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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Paris 1.2 (AKA, Monday the 14th, Part Deux)


After a whopping 4-hour slumber, I awoke around 8PM Paris time.  My husband was fretting that I'd end up sleeping through the prime walkabout hours, so he was relieved to see me up and ready to wander out in time for dinner.  Yes, my ability to motivate really does revolve around meals, sometimes.  That and shopping.  Of the few phrases I learned in French, one was, "Je voudrais acheter ces chaussures, s'il vous plait! Je voudrais encore un verre de vin, s'il vous plait!"  As a friend remarked upon reading this, "Hey, shoes and wine, what more could you want?"  True dat.  Well, maybe some macarons, too.

Since our bodies were still ruled by Midwestern time, it wasn't a late night.  We headed over to the Rue Cler in the 7th Arrondissement, admiring the idyllic café scenes that played out on either side of the street.  Although the markets that make this area lively and well-known had already closed for the day, many people were still out and about, congregated at little tables.  Chatting, drinking, sharing a bite.  And smoking (more on that later).  Even as we stood surrounded by what you'd see in a tourist brochure, it was hard to believe we were truly in Paris.  These are a few of the photos we took on that crisp Spring eve:






Look who's peeking over the lane of grey concrete to say hello.  Reminds me of the constant photobombing committed by the Empire State Building in my NYC posts.  Awww...


After my dinner of salad and a glass of rosé, we ended up stopping into Carrefour, a French hypermarket (or general retailer) akin to Target or Tesco.  Actually, this particular store was scaled down for its urban surroundings (again, similar to what Target is doing in select large cities).  Browsing the aisles, we came across - why, American Sauce!  I'm guessing it tastes like Thousand Island dressing.  Someone needs to let me know if that's the case.


We hit the hay around midnight or so, in keeping with our new local time.  As most international travelers will advise, it's best to adjust the body clock as soon as possible.  With so much to see and do (and eat, drink, and shop), we needed to be well-rested for tomorrow's adventures.


Images:  my own



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