October 4, 2004
london paris
Off to London for a day or two, then off to Paris for 5 days. Posting from internet cafes for the next week. Back at my desk circa the 11th.
[UPDATE: Tuesday, 5th October] In London. Lovely London. Apologies to everybody I should have looked up but didn’t have time etc. Only here for one full day and rather stressed by having too much to do in such a short time-frame etc. etc.
[UPDATE: Thursday, 7th October] In Paris. I really, really like Paris. I really like the French. Why? I like the way they speak to each other. Even if you’re only buying a pack of cigarettes or whatever, when they speak to you they are very “there”, in the moment, “present” etc.
I shall be quite incommunicado till Sunday at the earliest. I’m writing this from a wee cybercafe near The Pompidou Center.
My French is improving.
[UPDATE: Friday, 8th October] Still in Paris. I still love Paris.
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A wee chuckle to start your day off right etc.
Hilarious post. Don’t get that stressed out. Sometimes it’s better to have a bit of free time than to have a full schedule.
Cheers!
Vraiment?
Est-ce que c’est votre (ta) premiere visite a Paris ? That damn masculine/feminine thing, and then there’s vousvoyage and tutoyage. Sheesh.
Do you wanna know where some intersting spots are ? Or are you happy wandering around discovering what ever it is that you discover ?
Last time I was there … this past May … I did something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I was leaving the next day via eurostar for London (best way to travel between London and Paris IMO), and didn’t want to pay another 75 — 100 euros just to sleep for 6 or 7 hours so I walked and walked and walked, through all the streets and neighbourhoods I know, from 6 p.m till 6 a.m.
Paris at 4 am or 5 am, all alone on a street somewhere not too far from the centre (thank goodness Paris inside la peripherique is actaully quite geographyically /physically compact). Man, 12 hours of straight walking, with only a couple of beer stops at all night places (one of those beers cost me $12, yikes) was quite an experience.
Enjoy, et n’oublie pas de cherchez la femme pendant que vous etes encore capable de passer du temps a Paris comme une invitee et non une enemie americaine.