How Much Are Your Things?!

We left the UK today and headed France.  For the past couple days though we've been quoting something I overheard a 4 or 5 year old little British girl say to a street vendor in the thickest British accent and very loudly, "How much are your things?"  To which her mother replied loudly, "NOO!"  I'm not sure what the problem was exactly, if she was embarrassed she asked or if she was letting her know she wasn't buying any of his things, but we've been repeating it for a while now.

Paris is really where my blog began many years ago.  It's interesting that it's made its way back.  The train ride from London to Paris was a cakewalk.  Getting our long-term subway / bus passes in France, was not.  And our phone service that was supposed to kick-in when we went off airplane mode, did not kick-on, it took quite some doing.  Needless to say there was some extra time spent in the train station trying to figure out how to get out.

All that being said, Nick is a boss at travel and studies everything in quite some detail before we go anywhere, so it went really well all things considered.  When you travel on a budget, you just have to plan for a few more hiccups.  There's no-one waiting for you with a sign at the airport that delivered you right to the door of where you're staying.  Seriously.  Nick's phenomenal at all of it.

The Air BnB we're staying at is amazing.  It's in the Saint Martin area, very close to the Siene River, Sainte-Chappelle  and the badly burned Notre Dame.  We walked by tonight and you could catch a whiff  of smoke in the air and in the dark night make out the sooty walls.  It can not be easy for the businesses is that area.  The roads are closed off to all but foot traffic.

On another note, I love this city.  Several years ago when I came the first time, there was a turning point for me before I came.  I decided I wanted to come here, I started taking French classes, told a few people about my classes and dream and then the next thing I knew I had an invitation to Paris and I was ready to say yes.

I know the whole "Universe" thing gets a little weird sometimes, but I do believe that when you make up your mind what you want, and start talking it out loud, it's much easier for the doors to open for you, than when you don't.  Most the time, it's just figuring out what you want.

Also, my straightener came back to life, because I was a dummy and didn't try the other voltage option on my adapter.  It was a Christmas miracle!  :)

Ok - enough of my blah blah blah, here's a few of the very few pictures I took.

The City of Light at Night

Our tiny lift up to our amazing Air BnB.  You do not want to think about getting stuck in one of these or you'll have a panic attack.

This is hard to see, but right outside our kitchen is a courtyard and this mommy pigeon has several babies under her.  I'm obsessed with this stuff.

Isn't it lovely?  Arch de Triomphe

Sainte-Chappelle.  Buy the museum city passes if you come - it will save you half your life to many tourist attractions.

Arch de Triomphe at the very end.

Tired kids on a train earlier today.