiss have to say....
