Paris Rendezvous

There was nothing ugly about Paris. It has surely lived up to its stereotypes. I saw universal versions of dirt and grime, but Parisian filth is magnificent. It's the kind that if you roll around in it, you may find your soul mate or at least a date.

By the time we arrived in Paris, I was tired of people. Everyone there seemed to move in mobs. Berlin has me conditioned to a less-chaotic way of living. Returning to New York in January will be an interesting transition. Parisians are dainty. They walk around their city with cardigans flipped over a shoulder, heel boots and several attempts to be "high fashion." I swear this one girl thought she was on a runway -- parading through town in three-inch heels and a hoodie. But, I saw some very beautiful people. And Africans infected this city more than I ever expected. My fetish was rekindled.

I did a lot of escaping in Paris. The first day we arrived, I went exploring nearby. It just so happened that our hotel was perched in the middle of Paris' Red Light District in Montmartre. To put it in perspective, we were 10 minutes away from Moulin Rouge. Our neighborhood was quaint - there was nothing raunchy about it. It was a district where people live, work and play. And to my surprise, our hotel even had pets. There were two cats and a pup roaming freely and occupying furniture at their will. Max the cat found a resting place on my lap a few times. Even though I'm allergic to cats, I let him do it anyway because I miss having an animal bothering me. Don't worry (animal haters), he had tags.

Paris should be renamed the city of steps. I exercised my quadriceps and hamstrings way too much. Up one-million steps and Sacre Coeur is still in the distance. It's a beautiful church on top of a hill that overlooks the rest of the city. Locals and tourists were throwing back cans of beer on the outside and Jesus-lovers were praying on the inside. I found the juxtaposition interesting. We went on Sandeman free walking tour (http://www.neweuropetours.eu/) that covered every important building in Paris. From Notre-Dame to the Palais Royal to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. And the Eiffel Tower was grand. It used to be the tallest building in the city for 40 years. There was a dazzling light show that night to celebrate its 120th birthday. We never made it up the Eiffel Tower (way too many steps), but I was satisfied just to share breathing room with this beauty. On our last day, we had a brief picnic on the bank of the Seine River with Nutella-oozing crepes and Notre Dame in the landscape. There are 37 bridges spanning the Seine River. While my friends went to see the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, I took a stroll along this massive river to find ultimate relaxation. For a while, a French guy entertained me with his horrible English and deeply expressed how much he loved American girls. I scared him away with my evil wit. "Who are are you? Some sort of American-girl snatcher?"He walked away. All I needed were my thoughts to keep me company anyway.

And this city had the same people-oriented pigeons who pecked baguette crumbs from the cracks of cobblestone in the park; and the same rats who crept around looking for whatever it is that they eat. Cheese? But it also had Parisians kissing, holding hands, hugging and doing a really good job at acting like they were in love. sigh. Even the music of their language screamed "marry me." Paris and Amsterdam (but not Berlin) have those same European streets that I often dream about. You know the ones that are so small that pedestrians, cars, bikes and mopeds collide paths, sometimes pushing you into an age-old cafe with a man in a vintage Parisian hat playing the accordion and a gorgeous waiter greeting you in French, "Bonjour mademoiselle," but you thought he said, "move to Paris and I'll wait for you at the alter." Yeah, those streets....they're so lovely.

Public transportation was rickety, but cheaper at 1,60 than Amsterdam's outrageous price of 2,60. The metro stations had an overwhelming amount of stairs. I almost gave up a few times. Germany has me spoiled with their cute, clean, fully-functioning, ALWAYS on time, and pay-if-you-want-to system that takes you ANYWHERE in the country. It just doesn't get any better than that.

I've been thriving on ham, cheese and baguette for seven days now. There's a chance that the ham is growing old since it hasn't seen a fridge, but I'm still eating it like the true savage I am. We're on our way to Prague now. My energy and tolerance levels are low.

(I named this blog after the painting that I have in my room in Texas. It seemed fitting.)