Well i made it here! The first day was crazy busy. First flight was to Miami which was about 4 1/2 hours...I was in the window seat next to a large man who didnt give me much elbow room..so i squished myself against the window and attempted to sleep. We landed, I went pee and boarded the plane..no time for bullshittin. The seats were even smaller on the plane to Paris. My knees were pressed against the seat in front of me. I feel bad for tall people on that plane. i was at least on the aisle so I got to stretch my right leg out a little. Watched a movie, attempted to sleep only to get woken up every 20 min by people walking by and using my seat as a balancing aid. So the moral of the story, never fly American overseas.
After we landed, i walked through the airport trying to find the RER-B. Ok, so i think im pretty good with directions, but i swear they forget to put signs in some places.. Anyways, it seemed like a pretty far walk with all of my luggage, including 2 large law books. I was literally dripping sweat by the time i found the station. Bought the wrong ticket(but ended up being ok bc they were metro tickets for inter-city). Made it to the school ok and met up with K-Rae who informed me that AA is the worst airline to fly over here(go figure). I met 2 guys from my program, one of which wanted to live with me but i told him no boys (i like to dry my hair naked ok--dont think Kev would like that one too much). We found me a couple of places and she called to set up appts. I took a taxi to my hotel(who charged me way too much for driving around in circles). Had to drag my suitcases up 5 flights of stairs...(still sweating, no shower). Finally got in my room but had to rush out to meet the first guy for an apt(still no shower, food or sleep). Met Roger at 43 Rue Boulard and liked the place. I bargained with him and got the price down a little. I am refraining from telling everyone how much i am paying because it is absolutely ridiculous and when i told him this he replied with "its Paris."
He is a very nice landlord though. Took me out to lunch, paid for it and even agreed to pay for Sunday night hotel because i cant move in until Monday night.
I made it back to my hotel (im pretty good on the metro now, not so good on the streets), finally showered, played on the computer and fell asleep around 7pm.
That was day 1- 30 hours straight. Sorry about the complaining..but i had to get it all out. No one to talk to here so it gets pretty lonely. Dont worry, today was much better!
Day 2-
I woke up late and stayed in bed for a while deciding what to do with my day. I went to the cafe next door and got a ham and cheese panini and a badoit(perrier). Walked down Rue de Richelieu to the comedie street and listened to a small orchestra play. Then i went to the louvre. its amazing there and WAY too much to see. Saw Mona Lisa and a bunch of other paintings, sculptures of men with small packages and lots of rocks with carvings in them. ;) I'll tell you, i would NOT be happy if those guys were what i had to choose from!
I think i walked about 4 miles today, maybe more. I really didnt stop...actually once for a painting of a woman holding up her breasts with her hands. I thought it was pretty interesting and decided that that was where Victoria got her idea(or secret if you will) for bras.
Went to a little cafe and had my first beer and soup. now i am back here!
Au Revoir until tomorrow
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Big Daddy sez, Welcome to Gay Paris. Enjoy and your sister's will be over the pond next month to invade the continent!!
ReplyDeletethe flight and jet lag are the worst things about traveling. believe me, there is no comfortable airline for a long trip. oh, this is going to be fun. can't wait to hear all of your adventures, and thanks for including street names so i can see where you've been. but, voila, there you are. and isn't it lovely. you'll soon find your favorite foods to eat, cafes to frequent, and bars to haunt. you'll become a flaneur in no time. believeoh, this is going to be fun. get yourself a good street map, but really, there's no substitute for just picking a major target in the city like notre dame,and then attempting to walk to it.
ReplyDeleteglad you hooked up right away with some people from your program... that beats wandering around for a couple days not knowing anything or anybody.
you'll soon be in the real swing of things. i know you'd love some bookstore i saw on tv where folks from all countries go to talk politics! see if you can find it, maybe you'll find another condi rice wannabe to spend some time with. that's it for now. i'll write as often as you like - i love this stuff. en tout alour. amor. tamie... le tante premier
Great Aunt Janet here. I wish for you a wonderful experience in Pareeee!! It will be fun to vicariously travel with you. Have fun and be good. Love ya.
ReplyDeleteHi Pretty Lady,
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it over there ok. I cannot wait to be there with you! I am so excited for all of the new things you are going to see, eat, hear, touch and smell over there. You should head to my favorite street Rue Moufftard. Get off at the Place Monge metro stop and then ask for directions. Food is much cheaper there and the people are super nice. Lots of people your age that hit the bars on that street. You will love it. Eat a croissant from the bakery that is on the corner across the way from the wine store. So delicious. I have to get at least five every time I go back. You will be amazed at how much you walk in that city. I swear I lose 10 pounds every time I go to Europe. God love the walkers! It is something I have taken to doing here in the city. Love it. Well I will leave skype up whenever I am home so look for me on there. Would love to talk with you. I think i am kwynigear. Anyhow, enjoy and explore. This is such a special unique experience that is my dream. Love you so much!
Oh and post pictures when you can!
ReplyDelete