TravelStream™ news feed for member flaljee on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/flaljee en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:06:52 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1214897820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1214897820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1214897820/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:06:52 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Lisbon, Estremadura, Portugal

The next day, we drove to Castel de St. George (St. George's castle). It is the most amazing place built by muslims to defend Lisbon. With tall watch towers and a huge courtyard, the place is out of an epic movie.That evening, I had ginan waro at the Ismaili center in Lisbon, but we were late due to traffic, so they rescheduled me for the next day. The Ismaili center is a grand structure, however, fell short of my expectations considering I have grown up watching jamat khanas like Garden and Kharadar.  At night, we went to a Fado restaurant (Cafe Luce). Fado is beautiful music, traditional to Portugal and it is very emotionally charged. During dinner, people talk but the moment the lights dim for Fado, there would be complete silence. The performers would do their act for 30 off minutes and then go off only to return in 30 minutes. After the restaurant, we went partying at Docas and then a late night drive around Belim. The next morning, I stayed in (my foot was worse). In the afternoon, Sofia and I went for some coffee and then got ready for JK. This time, we left earlier and made it in plenty of time. At night, we were invited to dinner at Tia Taju's. A lot of Sofia's mom's side of the family were here, but I believe we were still missing half :)Dinner was a fun affair with men eating first, then women. Later the men went down for coffee but all the places around the area were closed. We returned home around 1a. We all stayed awake all night. Feiba made me one last cup of galao. Tio Nawas and Tia Nafeesa came to say bye and stayed including driving with us to the airport. They are too sweet. On the way, Sofia forced us to stop and pick up pastels for Mana.I will just add this:I cannot believe how much Sofia´s family has done for us. Specially, Nasser, Feiba and Kaka Anil. They have really made this a trip I will never forget and I am sad to be leaving them.. Also, Portugal is truly a beautiful place that reminds me a little of Italy, a little of Paris and a little of Pakistan. Beautiful, cultured, raw, modern and untapped. Thats it from me on this trip.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1213447560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1213447560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1213447560/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:37:26 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Porto, Northern Portugal, Portugal

It was a working day Wed, June 11. Kakush Anil and Rozy went to work and we slept in. They picked us up at 1p and we headed to Porto. On the way, we picked up some chicken (Frango) in Fig and ate at their hotel´s restaurant. Then we walked to Emanha and everyone had coffee (bica) while I also had gelato. We arrived in Porto and drove around the city in circles for the hotel. However, I got a good tour, while Sameer stressed about Portugal´s second soccer game of the Euro Cup that was about to start. Once checked in, the men watched the soccer game, while the women relaxed. Portugal beat Czech Rep 3-1 and qualified for the next round. In the evening, we walked around (I had started limping from my soccer injury). We walked around the beautiful city of Porto and ate at a restaurant by Ribeira (river). This was the first time that Kaka Anil let me pay for anything and I had to beg him to let me.   The next morning, we woke up early, had breakfast at the hotel. After walking around and taking pictures of different monuments including the Cleric Tower and Chapel, we went to Calem where we got a nice tour of how Port is made. We left Porto for Lisbon at 2p. Kaka dropped us at the Ismaili Center, where Tio Sadru (Sofia´s mamu) picked us up. Poor Kaka had to drive all the way back to Fig.We spent some time at a pasteleria in Benfica with Tio Sadru and Tia Shireen. Later that evening, we had dinner at Tio Mansoor's. Then, we went to the Festival of San Antonio, the craziest party I have ever seen, walking all along Ave de Liberdade and uphill to St. George's Castel. The cobble-stone streets were filled with people partying, music, dancing and all this amidst the historic setting of Lisbon. We probably walked for about 2-3 hours and I didn't know this then, but I was walking on a broken foot.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1213445640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1213445640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1213445640/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:32:10 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Figueira da Foz, Beiras, Portugal

Before I make this entry, I have to note that I cannot remember hospitality of this measure. Ever since our arrival in Portugal, we have been served hand and foot. If I get up, two people jump to their feet to see what they can get for me. Nasser, Salima, Feba, Kaka Anil, Tia Rozy, Kaka Nawas, Kaki Nafeesa - they have dropped everything to be with us and make sure we are comfortable, surrounded and taken care of. Salima had left for Africa on Friday, but everyone else above as well as Sameer and Anaisa were in Figueira for the next few days.  On Sat, our first day in Fig, Kaka took us to Battalha (a historic monument which marks the spot where the Portuguese launched a successful defense against Spain). The Battalha has the tomb of Joan I. We ate pregos outside Battalha. At the unfinished chappell, I suggested we buy a plot for me there under the bautiful arches. Sofia wasn't crazy about the idea.   Then, we went to Fatima - the church and cathedral where the Pope speaks every year to millions. We saw people walking on their knees and some people walking for many days to get to Fatima as a promise made in exchange for an event they had prayed for. Next, we drove through Leiria and returned home in time to watch the first soccer match of the Euro Cup between Portugal and Turkey on TV (Portugal won 3-0).At night, we watched our wedding video with everyone and retired.  Day 2, Sunday in Fig, we drove to Kaka´s hotel in Fig and had gelato at Emanha, a popular spot for gelato and coffee. Kaka's hotel is a nice bed and breakfast and he plans to re-open the restaurant downstairs. Sofia gave him some ideas about decor. Quite a few of the art work in the restaurant is from Sofia's mehndi. Then we headed to Serra de Estrla (mountain top), and on the way, had lunch at Museo de Pao (Bread Museum). Museo de Pao is a beautiful restaurant with wood and glass floors, a wooden wagon wheel with water running through and a view to die for. The lunch was a buffet with fish, lamb, varieties of bread, salads, and amazing desserts. We took some fun pictures right outside the restaurant.   I tried to convince Sofia to ride the donkey, and she almost did but the thing began to move uncertainly so we gave that up. We also took pictures by a mini water-fall and Museo de Pao's old antique house and car. I considered stealing the car, but Sofia would not hear of it, specially since it didn't run on the cheaper diesel. After, we headed to the top of the mountain where we walked on foot to some rocks and took pics. On foot, we would run and race each other. That night, we stopped at Kaka´s furniture store before heading home. Day 3, we had a lazy start. After swimming (yes the house has a swimming pool), we went to Coimbre, where we took pictures, shopped a little and then headed home. After changing, we went to dinner at a hot spot for seafood in Figueira where we ate till we dropped. At the pier after dinner, we went on multiple rides, including bumper cars, and roller coaster. Luckily, even though everyone was stuffed, and the movement was not the best idea, no "incident" occured. Then, we walked to Emanha for gelato's, where Sofia insisted on coffee, while everyone else indulged in fine gelato. I had an "Exotic". Day 4 in Fig, Tues, Kakush Nawas and Nafeesa drove back to Lisbon. The rest of us walked to a nearby spot for Bica late in the morning. Then we returned home and Kaka, Sameer, Nasser and I played soccer. Nasser hurt his jaw and Kaka scraped his knee, but I twisted my leg and foot, which I would pay for later. Kaka and I won 18-15 against Sameer and Nasser. We then swam in the pool, had strawberries and showered. In the evening, we drove to a nearby restaurant where I had the best Sea Bass (Rubalho). That night, Nasser, Feba and Anaisa drove back to Lisbon. Nasser and Anaisa had to work the next day and we were scheduled to go with them, but plans changed last minute and we decided to go to Porto the next day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212924660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212924660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212924660/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:11:01 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Lisbon, Portugal

Sofia and Feiba went for coffee in the morning and then got whisked away by Salima to a shopping area. Meanwhile, I slept soundly until Nasser woke me up and took me to meet Sofia and Feba for toast and galaun (large glass of coffee). Then, Salima took us to Rio Sul mall while Nasser went home to rest. Sofia needed comfy shoes and I wanted to shop at Springfield. The three of us had gelato and coffee after. We returned home for a late dinner of beef and stew that Feiba had made. Sofia then went to get her hair done, while Nasser and I went to get his rental car replaced with a more functional one. At night, although we planned to go to the Ismaili Center in Lisbon, we got late and went to the Paivas JK again. The mukhi had been informed about my ginan and he was disappointed we didn´t tell him we were coming to Paivas or he would have given me wado. Ãfter JK, we had some chat pata food outside and then headed over to Lisbon for dinner with Kaka Anil and family. The plan was to have dinner with him and then he would take us to his house in Figueira da Foz for the weekend. We ate at Laurentina where the dessert was excellent (Chocolate Mousse and Baba de Camello), but the baccaleu was not as good as one would have expected. Sofia almost did not order baccaleu (cod fish) but I would not have let her live it down. Then we drove to Figueira da Foz which is about 150 km away ....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212840360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212840360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212840360/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:07:17 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Lisbon, Portugal

We visited Daddi in the morning (she is Sofia's dadda's third wife). All she cared about was Mana and a little about Sofia and Nasser. She seemed not to notice me for the most part except for the occasional "E Ismaili?!" Salima and Nasser took us to the Almada Forum and we ate Pregos at Portugalia. Nasser then drove us to Tia Taju´s condo (also Sofia´s childhood home), where my wife showed gave me a tour of the neighborhood, the school she went to, the place she would cross the street and shout Agora? At night, Zarinha (filha de Tia Roshan) and her husband Pedro took us for coffee in Almada. When we finally got home late at night to Feba´s, Tio Nawas, Tia Nafeesa, Sameer and Anaisa were waiting to see us. Nasser, Sameer and I then went out for a bit and got in really late. Poor Sameer actually has a final on Saturday so its really cool of him to go out with us like that.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212667200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212667200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212667200/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:01:22 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Lisbon, Estremadura, Portugal

Our flight out of Rome was at 6:30a so we left the hotel at 4:30a. I don´t know if I mentioned this already but the days are super long in Europe. In Paris specially, daylight would last till 10p. So I was half expecting the sun to be up at 4a, but it was 5a before we saw daylight. What a stretch huh?We ate at the airport (orange juice, creme croissant and cappucino).Anyway, the flight on TAP was much better than the flight from Paris to Rome on Ryan Air. Right outside the plane, in the thing that leads up to the entrance, there was a rack of newspapers and magazines. I almost knocked it over rummaging for an english publication, creating quite a stir among the flight crew.The flight otherwise was uneventful. They served us food but we had to contend with sides of fruit yogurt and coffee since the main item was a ham and cheese croissant. Nasser (Feiba´s son) met us at the airport. I must mention that Sofia was so excited that she made two stops at the airport (from the gate to the exit) to have pastels (pronounced pash-tels). This is one of the many things she misses most about Portugal and she was determined to catch up to the number she would have consumed had she not relocated to the US. We stopped at Nasser´s new condo in Ãmora to drop off our luggage, picked up Feba (Sofia´s dad´s sister) and Salima (her daughter) from the train station and headed to a pasteleria for Tosta (toasted bread with cheese) and pastries. Back at Feiba´s, while I took a nap, Sofia and Salima went to get groomed (mani/pedi ladies stuff). I woke up at lunch time and met Tio Nawas and his wife Tia Nafeesa (Tio Nawas is one of Sofia´s chachas). For lunch, Feba made shrimp and crab stew with rice. Sofia and Salima then returned to attend to their "ladies" matters while Nasser, Tio Nawas and I went to the mall. I discovered a shop called Springfield and made a mental note to return there later. In the evening, we went to the new jamat khana in Paivas (not the main one which is in Lisbon). It has a nice large lobby with smooth marble floors and the inside is spacious, yet small. The walls are divided by a wood panel towards the bottom and the ceiling has a beautifully designed square in the middle with a typical Aga Khan architectural drawing. We returned home from JK, had dinner, chatted for a while and went to sleep.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212556140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212556140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212556140/tpod.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:57:28 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Rome, Italy

For unforeseen reasons, we could not go to the Vatican (the world's smallest country) or St. Peters Basilica (the world's largest dome) today. We were really looking forward to Michaelangelo's work in the Sistine chapel, but the day got away from us. Coincidentally, on this trip, I have been reading Dan Brown´s Angels and Demons at night and I am reading about a lot of the places we are actually seeing in Rome.  We did however, walk to the Pantheon and see it from the inside and admired Raphael's tomb. The open hole in the ceiling at the Pantheon was an unusual site. Most people don't know that the Pantheon is the oldest catholic church in Rome. In fact, it was initially a pagan place of worship, but after Rome's adoption of Catholicism, the Vatican got rid of the various statues of pagan Gods. We also admired once again, Bernini's Four Rivers fountain at Piazza Navona, although the fountain was undergoing some restoration work. Then, we enjoyed gelato at the famous Giolitti's where unbeknownst to them, Sofia took a picture of a priest and a nun having gelato. We pretended that they were having a secret rendezvous and snickered endlessly. Then back to our hotel, with some shopping on the way and a picture of Sofia with a Vespa (dedicated to her Michelle). At night, we had a romantic and cozy dinner at Hostaria Castanza, a fine Italian restaurant near Campo di Fiori. It was late so we were the only patrons in the stone walled, wrought iron setting. Sofia's rare steak would melt in your mouth and her fettucini with spicy minced beef was fabulous. My veal tonight was not so good, but the service and Sofia's food made up for it. On a side note, I have noticed that there are tons of Gelataria's in Rome. Gelato is Italian ice-cream and every block has at least one. This is much like the Pattiserie/Boulangerie/Braserie culture of Paris and Sofia tells me I will see a lot of Pasteleria's in Portugal (Pastel is Portuguese for pastries).So far, everywhere we have been, we have walked at least 1-2 miles each day, which makes it easier to eat like a pig. However, I noticed that more people in France speak and understand English than people in Italy speak or understand it. Tomorrow, we fly to Lisbon (Sofia's home). I can't wait to meet her family and experience the environment that made her who she is. I have always dreamt of being in Europe and the fact that I am here with her makes it all the more special.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212457500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212457500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212457500/tpod.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:35:18 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Rome, Italy

We bid aur revoir to Paris yesterday morning. The morning was not very kind to us, mostly because I booked us a bad airline and partly because we were carrying too much luggage. The flight from Paris to Rome was scheduled from Beauvaix airport outside of Paris so we had to catch a shuttle at 7a. The ride was not too bad - an hour, but Ryan Air nickels and dimes its passengers and we paid for the heavy luggage through our teeth. Anyway there was no sense in spoiling an otherwise fabulous and memorable vacation. So we quickly put the incident behind us. Once in Rome, we took a taxi to our hotel. The hotel (Eurostars International Palace) is nothing short of classy. It is a very quaint but posh hotel with a very decidedly Roman decor.I had learnt some new French words in Paris that I was just getting used to:Bon Jour / Bon Soir - Good morning / Good nightAu revoir - ByeSorte - ExitJambon - Ham (so I knew what NOT to eat)Poulet - ChickenEpolle - Pork shoulders (I know!)Deux - twoAnd so on ...Now it was Italian's turn. Throughout the trip, Sofia has impressed me with her language skills. It is one thing to know she can speak it - but quite another when you see how comfortable she is doing it. French and Italian were both very natural to her and I felt proud seeing how good she was. Time and again, while I would struggle to order food or understand someone, she would step in and save the day. That is, when she was not saving me from stepping in a pile of dogpile. It was really hot when we arrived in Rome. So far, we had grown accustomed to the cold of London and the mild weather in Paris. So the 85 degrees in Rome was extremely hot. After some unpacking, we headed straight to a close by restaurant for lunch, but the food we had there was quite awful. Then, Sofia headed back to the hotel while I headed to a nearby tourist booth to pick up our Roma Pass (20 euros each would get us free entrance to any two museums and unlimited travel via the bus or metro for 3 days). Across from our hotel, there was a grocery store (Despar) so I dropped by to pick up some water for the room. I resisted the temptation to buy some cookies and snacks for two reasons: 1)      We wanted to experience Rome and the food it had to offer so it didn't make sense to ruin our appetite. 2)      Fear of the wife. I had been given some pretty dirty looks at during my eating binges in Paris.When I got back to the room, Sofia was sound asleep - understandably so, as we had barely slept the night before. Around 4p though, we left the hotel and headed to the Pantheon.  We took the bus and headed in the general direction, but got off prematurely. This proved to be a blessing as we happened upon the most beautiful building - Vittoriano monument - a large white roman piece of art that took our breath away. With a large statue of a man on a horse in the center, and two large entrances on each side, this was a sight for sore eyes. As we exited the monument, we happened upon another great sight. It was the ruins of ancient Rome.  You see, ancient Rome still lies virtually untouched. The old Roman architecture, despite centuries of war and wear, has still survived and modern life has not been allowed to intrude upon history. Arches, pillars, walls, rocks, all lie as they did when Caesar ruled and the Roman Empire spanned almost all of Europe.  After we left the area, we walked towards Trevi fountain. By the way, during our time in Rome, I will be having a lot of gelato (Italian creamy ice-cream) so I will abstain from mentioning it everytime. So Trevi fountain - it is a large fountain in the middle of a Piazza and was cluttered with a thousand people or more. You have to understand, a Piazza is nothing more than a small clearing upon which multiple small streets emerge. A Parisian/Pakistani/London round-about would qualify as a Piazza (pronounced Piat-za), but only in Rome is it a place where people walk, eat, lounge and "hang out". We hung out at Trevi fountain for a little bit and walked a couple of kilometers over to Piazza del Popolo along Via del Corso. This is a popular walk, recommended by Rick Steves (a famous travel guide and writer), for its many retail shops. Thousands of people were milling about on this street. Rome really does look like something out of a story book.  Incredible looking buildings, cobble-stone roads, piazza's every four blocks, cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating, plenty of monuments and churches and friendly people. Later in the evening, we had dinner at a small restaurant around Trevi fountain and then climbed the Spanish steps (Piazza di Spagna - which was home to Lord Byron and John Keats), but not before we saw the largest McDonalds in the world and hailed a taxi back to the hotel. This morning, June 2nd, we got off to a late start, primarily because it is a holiday in Rome today and the Coliseum would only open after 1p. We are only a 15 minute walk from the Coliseum so we left the hotel around 2p. On the way there, we stopped at a side-walk café on a cobble-stoned street for cappuccino and a muffin. Italians drink cappuccino only before noon, but because of tourists, cafes here now offer cappuccinos all day long. A few blocks later, we stopped at a restaurant famous for their wood fired pizza, called Chicco di Grano.  The Coliseum is a huge stadium used purely as a historic monument now. Built around 70 A.D., this is where gladiators used to fight for survival. It is huge and breath-taking. Since we had the Roma pass, entrance was free and we didn't have to wait in line.  After a brief stop at the hotel and some coffee at a local coffee shop, we walked to the Pantheon. Due to the holiday, the Pantheon had closed early, but at least we got to see it from the outside. We plan to go back tomorrow if we finish the Vatican early enough. Across from the Pantheon, there is a coffee shop that some say is the best in Rome - Tazza d'Oro Casa del Caffe. Sofia had a latte there while I indulged in Parfait il Café (coffee mousse). Then we walked to Piazza Navona. This piazza has two fountains and a monument, not to mention a beautiful church - Chiesa di S. Agnese in Agone. After lighting a candle and praying for a few mins, we walked out and sat by one of the fountains. There are people everywhere we go, including locals and tourists, and this piazza, like all others, was bustling with activity. We walked from Piazza Navona to an area called Campo dei Fiori, which is a tourist attraction for its restaurants and bars. Here, we ate at a quiet but popular joint in the middle of Piazza Farnese called Ostaria de Giovanni ar Galletto where I had veal and potatos and Sofia had soup and penne with spicy tomato sauce. The waited was very nice and friendly and we made friends with an Italian family seated at the table next to ours. Their little 8 year old is also named Sofia. :-)  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212280740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212280740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212280740/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:30:27 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Paris, France

Today we decided to relax and just go around Paris. After a quick croissant and coffee at the hotel (the croissants here melt in your mouth), we met up with our friend Sarah and her friend Atif and enjoyed crepes at Cafe Crepe in a non-touristy locale. We strolled the gates of the Opera Theatre and the Music Hall and walked through the Latin quarter, shopped at Coton Doux (a tiny boutique shirt and tie shop) and had coffee, baguettes and eclairs (at least I did) at a local patisserie. Our goal is basically to eat everything local. Crepes, Croissants, Eclairs, Pastries, Baguettes - all count!There is a cafe at every corner and one thing I noticed is that unlike the US, people are not afraid or embarassed to eat alone. We saw many people these few days sitting at a cafe on the side-walk, eating alone, facing the street, as if they were eating with the people walking by. Also, things like coffee and soda are more expensive than sandwiches and crepes, which is weird.Also, we have been walking at least a couple of miles every day, and Sofia specially has been an energizer bunny - she keeps wanting to go on and on. I might need to slip some Nyquil in her coffee one of these days. We are back at the hotel now, but going to head out for a quick bite before getting ready to bid Au revoir to Paris. Tomorrow, we fly to Rome.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212033960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212033960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/flaljee/2/1212033960/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:26:43 -0400 Sofia & Faisal - Eurotrip 2008

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

After a two and a half hour ride on the fast train (Eurostar), we arrived in Paris. During the trip, Sofia slept soundly most of the way while I eavesdropped on a british family of 4 talk to each other in their cute british accent.The difference between London and Paris couldn't be more obvious. London is more like New York. Fast paced, always on the move, small spaces, everyone keeps to themselves and minds their own business. But Paris has large spaces, people do things at their own pace, and often even invade your personal space. Oh and the language thing too.  After waiting an hour in line for the cab, we were driven to our hotel. Let me just say that our hotel was bautiful. One of the tallest buildings in all of Paris, it is the Hotel Concorde La Fayette and it is walking distance from Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and even le Grand Louvre. Within 30 minutes or less, we could walk to any of the above places. Our room has a view of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe and later on I would discover that this hotel is also featured in Rick Steves Best of Europe as having a view on the 33rd floor worth watching. BTW, the daytime picture of the Eiffel Tower that you see here was taken at 9p! Paris does not get dark until 10p. Thats amazing!!! Of course, for Sofia, who has trouble keeping track of time as it is, this does not bode well. She thinks its 5p when its 9p. Our first day in Paris, we headed to a cafe close by called Cafe Aigle. I particularly liked their Croque. Later in the evening, we walked to the Eiffel Tower, and took a cruise along River Seine. It was a very refreshing one-hour ride that passes by some very important buildings and locations in Paris. For a late night bite, we stopped at Cafe Molokoff right across from the Trocadero. The thing we loved about Paris is that you can get good food at every corner until at least midnight. There are many cafe's everywhere you go and it is something that we long for in Los Angeles. Our food was mediocre but my Creme Brulee was good. Sofia is saving her dessert eating for Portugal.
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