travel journal part 1

Morning

Finding time to talk about my experience of Paris has been difficult. Every morning I wake up at six a.m. and have a hard time falling back asleep because I am sp excited to be here. Six a.m. in Paris the sun hasn't even come up yet. But some vehicles are noisily making their way through the Rue outside our open windows.

From my fourth floor bedroom window I see one or two lights come on in neighboring residences. Paris is starting to wake up, but it takes it's time.

By nine in the morning the streets are busy with little half sized cars, bicycles, and cute small trucks zooming down the tiny streets. Many business people wearing suits and expensive shoes are sitting smartly upon their mopeds, making up what looks like the world's classiest biker gang.

The sidewalks are full too. People really do walk everywhere in Paris. In our neighborhood there are many mothers and fathers (I've seen many more fathers out with their children in Paris than in the U.S.) pushing their children in prams or walking beside them while their child speed around on scooters. And, I don't know if it is just the areas we have been but they dress their children really nice here - not as casual, or sporty as we do in the state - but with a real sense of style.

Dogs

Also it seems that every fifth person is walking a dog. Before I came I read that Parisian's really love their dogs and I have seen this to be true. They take their dogs onto the Metro, into bars and restaurants, into the grocery market, etc. I haven't seen them dressing their dogs in clothing or keeping them in little purses as is the style in L.A., which I think it probably for the best.

Fashion

For the most part people are very well dressed in Paris. Even those people who are dressed casually add some flair to their outfit with, usually, a scarf. Men have more clothing options here - they can wear all the colors of the rainbow (including pink and lavender) and usually wear those cool "urban" shoes or boots that are the style at shoes stores in L.A. but that I rarely see any American men wearing.

Parisian's, men, women, and children, never seem to dress entirely casual. No one wears shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. The closest they would come would be tight pants, a designer t-shirt and trendy urban sandals - and that is dressed down.

I appreciate their sense of style and I am making mental notes of interesting scarf techniques to bring back to L.A.

Food

Bread, Cheese, Ham and Wine. Those are the four basic food groups. So far we haven't gone out to a fancy restaurants. We have only eaten at little sidewalk Brasseries (bistros.) The menu is the same at every one of these places - lots of wine offered as well a beer, specialized water, and soft drinks like Coca Cola Light.

They have five or six salad options, some terrines or pates, and then the staple of french food, a 12 inch length of bread with ham and cheese, or salami and cheese, or cheese an tomato, or just cheese, or just salami, etc. The sandwiches come with a few slices of lettuce and that is it.

So far I have had a fried ham and cheese sandwich, vegetable soup, three cheeses with salad, and ham and cheese on a baguette. I think we are all kind of getting tired of that menu but it is good nosh for a busy day of sight-seeing.

Last night we had dinner at the apartment - we split up into three groups and came back with beer, white wine, gooseberries, brie, a baguette, three types of thin sliced ham, gooseberries, cantaloupe, a mixed green salad, tomatoes and an apple tart.
It was delicious!

Style

The French style is more... um stylish. It is not just their clothing, but also their mopeds, their shops, and restaurants. I get the feeling that they really care about how the things they own make them feel and they choose to surround themselves with beautiful items of personal meaning. I think, instead of buying many things that they hardly care about that they buy a few good things. I hope you understand what I mean, it is kind of hard to explain.

History

I can totally see why Paris is one of themost famous cities in the world. Paris is truly beautiful!

This part is hard to describe so bear with me.

This city has the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Seine, etc. There is so much history and so much beauty.

The first place we went to, Sacre-Coeur. A domed church built in 1875 set high on a hill that overlooked the city. We had to walk through picturesque Mont Martre (think Amelie) to get there which really gave me a taste of Paris. I thought it was a great place to start.

The next day was the Arc de Triomphe, the Champ Elysees, and the Louvre. Oh my God! I went to the Louvre! I am still reeling over that. _And_ I saw the actual Mona Lisa! wow! *hee hee* I laugh but that is really how I feel. I am star struck.

But, I'm loath to say this, but I did not find the Mona Lisa to be that inspiring. I much preferred the ancient Greece and Roman sculpture. When I think that many of my favorite pieces in the Denon wing were more than 2000 years old I kind of get a shiver down my spine.

The Louvre itself is a beautiful as any piece of art it houses. Even if it was emptied of all it's art it would be well worth going in just to admire the floors and ceilings. We bought a six day museum pass when we got here so we plan to go to the Louvre a couple more times while we are in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower, it seems cliche, but really it is not. I can see why it is the emblem of Paris. The first time I saw it up close I could not stop taking picture of it, trying to capture the unbelievable size of it. Though it is a huge steel structure it also has a delicate look, and even though it is huge and jutting (phallic?) I found it very feminine.

At night, all lit up, I wished that every city could have such a beautiful monument and I was again thankful that I was here, in this city, to see it.

The People

Maybe it is because we have Z with us everywhere and she has this amazing charisma, but everyone, from waiters, to shop keepers, to fellow passengers on the metro have greeted us with a smile and treated us kindly. I am really thankful for that. I have heard stories about the French and their attitude, especially these days, towards Americans. But, so far (knock on wood) everyone had been totally cool. Again I think it probably has a lot to do with Z. *smile*