I’ve been traveling the Metro system here and Paris, having some good times, some strange times, exiting the wrong time and place or going around and around in circles until I find the right connection going in the right direction. In only three days I’ve survived multiple mistakes. One day my ticket wouldn’t open the gates. I’d seen that happen to another woman and she’d crawled under the gate and through the sliding doors to get through. So when my ticket didn’t work for who knows what reason, I got under the gate but the doors wouldn’t let me squeeze through. Now there’s a line behind me. But the young guy directly behind me helped me out by swiping his card and then barreling through the barriers pushing me through at the same time. He was very nice about it. I suspect this happens on occasions that are not as rare as one would like them to be! So I got through and on my way.
On my first trip solo through the metro, one car had piped in jazz. Or so I thought. It was nice, interesting, unusual to have metro music. Very Paris, or so I thought. But soon it stopped and a guy with a trumpet and a paper cup started circulating through the car. Apparently he had a boom box along and was playing along to the canned music. He left at the next stop and the music was no longer being piped into the car. Hmmm.
Today, I’m toodling along in the Metro and managing to do so without any mistakes or disasters when a young couple hops on the car with a boom box, starts playing some sort of foreign rap and dancing to it. Interesting. And flirting with people while singing and dancing. They were actually quite good and seemed to be having a fun time. Of course, subway cars have poles all over the car for standees to hold onto and not get splatted against the wall during stops and starts. And the guy starts pole-dancing since there were no standers. Very Funny. Finally they hopped off our car and into the next one. Interesting place, Paris!
Oh, and here are some pictures just so you know I was really there! This works like a slide show now. So, I’ll try to comment here. I stayed at a hostel at the foot of Mont Martre so I could see Sacre Coeur from the intersection. I also visited Notre Dame and St. Etienne du Mont – my favorite – a church that Ignatius Loyola would have seen and probably gone to during his student days in Paris. (That’s related to my thesis.) I was chuffed*! And for those of you Church History buffs: The Cluny!
The Pierre and Marie Curie Radiology Institute. I walked past the Louvre as that day’s ambition was to walk along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. (You will see that I made it ALL the way!) I did stop at the Musee l’Orangerie, however, to view Monet’s Water Lilies. Absolutely lovely. And no pictures of that. There’s a bridge of love locks that was glittering in the sun. It was a beautiful warm day and so worth the walk. I’m glad I stopped in Paris even though it had never been on my bucket list. I guess I’ll have to write it down so I can cross it off!
* chuffed: UK for quite pleased and happy!
Lo's World 