I kept telling people I wasn't going to make a big list of what I wanted to do/see while there because I had such a short time that I didn't want to feel the pressure. Even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. Me not making a huge list is like me not bringing 6 pairs of shoes for 4 days (and YES, I wore each pair!), or me not pretending to be an anonymous spy in the airport (which you can only do when you travel alone - try it, it's fun), or me not finding a favourite bakery near my hotel within 20 minutes of check-in.
I even made a list for writing this post.
From the list, I pretty much hit everything, mostly because I didn't put the Louvre on there so I didn't have to waste an entire day waiting in the entry line-up. But of all the touristy, arty things I saw, I think I enjoyed the architecture the most. Every other picture was of random ordinary buildings. They're so beautiful.
I even made a list for writing this post.
From the list, I pretty much hit everything, mostly because I didn't put the Louvre on there so I didn't have to waste an entire day waiting in the entry line-up. But of all the touristy, arty things I saw, I think I enjoyed the architecture the most. Every other picture was of random ordinary buildings. They're so beautiful.
Joe Blow French gets to work and live in these buildings! Well, I presume so anyway. We just don't get these here.
I liked how the city was really accessible and it was easy to walk to everything, criss-crossing over the Seine. And yes, like everyone kept saying, the Metro was pretty easy to understand. I only went in the wrong direction once and managed to make it from the airport unscathed. I love the gag where you can ride the subway for free because "I'm not from here! I didn't know I couldn't just walk through that gate! Je ne comprende pas! Bibliotheque!" This also works well in NYC. Well, not so much the French part unless you pretend you're a Quebecois.
- a man kick the foot of a homeless woman who was sitting in the street cradling her child. He first kicked her with his cane, then his own foot and muttered something in French. Likely something rude.
Obviously, I saw these:
I really have to come up with a better tourist pose. To be fair though, I was in the middle of the crazy road on a median not much wider than my smile here and I was teetering. From the wine.
Things I saw that weren't in the guidebooks:
- how they keep those perfect topiary trees in the Jardin de Tuileries so perfectly round - it's a wooden form thing that one guy holds while the other guy cuts
- a man kick the foot of a homeless woman who was sitting in the street cradling her child. He first kicked her with his cane, then his own foot and muttered something in French. Likely something rude.- advertisement on the subway for a course that will teach you English. But not any regular English - Wall Street English! To be honest, this is probably a course I could use. Does anyone know what a 401K is?
Obviously, I saw these:
I really have to come up with a better tourist pose. To be fair though, I was in the middle of the crazy road on a median not much wider than my smile here and I was teetering. From the wine.
You can tell I only have one 'travel' bag that I wore everywhere. It looks like it could really be holding my bow and arrows behind me. Even though I tried to seem cool, I was constantly checking to see if I'd been pick-pursed. Aha! Foiled again, crime!
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