goodbye dinner

Last night the Scalia's (minus Jean Christophe who is actually in our Chapel Hill office for the week) took me out to the most incredible dinner! Florence, Hugo, Antoine, Charlotte, and I piled into the car and drove into the Place du Trocadéro that overlooks the Eiffel Tower. We ate at Café De l’Homme, this restaurant was definitely very swanky and the weather was absolutely perfect for a long, relaxing dinner out on the terrace.

Check out this link so you can get a feel for the place:
http://www.restaurant-cafedelhomme.com/fr/index.php

We were seated at our table outside at 8:30 and started off with some wine and foie gras all around. I never thought eating the liver of a duck could be so tasty, but it was really delicious! The whole meal was absolutely hysterical; the kids are enjoying their last week of summer before school, so the days and nights are full of partying, getting in trouble, and getting out of trouble. We were talking in a mix of French and English, with everyone at the table babbling in a mix of both.


When it was time for the main dish, I had a filet de boeuf that was spectacular! Each hour the Eiffel Tower lights up and sparkles for ten minutes and everyone oooohs and ahhhs, it really is magical. We got to see it three times last night and each time seemed just as exciting as the first! Even though I was already stuffed, ordering dessert was a must and again I went for the crème brulée...soooooo good!!! I think after all of the wine and good food last night I need to take quite a long walk at lunch.

I really can't believe that it's my last day in Paris today!!!
I am SO excited to see Brandon and Cath and Brooks tomorrow, but I really will miss so many things about being here. If nothing else I think this trip really showed me I like life in a bigger city where it's possible to take public transportation everywhere and you can just swing by an art gallery on your lunch break. This was such a great trip and I am already sad it’s over and I am still here!

the BEST part about paris

......is the Croque Royale! I am telling you, if I could eat this thing everyday I would be the happiest girl on the planet.

One of my first nights in Paris I went to dinner with Marie and one of her friends near the Palais Royale and I had my first encounter with this amazing delight. As a goodbye lunch to myself I suppose I went back to the Cafe Royale and ordered up another one. Here's what it is:
A ham tomato and cheese melt on toast with a fried egg on top - all served over a salad of lettuce and tomato with this herby dressing. MMMMMM. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I love this sandwich so much; it definitely deserves its own entry! I will try to recreate at home, but I am sure nothing will compare to the original!!!

Little evening stroll.

There is no other way I can describe my evening last night besides a bit random. After work I headed to Beaubourg to see the Centre Pompidou, but when I came up the stairs from the metro station, I noticed there was a ton of shopping still open! I only have a couple days left so it is crunch time for any shopping I am going to do! I bought some clothes and such for me as well as the necessary souvenirs and gifts. My suit case I fear is going to be quite snug on the return flight. Every time I would say that this is the last store, the next one would look so enticing. Beaubourg and Les Halles was packed with shops, restaurants, and people. By the time I finally made it to the Centre Pompidou there was a sign on the door saying "ferme" - closed. Whoops. If I am going to be completely honest though, it may have just been that entrance via escalator that was closed; I walked around the whole building and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get inside.

Le Centre Pompidou is probably the strangest building I have ever seen. To me, the tubes on the side that enclose the escalators make it look like a hamster cage. It is extremely modern compared to the other buildings around it, and the front side (this picture is of the back) has giant blue, green, and red pipes running up to the top. The building was designed in the 70s and houses a modern art museum that is supposed to be fantastic (again, whoops I missed it) and a public library. The giant area in the back is another place for the Parisians to chill. These people love to chill! Everyone was just eating, smoking, chatting, making out, playing guitars…

I kept walking and stumbled upon a huge fountain that no other word seems to explain except for "trippy". There was a mix between colorful spinning figurines that resembled the Blue Meanies on Yellow Submarine, some skeletons, and then also black cast iron sculptures of random shapes. Quite weird and very not-paris...or maybe it is, who knows. After consulting my paris bible guidebook I found out that this fountain is called the Fontaine de la Place Igor Stravinsky and it was built in the 80s and has sixteen different aqua sculptures. Very strange, but know one else really seemed to think so.

I kept walking on the hunt for dinner. I stumbled upon this beautiful garden that was absolutely stunning, except all around me were people that I would normally describe as "sketch". I held my purse a little tighter and walked a little faster since the sun was setting and I honestly had no idea where I was. Seems like an interesting choice for gangs and prostitutes to hang out, but it really was beautiful!!!

Ready for dinner, I followed the signs to Hotel de Ville because I knew there was a metro stop called that and it could probably be close. I pulled up a seat at a great cafe and watched the sun set over this gorgeous square in front of Hotel de Ville (the city hall). The square was full of skate boarders and roller bladers, but I read later that this square and building actually date back to 1357 and was once the site for many public hangings, important french declarations by famous leaders, and ceremonies.

I got back to the Scalia's house around 10:30 and was ready to take a shower and relax. I can't believe I only have two days left!

Street Art...the jury is still out

Ever since I arrived in Paris, I have seen advertisements for an art exhibit called "Né dans la rue" or "Born in the street". I was intrigued by the exhibit since Paris has so much graffiti I would think they wouldn't want to do anything to promote it, but this exhibit seems to embrace the act. On Tuesdays, the Foundation Cartier stays open until 10pm so I had a chance to get over there after work and check it out.

The Foundation Cartier is an absolutely beautiful building, very modern and full of glass and light. The exhibit was absolutely packed, mostly with young people since there is a discount on Tuesdays. At the museum, absolutely every square inch was covered in graffiti - the stairs, the ceilings, the bathrooms. It had a ton on information on not just Paris, but graffiti and its origins and individual styles in New York, Sao Paulo...
The big question is - is graffiti art that should be glamorized or is it a crime that needs to be punished? I obviously have no idea, sometimes I think it is pretty, sometimes I think it is ugly. However, it was really interesting to watch all the demonstration films of people spray painting the murals and running from the cops. The coolest display was a giant photography exhibit of metro cars that are covered in graffiti from different cities all over the world. Quite the interesting Tuesday evening.

Another Random Tid-Bit:
Yesterday I noticed a giant French flag underneath the Arc De Triomphe. I asked someone if it was a holiday/why was there a flag flying. I knew it couldn't be a holiday, because then I wouldn't have to be at work. He told me that August 25th was the Liberation of Paris during WWII and that the flag is actually on display as a demonstration of thanks to the Americans. I said, "thank you - for the information, and I guess also for the flag".

This week has been really fun back at the house with Jean Christophe's family. His wife is so outgoing and friendly and their kids are hysterical. Two boys at 19 and 16 and one girl at 13 - we have been having a lot of fun at night hanging out in the back yard, drinking wine, and trading french and english back and forth.

monday confessional

So yesterday around lunch time it was raining and super gross outside, so a lunchtime field trip or a long leisurely lunch at a cafe was out of the question. So I did something bad...something shameful. I went to McDonalds!!! I know, I know -who goes to the city with some of the best food in the entire world and eats fast food? Me, I guess. Perhaps I could try to justify this trip as a social experiment, but if you are reading this you know me well enough to know I really just wanted something delicious from the golden arches.

I was half expecting the McDonalds to be pretty similar to the ones in the states, but there were some major differences! First, there was a whole other side counter that only sells McCafe which looked to have tons of fresh pastries and coffees and such. The main counter was a total mob scene with people crawling all over each other! This picture really serves as Exhibit A that French people have no idea how to stand in line. Lots of cutting from left and right, but I finally managed to crowd surf to the front and ordered my "Royal Cheese".

I carried my tray upstairs and got a stool along one of the window bars so i could watch people on the Champs Elysees while I ate my combo...and you know what? That burger was good! I think they might make them with real meat over here...what an interesting concept.

As I was leaving the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and I witnessed one of the strangest things I have ever seen. A woman and her son approach a bench. The woman then takes a shiny piece of gold fabric out of her purse and proceeds to drape the cloth over her son and put ties around so that the fabric is held very tight against his body. She then took an Egyptian King Tut mask out of her bag and put it over his face (the boy does not say a single word during this whole process). The boy is now immobilized on a bench dressed like King Tut and the mother walks away.


The only rationalization I could make for this is that they must be trying to get money, but there was no cup or place to collect the change. So to me, it just seemed like an Egyptian king hanging out on a city street bench. Very strange. I wish I could have watched longer to see what came of it but I had to go back to work...boo.

YOU NEVER SAUSAGE A PLACE

The weekend went by so fast and before I knew it, it was already Sunday! I didn't have to catch my train back to Paris until 5:45, so there was still a whole day ahead and time to cram in some more sight seeing and hanging out. We took the train to Cologne and toured around the Dome Cathredal, which is by far the oldest thing I think I have ever seen. The cathedral is absolutely breathtaking, it seems like the stain glass windows go as far as the eye can see.

The Dome Cathedral is most famous for housing the remains of the Three Magi, which are kept in a gold relic on the main alter. There are also many saints and bishops in tombs around the church. Downstairs there is a treasury museum that has artifacts so old it will totally boggle your mind! There are bones from saints and St. Peter's chains on display...the list goes on and on.

After touring all of the church and the treasury of relics, it was time to eat again! We sat outside at a cafe and got some beers from Cologne and ordered some food that is very "Rhine-ish". I had a big sausage on top of a giant bed of kale mixed with potatoes...very tasty but kind of looked like seaweed. Celia got these scary looking white sausages that were served in a bowl of water! My overall opinion of German food is that the dishes look quite terrifying, but if you can bring yourself to taste it, it's really good!!!

After drinking two giant beers and solving all of the problems of the world, it was sadly time to go. We all were about to pee our pants so we ran to the train station and shelled out one euro each to use the toiletten. I think that was most likely the most expensive bathroom trip I have ever had but also very necessary!!!

I had such a fantastic stay in Dusseldorf and only wish I could have gotten to stay longer. It was absolutely amazing to see how totally different the people, the food, and the cities seem to be between Germany and France and they are only a short train ride apart...amazing. A big DANKE goes out to Celia and Toby, my fabulous hosts and tour guides!!!

To the top of the TV Tower!

Once we digested all that curry sausage and laid around the house a little bit to do some team facebook stalking of college friends (that's right, I admit it), it was time for some Saturday evening adventures! The TV Tower is a big attraction in Dusseldorf, it is right on the Rhine river and you can go up to the height of 168 meters (there is also a restaurant a little higher up, but it was a little to fancy for our wallets).

The coolest thing about the TV Tower, aside from providing tv reception I suppose, is that you can tell what time it is simply by looking at the tower. Toby had to explain to me a few times, but I think I know how to do it! I am not sure how to really explain it in writing, but there are different color dots that light up signifying the hour, minutes, and seconds...very cool. We took the elevator to the top and had a great time looking at each angle of the city as the sun set.

The way the lounge at the top of the TV tower is designed, it has giant plates of glass that are all leaning outward about 45 degrees. You can lay your body against the glass and in pictures it looks like you are just resting on top of the whole city. I saw people doing it and instinctly started to lay down, but all of a sudden my feet started sweating and I got really nervous. Celia doesn't enjoy this activity, but with Toby egging me on I was determined to do it! I may have been eating hearty german food all day, but I can't be the one person in the past three decades that causes the glass to crack, right? haha. Finally I got up the nerve and did it, my big accomplishment for the day, and I am proud to tell you, the TV tower still stands.

After taking the elevator back down and getting our feet on solid ground, it was time for dinner. Since I was in Germany, I really wanted to eat some weiner schnitzel! We strolled back to the old town area and went to a really cool restaurant for a nice long dinner. The food came, and the schnizel was so big it was literally dangling off both ends of the plate onto the table. With the help of some yummy wine and good conversation, we shut the restaurant down and filled our bellies to the top. Soon after Toby slipped into a meat coma and Celia and I had some girl time while watching the Sex and the City movie and laughing about college stories that never seem to get less funny...

An afternoon in Zons

Saturday morning we slept off the previous night's beers and woke up around 10 and ate what I think is a typical German breakfast - fresh bread Toby bought at the market that morning, cheese, ham, and coffee. It was absolutely beautiful outside and a perfect day for a drive along the Rhine! Celia had her blue VW convertable bug shipped over just recently, so Toby took us out for a drive to the midieval village called Zons about a half an hour outside of the city.


We were greeted at Zons by a gorgeous windmill and what used to be a moat to protect the village, but now is a grassy ditch filled with goats. "Goats in a moat!" was a favorite quote of the afternoon. We wandered the streets and went into lots of tiny shops and an old church. If my memory serves me correct, which it might not, Zons dates back to the 14th century and there are still people who live inside the city walls. The village is right on the Rhine river so it's a perfect spot for a picnic or a bike ride on a sunny day like we had on Saturday. We sat down to have lunch outside and sample some German cuisine. We all had heaping plates of sausages in curry and pommes (french fries) that were so delicious even the wasps wanted to eat them!

At Elon, Cel and I would always take tons of pictures and it was always fun to say "make a crazy face" and then just smile while the other person looks silly...here's one when i got Celia!! "Try to look like a witch..." HAHA

a night on the town, dusseldorf style!

When I finally arrived to Dusseldorf around 10:30 pm, I was greeted at the station by quite the welcome party!!! Celia and Toby were there as well as another Georgia friend Mary Elyse, who was leaving to go to Italy the next morning to be an au pair...and they brought 4 mini bottles of champagne for a "prost" upon arrival!!! It was so great to see my best friend, we hadn't gotten to hang out since October and we have been missing each other so much since she moved to Germany with her husband Toby in January.

After a week in the Paris office I was in desperate need for some cocktails, gossip, and new terraine. We walked the strip of Dusseldorf's old town, the cobblestone streets were full of restaurants, bars, breweries, and soccer fans! We had such a great time wandering around and sampling the local flavors. There was so much to gossip about and catch up on...so many things to Prost! I enjoyed the "local flavors" so much that the the night was ended with fried fish sandwiches for the walk home.

Happy Hour FINALLY

Look at me, I’m on a train!
Today I experienced my first true Amazing Race moment, and dad, since I am typing this from a train, I think we are ready to try and get on the show! I worked through lunch today to scoot out early, knowing that my train to Dusseldorf leaves at 5:25. As the clock ticks past 4:30 and I am frantically sending emails, JC pushes me out the door and off I go. I know I must take the metro from Charles de Gaulle, switch metro lines at Barbès Rochechouart, and catch the train at Gare Nord.
I am a little nervous about this considering I haven’t really ridden a lot of trains; the minutes keep ticking by and I know if I miss this train I will also miss at least two solid hours of bar time with Celia. This is not an option. Since I was so anxious I must not have been thinking because I went on the green metro line and not the blue…shit. Fortunately I noticed and switched back at the next stop. Ten minutes lost.
Those ten minutes were my “time cushion” so now I am starting to stress and am totally being “that girl” who checks the time on her phone every three seconds, as if I don’t know three seconds have passed. Finally I reach Gare Nord and it is 5:10, I have 15 minutes to leave the metro, find the tracks, and get on the right train. I know one wrong choice and I am going to hear the chooooo chooooooo pass right by.
Deep breath, read the signs, follow directions – should be easy enough. After hauling it through the station I find my track and jog down the never-ending walkway to my train. I spot it and board at 5:21…4 minutes to spare!! Not too shabby!

I am delighted to tell you all that Thalys trains have a happy hour from 5 to 7 with 2 euro beers…FRIDAY HAS ARRIVED!

Au Revoir Paris, Guten Tag Dusseldorf!

I am off to spend the weekend in Germany with Celia and Toby!!! Back to Paris for work Monday morning...

When it’s hot, it’s smelly

Wednesday was an extremely hot day in Paris, now I know why everyone leaves the city in August for holiday. The office (as all other parts of the city except museums from what I can tell) doesn’t have AC so we open up the windows into an inner courtyard - which is a perfect solution, unless no air is moving. It is thick, and the air is filled with smoke and body odor…seriously!

I decide to stay in the city after work and explore a bit then kick it back to the suburbs for bedtime. The selected destination today is the area Saint Germaine de Près, or to those who know Paris, number 6. I hopped on the metro and had the totally unwelcomed discovery that the metro during the after work rush in the August heat is a very bad idea. Everyone was cramming into the cars and sweat was literally dripping off people’s bodies onto other people…not a pleasant scent in the air. Just when I thought I was going to have to hop off and take a breather this guy with a guitar hopped into my car and began to play loudly and sing at the top of his lungs John Lennon’s Working Class Hero. I wanted to grab him and say, “hey dude, I may be wearing a pencil skirt and collared shirt, but trust me, I wish I wasn’t, I’m not trying to be anybody’s working class hero…lay off!” Instead I just looked around to see if anyone else could understand the English lyrics and took personal offense. Doesn’t look like it.

When I arrived at my destination I was excited to be breathing some fresh air and decided to grab some food. Not in the mood to dine at a table for one, I was very happy to see a man on the street with a big cart making crepes. Healthy dinner, right mom? Man, those crepes were GOOD and the fanta was cold, so once again I am a happy girl!

Saint Germaine de Près is absolutely gorgeous! There are tons of street cafes and beautiful shops. I was kind of on the border of this district and the Luxembourg Quarter, so some of the areas overlapped. Just down the street I spotted Saint Sulpice, the church I had read about in the Da Vinci Code. Although they were doing some renovation of some sort on one of the towers, it was still beautiful – especially since I was there right at sunset! Saint Sulpice is actually only slightly smaller than Notre Dame…so this is one big church!

What I liked the most was Place Saint Sulpice, a big square right next to the church, and in the middle is the most beautiful fountain. It was a great time to just stroll around and people watch…shopping looks spectacular, I need to try and come back during business hours!

From the top of the Arc!

After two days of going to work, going to dinner, going to bed, it is high time for some excitement again! I need to shake up the work routine and get back to my daily field trips. When flipping through my 'handy dandy everything you could ever want to know about paris and more' book, it dawned on me...L'Arc de Triomphe! My office is located on L'Avenue Victor Hugo only about a football field away from the Arc, so it's kind of ridiculous I haven't already checked it out.

As you might be able to tell from previous posts, "the lunch break" doesn't seem to have the same parameters as in the states. Maybe things are a little more laid back since its August and most of the city's workers are on holiday, but something tells me that an hour and a half (or two and some change if you're the boss) is pretty standard. Yesterday I grabbed lunch to go and went to sit on a bench in the shade and watched cars drive around the Arc. This proved to be extremely amusing since there are twelve roads that branch out from the central circle, causing total chaos. Lots of beeping and weaving through traffic, but shockingly I haven't seen any hand gestures - I guess the French really are très civilized!

For those of you who might need a history lesson of the day, the Arc de Triomphe is the giant arch in Paris that is a monument to honor all those who have fought for France. It was also my main man Napoleon's idea to create this in 1806 when he promised his troops "you will march home through arches of victory" (I don't know if that is a direct quote, but probably pretty close)...and the rest is history. Also underneath the arch is an eternal flame for the tomb of the unknown soldier that mark remains of an anonymous French soldier from WWI.

After taking the underpass to get to the other side of the street, I took the steps to the top of the Arc. You have to wonder how many tourists have assumed you just walk across the traffic; I am sure there is no one who has lived to tell that tale! There were fantastic views from the top of the Arc and tons of great spots for pictures.

Time to put down the camera and return to the office...

Rocking the Suburbs

Well things are a little more quiet this week as I must return to "working for the man"...and the man happens to be in the office this week. I have moved from my hotel downtown to Jean Christophe's home in the suburbs of Paris. His family is all traveling on various holidays, so it's pretty quiet at the house. Last night after work we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant and I had the best creme brulee of my lifetime (dad - besides yours of course)! I am going to try to continue to have lunchtime adventures in the city and am going to Germany this weekend to visit Celia and Toby!!!

and on the 7th day they rest...even more than normal

Sunday afternoon after catching all the biking hooplah, it was time to head back to the center of the city to see whats going on. I will tell you whats going on - hundreds and hundreds of people chilling! If there is a monument, I guarantee you that at least one person is sitting in the shade of the statue passed out, smoking, or reading. It is like this everywhere...no one seems to be on cell phones or stressing about anything, just making out and reading. Ah the life of the French.

I know I am technically supposed to be going to the Louvre, but I am really not interested in the art there as much as other places, so guess what? I'm not going, haha. Instead I decided to go to the Musee d'Orsay, home to the Rodin scuptures and a lot of the impressionists' art. This museum is really cool because it is in the old train station and is one giant room, partitioned off for the individual exhibits. My favorites here were more Monet, Degas, Cezanne, Renior, Gaugin...the list goes on and on.
After reaching my cultural high for the day I decided to join the masses and just chill. I read a book for awhile in the Jardin des Tuleries and strolled around to people watch. I couldn't completely neglet the glass pyramid so I went to the Louvre to take some pictures and wash my feet in the fountain like all the other hot tourists.

It seems I get the Sunday Blues in Paris as well. If you are lucky enough to not be familiar with the Sunday Blues, its the feeling that lurks up around 5pm on a sunday that wraps around you reminding you that the next morning you must get up early and get back to the grind. UGH. Not ready to go back to the hotel I keep strolling around the Palias Royal and stumble upon an orchastra playing in the square. That's what I love so much about Paris - there are always amazing and unusual things right around the corner, but if you blink or go get a drink and come back, they are totally gone and it's like it never even happened. These people know how to stop and smell the fleurs alright.

I sat on the side of a fountain and listened to the music and was really just soaking it all in...after a while I stood to walk back to the metro and apparantly I walked over top of a street fan or something. All of a sudden i was being strangled by my own cotton dress up around my ears. I was paralyzed! Once I could get it down in the back, it would pop back up in the front. Needless to say, if you were in Paris on Sunday, you probably saw my red underwear and children laughing. Good thing my booty is toned from all this walking. I ran for the metro and couldn't bring myself to look back. Time to call it a day for sure.
(Here's a picture of the scene of the crime, clearly taken before said incident)

Bike Races at the Basillica...what?

When I dragged my aching body out of bed this morning (morning-ish), I desperately wanted to return to Montmarte to check it out in the daylight. We ate dinner there on Wednesday night and I totally fell in love, so I wanted to go back solo and spend a little more time exploring. As I hopped on the metro I noticed that everywhere seemed to be packed today - maybe this is just a coincidence or because yeterday was a religious holiday or something, but there were swarms of people EVERYWHERE! And people were FIESTY! There were drunk homeless men starting fights with people on the metro and everyone seemed to reak of serious body odor.

Releaved to be back above ground and away from all of the crazies, I climbed the endless staircase up to Sacre Coeur. For some reason there was a lot of red tape - this is literal red tape, not the beurocratic proverbial red tape. There are workers with walkie talkies and areas taped off to prevent the crowds from crossing...then I see it, a cyclist!

It turns out the Tour de France Hexagonal completes its last stage today and the finish line is in Montmarte at the base of the basillica! The Hexagonal is a six stage version of the Tour de France and is for mountain bikers, not road racers. In this final stage, cyclists had to bike down hundreds of steps and up steep city staircases. It did not look like much fun to me, I saw a few guys put the bike over their heads and just start running. Can't say I blame them.

Aside from the cyclists, I found Montmarte to be filled with all of the artists and street muscians that I remembered seeing Wednesday night. This part of the city is absolutely breathtaking, it was hysterical to just roam around and watch the MIMES (yes mimes!), people getting their portraits done, and all the the freaky people that make this area so much different from the rest of paris. Montmarte part deux = success!

oh yeah, the Eiffel Tower!

After a long day of grave hunting and art reflection, I have reached about 5:30 pm in the day and I am unsure what to do next as I have no plans and no idea what makes the most sense by my current location. The answer looms in the skyline. You can’t come to Paris without going to the Eiffel Tower! After hiking my butt across town to get to the tower, once again I was hot and exhausted so I bought a giant bottle of water and a sandwich du jambon and settled under a tree to watch the elevators go up and down the tower. I was hoping to wait until the sun went down a bit and maybe time it just right to get to the top for sunset (As reccommended by sheila!).

Now I know that every tourist that comes to paris makes the obligatory march to the mecca of the eiffel tower, but I never really considered that all these people must wait in line . 3 hours. That’s right, three hours of weaving and waiting to buy the ticket. This is when the wave of “traveling alone really sucks” hits me as I am standing in the middle of a packet of people yammering in Japanese for hours in a line that doesn’t seem to move. I was considering bailing ship when I overheard someone say, “wow, this is nothing compared to this morning”…UGH, I guess I have to stay commited to the cattle herding!

A million and a half hours later I make it to the elevators and begin to climb upwards – first to the second level. It is still daylight and I snapped tons of pictures and considered dropping a euro down to see if I could crush one of those pushy street salesmen trying to sell everyone mini eiffel towers for the price of a full dinner. No thank you. But I decided to breathe in the beauty and made my way all sides of the tower. Next was another hour line to take the elevator to the summit – my timing was perfect for the sunset, it is now 9 pm!

Being at the top as the sun sank into the city was absolutely amazing, a sight like non other. Truly the end of a spectacular day, but as I waited in another hour line to go back down, I classified the Eiffel Tower under my file entitled “so glad that I did it, no way in hell am I ever doing this again”. Not during the summer or all alone anyway… As I made my way back to my side of town, I kept looking back over my shoulder. Not to watch out for muggers – but to see the tower all lit up and dazzling against the night sky.

Day of the Dead...from Jim Morrison to Napoleon

I woke up this morning after entering a small coma last night...12 beautiful hours of much needed sleep. One good thing about traveling by myself - I can make my own schedule! I clicked on the TV and looked for the only channel I could find in English - the BBC. Turns out this weekend is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and BBC was interviewing young people to research the modern impact of the legendary music festival. Each person was saying they have never heard of it and all of this stupid stuff (these were americans by the way), and since I like to consider myself a bit of a hippie, it really pissed me off. Of course people from my generation know about woodstock - I spend my whole summer saving pennies to go scamper in fields listening to bands in various woodstock recreations. So today I had to do my part to pay my respects to rock music. Unfortunately, in Paris I don't have too many options. However the choice seemed quite obvious. I must find the grave of Jim Morrison.

Now I realize dad and brandon are saying “The Doors didn’t play at Woodstock, this makes no sense”…but it made sense to me! I took the metro and found the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise. This is an enormous cemetary built into a hill that overlooks the city; there are endless wooded paths surrounded by erie grave sites. I guess I entered through a weird side entrance, because there was no man with a map like I was hoping. I wandered for over an hour hoping I would stumble into into Jim, but it was so sunny and hot I came close to just laying on top of one of the graves and calling it a day…but I must find Jim and complete my scavenger hunt!

FINALLY I found a pamplet that listed various landmarks (oh yeah Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and several other French celebrites I have never heard of were buried here too). After weaving and winding through the cobblestoned rows of graves I spot it! This one is obvious from the empty bottles of jackdaniels, cigarette butts, and Doors posters. Normally people might think this is littering or not honoring the dead, but actually it seemed pretty perfect.

After accomplishing my only task for the day, I hopped back on the metro and decided to check out some more mainstream tourist spots. I wandered through the Hotel des Invalides - a giant building that Louis XIV ordered be used as a hospital for wounded and homeless soldiers. This area had all of the French military history, Emmett would have been much more interested than I was. Behind Invalides shined the Dome Church – the tomb of Napolean. I explored this area for a couple hours, but after sweating my brains out I decided to post up on a bench in the shade and have an Orangina…or three.

At this point in the afternoon, air conditioning is in my best interest. I absolutely love Monet, so I decided to check out the Musee de l’Orangerire. This museum is much smaller than some of the others, but it house s the famous “Water Lilly series”. In two large oval shaped rooms hang eight GIANT panoramic canvases that illustrate the same pond of water lillies at various points in the day. These paintings were Monet’s gift to the French state and are the said to the pieces that sum up his entire lifetime of work.

my bohemian bliss

If I could live anywhere in Paris and money was no object, Montmarte would be the place! At the foot of the 'mountian' is the Moulin Rouge in all it's red lights and spinning windmill glory. As you climb upward through the cobblestone streets there are tons of small cafes, street musicians, and wandering artists. It is absolutely the image of La Vie Boheme that I love!

At the very top of Montmarte is Sacre Coeur, an absolutely beautiful basilica that overlooks the whole city. Here is a picture of Marie and I on the steps and Sacre Couer in the background. It was funny to me because there were so many local teenagers hanging out on the steps with cigarettes and bottles of wine - nothing like getting drunk on the steps of a church over looking the city!

After walking through the inside of Sacre Coeur we wandered the streets and had dinner outside at a beautiful dinner. We walked into the restaurant at 10 pm, definitely a different time schedule than i am used to! The next hour or so were spent sipping on wine and eating French Onion soup and veal with mushrooms...delicious! I thought since it was already almost midnight the evening would be almost over...but this was not the case! Laurent, Marie's husband, drove us through some other areas and we parked and walked to more beautiful streets for a few more hours...

The beaches of Paris...you didn't know they existed???

Today I was mistaken for a Parisian for the first time, and I must admit, it was slightly exhilarating. Around 1pm today Marie looked at me and said, "you must go to lunch now, go to see how beautiful the notre dame is and come back by 2:30." I swear, that was a direct quote!
So I grabbed my Carnet (booklet of metro tickets) and walked out the door. Honestly I was a little scared that I would get lost and end up in Belgium and be late for my return to the office, but i just imagined that i was in washington dc and on my way to the smithsonian or something, just with more complicated names.

On the metro and once i knew i was traveling in the right direction down the line of stops, I had a rush of Parisian snobbish confidence and i guess it came out through my facial expression. A woman grabbed her husband and squeamishly asked if this was the stop for the louvre (in english)...she looked tired qnd dirty like I was yesterday so I decided to crack my faux Parisian exterior qnd throw her a proverbial bone. "You need to get off at Palais Royale, its three more stops." This lady was so happy i spoke english she almost hugged me. They were from Baltimore and their flight had landed this morning - doing the time change push through, I can relate.

The cathredal of Notre Dame was in fact amazing, but I was much more intrigued by something nearby. Something called Paris Plages - the beach has come to paris!! Tons of sand were hauled in along the Seine and lawn chairs were set up in a long strip. I guess President Sarkozy took pity on the poor people that can't take month long vacations and brought the beach to the city!!! I must say, I wish Bev Perdue would do the same thing for Raleigh...

PARIS, not Hilton

I feel as though I have just survived the Tour de France. I am not necessarily Lance who just won le Tour, but perhaps I was that biker with a popped wheel that putters over the finish line. It is now 11:30pm france time, and I have been in motion since 8:30 am US time...yesterday I think. Almost feels like college again, but without out the beer, hoodies, and language commonality.

I had a very uneventful experience at Charles de Gaulle - my baggage arrived swiftly in one piece and after a "j'ai besoin un taxi" et "j'ai fait une reservation", bing bang boom I am in the Hotel Waldorf. Not too shabby - definitely a European sized room, but I have an awesome petit balcony overlooking the street. I took a quick shower than busted out my map for adventure mission number 1: find office. This actually turned out to be pretty seamless as well, either my body is in shock from exhaustion or this France thing isn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I spent the day working in the office with Marie. I learned to make the espresso and work the doors and elevators (the most important tasks) then settled in for some regular PS Intl work. We strolled down the Champs Elysees for a leisurely lunch and hung out at the office until about 7:30. That's right, 7:30...ugggg. I think if the coffee drinking and in office cigarette smoking cut out we could have hit the streets by 3 - but hey, I guess this is La Vie Francaise. Check out this picture of the windows in the office that open into an interior courtyard - it's GORGEOUS!

After completing already way more than I was hoping to in this day, Marie invited a friend of her son to accompany us downtown for a city tour and dinner. She was a girl in her early 20s about to visit the states for the first time, so we had a nice French/English mixed practice session. In just one short (or long, rather) Wednesday, I learned to master the metro, saw some of the Paris hot spots, and had a fabulous KIR cocktail and Croque Monsier for dinner. Everything was simply fabulous, except for perhaps that I was hobbling home like victor hugo's hunchback as a result of the blisters on my feet and the burning in my shoulders from that lap top bag I just had to have. Let's just say Paris Day 2 will be more about comfort than fashion.

jumping the pond

I made it!! I am writing this post from my new office as I sip on some french cafe and feel the sunshine coming in through the giant open windows...life is good. In fact, I already feel those french vibes. This trip didn't start off so fantastique though, I must admit. As I hung on to Brandon in the drop off zone at RDU, tears were streaming out from underneath my sunglasses. I kept trying to tell the tears to stop, but they have a mind of their own and began to pick up speed. The only thing to do was grab firmly onto the handle of my red suitcase and wheel it down the sidewalk.

One bottled of ice cold water, a bag of crunchy cheetos (not the poofs), and a brand new US Weekly and I feel better. Glad to know that even though Jillian the bachlorette has been deceived by Ed, at least she was able to help me through my tough time. At that moment waiting at the terminal, I was very nervous – the anxiety from the unknown is a little daunting. I have my Euros, my passport, my ‘look at me I’m a grown up’ lap top bag. I am truely ready for this - let’s board and do this thing.

The reason for the season...

For the past two years and some change, I have been finding my place “in the real world” with a company called PS International in Chapel Hill, NC. PS is an international trading company that specializes in exporting various food commodities all over the world.

Me, I’m a bean woman. I spend my days coordinating the traffic and logistics of shipping peas, beans, and lentils to places like Algeria, Angola, China, the list goes on and on... Maybe not the most glamorous thing you can imagine, but hey, everybody has to eat.

We have a small satellite office Paris, France - which brings me to this blog. While our French employees are all enjoying their holidays, I get to go to Paris for three weeks and hold down the fort! I am so excited for what is sure to be quite the adventure – I am so ready to improve my language skills, meet some new people, and squeeze in as many shenanigans as possible when I’m not working…that’s right folks, I am mixing business with pleasure…Paris style!