I know, I lied about posting more often, and what's worse is that I'm leaving Friday to start my spring break (which lasts TWO weeks. SCORE!). First I'm going to K-town (that's Kaiserslautern, Germany) to see a darling cousin, and then I'm off to Barcelona with my friend Pam who is not only awesome but also happens to speak Spanish (SCORE!). After that I may just stick around Paris and enjoy the city without any classes hanging over my head. I even have a Paris-area checklist I still have to finish (here it is, if you're not interested just skip it):
TO DO
La Madeleine
Musee Rodin
Bvd St Germain
St Sulpice
Gardens around Tour Eiffel
Musee D'Art Moderne
D'Orsay again
Hotel Matignon
Palais Royal
Place Vendomes
Champs Elysees
Pantheon
Pompidou
Pere LaChaise
The Marais (St Paul, Place Vosges)
VERSAILLES
CHARTRES
Montmartre: Moulin Rouge, Cemeteries, Dali, Amelie Cafe, Sacre Coeur again
On the other hand, there's a bit of summer I can use to do all that, and I could try to take a train to Nice or La Rochelle instead. Nous verrons I suppose (we'll see).
Anyway, since I don't want to blog about about the hangover I had this weekend (not yet anyway) and I still need to put together Ireland/Normandy/Tours/Champagne posts, I thought I'd post something small: a normal, every-day walk through Paris.
Typical Walk in Paris
You walk outside. Maybe you're holding a 40 cent cup of coffee or tea, which you drink very carefully. You look around, take it all in and smile for one or both of these reasons- 1) It's sunny, 2) You're in Paris.
You cross the street and almost get hit by a car. You maneuver around slow-moving people, moms with their babies, old ladies, middle-aged men in suits, and parked scooters. You look at shoes in windows as you pass and sigh when you realize that the pair you want costs about 3 nights in a Berlin hostel. You consider buying a Bretzel (a big heart-shaped soft-pretzel sprinkled with deliciousness) but earlier you ate a huge apple croissant thing that the lady recommended because they were out of Chausson aux Pommes, so you promise yourself one on Friday.
You check out the prices of sandwiches in various shops for future reference. You stop to look at a building/church/dress/some flowers/someone's great shoes in awe.
You walk by someone who stares at you. You look back at them confidently and after they pass you self-consciously check your reflection in the window of a Smart Car.
You cross the street to avoid a crowd of people/a line of students outside a Rue Vavin bakery/the temptation of Amorino ice cream/the homeless guy who yells to people as they pass. You kind of wish you just had bananas or something to hand out to the homeless people. You're really glad that there don't seem to be jay-walking laws in Paris.
You almost get hit by a bus.
Someone stops in front of you, rudely halting in order to light a cigarette, or maybe they're just standing there with a group of friends. As you push by impatiently you make sure to say "Pardon" the French way, remembering in horror that time yesterday that you said "Sorry" to someone.
You coo at cute (read: all) dogs and little babies. Two adorable children are hopping around, playing on the sidewalk and when they hop close to you you smile at them or laugh. Then you check to make sure they didn't rob you.
You wonder if some guy you pass is Russell Brand/Jaoquin Pheonix/that guy from Glee/Robert De Niro/a model. Maybe you wonder why they're blocking off the Pantheon today and repeat the question in French in your mind. You say "salut!" to a passing classmate.
You wonder who told the Europeans that mullets are still okay.
You adjust your posture in a shop window and the next time someone stares at you, you assume they're admiring you're strong spine.
You see this awesome red scooter and you wish it was yours even though you'd probably get hit by a bus or knocked off a bridge if you tried riding one around the city.
Maybe you almost get hit by a speeding police car.
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