There are also tremendous hassles with travel. The cattle call of airlines, the sleep deprivation, and the inability to remember overpacking for a trip is never a good idea.
I have a mantra when I travel. Go with the flow. If you expect to sail through customs, you probably won't, so breathe, wait patiently, and go with the flow. If it is your wish to not hit rush hour traffic in Paris, you absolutely will, so go with the flow. If you expect a smooth ride to the airport and then get rear-ended on the Gardiner Expressway, well...what choice did we really have?
I am chalking up the limo accident as an omen. If this is the worst thing that happens on this trip, I will take it. Nobody was hurt except the car of the moron behind us, and the driver was so sweet that we volunteered to be witnesses for him should he have issues with his boss or the insurance company.
The other little hitch in our travel has been the presence of this virus that just won't let go. The coughing and headaches have been persistent, but neither of us is letting them stop us. Like I said, go with the flow. (in this case, a nasal flow.)
We arrived in the City of Lights at daybreak, and after a bit of kerfuffle at customs, we were off in a taxi to our hotel in the very funky and happening ninth arrondissement. (The Follies Bergére is around the corner from us. We can hear the excitement through our windows.) We couldn't check in until three in the afternoon, so rather than risk sleeping on a park bench, we headed out to a corner cafe to grab some breakfast. The weather was perfect, so we sat outside, ordered a baguette and a beverage and soaked up the atmosphere. It was really enticing to think that the six of us were having breakfast on the streets of Paris. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, like a French baguette with butter. I have been off most carbs for a long time now, but what is the point of being here if I'm not going to indulge in some of the best food in the world. Of course, my French is stalled at a grade thirteen level. My Spanish is far superior, but it is easy to confuse the two languages. I ended up ordering a petit dejeuner para dos personas. My embarrassment knows no bounds.
We walked our feet off. We wandered through dozens of Parisian streets and neighbourhoods on little more than a few hours of sleep. The architectural marvel that is Haussman's design leaves me breathless. It is easy to get lost on the narrow streets and the crazy curves, yet I can't think of a better way to pass a day than getting lost in Paris. I am enamoured with the white stone and marble and the wrought-iron balconies. The nineteenth-century cobblestones are still evident in many areas and have been melded together with modern asphalt. Paris is an extremely modern city that maintains its old-world charm. That first day, we simply meandered through town. We found ourselves down by the Seine, and I half-expected Gene Kelly to pop up and dance with Leslie Caron on the left bank. There is a reason why so many songs and movies have been written about Paris. It is simply a city that charms. As the Professional Volunteer remarked as we strolled down the Champs-Elysees, "I am walking on the Champs-Elysees, eating a pain-Chocolat, on a warm October Saturday, with good friends. What could be wrong?
A few quick observations.
* For a city known for its food, we are having some issues finding good vegetarian cuisine. I feel the need to explain to people that vegetarian doesn't mean tofu cooked in beef broth.
* I am desperately seeking a Diet Coke. They seem to have gone missing in Paris. They have regular and Coke Zero, but the manna of my existence is awol. The habit may be kicked.
* It is unseasonably warm and sunny. I am not complaining, but I didn't pack for summer. That said, autumn in Paris is trés magnifique. The leaves are starting to turn, and the parks are all dressed. I am writing this with the windows open and a warm breeze wafting through the room. What a lovely time of year.
* The Batobus is a marvellous innovation. For the price of twenty Euros, you can hop on and off a boat down the Seine, stopping at points of interest, all while viewing Paris from the water. We could see the construction of Notre Dame from an angle not visible on land. The entire back side of the cathedral is missing. It is impossible to describe the devastation adequately on television. It needs to be seen. That said, the reconstruction is well underway, and it is massive. It could take decades.
* My friends indulged me and trekked a bit to find Shakespeare and Company, the first English language book store in Paris. It was founded in 1919 by American Sylvia Beach. It attracted some of the great literary ex-pats of the time and became a kind of salon. Ms. Beach was the original publisher of James Joyce's Ulysses in 1922 when no one else would dare touch the controversial novel. I felt like a visit there was a bit like visiting Mecca.
* This is one expensive city, and yet, so is Toronto. But I feel like Paris has earned it and Toronto hasn't yet.
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