murdles’ rantings

i got lazy…i admit it.  we’ve been walking so much that as soon as we get back to the apartment, we watch our movie and then crash.  when i get back i’ll give some highlights…some people (eh-hem…hubbie) think my posts are too long.  so when i get back i will give highlights.  it’s been so spectacular here.  seriously.  i could learn french.  i could see this being my next home away from home!!!

Pic of the day:

Shakespeare and Company Bookshop.  It was quaint and cute and they actually had all four books of the Twilight series in paperback.  In English.  Argh.

Monday, February 2, 2009

So, day two….I thought I was never going to wake up. Last night we went Moulin Rouge, which was okay. Dad-in-law was right, it is a bit of a cheesy Las Vegas show where the women bear their chests and the men bare barely anything. I kinda fell asleep during parts of it. And there was a cool vent right in front of me, so I thought I was going to catch a chill. Afterwards, we went back to coup d’etat and I had a crepe. Slept late. And couldn’t wake up. I had my ear plugs in though, but I couldn’t hear my own alarm and then apparently, ella’s phone alarm went off and I didn’t hear that either.

I’m hoping tomorrow morning won’t be like that…I really want to run. But I have a feeling it will be, considering it is currently 2:45am. BUT I AM GOING TO RUN DARN IT! I DIDN’T CARRY ALL MY RUNNING STUFF FOR NOTHING! Well, the weather was crappy today.

So today supposedly was supposed to be a study day…that didn’t work. But I did find the Touriste office and a convertor to plug my laptop in (because the one I had didn’t accommodate a 3 prong plug). I walked through the louvre and I finally went into a dept store. I saw a very good looking Parisian man (I love you hun!  He wasn’t as good-looking as you!!), who made me blush. I bought stamps.

I went back to the apartment, eager to see if the convertor worked and it did. I then brought my text book, hoping to read at the café, but it was too noisy and I think I was really tired. I went to coup d’etat (my new fave café) and ordered duck foie gras with caramelized onions and a plate of 3 cheeses. The foie gras was soooo filling. I barely touched the cheeses. So I came back to the apartment in an attempt to read and I complete zonked out. I didn’t hear my phone alarm go off (but I suspect it didn’t because it didn’t indicate that it was on). And then it was time to go meet Ella at the Eiffel Tower.

I figured out how to take the train to the Eiffel Tower (3 different trains!) We went up the Eiffel Tower and it was cold, but it was so pretty. I am very happy that my 18$ Bitten jacket I bought in NYC kept me really warm, even after being soaked in the rain.

We went to a café nearby where I had a croque monsieur (ham and cheese sandwich with the cheese on the top of the sandwich) with fries and escargot and oeuf et mayonnaise (literally eggs with mayonnaise squirted on top) with a sucre crepe dessert. Ella decided to then embarrass me by asking the waiter in French how old he was because Ella thought he was mid twenties and I thought he was early thirties. He said he was 34. Yesss!!! I was right. Ella thought he was good-looking, but it kinda turned me off when I saw his teeth were a bit blackened. I love a good smile. Like Jonathan’s. And Nelson’s. Love you Hun!!!

And now we’re back at the apartment and I’m waiting to see if Christina is able to chat before we call it a night.

Pic of the day (not really, I didn’t take any pics today, but it was from last night):

So…I have finally arrived into Paris. It was certainly an eventful day.

First, I had forgotten that I can check in early from home, so I had attempted that. Little did I know my hubbie’s computer would once again fail me in times of desperation and importance. It wouldn’t print. It kept saying “paper jam” and yet, when I attempted to turn the darn thing off and on (numerous time, waiting for a number of different counts each time), it continued to say “paper jam.” After googling it…the only solution was to reboot the computer, as well as, the printer. That was not an option.

Before closing the window with my boarding pass, I wanted to be sure I could call it up on another computer. I know that sometimes there are rules that if you’ve already downloaded the document, you can’t access it from anywhere else. We had tried my friend’s computer too. I get it, they don’t want a duplicate, which I agree with.

So then, we tried to connect my hubbie’s old printer, then, my printer, then tree’s printer…his computer is just slow! I had to install my printer using the CD and his computer just took so long to recognize it! When it finally recognized my laptop, when I printed it out, the BOARDING PASS WAS A BIG RED X!!! My friend thinks it may have timed out. So I had to take a snap shot of it and paste it on word to print off. Sigh.

So…that took me about 1 hour, which cut into lunch time with my friends. Boo. So I had McDonald’s…a big mac, filet of fish and small fries. I knew I’d be paying for it on the plane. And I did! Not that anything happened really, just my stomach was in knots.

So my friends drove me to the airport and we grabbed a cup of coffee at starbucks and I had to head in to security. Lucky me got chosen for a random search, which involved patting me down (note to self: get a security uniform so I can pat all the NKOTB guys down…LOVE YOU HUN!), a through bag search, and supposedly a bomb swab check (but they were fighting over the little do-hickey). So my friends waited for me to be out of view, which was a little long…THANKS FOR WAITING!!!

I made it to the gate and did my frequent washroom thing and then finally boarded the plane. When I went to the seat selection section on the website, it had said the seat beside me was occupied, but when all the passengers were on board, it wasn’t! Thank goodness…I sprawled out the best I could, watched my lectures, finished up Traitors (the movie) and took a nap. I was even fed dinner and breakfast…for free! Sweet!

The plane left the gate on time, but we had to wait in line to be de-iced. Since when did we start this? I wondered because I don’t remember ever having to do this. Someone needs to come up with an environmentally friendly de-icing fluid. That was a lot of fluid used. I heard it all goes into a pool. Hmmm…and then what…I’ll have to google it.

So this de-icing made me late for the connecting flight in Zurich. Zurich is a really nice airport. Here’s the picture I took:

For making me late for the connecting flight to Paris, Air Canada gave me a food voucher for 31 francs for lunch/dinner. It was 9am. How could I eat 31 francs worth of food? So I some of my readings and the went to search for a decent/expensive place to eat in the airport. I found a café and I had a smoked salmon, cream fraiche pizza and a smoothie (which ended up coming out from a bottle…that was a bit disappointing). Then, finally, my gate designation popped up and I headed towards it. Along the way I saw the Nadal vs Federer game of the Austrailian open on, so I was excited to watch a bit of it. And I did, up to the beginning of the 3rd set. Unfortunately, I just looked it up and Federer lost and they have a picture of him crying. I LOVE YOU FEDERER! Yes, you wonder how I have time to love my husband, huh?

I just fell asleep on the Swiss flight. I missed everything.

When I arrived, I got my museum pass for Nelson and I and then I looked for the metro. I thought I’d try it and Ella had been waiting for me all day (misunderstanding), so she had to head to the Louvre. So I thought, since I have so much time, I’ll just head to the apt via the metro. The metro RER ride was okay. It was the trying to get out of the Chalet Les Halles station that was a nightmare. No one knew English and every escalator I could find, was closed! I finally found a police woman who knew English and she tried to tell me to go to Porte du Jour, but I couldn’t find it. I had found an open escalator, but IT WASN’T WORKING!!!

So, up I went, trying to lug it up the looooooong escalator and 1/25th of the way up a really nice French guy offered help. THANK GOSH!!! I think it would have taken me an hour to get up it. With my 10kg bag, plus my 30 pound luggage. I think I’ve lost some wait and gained some muscles from this. I am so sore!

When I finally found Jean-Jacque Rousseau (after having gone in the complete opposite direction), I was at the wrong end of it. Luckily I had my mini lonely planet map and found out the street was split. I think it took me about 2 hours to get here. Next time, I’m cabbing it. =P

So, now I am here, at Coup d’etat! Café Restaurant. My first official meal in Paris is French Onion Soup (sooooo good, not too salty) and Mille Feuille. And I’m waiting for Ella to join me so I can get into the Apt. I think I’m going to poop out. Tonight we’re heading out to see Moulin Rouge. I cannot lift my arms…aiyah.

Well…at least I am finally here!!! I hope to live it up Parisian style! Although I’m not attempting much French. =P

 Pic of the day (for Ang…these are on EVERY corner):