exchanging a few e-mails.
My knee is a little better, but feels like too much of anything isn’t going to be good for it. Guess I’ll just have to keep an eye on it. It felt good to put on high heels last night, I think it seemed to take some pressure off. Proof that heels are just good sense ;)
Also, Paris, you can’t find water to save your life. I was asking one of the guys at dinner about this. He didn’t understand why I needed water. We explained to him that Americans drink water in cups so big your head disappears when you tip them back. That it’s drilled into us as small children drink water, drink water, drink water. It was baffling to him. He was Dutch and thought it sounded like what happens with milk in the Netherlands. I have been so dehydrated this entire time. The cups in our room are for babies and I have to run back and forth to the faucet. And then when you go out you have to pay for water, usually exorbitant prices. Some places you can get it with your meal, but most of the time it’s an expensive bottle of water. They also act like it’s wine and pour about a ¼ of a glass for you. I start the morning off w/ a 32 oz and keep at it most the day. Next time I’m just going to ask them to bring the entire sink out. And I have yet to see a drinking fountain anywhere here. Fortunately, a lady I was with yesterday showed me the grocery store and prices were WAY more reasonable then I’ve seen so far. I may have to stop in there to get a few items.
Versailles is off for today. L And it’s raining, so Sacre Coeur is as well. At some point I need to get myself up and moving and out the door. I have another museum I would still like to get to as well as a tea room my friend Judy told me about. Hoping I can maybe tackle those today in the rain.
NOTE: The “h” on my computer is sticking.
Off and out the door! Headed to find the Mariage Freres tea room Judy told me about. We saw it in an episode of the Amazing Race as well, it’s a famous tea room, but I don’t know all of its history to be honest. And there are many of them in the city, I don’t believe I was headed to the original one. I started walking down Rue Berri a new direction for the first time! And I basically got good and lost. J I kind of like that about here though. Everywhere is beautiful. Big French doors in many apartments that are cracked open to let the cool air in (it was very cool this AM). Almost all w/ small rod iron balconies. Just beautiful. The city is built in a circle vs. a square, so the street names tend to change very quickly and very often. All of the sudden five streets will suddenly converge around a circle in the middle and people are everywhere. Cars and motorcycles rolling around the circle going to this street or that. If I had a better sense of direction, I’m sure it would be no big deal, but I’m always confused. I walked and walked the other day and was shocked when I managed to come out where I started. But I think the circle set-up lends to that. I’ve done it a couple times now. So, on and on I trotted until my only goal was to get back to where I came from. I finally made to a street one over for mine and was grateful to see Le Michgan Ave (or as they call it: Avenue des Champs Elysees. Speaking of Michigan Ave, the back streets of Paris are really amazing. There are what we would call boutique shops at the base of all the apartments. Wal-Mart style living does not seem to be alive and well here.
From there I made my way over to the Musee l’Orangierie. Jan (Redmond) had told me about the Monet water lilies at one point and I really wanted to see them. Wow. I tend to state things strongly/exaggeratedly, so this next part will be a big statement… but the trip might have been worth seeing those alone. I’m on the fence on that statement… but suffice it to say, I really enjoyed them. Magical. Two rooms of these pictures. They asked that you be quite in the rooms, the first room had some chatter, but the second room was pretty quite. They were very spell binding.
From there back to the room to rest the leg, but not before a trip into Mono Prix! What a fun place. Basically the Target of France in a more hodgepodged sense ( FNAC is the Best Buy and also interesting, but they don’t have women’s close or shoes J). Had fun bopping around there and then grabbing lunch and not weeping over the price.
Well… I still can’t figure out the metro. I had Nancy show me some things last night, but I’m almost sure it’s a lost cause. The metro map doesn’t say where any landmarks are only stops. So some how you have to try and lay the city onto the metro map in your mind and I can’t do it. I look at my real map then the metro map then Google. I do this triad over and over until I just say, ok, walking again. Probably good anyway, I had Fois Gras last night. I don’t want to know how many calories I took in. Plus they won’t let me drink any water here!
SO, I decided to give it one more shot w/ the tea room quick before we left for the event we’re going to tonight. MIRCACLE of MIRACLES I did it! J I’m still not sure how since the name of the street on the map and the name of the street on the street didn’t match up, but I made it there! J It wasn’t far from the hotel so I probably shouldn’t be as proud of myself as I am, but given my track record, I gave myself a gold star. Yea me! I went and it was very cool. If I had made it there around lunch I would have stopped to eat, but it wasn’t the right time at that point. The place was filled w/ people eating and then other people just buying tea. It was stacked floor to ceiling w/ tea from all over in these black canisters w/ gold lettering. I would have liked to have taken a picture, but it was very busy in the store and it didn’t seem like the right time. I’m sure you can check it out on line if you’re interested.
So, home again, home again jiggedy jig! Every time I start writing, time just flies! I’m running out of time again! I need to get ready, but want to get this uploaded before I leave. We’ll see if that happens. Anyway! See you tomorrow.
xoxo
Some things along the way:
The sun finally makes an appearance!
I know I said the water lillies would have made the entire trip worth it... but I actually think this would have instead. This gorilla was on a semi truck (not often seen in Paris) on my way to the Museum... I've been talking about it all day
From a garden of Le Michigan Ave. Sat there for a while and lived the good life.
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