Ahh Paris... the question was asked if this is my paradise, and the answer frankly is no, but I am sweet on it. I adore Paris with its tiny streets that curve and twist until you have no idea where you are. Yesterday I climbed the up to the top of a nearby hill to a beautiful big church with creepy gargoyle style statues and mammoth stone structure. The inside is all pretty pictures of biblical scenes created in stained glass, mosaics, and frescos. purrty stuff. Going outside, I could see a nice panoramic of Paris. Whoa nelly, it seemed to stretch on forever. Lots of gray and big tall buildings. Did some classic tourist stuff like see Notradamus (it ruled!) and that big ol' river the Seine. Had a picnic in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, which is a humanmade park with a big fake mountain in the middle and caves to go in. I didn't care if it was real or not, because it was pretty nonetheless. Sat in the park, on the grass which was supposed to be off limits (signs posted that read "THE GRASS IS SLEEPING"), and looked out at the water and bobbing ducks. My friend Brisa and some of here friends sang songs, mostly old jazz classics, and played guitar. I drank a bubbly beverage of some type and felt very cinematic in the moment (Brie, guitars, wine, baguettes, and Paris).
I've learned some funny Parisian laws that are good for a giggle: 1) No swimming trunks: speedos mandatory for all public swimming areas, on account of hygiene. 2) No hanging clothes up to dry in your house in any spot that is visible from the streets. Trash is a constant... large trash trucks (all painted green) constantly pick up trash. This makes for crazy loudness in the middle of the day and large truck dodging. On most streets a trash truck and a car couldn't fit at the same time. I want to mention a little something about the trash collectors and street cleaners: They are completely outfitted in green. Not such a big deal for the collectors, but the street cleaners (all done by hand, no trucks) wear these one piece jumper style suit with reflective strips around the knees, belly, and elbows. That's good enough in itself, but the whole thing is topped off with a matching green bristled broom. Very futuristic, yet cartoonist. I know this is a weird thing to write about, but they are everywhere and I really get a kick out of them. Paris is just loaded with bakeries. They are an average of 6 on any block!!! Yes, my dream come true. Everyone has an assortment of 15 or so breads, quiches (the most popular being ham and cheese), long simple sandwiches made on baguette stuffed with tuna, egg, ham, tomatoes, or some combo of the previously mentioned. Then there are the pastries: flaky pastries like croissants, tarts with fresh berries and cream, eclairs, cream puffs, and marzipan (almond paste) wrapped things shaped beautifully. We ate a pink hued "peach" made from marzipan that was delicious, but also tried a green fig shaped one stuffed with a chocolate paste, not so good. All pastries are wrapped in a sheet of paper that makes a little purse. It's like the bakers have to attend origami classes before being able to work on the counter. They are wrapped up so quickly and elegantly that the buyer is left in sheer amazement. Now, one more thing about bakeries and Parisian life, they just go hand in hand. Everyone walks down the street with a baguette in their paw. The middle of the loaf is wrapped in a small piece of paper, which serves as a handle for the bread. Rarely does the bread make it home without getting snacked on. Perfectly refined people have been spotted biting the tops of their baguettes. This makes me very happy. I feel in good company here, with my bread infatuation. This weekend Brisa, her boyfriend Benjamin, and myself are going to his parent's house in the country side towards the bottom of France. I am quite excited about the train trip there and seeing the life outside the city.