First Day in Gay Paree

As we're sitting in Mathieu's Citroen heading out of the airport around noon, we're trying to decide what to do. He suggests that since we don't have any luggage to take to the apartment, we should just get to the siteseeing. I agree. I'm only in Paris for a week and I have no time to waste.

Montmartre is our first stop. The Sacre Couer was beautiful! I know that there are so many churches and cathedrals in Europe, and that this was only the first one that I saw, but it was stunning! Outside the front gates we met up with Mathieu's friend Sonia, a Canadian living in Paris. We went to a cafe in Montmartre, and then walked around there. We followed a huge group of abortion protesters across the sex district, and took a moment to realize that apparently small mindedness and judgement are universal values. I don't think that makes me feel better about the U.S., so much as worse about the rest of the world.

After a visit to the sex museum (there are some veeeery interesting things to be seen there), we met up with some more of Mathieu's friends, Axel and Jorn. The name's Swedish, although he's French, and fine as all hell. Helloooo Jorn.

Back in the car we started heading to Mathieu's apartment, when he suddenly decided to give us a nightime tour of the Paris streets. Marvelous idea. We jetted around like mad down all the major streets, and saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Moulin Rouge by moonlight. From there we went to see Mathieu's apartment, our new home for the week. It's an extremely cute place in Gentilly, just a metro stop outside Paris. Unfortunately it's on the fourth floor, and the building has no elevator. No matter, this will give me all the exercise I've been missing.

The things that seem so charming when one is on vacation...