Paris

Spending 4 days in Paris, and being able to relax and enjoy everything was triumphant. Quite nice to be able to go at a leisurely pace, seeing everything I wanted (one or two times) and explore the city, seeing new places off the beaten path.

Paris is known for tourists and being super expensive. With the help of my friends in Paris, I was able to often avoid this. There are bikes all over the city available for use, being checked out at racks and returned in some other rack in another part of the city. It is cheap to ride and free if you ride for under 20 minutes. This meant that we rode for 15 minutes and then found a place to rerack the bikes and then check them out again, for free.

If you look at Notre Dame long enough to fully see the church, you will notice that the three entryways are not the same.

Friday and Saturday nights, one bar gives free Indian food with cous cous to customers. Quite large portions and very tasty, along with a one drink purchase.

The line up of people at the Eiffel Tower is ridiculous and more fun to take a picture of than to go up, something I have already done. Having been to Paris before, I was able avoid doing all the touristy things and just enjoy the monuments and sights.

I made two trips to Montmarte, always a highlight, at night and in the day. Great views of Paris from the church, and tons of people there. Drinking super expensive chocolate and watching everyone in the daily action on the hill made for a good time, despite everyone wanting to draw me, saying I have a beautiful nose. I have to agree.

Now I am back in Erfurt, cooking and teaching, with snow flurries on and off the whole time, not really sticking, just getting blow around in cold weather. Missing the blue skies of Paris with warmer weather.