Paris
2006-02-15

As a surprise, I took Kate to Paris for her 30th birthday along with our friends Mel and Tom. I took lots of photos and even a couple vids. This is my most interactive journal entry EVER!!

Paris Photos
Video: Descending Eiffel Tower
Video: Chillin at a French pub

Mel and Tom speak french so that made things a lot easier when trying to find things. Especially since we forgot our French/English book at home. Kate and I had some interesting conversations with people on our own. Actual conversation with waitress:

Me: what is cote d'agneux?
Waitress: It is meat, you know, here (points at her back).
Me (thinking) back meat?? interesting. Ok, I'll have that.
Kate: well at least you know it's meat.
Me: how bad could it be, unless...
Kate: what?
Me: unless pointing at her back means kidneys or something. PLEASE GOD NO!!

It was ribs, thank god. All I knew going in was to avoid anything that said Grenouille. Grade five french (and Mel) reminded me that that is frog. I ain't eatin' no amphibian, jack.

We had quite the adventure on the Paris underground.

Train station#1: nobody at the ticket desk. Had to walk to Notre Dame.
Train station#2: Couldn't buy tickets because the national police were currently apprehending a suspect in the station. Walked to next train station.
Train station#3: Bought a ticket to Eiffel Tower. Train stopped half way there for no reason (or for an unintelligable reason -- damn french dictionary!) Took a cab the rest of the way.
Train back to aeroport: Stopped briefly because the rear car filled with smoke. After airing it out for a few minutes, we were back on our way. How bad could it be, right?! yikes.

Cheese and booze at Notre dame, chilling in French bars, getting hassled by Senagalese dudes at Montmartre and taking illegal photos at the Louvre. Overall, an awesome trip.

REOs replaced by RFOs this week:

1. French people do not stink.
2. French people are not rude. In fact, they were very helpful overall. They were very forgiving of my absolute desecration of their language.
3. French trains are shit.
4. Paris is up there as one of the most beautiful (and most fun) places I have ever been to.
5. Don't buy anything that is anywhere near anything touristy, they will hose you. We were charged €50 for a tea, two coffees, a mulled wine and four bottles of water in a cafe beside Notre Dame -- good god.