04 October 07
If I didn't have a cold this would be so much better. However. Paris, on my own. I would not choose to live here, but of course I've been in the busy arrondissements today. Still, whereas Berlin made sense, Paris feels "other". I do now possess a very cool map book. I really hope it will be sunny tomorrow. The sun is peeking out now (6pm) but it was gray all day.
I went this morning to Notre Dame de Paris. It is so high inside. I would have climbed but I felt feverish. It's v. beautiful but I'm definitely in Europe overload. I had a wrap for lunch from a guy at a tiny shop somewhere in the 6th. He had all the ingredients and spices out, very cool. He looked amused by me. Ok.
I made my way to Musee d'Orsay. It used to be a train station so the building is very cool. I did the Impressionists floor. Renior (Renooooir!!), Degas, VanGogh, Monet, Manet, Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec (v. cool pastel "Les Choristes". The way he captured the footlights on the men's faces and clothes was very cool.) and Caillebotte (never heard of him, but he did one ["Raboteurs de parquets" 1875] with 3 guys in black trousers scrubbing the floor. It was striking for some reason. Also he did one of Pairs (?) buildings (residential) covered in snow ["Ver de toits, effet de neige"]. I really felt snuggly looking at it and one other snowy painting.)
There are scooters all over and I miss the Buddito! I love how there will be 6 scooters and motorcycles lined up across the front of traffic, waiting for a green light. And I am impressed by the fearlessness of bicyclists. And it's not like Denver: people all geared out. It's the woman in spike heels, on her hands-free mobile, pedalling next to buses, cars and motorcycles... on a cruiser with a basket.
(00:20) Just getting back from being out with Lera and her friend Yuri. He drove us all around Paris: Tour Eiffel, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees. We ran into some transvestite Russian singer and Yuri got pictures with him, going to send them to his mom... no idea. I think I did much better with French tonight. I really enjoyed it.
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