September 2

Bienvenue a Paris!

So, I have arrived. I have come - finally - to live in Paris!

After a grueling flight we arrived to Paris in the rain. Yep, it was raining cats and french poodles (I couldn't resist that)which slowed traffic into the city because of it.

I flew Air France. The name would suggest that they took pride in their namesake: France, but one wouldn't know from the food served. Yikes! Overcooked, tiny entree with week-old croissants and chocolate cake without frosting! (can you imagine?): whatever happened to good airline food? Gone. Gone with the economy wind. I remember flying business class to Hong Kong where they laid out large Cadbury bars; every five minutes (when the business men were asleep) I snuck to the Cabury and suffed more in my pockets. I think Northwest changed their policy of free chocolate after that. I am sure they talked about me for years and now, alas, one is not served free range chocolate, any more. Yep, blame it on me! With the poor food on Air France, it was a great time to continue on my never-ending diet! Next to me was a mother and three young children, all banging, arguing and carrying on for the entire flight until we were ready to land; then they went to sleep. Needless to say, no one surrounding this entourage slept on the plane. It was a sold out flight; we were packed into our little cells like prisoners in the Bastille.

OK, now that I have gotten that out of the way, here I am at my new apartment in the 15th. The apartment itself is fine and the neighborhood even better, bustling with people, shops, restaurants and walking distance to the Eiffel Tower, two blocks from the Seine. I hope to get some of the kinks worked out in the apartment. It is interesting to note that my SOS emails to my rental agency are not going answered. I will give them another day and then tell you who NOT to use when you come to Paris....

I always had a fantasy about rain in Paris. There is something romantic about the cats and french poodles in Paris, isn't there? It is lightly drizzling now as I type this to you. But alas, I am alone....

Today I went to the open air market and purchased fresh food. Then later I went to the Monoprix (super market) where I waited forty-five minutes in line to check out. No "Two's Company" policy, like at Albertson's back home. After a rest I sauntered to the Eiffel Tower. What would Paris be without the Eiffel Tower? Forget how touristy it is. The angles of the Tower are a photographer's dream. I ended walking about seven miles today and decided to stay home this evening to see if I could download the photos. Downloading photos: not the easiest thing for this writer, but hopefully I will figure it out so I can share some of my photography with you.

Word of the Day: Bienvenue - Welcome