Parisian Delights

Bonjour!

We were welcomed by a noxiously cold Paris where club sandwiches are served inside out (not kidding). Neither really helped my stomach get over what I think was the stomach flu. But once you see Paris by night -- all is well.

Joe and I agree that Paris is the most beautiful city we've been to by far. The food is delicious - the architecture is visually stunning. The Parisians take immense pride in enjoying their food and wine. I'm glad that we'll be back in a few months for the Paris marathon (sko = observer, joe = runner). Just enough time to brush up on my non-existent French. And saying things in English with a French accent doesn't seem to help. Joe tried to convey his need for water to the waiter but failed. You should have heard it :) It was cute.

It was another great adventure with the London family. Lisa, Rain, Caleb, Stevie, Joe and I had a blast roaming around Paris in search of a good time. Randomly found a club named WAGG while roaming St-Germain. Didn't surprise me that we could find a party with Stevie around. He's a magnet for these things. 15 euros gets you in with a free drink.

Something that sounds like 70s disco techno cover bands drone on for awhile as we danced on the sidelines obviously not appreciating the music as much as the locals. The Smirnoff Ice featured at the bar messed with my sense of time even more (am I rewinding back to 2 years ago or back to the 70s?) Smoke and haze eventually forced us weaklings (Joe and I) outside, but not before we got to enjoy a live saxophone and bongo drum perform to a dance record. Go DJ go DJ go. And I actually did enjoy that Smirnoff Ice.

The party scene in Paris is definitely off the hook. I'll defer those observations to some of my more ambitious travel partners (i.e. Steve, Lisa, Rain).

I missed the inside of the Louvre again. We opted for the Musee de la Mode et du Textile next door which featured a great photo exhibit to my surprise. For photography buffs:
Jean Lariviere. His has great artistic as well as commercial pieces. His work can be seen in the L Vouitton store on the Champs de Elysees in Paris.

We trucked it up to one of the highest points in Paris to see the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart Church) and one of the locations where Amelie was fil. Sadly I was not able to visit the cafe she worked at. We did walk to Boulevard de Clichy where her mystery man most likely worked at one of the sex shops. There lies the famous Moulin Rouge in its unexpected neon glory. So not impressive or romantic as Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor made it seem. Actually kinda small :).

Happily discovered something called apéritifs with my coworkers. These are pre-dinner drinks which can consist of champagne, cocktails or beer. My coworker Antoine's favorite drink is called 'Gringo Killer'. Haha. Well thanks for the Statue of Liberty anyway. Surprisingly, Italian food is considered lower class by the French. Besides that, they sure know how to cook up some amazing pasta. Had dinner with another coworker who is from Bordeaux, France. He was obviously the one who was going to pick the wine for dinner. Try one of his selections if you get a chance - Spezieri, Toscano 2004 - Col D'Orcia

In summary - the Parisians know how to enjoy life. But get used to the second hand smoke.

*the end*

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Favorite Restaurants:
L'Absinthe (French) - 24 Place de Marche Saint Honore, 75001 - phone: 01.49.26.90.04
Fuxia (Italian) - 42 Place de Marche Saint Honore, 75001 - phone: 01.42.61.45.46
Laduree (Macaroons and Tea) - 75 Avenue des Champs Elysees, 75008 - phone: 01.40.75.08.75
Higuma (Home-made Ramen) - 163 rue Saint-Honore, 75001 - phone: 01.58.62.49.22
Edokko (Sushi) - Next to Higuma
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Written using my blackberry on the Eurostar from Paris to London.
For Photos: Click on the Eiffel Tower at the top of this post to view full set.
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*Travel Update*: Joe and I came back to London, but he heads out to Stockholm, Sweden tomorrow until Sat afternoon.