Going Postal in Paris
Ok. I confess. I am a shameless TOURIST! I have Mickey Mouse Ears from Disney World, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox salt and pepper shakers from Bemidji Minnesota, and somewhere I'm sure I still have a penant that hails the Illinois Tollway. So what do I do my first day in Paris? Load up on postcards, of course. I figure, "Well, if I mail them today they might get to the States before I get back home." ( I was home three days before John and Drew got theirs!) Then I had to load up on postage - 55 Euro cents an lick and each postcard required two stamps! I left the souvenir store with 30 Euros of postcards and postage! (Thats 36 yankee bucks!)
So, what can you write on a postcard the first morning you are in Paris other than, "Hey, I'm in Paris!" Actually, bu the time this picture was taken at the souvenir shop, we had already seen quite a little before lunch! It was Sunday morning. We were walking along Richard Lenoir to catch a metro to the Eiffle Tower and decided to first see what was along the boulevard. That's when we discovered Le Marc
her; an open-air market stretched over many blocks - clear to the Bastille Square. Now I am not one to shop on Sunday, but this I had to see, experience, and photo journal. It was blocks and blocks of canopied venders selling everything from fish to fruit, purses, posies, souvenirs
rotissary chicken, candles, jewlery, skirts, hardware, scarves. The color, the smells, the local flavor of Sunday Market was all a part of the Paris Experience I would have never wanted to miss. The flowers!
(photos by Charlotte)
It was probably the brightest day we had in Paris. Walking in the brisk morning air among the people at market was delightful march to the music of a live band gathered at the base of the monument marking the most visited non-site in Paris: the place where the Bastille once stood!
The girls and I were enjoying the lively music when a very stange looking weaving man wafting of alcohol waltzed up to me sputtering something in French. I could not understand him and before I knew it he was in my face poking my shoulder. I clutched my purse and tried to back away, but bumped into people in the crowd. In a moment Anna and Charlotte had saddled up to me grabbed my elbows on either side swiftly guided me out of the crowd. The intruder followed us but we were able to escape his drunken chase.
When we finally sat down on a bench for our light supplementary breakfast of oranges and bottled water, I checked my purse. He had gotten
in it, but the only thing missing was a breakfast bar. Had it not been for the girls timely intervention, he would have had my wallet! So what should I write on my postcards? "Dear Mother and Dad, Here I am in Paris at the open air market. Got accosted by a street crazy. Having a wonderful time..." I think not. So we hopped a Metro and headed for the Eiffel Tower. Anna and Char said, "Leave it to Mom to get mugged on the first day in Paris." Sitting there in the market place, munching on a marvelously sweet orange, mulling over the episode, a curious thought came to me..."Well if I had to get accosted in the streets of Paris, I'm glad it happened the first day. Got it over with. Been there. done that, and I even got a T shirt.
So, what can you write on a postcard the first morning you are in Paris other than, "Hey, I'm in Paris!" Actually, bu the time this picture was taken at the souvenir shop, we had already seen quite a little before lunch! It was Sunday morning. We were walking along Richard Lenoir to catch a metro to the Eiffle Tower and decided to first see what was along the boulevard. That's when we discovered Le Marc
her; an open-air market stretched over many blocks - clear to the Bastille Square. Now I am not one to shop on Sunday, but this I had to see, experience, and photo journal. It was blocks and blocks of canopied venders selling everything from fish to fruit, purses, posies, souvenirs
rotissary chicken, candles, jewlery, skirts, hardware, scarves. The color, the smells, the local flavor of Sunday Market was all a part of the Paris Experience I would have never wanted to miss. The flowers!
(photos by Charlotte)It was probably the brightest day we had in Paris. Walking in the brisk morning air among the people at market was delightful march to the music of a live band gathered at the base of the monument marking the most visited non-site in Paris: the place where the Bastille once stood!
The girls and I were enjoying the lively music when a very stange looking weaving man wafting of alcohol waltzed up to me sputtering something in French. I could not understand him and before I knew it he was in my face poking my shoulder. I clutched my purse and tried to back away, but bumped into people in the crowd. In a moment Anna and Charlotte had saddled up to me grabbed my elbows on either side swiftly guided me out of the crowd. The intruder followed us but we were able to escape his drunken chase.
When we finally sat down on a bench for our light supplementary breakfast of oranges and bottled water, I checked my purse. He had gotten
in it, but the only thing missing was a breakfast bar. Had it not been for the girls timely intervention, he would have had my wallet! So what should I write on my postcards? "Dear Mother and Dad, Here I am in Paris at the open air market. Got accosted by a street crazy. Having a wonderful time..." I think not. So we hopped a Metro and headed for the Eiffel Tower. Anna and Char said, "Leave it to Mom to get mugged on the first day in Paris." Sitting there in the market place, munching on a marvelously sweet orange, mulling over the episode, a curious thought came to me..."Well if I had to get accosted in the streets of Paris, I'm glad it happened the first day. Got it over with. Been there. done that, and I even got a T shirt.
posted by The Sermonator | 8:34 PM
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