Bonjour de Paris!
June 19, 2004
The Internet is hard to find in Paris. To make it worse, all the letters are in the wrong places on the keyboard, so typing is extra hard. (Why do they push shift for a period?!?)
We've spent most of our time here in museums: the Louvre, the Musee D'orsay, the disappointing Centre-Pompidou, and the intimate Musée de Moyen-age. We also visited the well-known landmarks.
We've nearly filled our camera, since France is completely devoid of USB ports. On the other hand, easy access to crépes makes everything better. Contrary to reputation, almost everyone in France has been very polite and helpful.
Our hostel in Paris was almost completely ghetto, so after two nights we moved to a little hotel in the suburbs. Our train passes allow us to ride there for free, so the distance wasn't a problem.
Stores in Paris tend to group together. For example, a Rue of nothing but Jewelry stores or up and coming fashion designers. Kim most enjoyed the street of all pet shops, especially since they all had guinea pigs in the windows. She wanted to take them all home "for Erin and Jeff", claiming French pigs are somehow different or cuter.
The Louvre has too much art. There is one massive hallway with the Mona Lisa at one end with some four zillion Italian paintings from 1400-1700. It was impossible to appreciate that many in the time before your legs start hurting. The Musée D'Orsay and Musée Moyen-Age were much more reasonable.
Tonight, we're taking a night train to Italy - Florence, Siena, and Assisi. Then on to Rome. Supposedly, the Internet is even harder to find in Italy, but hopefully I can post again soon.