The City of Lights!

got in to Paris Thursday night which marks our 4th week of travel. Friday morning we went for a run, and stopped by the Eiffel Tower. pretty amazing structure. had an issue with a guy at the hostel over his hogging the free internet to update his Star Trek blog. started the day at the Louvre, which by itself is a work of art, nevermind the countless masterpieces inside. saw this one painting of some chick who is half-smiling... there was a huge crowd around it, so i guess it must be important or something. stopped at a patisserie for lunch and went to the Picasso Museum, the coolest portion of which was Dora's documentation of his work, particularly Guernica, his masterpiece. came back across the Seine, along the Champs Elysees to go to the Musee D'Orsay to see all the paintings i studied in 20th Century Art History at Bucknell and i really enjoyed the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist exhibits featuring van Gogh and company.

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went by Paris' red light district to see the Moulin Rouge all lit up at night, and happened upon the start of the weekly rollerblade extravaganza (the best name i could come up with). picture about 1,000 people on rollerblades (and rollerskates) bombing down the streets of Paris for 3 hours (i'll post the video soon). every Friday they close off certain streets for this, and everyone has to stop for them. i never thought rollerbladers would ever earn such respect. after dinner nearby, we headed toward the Latin Quarter, which is full of bars and clubs and students looking for bars and clubs. walked home from there, via the Eiffel Tower and caught a sweet flashing light show (video later).

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Saturday we started out with a tour of Notre Dame, ran into a jazz band playing classic American favorites in the street, then spent most of the day arranging upcoming train rides and hostels. walking down the street with a sandwich in hand, a woman stopped me and asked if i spoke English (though she sounded French) and asked where i got the sandwich, which was just around the block, so i gave her directions; but 50 yards down the street, a second woman, this time with two children in tow, stops me and asks "where is McDonald's?" i couldn't believe it! for a few reasons... 1. i thought i've been losing weight on this trip... why is everyone asking me where the food is? 2. do i have a sign on my forehead that says "i'm American (and consequently i am able to tell you where every McDonald's can be found)?" just like Seinfeld, when he asks the Asian mail-man where the nearest Chinese restaurant can be found. unbelieveable. ended the day at the Centre Pompidou, where we saw a great exhibit on moving images in the 20th century, as well as works by Warhol, Lichtenstein and other Pop artists.

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Sunday we finally made it out to the Chateau de Versailles, and of course, stepped off the train into rain. in true tourist fashion, that is, "i came all this way and i'm going to see (INSERT SIGHT NAME HERE) rain, sleet or snow" we trucked around the gardens of Versailles for a couple hours, or at least until our jeans soaked through. without even stepping foot inside the building (huge line waiting in the rain to pay 8 Euros to get inside, no thanks) Louis XIV is f*ckin' nuts. the place is ridiculous! it is a HUGE estate! grass, and fountains, and gardens, and sculptures, and trees, and water, and fountains, and grass, and trees, and more trees, and more gardens, and more sculptures, and more fountains. cripes. he must have been compensating for something! couldn't he have bought a really sweet chariot and maybe a chateau by the sea and called it quits?

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so i'm enjoying Paris thoroughly, and i'm getting along well with my highschool French; even locals who do speak English seem to appreciate it. i've had my share of croissants and baguettes, (seriously, the stereotype of French people carrying around baguettes is 100% accurate) and yesterday a crepe with nutella and banana. mmmmm. time for dinner.

the sun finally came out after i finished this entry, so we headed to the Arc de Triomphe, then walked down the Champs Elysees by all the ritzy stores. finally, we went back to the Eiffel Tower, but between the wait for the elevator (the stairs were closed) and the price, decided not to go up. still, we got some great photos.

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