The Tourist Day in Paris

I woke to the lively sounds of Paris from out the window. I miss living in a big city because you can feel the energy of the outside bustling world no matter the hour. A far cry from the silence of Detmold! Olivier and I had breakfast together which was a very funny experience. He asked if black tea was okay, and then while brewing Darjeeling black, he placed two bowls in front of us. I assumed they were for cereal, which is a bit odd because I have rarely seen anyone in Europe eat cold or hot cereal for breakfast. He then proceeded to pour the tea into the bowls, hastily gestured "help yourself" towards the bread and Nutella, and said "Bon appetit." I was so confused. The only person I know who takes his tea/chai in a bowl is my father in the mornings when he's running late, and that's only because it cools faster. As a child I used to laugh at - I still find it weird. Olivier, sensing my confusion, started to laugh and apologized, saying that many people in French culture take their tea this way in the morning so to arrive at work on time. Everyone also takes black tea straight up, another custom I'm not used to, having grown up with the British-Indian tradition of always taking a bit of milk and sugar in black tea. I understood, and realized that this was one of the many cultural differences to come my way. After Olivier left, I attempted to practice but was completely unsuccessful, and decided to arrange what time to go to Liat's place that night. I then called Thomas...actually, I woke him up at 9:30 AM. He sleepily mumbled, "Let me call you back." He figured some things out with his parents, and called me back, saying he'd come to Paris later because he needed to look at two apartments anyways. We agreed to meet up at 2:30. In the meantime, I got ready and headed out with my Parisian Walks book to embark on the first 2 hour walk, "St. Julien le Pauvre." It started at Petit Pont (the place where all geographical distances in France are measured from) near the Notre Dame and then proceeded to walk on Rue du Petit Pont (Rue = street) and Rue du St. Jacques, passing one of the oldest churchest in Paris, St. Severin and the St. Michel fountain and bridge. All along the streets outside of shops and restaurants were coquilles, or Spanish scallops from Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The tradition came from French Catholics who made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and wanted to show something for it, so they brought back scallops and displayed them. These days, the scallops are not only displayed but also eaten, and I guess that people say they're quite nice. I started to wander and got a little off the book's walking path and ended up on Boulevard St. Germain. After checking the time, I hurried onto the Metro to meet Thomas at Gare du Nord (North Station). I scrambled around, searching for the platform for where trains from Lille come (I asked a woman where a train from Lille would be by saying, "J'espere pour en train pour Lille." Completely crap, but it worked, although I learned that French "esperer" is not Spanish "esperar" - it only means "to hope." One must say "J'attends" to say "I wait.") and thankfully met up with Thomas soon thereafter. We hopped on the Metro to Villiers, an area where Thomas needed to look at an apartment. He explained the history of the neighborhood to me, saying how it used to be where the old CNSM (his school, the Conservatoire National Superior du Danse et Musique, or what we know as the Paris Conservatory) was and so there were many luthier shops in the area. His father entered the old CNSM at the age of 15. Thomas' family is an unbelievably musically virtuosic family. He also pointed out his brother's flat and scooter parked outside. We then decided to see the beautiful Palais Garnier, where the Paris Opera is based. Thomas has actually performed there. We eavesdropped on a tour guide who narrated the legend of the Phantom of the Opera, the novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. Apparently the Opera Garnier inspired the novel. We took a photo of St. Augustine's Chapel and then went on to Eglise de la Madeleine, a completely gorgeous massive church in the 8th arrondissement. The serenity and majesty of the building reminded me of the B'hai Temple in Chicago. Thomas and I exchanged thoughts on faith, religion, and their appropriate institutions and I was surprised to discover that a). he actually takes the topic seriously and b). we share the same dislike for institutionalized religion. After soaking in some meditative silence, we enjoyed the view on the steps of la Madeleine straight down Rue Royale to the Obelisque and Place de la Concorde (where Queen Marie Antoinette was beheaded). Thomas and I stickied our fingers with chocolate crepes and then walked down a stretch of Rue Royale and Rue St. Florentin where many embassies (including the U.S., British, and German) stood. People are actually forbidden to photograph the American embassy; if you even so much as hold up your camera, a guard will come and yell at you. At the end of our embassy walk, we came upon the Élysée Palace, or the presidential palace. We joked about ringing the bell and asking to speak with Jacques Chirac. Somehow, I don't think the idea would go over too well. We continued onto the main part of the Champs Elysees, past the Grand Palais where there are many great exhibitions (currently there was one on Egyptian art, something I'd have loved to see) and towards the Place de la Concorde. I photographed the Jardin des Tuileries, the Assemblée Nationale where France's parliament meets, the Musee D'Orsay, Louvre, and a fancy hotel called Crillon on Rue de Rivoli - one of the oldest luxury hotels in the world. Thomas had to quickly get back to Gare du Nord to catch his train to Lille, so we took the typical romantic photo in front of the Eiffel Tower and he bade me goodbye. I wandered around la Madeleine and then got on the Metro at Palais Garnier, exited at Porte de Versailles and had dinner with Arlete (omelettes -not exactly vegetarian for me, but I appreciated her eagerness to cook for me). She helped me figure out where Liat lives (Rue Duport des Loges - 7th arrondissement, one of the wealthiest because of the Eiffel Tower and beautiful residential areas) and I made my way over to Liat's house after having to ask some Germans who were living in Paris for help (in German...good thing I can actually speak it now, otherwise I'd have been lost). I am now lying in bed after having acquainted myself with Liat and her lovely hospitality and Israeli rose chai. I think we are going to get along great. I know it seems as though I flew through the tourists spots of Paris, but I really didn't have as much interest in seeing them as I did in just wandering through the less touristy areas of Paris; besides, I'd already done tourist Paris with my parents and once alone some years before. Don't get me wrong - these places are renowned and celebrated for reasons, and they should be seen. However, there's a lot more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower.