Running in Paris

Imagine with me, for a moment, walking into Paris with your black slacks and french jacket -mind you it was 10 euros at a marché , outdoor market. Going inside the Louvre, finding the nearest restroom and coming out with shorts, a pink pullover and running shoes. One of the things I wanted to do in Paris was go running. I ran through Paris on the 23rd, Monday. Walking through the Louvre with running shoes and shorts drew some unwanted attention, but what can you do? It cracks me up thinking about when I ran past tourists next to Notre-Dame. Getting soft gasps from people who were shivering under their winter coats. Police officers standing on a street corner on the Il e de la Cit é, mumbling, in french, about runners and winter.

I think it's the best way to sight see, running through Paris, that is. Tasting the Jardin du Luxembourg with the wind in my hair. A spectacular garden, it will only get better when more of the flowers come out. Maybe some of the looks were caused by the smile on my face?

Smiling is fairly uncommon in Paris. Not unless one wants to be pin-pointed as an American. There is a chance that is why the Mona Lisa is so famous. From first glance she doesn't look like she's smiling, it's only when you linger that you realize that her smile has been there all along. Parisians mimic her on the métro.

Don't be surprised if I come home carrying a Mona Lisa smile.

L'Abbaye de Chaâlis

I visited the Abbey of Chaâlis on Saturday with Sarah. It's not far from a small town called Borest -cool fact about Borest is that the countryside, outside of the village, was where Joan of Arc fought- where I stayed with Sarah for a night when she house-sat for a british family. She packed us a very french pique-nique, picnic, with saussion sec, dry sausage; boursin brie; des poires, pears; une baguette, bread; and des fraises, strawberries. The abbey actually isn't standing, the ruins are left. We feasted on some of the ruins of the Abbey. The grounds had a museum, a chapel and a rose garden -it doesn't start blooming until june or so. It was a beautiful time with Sarah. We giggled. We sang our hearts out in la chapelle, the chapel, where the acoustics were incredible, also a camera is tucked in the corner, not obvious until after you've made a spectacle of yourself. I have a number of pictures of the time spent there, execpt I haven't figured out a way to load them from another computer (my laptop is still down, although a friend of a friend may look at it).

That evening, Saturday, I was invited to join Amy and Charles to join their dinner party. After hours of preparation, a few friends came over around 8 -not ending until well past midnight, maybe even 1, I don't recall the time we finished- to share a meal. The repas, meal, starts with a salty appetizer including an apperatif, a strong alcoholic beverage; champagne. Then moved to the table after an hour or so of talking to eat salad, asparagus, fish and rice. Then came the cheese course and afterwards, dessert. It was yummy. I am enjoying the difference in pace in eating compared to the states, I don't feel stuffed to the point of popping.

I'm learning more and more about myself. Learning how to serve, to sacrifice my own needs and wants to honour others. It's different than being in college, being self focused. Each days is a new challenge, a new chance to grow and learn.

Look forward to some pictures once I figure out a solution to loading the pictures.

La Tour Effiel

Tuesday, I went to Paris with Claire, the eldest. We walked up the 700 and something set of stairs to the second tier of the tour, not quite the top. To get to the top you have to buy another ticket. Regretfully, we discovered this after we waited in line for 15 minutes, a LONG time for a 9 year old, for the elevator to go to the top. Afterwards, we took the metro to a creperie shop in the St. Germain region, which is in the 6th arrondisment, neighborhood, in Paris. The shop was cute, quaint, and expensive. Who would've thought 4 crepes and cidre would cost 33 euros. I guess, that's Paris.

From there we found a museum, called Musée des Egouts de Paris, which refers to the sewage system of Paris. That's right I have smelt the sewers of Paris! :) Before we entered, I forwarned Claire that it would smell not so pleasant, so to speak, she had a choice and went willingly. As we entered the depths of Paris, she kept on saying that the air was so thick, translating into I thought she was going to throw up. Let me tell you, it was cool. No really, I'm serious. Wandering around above the dark green water with not so bright lights. I mentioned how this could be a scene from a movie. Can you imagine someone running from a bad guy in the sewers of Paris through the dark corridors?? Someone should pay me for this idea.

As we immerged into the fresh air, with my freshly wavy hair due to the humidity, we wandered around the 1st arrondisment on Avenue Montaigne, which is one of the world's most expensive streets, just now discovering this after I've left. No wonder we had thought the guys in suits standing at the doors looked so funny. How bored they must get just standing there, Claire had said. We passed some famous shops, such as Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Chanel and other such high end chic shops, then walked over to the Champs Elsyée. Only I would, after walking the streets of one of the famous shopping areas of the world, discover the grandeur of the circumstance. Oh, causal Colorado what have you done to me.

The Champs Elsyée is great until you're trying to find a cheaper boulangerie, bakery, or pâtisserie, pastry shop, to go to. On to the metro we went in search of a place near the Forum des Halles, which did you know is an modern underground shopping precinct -I'll have you know Wikipedia just informed me. We bought two postcards and then went to the Gare de Nord, main train station in Paris, and went back to Chantilly, it's the closet train station to Apremont. Names are fun to know if you want to look it up on a map. ;)

Oh, the joys of Paris.