C'est La Vie

Well, we've had an interesting time since the toilet broke on Saturday (don't ask, don't tell). We had hoped to have it fixed on Tuesday, but got the news that they couldn't get here until sometime next week (looong after we left). Then, at one point, there was talk of buying a new toilet but, shortly after that, came the news that the plumber could come Thursday morning (today). Woot!

Turns out that the wet wipes were the culprit - sort of. Before, when flushed, it sounded like Godzilla and King Kong were in there doing a spastic tango; now the thing practically purrs. After hearing the "new and improved" flush, methinks it was time for a new engine anyway.

So, the good news is that the toilet works. The bad news is that the city is doing maintenance on the water system and we're without water until "sometime this afternoon." If I'd only been able to read the flyers posted on every door in town - including the one on the entrance of this building - advising that the water would be shut off today... (BTW, irony or just an unpleasant coindence?)

In the over all scheme of things in life - and taking into consideration the horrific events taking place in Myanmar and China - we have no problems. And we're in Paris having no problems. Life doesn't suck:)

-Shannon

Update - We have water!

When In Paris, Blog About Chanel

Back on March 30, I posted a little blurb about the in-the-works Coco Chanel biopic starring Audrey Tautou. Well, mainstream Hollywood finally caught up with me (wink wink). Click here for more info about the movie along with the news that Ms. Tautou will be replacing the fair Ms. Kidman as Chanel's new spokesperson.

Ever since Amelie, I've been a huge Audrey Tautou fan; she's just so freaking cute! IMHO, I think she's a little too feminine to play Coco - Ms. Chanel, if you're nasty - but what do I know...

Marion Cotillard (who played Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose - and scored an Oscar for her brilliant performance), on the other hand, would have been a perfect choice for the role.

I simply can't understand why I'm not being consulted for these matters... Hmmmph.

-Shannon

PS - If you haven't seen La Vie En Rose (or La Môme en francais), you must; it is an absolutely stunning film.

Are You A Child Of The 80s?

If so - try this quiz on for size; sooo much fun!

Click here for quiz!

I scored a 94.5

How did you do?

Top 10 Reasons It Might Be Time To Leave Paris

10. My roots are so overgrown that I make Britney Spears look classy.

9. It feels like a hippopotamus has been using my feet for chew toys.

8. It looks like a hippopotamus has been using my feet for chew toys.

7. It's no fun being without a toilet for three days.

6. I'm craving an ice-cold beer.

5. I need to find a job so I can pay for my eensy weensy Louboutin purchases.

4. I miss my morning bowl of coffee.

3. The novelty of dodging cars, motorcycles and busses has worn off.

2. Taking pictures of my husband in his underwear while he is sleeping is now the most interesting thing I can find to do.

1. I miss my kids and doggies...

How Sweet It Is

Check out Gary's blog for pictures of just a few of our confectionary indulgences

(he takes pretty pictures!):

http://www.easilydiscouragedman.com/2008/05/le-food.html

An Apartment In Paris

Since I made the decision to not take pictures while I was here (oh yes, I do regret that!), I've had to rely on the mad photographic skills of my visitors. Here's a link to my husband's blog containing his photos of our little apartment here in Saint Germain des Pres:

http://www.easilydiscouragedman.com/2008/05/small-and-cozy.html

Late yesterday afternoon, the toilet broke. This building is a little over three centuries old, so that it has plumbing at all is a substantial luxury. Some of our neighbors still have to use the toilet in the stairwell because their apartments do not have the necessary plumbing to accomodate a toilet.

Imagine my dismay when I realized that I'd broken our most valuable commodity. I used a wet wipe (ok - maybe six) and, since the word "toilette" was on the package, I assumed it would be safe to put them in the toilet even though Thierry (the apartment's owner) said quite emphatically, "Do not put ANYTHING other than toilet paper in the toilet." These were his first words to me after "Hello" when I arrived three weeks ago. Oops.

Upon initial inspection of the broken commode, Thierry said, "You must have put something in there." Instead of confessing, I turned into a three year-old who had just gotten caught stuffing her peanut butter and jelly sandwich into the VCR (remember those?). I said, "Nope - only toilet paper." But it was a sheepish 'nope' and I know that I will be forced to confess once innards are exposed and examined.

After he spent 20 minutes up to his elbows drawing all the water out of the toilet - one spongeful at a time - he announced two things: First, because it was late Saturday afternoon, he wouldn't be able to get the maintenance guy out to inspect the scene of the crime until some time Tuesday afternoon. France is in full-on holiday mode so pretty much everything is closed until Tuesday. (I will take this opportunity to remind you again that the toilet broke on Saturday...)

Second, came this proclamation, "I have a solution - no problem! I have another apartment one block away." I'm thinking that this is fantastic! We'll get to stay in another apartment and all will be fabulous! Uh-uh. "There is a toilet in the lobby you can use." Okay - not exactly what I'd hoped for, but better than having no toilet at all. He asked us to follow him to the other building, which we did, and when he showed us the toilet inside this seemingly beautiful and recently modernized building - well - let's just say we were a little surprised. It was a Turkish toilet. That's right. A hole in the ground. Then he offered a cheerful, "Make sure you bring toilet paper with you!"

I might actually be feeling the first twinges of homesickness...

-Shannon

Reality Check

I had a complete meltdown yesterday - with lots of tears. With Gary here, I'm reminded of my real life - the one I'm going back to in a week - and it makes me a little melancholy.

I can't explain why I feel the way I do. I love him - the kids - our life together - but at the same time I feel dead inside (not because of Gary or the kids - but because of my own strange wiring). Here, the dead part of me was awakened. I need to find a way to have both at the same time.

Gary and I talked a lot about it. He gets it - he's the same way. His happiness isn't in Paris - but he gets why mine is. We talked about my coming back each year - maybe not so extravagantly (says I), but the thought did appease me very much. I know, I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have him for a husband; believe me, I am grateful every single day.

Anyhoo - aside from my personal drama - we did a lot yesterday. I took him on the Louvre-to-Arc-walk and we taxied back to Saint Germain for a lovely lunch at what I've decided is my favorite place to just 'be' - l'Heure Gourmande. It was Gary that wanted to try it out because the guy that owns our apartment recommended it for their hot chocolate.

It's tucked away in the semi-hidden Passage Dauphine (almost right next to the Franprix). So - down this passage are a couple of shops and this sweet (quiet!) little bistro. The tuna salad I had was delish and the desserts were decadent beyond words (Gary will undoubtedly blog much more about the food and share pictures on http://www.easilydiscouragedman.com/). After lunch and a quick trip to the Franprix for groceries, we took a two-hour nap.

After rousing from our much-needed nap, I took him to the tip of Ile de la Cite for some foot dangling over the Seine. Then we meandered up along the right bank up toward Notre Dame where we found some cute souvenirs for our peeps back home. We missed the last entry time by five minutes but went to the back of the church to see the cute park - which was dotted with lovers, children and tourists.

Then we came back to the apartment, packed a little cheese-cracker-wine picnic and went to the Tuileries Garden - where we had hoped to see the Eiffel lights come on at 9:00. They didn't, but maybe since it's so light at 9:00 now they've changed it to 10:00. We packed up and made our way back to the apartment via Pont des Arts - which was positively crammed with picnicking locals. What a life...

I think we'll go back there tonight to watch the Eiffel lights...

-Shannon

White T-Shirts And Madonna

Remember the white t-shirt argument I had before coming to Paris? Well, I just wanted to tell myself, "I told you so." I went to the Gap this afternoon to pick up a couple of white t-shirts. It wasn't just any Gap, however; this Gap happens to be right outside of the Sorbonne. And, I've got to say, their selection is much cuter than ours - at least what ours was before I left.

It's all very feminine - lots of white and soft beige. I noticed lots of linen, too - like pants and capris. High-waisted slacks - fabulous ballet flats showing the perfect amount of toe-cleavage (oooh the temptation was there, believe me!) - ruffles - crisp white cotton blouses - and nothing too revealing. It's really all just very sweet and clean looking (a nice departure from all the mid-riff, cleavage and butt crack- baring clothes we have in the States).

Oh, and I just found out that Madonna is performing here tonight at the Olympia Concert Hall (about 10 minutes from me). I checked her website and tickets are going for a paltry 2999 Euros for this particular show (that's $4500 for us American-types). I would totally go, but I have some laundry to do...

My husband arrives on Thursday - woot! Time to relive Paris allll over again - darn!

-Shannon

PS - More fashion skinny:

Red shoes

Boys are wearing the skinny jeans, too.

All the cool guys look like hip 60s modsters; longish hair swept forward - dark glasses - big Adam's Apples. (Yes the Adam's Apple appears to be making a comeback.)

Layered tops - like three at a time - usually very thin material.

Remember the 80s sling belt (wide - but not too wide - and worn down around the hips)? Well, wear that (preferrably in a rich, dark brown braided leather) with a white, feminine hippie shirt (ruffled along the hem and sleeves is perfect and quite flattering), a pair of skinny jeans, and ballet flats and you will look like all the cool Parisian girls.

The belt with any other type of top(s).

Tailored shorts (high-waisted with a belt) and opaque tights - though as it gets warmer, I imagine the tights will stay in the drawer.


That's it for now; I'll be sure to keep an eye out for anything else that looks interesting and pass it on!

Bisous!

Paris - Week Three

I've sort of given up trying to count the days. Also, when doing so, it's a sad reminder of how much of my time has already passed. I don't feel like a tourist anymore; I've settled into a nice rhythm and feel very much at home in this jewel of a city.

Each day (since about day three) at around 4:00 PM, I start to feel giddy (think Mary Tyler Moore tossing her beret up in the air). Maybe I should go buy a beret to toss. Hmmm....why not?

It's been pretty low-key around here since the girls left on Saturday. The weather has finally turned spring-like and, yesterday, it was actually hot! I met up with one of my friends Jacques (I wrote about him before) and his eight year-oldd daughter, Giulia, yesterday afternoon. We took a trip to Le Parc de Saint-Cloud just outside of Paris. This is a massive park (see footnote) and is predominantly visited by French folks - no tourists, yay!

We walked around a bit then went to a little cafe in the park for a dish of sorbet (I had a scoop each of fraise, framboise et mangue). It must be said that the sorbet here is unrivaled in taste and texture. It's a near religious experience to taste this frozen confection. I had gotten pretty thin by the end of my first week here. For some reason I had no appetite and really was beginning to waste away. Between the wine, bread, cheese and sorbet, I've managed to put the lost weight back on but it matters not for there are no worries in Paris!

Anyway - back to the park:

"Located to the west of Paris, accessible by subway lines No. 9 and 10, the national domain of Saint-Cloud opens every day of the year its 460 hectares* of protected areas offering exceptional views on the capital.

You will discover the delights of forest areas and water games that blur the wealth of styles and moods of the gardens.

In turn owned by Catherine de Medicis, Sir, brother of Louis XIV, Marie-Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte and III, the area regarded as one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, is classified a historical monument since November 9, 1994."

It's true about the views. If you could see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night from anywhere in or around the city, this would be the place to do it. Surprisingly, I still have not seen this spectacle in its entirety other than the glimpses I stole my second and eighth nights in Paris. I'm waiting for my husband to share the full monty with me - so it's totally worth the wait!

Today while I was strolling around the hood, I quite accidentally came upon the place where George Sand used to reside (it's about a 45-second walk from my apartment). It's pretty surreal to think that if I'd taken this trip sometime during the mid to late 19th century my neighbors would have been Oscar Wilde and George Sand. And, since it's very near to me, I've been to Le Cafe de Flore several times; that place is positively haunted by some pretty impressive ghosts.

Mondays are pretty quiet around here. All the museums are closed and most of the shops either don't open or don't open until later in the day. There are no set hours of business, per se, and many times shopkeepers just put a sticky note on the door advising of their approximate time of return. It's a dichotomous mix of laid-back fervor - if that makes any sense at all.

Alrighty - that's enough of my rambling for one day. I've been invited to dinner by Jacques and his family (a special honor), so I need to go find some sort of yummy dessert to bring. I wonder if they have anything like that around here...

-Shannon

*A hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters; so the park is just shy of 1,137 acres - it's huge!

Text from:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.dnsc.fr/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=4&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dparc%2Bde%2Bsaint-cloud%26hl%3Den

Sous Le Ciel De Paris

Sous le ciel de Paris
(Under Paris Skies)

Sous le ciel de Paris
S'envole une chanson
Hum Hum
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
Dans le coeur d'un garcon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Hum Hum
Leur bonheur se construit
Sur un air fait pour eux

Sous le pont de Bercy
Un philosophe assis
Deux musiciens quelques badauds
Puis les gens par milliers
Sous le ciel de Paris
Jusqu'au soir vont chanter
Hum Hum
L'hymne d'un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité

Près de Notre Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Oui mais à Paname
Tout peut s'arranger
Quelques rayons
Du ciel d'été
L'accordéon
D'un marinier
L'espoir fleurit
Au ciel de Paris

Sous le ciel de Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Hum Hum
Il endort dans la nuit
Les clochards et les gueux
Sous le ciel de Paris
Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu
Hum Hum
Viennent du monde entier
Pour bavarder entre eux

Et le ciel de Paris
A son secret pour lui
Depuis vingt siècles il est épris
De notre Ile Saint Louis
Quand elle lui sourit
Il met son habit bleu
Hum Hum
Quand il pleut sur Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux

Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d'amants
Hum Hum
Il fait gronder sur nous
Son tonnerr' éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris
N'est pas longtemps cruel
Hum Hum
Pour se fair' pardonner
Il offre un arc en ciel

Blog And Dash

I'm on my way out to meet Aurelie at Brasserie Lipp, but thought I'd stop in for a quick update.

Yesterday, we had lunch at Deux Magots - a very quaint little place packed with folks just like us (only not as tall).

I tried escargot for the first time last night. It didn't kill me.

This morning, I came across a cute article on Christian Louboutins. I've not been especially creative with my Paris diaries (my apologies), and I'm out of practice enough that I couldn't quite hit the mark with my own post on the Louboutin experience - but this reporter does a nice job infusing the crazy emotions that churn in the hearts and minds of Louboutin women in New York's Upper East Side.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/fashion/01CRITIC.html?partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

Happy May Day!

-Shannon

Her Name Was Lola; She Was A Shoe Girl

I came. I saw. I bought a pair of Christian Louboutins.

Late yesterday afternoon I asked the girls if they were up to a trip to 38-40, Rue de Grenelle. I've been near to Monsieur Louboutin's salon several times in the eleven or so days since I've been here. As I'd wander up and down Boulevard Saint Germain, I knew it was just a couple of turns away (beckoning me!), but I've been savoring the excitement of that (first!) visit and didn't want it to be over too quickly. Even writing about it now, my pulse quickens...

The weather has been yucko - cold, windy, rainy - blech. It had been a particularly blah inside-day for me, so I decided that the time had come. Nothing cures the bad-weather blues like some shoe shopping. And if shoe shopping cures the bad-weather blues, Louboutin shoe shopping could cure...well - a lot!

As we slowly approached the atelier, I started having an out of body experience. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go in. I didn't want to go in too quickly. (Jeez - I sound like a teenaged boy about ready to lose his virginity.) Somehow, I managed to get the door open and was instantly transported from one corner of heaven to another. Yes, there were angels. Yes, they were making that "aahhh" sound.

Anyway, I looked around for the perfect Louboutin. Who am I kidding - they're all perfect.

There were so many beautiful choices; bright blue, cork, hot pink, white, shimmery white, nude, red, satin, buttons, feathers, bows, snakeskin - sensory overload! That's when I saw Lola. She was in her own enclave behind glass and a gilded frame. A simple, elegant, black, patent leather shoe with a four-inch heel that looks as though it had been dipped in gold.

I slid my foot into the first pair and they were a bit too big; the second pair fit like a glove. In fact, I felt as though I slid my foot into warm, softened butter. I won't say that this particluar moment was better than sex - but it came awfully close. The girls were so awesome - I can't tell you! Thank you for being there - for sharing my bliss with me - for taking pictures and oohing and ahhing at all the right times. It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun to have done this alone.

If you are a shoe lover - or have any type of crack habit whatsoever - then you totally get why I'm so over the moon about this experience. I could have purchased a pair of Louboutins at home - but to actually have an opportunity to come to Paris and buy them here? Like there was even a choice to be made.

Here's the website if you're at all interested: http://www.christianlouboutin.fr/

I have a handbag addiction that rivals my mad shoe love so, I may have also adopted a new handbag from Monsieur Louboutin as well. Go big or go home, right? I went extra large.

After Louboutin, we went to the market, came home, had some dinner, drank some wine, and there may have been a little Christmas karaoke involved. It was just that kind of night...

Today we went to the Louvre. That was nice, too. :)

-Shannon

Red, Red Whine

So, I guess there is one side-effect associated with all of my red wine consumption: My mouth feels like I've been chewing chards of glass and razor blades. Owie!

Paris - Days Nine And Ten

Well - all good things must come to an end, I suppose. The sun disappeared today and it's very cold and rainy. I'm fighting a nasty cold (the cold is winning), so I'm not jumping at the chance to go romping around in the rain like my hardy kinfolk. I'll get to them in a minute - first, let me get you caught up on what's been going on the past couple of days.

On Sunday morning (yesterday) the girls went out and about on their own for a couple of hours. They fared much better than I did on my first solo adventure - at least they managed to not get lost! Anyhoo - after they got back, we walked over to Notre Dame to catch an 'on and off' tour bus that took us by quite a few of the major monuments and 'places to see' in Paris. I'd pretty much seen everything along the the tour last week with the exception of the Eiffel Tower.

I had thought we would do Eiffel another day and wasn't really prepared to deal with the throngs of tourists on the most gorgeous Sunday afternoon of the year so far - BUT - I was outnumbered! We were in line for about two hours before we got to the top platform and, even I - in my dour and diva-like mood - had to admit that it was absolutely worth it. My mom said that we wouldn't have another beautiful day like that so we should do it - she was right (damn!).

You don't have to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower; in fact, they have three different ticket prices depending how high up you want to go. I said, "There's no one who would go through all of this only to go to the first or second platform." Mom said, "Oh, I bet you'd be surprised." I say - not possible! It was clear and beautiful - a perfect day to have done this amazing monument. Whew! If I'd gotten my way to see it another day, it would have been dreadful in the cold and rain (which is all that's in the forecast for the rest of their visit).

We were out most of the day and came home to freshen up before taking a boat tour along the Seine (mostly to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night). But we found out, after walking about a half a mile down the Seine, that we needed to be all the way back up by the Eiffel Tower to catch this particular tour boat (3 1/2 miles back the other way). By then it was getting late and we weren't sure if we'd even be able to get to the boat before it took off (we didn't have a schedule), so we decided to go tonight instead.

This morning, the girls got up and took the same walk up the Champs Elysees that I'd done last Thursday. I stayed in, cleaned the apartment a bit and got ready to meet another friend for lunch.

I met Jacques at the Korean Barbeque off the Boulevard Saint Germain on Rue du Dragon. Jacques is a film director and was kind enough to gift me with a film of his (a 2005 documentary about another filmmaker, Henri Langlois) which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival (I know, cool, right?). We had a great conversation about film, wine, and Paris - my first friend meeting that didn't involve a conversation around politics! It was interesting to learn that Gustave Eiffel actually had an apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower (which would explain why we saw a creepy wax likeness of him and a buddy in a little room while we were up there yesterday). Then Jacques told me that he's only been to the Eiffel Tower once - and only to the second platform.

While I can't say that I've been partaking in the famed culinary delights that Paris has to offer (sorry, Josh!), I have certainly developed a taste for French wine. I learned today that the French do not drink Merlots or Cabernets - or really any of the red wines we drink in the States. Apparently, we buy wines based on the type of grape (Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Noir) while the French base their preference of wine on region (Bordeaux, Burgundy and a bunch of other places that are much more difficult to pronounce).

The thing that's completely freaking me out is how much French wine I can drink and not feel bad (no headaches or hangovers). I had a whole bottle yesterday - and at least half a bottle at lunch today and, while I had a nice buzz going, I certainly didn't feel drunk. At least not word-slurring-stumbling-around-must-do-karaoke-drunk. My mom thinks I'm going home an alcoholic. Silly girl. I am home. :)

Anyway...I was supposed to meet another friend, Aurelie at 4:00, but I couldn't find the meeting place (turns out we were right there and just needed to cross the street - d'oh!). I wasn't feeling so great because of this stupid cold, so I came back to the apartment and the girls went off on a grand adventure which, I believe, should culminate with the boat tour down the Seine. It's almost 9:30 PM now, so they'll be getting an eyeful in about a half an hour when the champagne and diamonds spill down the sides of the Tower.

I was able to connect with Aurelie over the internet and re-schedule for Thursday (it's a holiday here on Thursday, so I'm sure it's going to be completely chaotic around here!). We're meeting at Brasserie Lipp. Now, I just need to get to Les Deux Magots and I will have patronized the famed triumvirate of literary cafes in Saint Germain des Pres.

-Shannon

Paris Day Eight

Yesterday was, by far, the most beautiful day yet in Paris. About 70 degrees - maybe even warmer - gorgeous blue skies and sun, sun, sun!

I woke up and went to the market. With my mom and aunt arriving, I wanted to have some fresh flowers in the apartment to welcome them so, on my way, I bought a bunch of hand-tied lilacs from a little girl along Rue de Seine. Rue de Seine has become one of my favorite streets; probably because it's the one with which I've become most familiar.

Right before you get to the market, you pass through a shop that sells whole rotisserie chickens (among a thousand other delectable delights) - and they cook them right there on the street in one of those big, silver rotisserie ovens. Combined with the smell of bread and other baked goods, I think I could easily gain 12 pounds if I inhaled deeply enough!

The plan was for my aunt and mom to connect at Roissy Charles de Gaulle after their respective flights from their respective cities (Des Moines and Bellingham). In theory, they should have arrived no later than 11:30AM. Well, at about 12:30, I heard a "thunk, thunk, thunk" coming up the stairs followed by my mother's voice. I opened the door to find that one of my neighbors was hauling my mom's 200 pound (actual weight: 50 lbs) suitcase up the stairs for her. I'm not sure, but I think the suitcase may have out-weighed him.

What was missing from that scene, however, was my aunt. It turns out that her flight had been delayed a couple of hours and we didn't know that. So, my mom took a taxi to the apartment and we waited for my aunt to show up - which she did at about 1:30 or so. When her flight arrived and she didn't find my mom, she bravely bought a ticket for the RER (train) and made her way to the apartment all by herself. It may not sound like much - but this is a pretty impressive accomplishment for anyone, let alone a non french-speaker who was hell-bent on remaining mute for the entire trip. You go, girl!

After the girls got their things semi-settled in the apartment, we headed out to Boulevard Saint Germain, licked a few windows, had some lunch, got pleasantly buzzed off a yummy house wine, and did some more window licking.

I'd seen a shop that sells beautifully adorned umbrellas a couple of days ago but didn't go in that day so I thought it would be fun to go back with the girls. OMG - such lovely eye-candy! The small, compact umbrellas (the kind that most people carry) at this shop look like they are covered in tiny little rose buds. I'm superstitious, so I didn't open one up, but I'm sure it was magnificent. If I remember correctly, it cost 190 Euros (about $300 USD) and a 'regular' umbrella cost 900 Euros (about $1500 USD). Yowzer.

Anyhoo - we also stepped into Sonia Rykiel so I could look at that silver handbag again - yummy! Actually, the entire store was filled with all sorts of fabulosity; like the pages of Vogue had come to life. If there is a heaven, surely Paris is it.

After walking around a bit more, we came back to the apartment, drank some more wine and got ready to meet one of my friends, Charlotte, and her sister, Stephanie (I think?), at Le Cafe de Flore. The place was a madhouse - absolutely packed with people! Fortunately, the girls had gotten there before us and had gotten a table right in front. We chattered for about an hour or so (drank some more wine!) and went off in our separate directions.

I know people might think I'm crazy for meeting strangers I've 'met' on the internet (through MySpace) in a foreign country, but the four people I've met so far have been exceptionally sweet and kind and have only added to this experience in more ways than I could have hoped for. Even my mom and aunt were taken by these two girls - how could they not - they were so sweet!

Another quick trip to the market and back to the apartment. Mom stayed behind, but my aunt and I decided to go see the Eiffel Tower lit up the way I had seen it last Sunday night. We went to the Louvre - which is even more beautiful at night lit up and sans tourists - walked around a bit and found some stairs where we could sit and wait for the Tower to do its thing at 10:00. It's lit up anyway at night but every hour (on the hour), they do the glittering champagne and diamonds show. When it happened at 10:00 last night, it was like New Year's Eve - for me anyway - and it felt so magical (a term I'm finding that I use over and over again).

After that, we headed back and crashed - exhausted from a busy day of travel, walking, drinking and being stimulated by this place. I'm not supposed to say that the girls each snore like lumberjacks - so I won't. I wouldn't want to divulge any secrets or make them feel embarassed in any way. Bisous, girls, j'taime:):):)

Today, I think we'll do a little bus tour (the one with the open top) and go to Notre Dame this afternoon. I missed it last weekend because I didn't want to deal with the crowds, but these girls don't have the luxury of putting it off so we're braving the masses today (no pun intended).

-Shannon

Click

Click

we all wait

to hear the

Click

The moment when

the stars align

Our souls align

Click

Searching waiting watching

for the one whose ridges and notches

match our ridges and notches

Click

Eyes meet - we see beyond the retina

deeper deeper down

into the soul

Click

Plunge in to the depths of one another

without fear of drowing in those limpid pools

we breathe in the wet

Click

Too Little Too Late

Every day she waits

for morning Impatiently

willing the dark hours

To pass more quickly

What will she see

She wants to know
Nothing, nothing

Every day nothing

Til one day it's there

Shes sees that

which she has been

waiting so long to see

But now

It's too

Late

Delete

Ode To My Sock Monkey

I love my sock monkey

because he looks at me

with love 100% of the time

And because we wears red yarn bows

around each wrist

And because he's smarter than you.

Why?

I want to know from whence love came

Who knew the first love and what did they know to do with it

There were no exes -- no jealousy

It had to have been the first pure and chaste love

So - who fucked it up first

And why?

A Putty-Colored Life

My brain is exploding

held too long

by sandbags of boredom

When did my world turn beige

boring

colorless

lifeless

The color is

in my head

in my thoughts

Just add water

So many desires

so few outlets

It hurts

I hurt

What comes next?

Pirate's Booty

You are a pirate

a ruthless cad

you seek my

heart as your treasure

What exactly do pirates do

once they find their treasure?

In Simone de Beauvoir's Head

This man is an animal

motivated purely

by his own primordial

instinct

Not the instinct to procreate

rather the urge to take

possession of another

without their permission

Worming his way into her

delicate psyche

he penetrates her mind

first

Winds his way through her

limbic system

leaving her aching

wanting more

Then he moves down to her heart

and takes his meaty grasp of it

squeezing, pulsing he takes control

she concedes

With mind and heart secured

he knows

he has control of her

sex

Then - and only then

he releases his grasp

she falls disconnected

through space and time

Where is he

the one who will save her

she is lost

scared

She begs him to take her again

into his possession

being owned feels safe
she mistakes this for love

He obliges for he knows

she will reward him

passionately

with great fervor

And he will do this

catch and release

until she is weakened and

torn apart from her own soul

She is wholly dependent

utterly shattered

He won the prize

killed the big game

Job done

he tosses her lifeless empty body

on top of the pile with all

the rest

I wrote this jagged mess of a poem after reading the first couple of chapters

of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir several weeks ago.

My thoughts are a tangled mass of feminism, misogynism, and general gender disparity. Fortunately for you, it's after 11:00 PM and I'm exhausted

so I'll save my femi-nazi diatribe for another time.

-Shannon

An Artist's Despair

floating - barely

toward the abyss

creative elements in my life

bobble along next to me

taunting me to grab hold

which will be the one

to save me

Paris Day Seven

I can't believe I've been here a week (tomorrow); unbelievable!

Today was very quiet. I got out for a few hours and walked around the 6th and 7th arrondissements in Saint Germain along (and around) Boulevard Saint Germain (the place where I got all twisted around the first day I was here).

Today, everything is 100% more familiar and I have a much better sense of direction - thankfully! I'm definitely in one of the more (if not the) swankiest arrondissements in the city - lucky me! The shops around here are amazing! Etro, Sonia Rykiel, Armani, oh my. There was an oversized shiny, metallic silver handbag in the window of Sonia Rykiel that stopped me dead in my tracks. I licked that window for a very long time...

I saw the Eglise Saint Germain des Pres up close. It's the oldest church in Paris - and it looks it! Then I strolled (yes, strolled) by Brasserie Lipp, Les Deux Magots, Le Cafe de Flore - all stuffed to overflowing with locals and tourists. I remember reading in A Moveable Feast that each of the ex-pat literary figures of the Lost Generation would stake claim to one of these three cafes (all within spitting distance of one another) and it was pretty much verboten to cross over onto another's turf. Hemingway was more than a little peeved when he saw Ford Maddox Ford (someone he loathed) perched in his beloved cafe (though it escapes me which one now, darnit!).

As a hack writer, I'd had fantasies of finding my own little cafe; one that might inspire me to get some writing done. It's impossible. Too noisy and worse - too interesting. I'm a people-watcher in one of the best places to people-watch so I will have to write otherwheres.

I ended up catching a cold - grrr. I sat here and sneezed about 13 times in a row - no lie. It's a French cold, though, so while I may be sick - it's a chic sick.

-Shannon

Paris Day Six

Not sure what happened to Day Five, but all my activities are accounted for so far. Must be my loopiness...

This morning I woke up at 2:00 AM and couldn't go back to sleep - grrrrr. It's 2:00 PM now and I'm going to lie down for a nap after I post. My sleeping patterns are all sorts of messed up - but you know what? It *so* doesn't matter!

I hopped in the shower and got out of here pretty early this morning. I walked from my apartment to the Arc de Triomphe. I went through Jardin des Tuileries (no toy boats out yet this year - though soon, I hope!) and through Place de la Concorde (where Marie Antoinette met her demise) and up along the Champs Elysees (I wish I had all the accent marks for these beautiful french names...).

The Arc is about 2.5 to 3 miles each way, so it was a good walk. There are a gazillion people here right now (tons of students!) and I've just found out that it's Paques (Easter, but not really Easter - but it has something to do with Easter - what?!) and it's being celebrated yesterday and today - so France is basically on holiday and the streets are crammed! There are four more national holidays while I'm here - how festive!

May 1 - Labor Day (Fete du Travail)

May 1 ( a two-fer) - Ascension (40 days after Easter - so you can understand my confusion over Paques)

May 8 - Victory Day 1945 (Fete de la Victoire); the end of WWII in 1945

May 11-12 - Pentecote

I'll do some more research on these to satisfy my own curiosity and I'll probably share with you because that's what I do. As an aside, there are 11 national holidays in France and I'm here for five of them.

Climbing the stairs of the Arc was no problem this time around - I must be finally acclimating to living on the third floor! Seeing Sacre Coeur from the top of the Arc was incredible - just as it was the first time. I'm glad I was able to go this trip and really glad Nicolas talked me into seeing it in person. Even from far away, the steps leading up to the church look daunting!

Okay - short post today as nothing super-exciting to share other than I'm in Paris and having the time of my life!

-Shannon

PS - For you Iowa folks - I saw a guy walking up the Champs in a Hawkeyes jacket - Go Hawks!

The Sun Finds Paris!

Earlier today, I walked up to Jardin du Luxembourg - a perfect, beautiful, peaceful place to take a casual stroll. According to Wikipedia (not the most reliable resource, but this looks right - I even saw some kids getting pony rides):

"The Jardin du Luxembourg (familiar nickname Luco) is a 224,500 m² public park and the largest in the city, located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France. Luxembourg is the garden of the French Senate, which is itself housed in the Luxembourg Palace. These gardens include a large fenced-in playground that is very popular with local young children and their parents.

Adjacent to it is a puppet theatre and a merry-go-round. On occasion, pony rides are also available. In addition, free musical performances are presented in a gazebo on the grounds and there is an anonymous, inexpensive restaurant nearby, under the trees, with both indoor and outdoor seating from which many people enjoy the music over a glass of wine. The garden is famed for its calm atmosphere. On the little pond children play with miniature boats.

The garden contains various statues and sculptures. Surrounding the pond are a series of statues of former French queens. The École nationale supérieure des Mines de Paris and the Odéon theatre stand next to the Luxembourg Garden."

Afterward, I meandered around a bit - and did lots and lots of window shopping. The term for window shopping in french literally means "licking the windows" - unfortunately, I don't know what the term is in french - but I did hear that somewhere and it makes perfect sense. Each window - no matter what the shop sells - is a delicious display of delights (some are even delectable!) that encourages lots of lazy lingering (yeah, that's right - I'm getting my voice back...).

I stopped at a fantastic market on the way home to pick up some orange juice and some mousse to tame my crazy hair (I have a wicked mass of blonde frizzy craziness happening - big hair rules!). When I got back to my apartment, I made a sandwich and had a glass of orange juice - which, for some reason, tasted absolutely amazing.

It's like today I experienced a re-birth. I feel incredible - so happy and healthy and grateful to be able to have this experience. Everything looks good, smells good (except the urine under a bridge on the Seine where some homeless folks live) - it even feels good here!

Anyway, after lunch I got caught up on e-mails and was Skyping my wonderful husband when the sun finally came out! I ditched my hubby - sorry, honey! - so I could go outside for awhile. It's been days since I've seen the sun so I didn't want to miss it.

I walked down Rue de Seine (which does not run along the Seine) to Rue des Beaux Arts. It was at 13 Rue des Beaux Arts (a two-minute walk from my apartment) that Oscar Wilde died, at the age of 46, in 1900. I then took Rue Bonaparte to Quai de Conti (this does run along the Seine), but decided to duck down off the main road to walk directly along the river. This was probably not the wisest decision on my part.

This area is very nearly deserted, save three homeless people and two street musicians (I was definitely the only woman). This is also where I had to walk under the stinky bridge. It was long and dark and under each archway, there were mattresses, pots and pans and other 'household' items belonging to unseen inhabitants. I was all but begging to be mugged. Fortunately nothing happened except some mean-spirited hissing by one of the mattress owners. Lesson learned.

I finally came to some stairs that led me back up to street-level and to the Pont du Carrousel - which took me directly to Musee du Louvre. It's truly fantastical how massive this structure is. I walked around the pyramids - amongst hundreds of visiting students and tourists - through Cour Napoleon, through Cour Carree and over Pont des Arts toward the Institut de France where I found a tiny little entryway which, magically, took me directly back to my little street. I almost started to cry - isn't that funny?

After my first day of getting lost and feeling so incredibly out of place, to suddenly have this kind of luck? I don't want to jinx anything, but this is exactly the kind of day I imagined I'd have while I was planning this trip (except maybe the stinky bridge part).

-Shannon

PS - If you're interested in what's hip and hot in Paris:

Super-skinny, ridiculously tight jeans with ankle openings barely big enough to get your foot through (mostly for the younger girls and unless your parents are trees and you're a twig, forget about it.)

Everyone - even the men - wears a scarf

Knee-high boots - NO heel - pants/jeans tucked in

Over-sized handbags

Opaque tights - mostly black but I've also seen a few girls wearing bright, neon colors

Ballet flats

Chuck Taylor's (Converse) mostly on boys but on girls, too

Leather jackets - clean cut - not bomber-style

Black trenchcoats

Perfume! When the women walk by, they smell divine!

Yorkshire Terriers - I've seen many dogs, but not any one breed more than the Yorkie. In fact, one woman had three of them with her!

The men here dress beautifully - immaculately. I've not seen any dumpy-bottoms (except for one kid who was probably an American tourist).

Paris Day Four

Yesterday I decided to be a good little introvert and stay inside to recouperate and re-energize. Being around so much energy can be draining - especially when one isn't feeling well. A day of solitude (save a brief trip to the Franprix for a few groceries) was exactly what I needed - I feel perfect today!

That being said I have nothing too terribly interesting to report - unless you want to hear about how I did my first load of laundry. Actually, it is kind of interesting because this machine washes and dries all in the same unit. You put it in to wash and a couple of hours later - voila - you pull out dry clothes. I remember using a machine like this in Germany back in 2000 only back then, it seemed like it took twice as long? Maybe not - or maybe the technology has gotten that much better.

I did talk to my husband for an hour via Skype yesterday. I don't think too many Americans know about Skype, but you can talk to anyone - anywhere in the world (Skype to Skype) - for free. It's done through your computer; all you need is a microphone and speakers (most computers these days are already equipped with speakers).

We talked for about an hour - and it sounded as though he were sitting right here in the apartment; will modern miracles never cease? (www.skype.com if you're interested in checking it out). Talking with him made me realize that Paris is better in pairs (an unintentional anagram, perhaps?); and while I will definitely enjoy my time here alone - I am looking forward to his arrival with great anticipation!

It's a gray morning, but not quite as gray as yesterday morning so I'm holding out hope that the sun will make an appearance later on in the day. No set plans for Day Five - maybe Jardin du Luxembourg to get some writing done. In my day alone, I can sense that my authentic voice has returned somewhat so it will be easier to get some writing done - poetry perhaps.

-Shannon

Paris Day Three

I was able to meet one of my MySpace friends, Nicolas, on Monday and you can't imagine what a great gift this was for me! He has a car, so he was able to take me all over Paris and show me many, if not all, of the arrondissements in the northeast and southeast part of the city.

Nicolas lives in Nantes - about four and a half hours west of Paris. He has friends in Paris, so it worked out that we were able to meet yesterday. Not great timing for me because I was very sick on Monday, but I knew I didn't want to miss the opportunity to take him up on his invitation to see Paris.

Our tour began at about 2:00 PM and lasted until almost 8:00. Driving in Paris is an artform and very difficult. There are few rules and, as Nicolas explained, little regard for the police.

I wish I would have taken a map and a pen and paper with me to write down all the places we went! I was feeling so poorly, that I'm afraid my memory was compromised. I will tell you all the places I saw, but in completely random order.

Sacre Coeur : A place we did park and visit in person. Unless you have been, you cannot imagine the parking situation in Paris - it's impossible! To find a place to park is not unlike winning the lottery. We did find a place not far from the church, though, and made our way up the very narrow and crowded streets to the stairs at the bottom of this monument. It was if we were looking straight up! We climbed all the way to the top and went inside the church (the first monument for me to visit this trip). From the top of this place, you can see all of Paris - it's magnificent!

I thought I was in pretty good shape, but apparently not. The stairs left me winded and my legs begging for mercy. I think I will be in much better shape by the time I go back to Denver!

A man playing Beatles' songs on his guitar (with amp!) was entertaining many people on the steps; that was very cool!

Moulin Rouge: Not what or where I expected it to be. Much smaller and on a very busy street (ok, ALL the streets in Paris are busy). There are many sex shows in this arrondissement - a few streets, it seemed, only contained strip clubs and nothing else.

Arc de Triomphe via the Champs Elysees- from a distance as we did not make it up to the 8th arrondissement.

Cimitiere du Pere Lachaise - the outside only. But I could see some of the massive mausoleums and headstones peeking over the wall. Spooky, even during the day and from the outside! I can't wait to go back and spend the day there.

Comedie Francaise

Concergerie Palais de Justice

Eglise de la Madeleine

Eglise de la St. Eustache

Eglise St. Germain de Pres

Gare de l'Est

Gare du Nord

Musee d'Orsay

Musee d'Louvre

Opera Garnier

Opera Bastille

Palais du Luxembourg Senat

Pantheon

Place de la Bastille

Place des Vosges: We also got out here to walk around. I liked this place very much and will definitely go back! It's peaceful, even with many people in it. There were lots of families here playing with their children.

Rue de Rivoli

Rue du Faubourg St. Honore

Sorbonne

Theatre de l'Odeon

Place de la Concorde

La Samaritaine (a massive shopping center which was closed down recently).

Institut de France

Galleries Lafayette (another massive shopping center - I'll be going back to this also!)

Hotel Ritz

I think I got most of everything, but it's hard to know. It was a crazy adventure for sure! What's amazing is that the area we covered is so small - maybe 15 square miles? But it took six hours to navigate with traffic!

After the tour, we had dinner at a little Italian trattoria very close to my apartment (expensive but good!). I walked home home, crawled into bed, and slept until noon!

Thanks to Nicolas for showing me so many beautiful places and for being such a good sport about my being in bad shape! He is a great ambassador for this country and for Paris. He knows many things about the history of Paris and its monuments; I'm sure his voice is gone after telling me all the facts relating to these places! (I write like an 8th grader now - this is what I meant before about my 'voice' changing - it's freaking me out!).

It's 3:15 PM (7:15 AM in Denver) - I think I must still be on Denver time. Time to shower and head to the Franprix (a little market around the corner) for some food. I've had no appetite since being here - but I realize I need to eat something or risk getting more sick. I'm better today - which is good - but still feeling very tired!

The sun was out for a while earlier, but the gray skies have returned. I do not think it will rain today - so that is good; I feel like I've been soaked to the bone since arriving! I am looking forward to the time when spring decides to arrive in Paris!

-Shannon