Paree, Paree -Pareee, Paree, Paree...
Wee-wee, wee-wee, wee-wee, wee wee...
There's something about being in France that makes me feel as though I am in kindergarten.
Left (l-r) : Ana, Armell, Moncia..."Tony's Angels".
(Above, from left: Rod, Ana, Tony, Monica.)
Above right: Ana and Armelle 
at the big seafood sendoff. They torued us all over Paris while we were there.
at the big seafood sendoff. They torued us all over Paris while we were there.Left- a great Paris bar: "Mon Chien Stupide" 
Above: Oscar Wilde's tomb
Above: Please note "Bob Leponge" in background.
Above: Please note "Bob Leponge" in background.
Monica: A boiling hot day here and I'm avoiding going out to run some errands as I know I will just wilt after half a block. We have alternated between hot and muggy and windy/rainy for the last few weeks. Because we flew here on a deep discount Ryanair flight, I sent home our warmer clothes so I guess the hot weather is preferable. Check out our blog for my delightful experience with the Italian post office trying to send home those clothes. Also, for some unauthorized photos of me in a bathing suit that Rod posted without my knowledge! Ack.
Paris is great but I am now getting panicky that there will not be enough time to do everything. Everything can never be done. Each day there are a gazillion galleries, tours, openings, musical events etc. The choice is endless! Last night I went to see the Alvin Ailey dancers (from New York). The performance was fantastic and the audience gave them a standing ovation. There were many curtain calls and even a short encore. The troupe is in Paris for their 50th anniversary celebration and they danced one classical piece (The Firebird), and then a series of dances to Otis Redding songs and 'negro spirituals'. The athleticism on display was eyepopping. Ah, the perfect bodies!! Speaking of celebrations, July 14th was Bastille Day. We went to see the parade on the Champs Elysees with 2 million of our closest friends. I saw Sarkozy, who zoomed by in an open car surrounded by guys on horseback with shiny metal and horsehair helmets. Carla, his glam wife, was not with him (drats). The place was crawling with people. French crowds are funny - a little short on politeness (ie. pushy) and they don't smell as good as an Italian crowd. That night, we joined the crowds again for the light and fireworks show by the Eiffel Tower. It was spectacular. At one point they turned off the lights on the Tower and then lit it with hundreds of strobe lights so it looked like it was covered with a sparkly, dark, sequined dress. Rod and I met a couple of gals from Paris when we were in Sicily and they have been really great to go out with here. A week or so ago we went over to their apartment for dinner. Their apartment was in the 9th arrondissement - very chic - super contemporary, spare with modern art placed about. Loved it. Like most French people, they are very picky about their food. We drank champagne from Champagne which they had picked up directly from the producer, and the most excellent brie from - you guessed it - Brie. We stayed so late we missed the last metro home at 2 am! Ana and Armelle (les Parisiennes) also have taken us on a walking tour of the the Left Bank and twice on day long bicycle trips. They have a bicycle system in Paris called Velib where you can rent a bicycle for a day for 1 Euro and there are Velib stations all over town. You can ride for half an hour for free and if you don't return the bike to a station by that time you are chanrged a few Euros. The stations are everywhere and you can ride half way across Paris in half an hour so you just "recharge" your Velib at one of the stations and on you go! They are heavy, three speed bikes with baskets. So far we haven't ventured out without our Parisian guides who are quite fearless in traffic but I may try later this week. Parisians are very funny about rules. They have a ton of regulations and rules and like to talk about them - they just don't follow them! For example, we were sitting in a cafe last week and a car came down a narrow, cobble stone one way street the wrong way. A cab, turning onto that street stopped and with the cars nose to nose at the corner, the two drivers got out and argued a bit. The street that the car wanted to turn left onto was barred to traffic (pedestrians only) and the cab refused to back up to let him pass. So, the guy in the car simply picked up the large sign blocking the 'pedestrian only' street that said "no cars", moved it and then drove on around the front of the cab and down the closed street. Win win. We sat there, amazed, as another car a few minutes later pulled up to the "no cars" sign and did the same thing! We have been to some good movies here - Looking for Eric and Good Morning England. Parisians love their cinema. We went to one the other night that was really cool. It had huge, colourful lights coming out of the walls like clown's hats, seats that were plush purple upholstery and red walls. In the lobby there were hand and foot imprints of famous French actors and a book that had been signed by Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. Paris is a really great place to wander around. Despite its size, you are never more than a few blocks from a metro station and it is safe at night (a concept I am having a hard time getting my head around as I am a chicken at night in cities!). I went on a walking tour by myself of the Marais district (using the Lonely Planet as a guide) and it was great. The tour took in all of the 'hotels particuliers' in the neighbourhood. These are the private mansions built in the 17th century by the hangers on of the royal court. Amazing that they are still standing and that there are so many of them! This Saturday, Rod and I are going to check out the granddaddy of all palaces - Versailles. It is a huge area with parks, gardens, stables and more than a few palaces including the Chateau de Versailles which has 700 rooms and (according to the Lonely Planet) 67 staircases and 352 chimneys. It is a 20 minute train ride from Paris and designed to impress. I am keen to see the Hall of Mirrors and Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon (her 'little' personal use palace). There is also a famous riding school there where you can go and watch morning workouts and music and light shows at a huge fountain. Although Versailles used to house 6000 people, it will be super crowded. All of France is on holiday from mid July plus tourists from all over the planet, so we'll be reserving tickets today (hopefully not too late for Saturday). Ciao for now, Monica
Paris is great but I am now getting panicky that there will not be enough time to do everything. Everything can never be done. Each day there are a gazillion galleries, tours, openings, musical events etc. The choice is endless! Last night I went to see the Alvin Ailey dancers (from New York). The performance was fantastic and the audience gave them a standing ovation. There were many curtain calls and even a short encore. The troupe is in Paris for their 50th anniversary celebration and they danced one classical piece (The Firebird), and then a series of dances to Otis Redding songs and 'negro spirituals'. The athleticism on display was eyepopping. Ah, the perfect bodies!! Speaking of celebrations, July 14th was Bastille Day. We went to see the parade on the Champs Elysees with 2 million of our closest friends. I saw Sarkozy, who zoomed by in an open car surrounded by guys on horseback with shiny metal and horsehair helmets. Carla, his glam wife, was not with him (drats). The place was crawling with people. French crowds are funny - a little short on politeness (ie. pushy) and they don't smell as good as an Italian crowd. That night, we joined the crowds again for the light and fireworks show by the Eiffel Tower. It was spectacular. At one point they turned off the lights on the Tower and then lit it with hundreds of strobe lights so it looked like it was covered with a sparkly, dark, sequined dress. Rod and I met a couple of gals from Paris when we were in Sicily and they have been really great to go out with here. A week or so ago we went over to their apartment for dinner. Their apartment was in the 9th arrondissement - very chic - super contemporary, spare with modern art placed about. Loved it. Like most French people, they are very picky about their food. We drank champagne from Champagne which they had picked up directly from the producer, and the most excellent brie from - you guessed it - Brie. We stayed so late we missed the last metro home at 2 am! Ana and Armelle (les Parisiennes) also have taken us on a walking tour of the the Left Bank and twice on day long bicycle trips. They have a bicycle system in Paris called Velib where you can rent a bicycle for a day for 1 Euro and there are Velib stations all over town. You can ride for half an hour for free and if you don't return the bike to a station by that time you are chanrged a few Euros. The stations are everywhere and you can ride half way across Paris in half an hour so you just "recharge" your Velib at one of the stations and on you go! They are heavy, three speed bikes with baskets. So far we haven't ventured out without our Parisian guides who are quite fearless in traffic but I may try later this week. Parisians are very funny about rules. They have a ton of regulations and rules and like to talk about them - they just don't follow them! For example, we were sitting in a cafe last week and a car came down a narrow, cobble stone one way street the wrong way. A cab, turning onto that street stopped and with the cars nose to nose at the corner, the two drivers got out and argued a bit. The street that the car wanted to turn left onto was barred to traffic (pedestrians only) and the cab refused to back up to let him pass. So, the guy in the car simply picked up the large sign blocking the 'pedestrian only' street that said "no cars", moved it and then drove on around the front of the cab and down the closed street. Win win. We sat there, amazed, as another car a few minutes later pulled up to the "no cars" sign and did the same thing! We have been to some good movies here - Looking for Eric and Good Morning England. Parisians love their cinema. We went to one the other night that was really cool. It had huge, colourful lights coming out of the walls like clown's hats, seats that were plush purple upholstery and red walls. In the lobby there were hand and foot imprints of famous French actors and a book that had been signed by Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. Paris is a really great place to wander around. Despite its size, you are never more than a few blocks from a metro station and it is safe at night (a concept I am having a hard time getting my head around as I am a chicken at night in cities!). I went on a walking tour by myself of the Marais district (using the Lonely Planet as a guide) and it was great. The tour took in all of the 'hotels particuliers' in the neighbourhood. These are the private mansions built in the 17th century by the hangers on of the royal court. Amazing that they are still standing and that there are so many of them! This Saturday, Rod and I are going to check out the granddaddy of all palaces - Versailles. It is a huge area with parks, gardens, stables and more than a few palaces including the Chateau de Versailles which has 700 rooms and (according to the Lonely Planet) 67 staircases and 352 chimneys. It is a 20 minute train ride from Paris and designed to impress. I am keen to see the Hall of Mirrors and Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon (her 'little' personal use palace). There is also a famous riding school there where you can go and watch morning workouts and music and light shows at a huge fountain. Although Versailles used to house 6000 people, it will be super crowded. All of France is on holiday from mid July plus tourists from all over the planet, so we'll be reserving tickets today (hopefully not too late for Saturday). Ciao for now, Monica
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