06.11.06 - Paris: City of Lovers

Another kick-ass day in Paris! Last night was beautiful. I met up with Lizz from CU and a couple of her friends she met along the way and we took a night tour boat of the city of lights. It was so cool, and the Eiffel Tower is great at night.

This really is the city for lovers, I must say. Every bridge we went under (there are 36 total in Paris, you know) was speckled with couples enjoying the night. There were people tango-dancing on the river bank and teens and 20-somethings hanging off the banks with their bottles of wine and bongos. This place flourishes at night and I love it!

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Later...

Today I actually woke up fairly early and headed off on the metro to Notre Dame for Mass. How picturesque!!! Choir people in their bright blue robes singing chant-like oooohs and alllllelluias ... then there was the excessive incense that is apparently very popular here. The bonus to being alone is that the usher seated me right up front. Incense was my oxygen for about an hour. I knew I had become a full-fledged tourist and forgot my Catholic manners when the priest held up the body of Christ and I nearly reached for my camera thinking "Oh my gosh, I am in Notre Dame and this is the money shot!". You may or may not be relieved to learn that my camera stayed stowed in my purse.

My mini-recorder did, too, but that doesn't mean I didn't have the indecency to turn it on to catch some glorious aaaaahhhs from the choir and cantor. You'll love it, Mom. :)
I had half a mind to run into the church yelling "Sanctuarrryyyy!!!" but thought they might get that type of obnoxious behavior a lot and felt it best to refrain.

After Mass I booked it to the Louvre, and let me tell you I was blown away by its sheer size, let alone its contents. What is so cool is that the building itself is the old Royal Palace. But the paintings and sculptures - OH the sculptures! - I couldn't get enough! I strolled around myself for a couple hours and then did the 5 euro tour, which was well worth it for the info I got. I don't remember any of it, but it was really interesting at the time.

At 5 I met up with Lizz again and we got delicious Italian food (yeah, I know). Then we walked to Sacre Coeur and around Picasso and Van Gogh's old living and hangout spots for a few hours. What's fun, and by fun I mean annoying as ever, is avoiding what Lizz explained to me as the 2 eye-contact contract, meaning if you make eye-contact a second time with a guy (which is not difficult since there are always several staring ... I am not bragging here, seriously), it's trouble and not unlikely he'll take it as an invite to chat you up and whatnot. I've been pretty good about it so far, if not flat-out rude when I say "no thanks," but these Europeans - they're persistent!

I've mentally deduced that "Paris" translates directly to "expensive," as my 2 days here have by far been the most expensive of my whole trip. But I wouldn't trade it. Nope.

But on I go to Austria, home of ... Red Bull. It's true, look it up.

Hey Macky - I've combined our faces to make images of our future children. Here they are in Austria yodel-odeling! Haha... sorry, most of you won't get that.

Train stations have become like a second home to me. I settle into them like a baby to a blanket, or like the homeless man sleeping near me ... however you prefer to look at it.