First "real" day in Paris

After a good 11 hr sleep, Rach and I were ready to conquer another day in Paris.  We got breakfast at the store around the corner - just fruit and yogurt, but somehow it tasted better than in America :)  We didn't make it far down the street before we were stopped by a lovely little gated park, not knowing until later that it was famous; apparently the university across the street had started it for botanical studies over 100 yrs ago!

We then made our first venture on the RER trains...we tried to hide our confusion as we stared at the maps for too long. Fortunately, an English-speaking attendant came over and stepped us through the process of buying tickets and understanding the routes and zones.  Still, we were unsettled after watching a man literally squeezed out of the train by the closing door, separated from his wife and kids!  Good thing they had a cell phone. Rach and I decided right then to make own emergency plan (thankfully we never had to use it!).

Our first train took us to the Eiffel Tower...that icon of Paris, France, and forward-thinking architecture. One word: disappointing!  It just wasn't as big or fascinating as we thought it would be! I suppose after seeing pictures in history and geography books your whole life, and seeing the image plastered on shirts and bags and what not, your expectations rise...and the tower just didn't rise high enough. No problem, though, we hadnother things to entertain us - like a woman in a guerilla costume who went around scaring people and hopped into random photos, a Native American music group (so, so unexpected and weird), and hundreds of tourists just lounging around the lawn areas. We did run in to a sweet family from the east coast who gave us some helpful tips and took a great jumping photo of us.



What finally seemed to complete our French experience was this adorable, authentic French accordion player!  I could have sat there all day listening to him.  I love how universal music is...no matter where you are, there are certain songs and genres that just speak to the soul and make you feel comfortable and safe :)

Another blog-worthy event was our encounter with the Parisian public bathroom. It's fascinatingly ironic, actually. First of all, you wait in line forever b/c it's only one person at a time. As with other European toilettes, you have the choice of a big flush or small flush to conserve water...but this one cleans itself - from ceiling to floor - after each use!!  So the person in front of you walks out, then the door closes, it does its whole cleaning thing, and then it's your turn to be shut in this contraption. Weird. We made some lovely British friends while waiting in line, though...we were able to help them out and give them an extra map of ours since they didn't have one. Funny - us helping others get oriented :) 

Our next big adventure - and possible the best one of our time in Paris - was the BikeAbout tour!! Absolutely loved it!! But I'll have to write about that tomorrow.

Quickly, today at the château, our "chores" consisted of watering the garden, making plum jelly (fruit from their own garden), sewing bed sheets, and steam ironing. We also went for a run this morning through the quaint village and alongside breathtaking vineyards and pastures of sunflowers - a bit rough on the body, but couldn't have been better for the soul :) Sandy and Roger have an "adopted son" from the village who visits frequently; he is so sweet and is patiently helping us with our French. The afternoon was spent watching a movie as it rained, writing, and then going for a swim. What a piece of paradise they have here!

Bon nuit!