I have to admit this morning I was a little upset, once I was lucid enough, to realize that not only am I not being awoken by Mom and Nama starting the coffee, I'm not on my incredibly comfortable sofa bed in Paris, and my family has gone back to live their lives. Back to reality! I'm giving myself the time it takes to write this blog to feel sorry for myself then I'm determined to move forth and be happy, after all I am still in France!
In order to keep my sanity while writing this post I'm going to go day by day which brings us to...
I've already talked about, but I have pictures of us under the Eiffel tower after our picnic, as well as ones of our apartment (that due to technical difficulties will be coming on a later post).
The three of us full and happy.
Dinner Saturday was a bit of a hodgepodge, but I managed to eat two chocolate bars for dessert, and everyone insisted on documenting my plate. The butter was a last minute addition.
As I mentioned earlier in the first Paris post my Mom is obsessed with Rick Steves, who she has taken to call "Steve" which is unbelievably confusing for more than one reason. Mostly I just wonder why.
He joined us for dinner Saturday night, this is the first of many pictures of Steve from our trip.
Sunday:
We walked across the Alma bridge to the metro where we bought our passes for the week. Then we went down the Champs-Élysées and then to the Jardin des Tuileries. Where we relaxed for a bit and saw the Louvre. We found a simple sandwich shop where we could sit and relax for a bit. It was there that Nama ordered yogurt thinking it was a drink, gotta love a good language barrier!
Mom, MB, and Nama being blown by the wind as they crossed the Seine.
The ladies and the Seine.
Mary Beth and Margaret in les jardin des tuileries.
The louvre and its lovely pyramid that Margaret thought was the museum, or rather the entrance and the museum was below it.
To get home we took Steves bus 69 tour. Mom and Steve were our tour guides as we rode.
I think it was at this point that I realized how great Steve is, the tour was great and so cheap!
Sunday night Mom couldn't figure out the dishwasher, so she plopped down in front of it with the manual, this was too good not to document.
After dinner Sunday Mom, Mary Beth, Margaret, and I went on a walk around our neighborhood. This was our favorite window display, we used it as a marker and just prayed that they wouldn't change it.
We were fortunate to have the Eiffel tower in our neighborhood, I love this picture.
Just after this we were approached by a couple (about my age) all dressed up asking us to take a picture for them. Mary Beth is convinced that she took their pre-engagement picture, and was taking a bit of credit for their upcoming nuptials.
Margaret was confused for the first half of the trip, I think she thought this was where Sarkozy lives, or Napoleons Moms house. In fact it is the building that holds Napoleons body. I think....Margaret, a little help please!
Monday:
We went to Montmartre, the tourist trap from hell! Once we walked a little away from Sacre-Couer it calmed down and I was able to understand the draw a little more. We walked past where Van Gogh and his brother lived and continued on to find a great restaurant where I enjoyed a great salad, and Margaret wished for ketchup!
After lunch we did a little more wandering and made our way back to the apartment. Nama rested, while Margaret and Mom went one way and Mary Beth and I went another.
Holding their ears outside of Van Goghs house.
We practiced our can-can in the entrance to the Moulin Rouge.
Mary Beth is so cool!
That afternoon Mary Beth and I went off to do a walking tour of Hemingways Paris. This took us through the Latin quarter and ended with a sit outside of Notre-Dame. This is me in the ex-pat bookstore that he frequented. The bookstore was really neat, I kind of wished that so many other people hadn't found it, but it was really cool just the same.
If you venture up the stairs you find this awesome room. Mary Beth is shown here in her natural habitat surrounded by books, one of which she is pretending to read.
In the same reading room this chair had three legs and a pile of books supporting it. A great decorating idea (if you ask me) if you're ever lucky enough to need a table that it's not necessary to use.
Tuesday:
After realizing that doing things with all five was a little more than we could handle we split up on Tuesday morning Mom and Margaret to do a little shopping and eventually to le Marais, while MB, Nama and I went to le Marais with Mary Beth's love- the frommers Paris book.
Nama and Mary Beth at the hotel de Sully
This was one of the funnier moments from the trip. We asked Nama to take our picture with the bastille. When she asked which button to press I knew we might be in for an adventure, after managing to press the button and take a black picture I demonstrated how the camera worked. All the while people are noticing what is going on a laughing at the situation. The second time was a charm, Nama's finger somehow managed to make it in the shot, bravo!
From the bastille we walked on through the neighborhood, went into a free museum and found the best thing Paris has to offer. This falafel shown in the photo above. The restaurant was recommended to us by Mary Beths book and it definitely did not disappoint. We walked near the restaurant and there was a man taking orders, he moved at a faster pace than my brain was ready for but somehow we ordered three falafels and were asked to stand in the back of the line. When it was our turn to reach the window we looked inside and there were people everywhere all working a thousand miles a minute without getting into one anothers way. The whole process was a lot like the varsity, fast and discombobulating even if you know exactly what you are going to order. The falafel was the best I've ever had, and I've eaten a lot. It was covered in just the right amount of sauce, the pita was warm and had garlic butter on either side, each bite was a surprise, there was eggplant, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, and about six falafels. If I'm ever lucky enough to be asked to be on "The best thing I ever ate" on the food channel this would hands down be what I talked about.
After we finished eating I was startled by Mary Beth and Nama howling in laughter. When I asked them what on earth could possibly be so funny they explained that a middle school ages girl was unhappily walking with her Mother when a pigeon got too close and the girl kicked the pigeon in the air startling it so much that it forgot how to use its wings. Nama spent the rest of the day threatening pigeons with her kicks.
After we got back from Le Marais Mary Beth and I decided to take a stroll and sit by the river. On our way home we purchased what we have found to be Nama's favorite dessert. It's essentially a loaf of yellow cake, but much much better. Monday Mom and I grabbed one as we were picking up things for dinner and Nama was eating the crumbs, behavior we have never witnessed from her. So for Tuesday nights dessert MB and I got Nama two cakes! She was delighted.
I am now being told that I have run out of free space on my blog, so I'm working with the problem and will hopefully be able to finish tomorrow.
Bisous!!
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