blouse - Xhilaration/Target
crop top - Xhilaration/Target
skirt - Old Navy
pumps - Steve Madden/TJ Maxx
At the butt crack of dawn I headed to Paris for 1 day. I got up bright and early to catch the tube to the train station. Except the train stations don't open until 5 AM, I had to be at the station at 5:10, and I wasn't that close to the station. I booked it to catch a bus thinking I may not make the train. As soon as I saw a cab, I flagged it down, he took credit cards (remember, no cash per my fraud debacle), so I hopped in.
(I love London cabs. Both drivers I had were nice, the cabs are big and it's neat that there's a bench seat in the back and then an open area in front of you with fold down seats against the driver facing the bench seat. Also, they smell nice.)
He got me to the train station in the nick of time. Pretty soon after I was on my way to Paris.
Once I got to Paris, I walked to the room I booked on Airbnb. At least streets in Paris have signs. Just sayin'. After I checked in with my host, I went for a walk. Since I had no cash, leaving the area was pretty much out of the question. But, since I only had a day, that pretty much didn't matter.
To be perfectly honest, by the time I got to Paris, I was over Europe. I was looking forward to being home and not having to navigate all the damn time. I was missing the cold, blunt way Chicagoans speak. Also, I don't speak any French, so Paris was not easy.
I walked a bunch, went into some shops, took some pics, and got a glass of wine at a cafe.
Then I got a coffee at a cafe. "Un café" as they say. 'Cept I had one with whipped cream and a delicious cookie, or biscuit.
I walked some more and talked to a girl in a neat shop that sold essentially deadstock from the 30s and 40s, typically French factories. I bought a few things from there and asked her for recommendations on where to go with only a day. She spoke English, as she was originally from Australia (?), but her French was very good. Maybe it wasn't Australia, because she didn't have an Australian accent... Anyway, she told me to go to this cemetery, so I did.
Paris is super hilly. It was rainy and cold, and I was incredibly tired, so I grabbed a meal and went back to my room. I took a very long nap, and when my host came home we had a lovely conversation. Nighty night and in the morning, took a cab to the airport. She called one for me, which was very nice because I don't speak French, remember. The cab driver didn't know what to do with my credit card because in Europe they don't have to swipe them. It was funny, I had to grab the machine from him, pull the cover off and practically run it myself. He was very nice, kept apologizing for his English even though he knew more English than I knew French and this was his country, his language. I didn't get that "French people are rude" thing. Everyone I encountered was very nice.
Paris was lovely, but I wouldn't suggest going in February. I stayed in Montmartre, which is home to this.
And a lot of sex shops. I would like to go to Paris again, but next time when the weather is nicer and not by myself.
And, that concludes my trip. It's back to business as usual here and I have a lot of catching up to do. Eek.
