I heart Paris

Paris is amazing! I can't imagine how much more amazing it would be if I could speak French. Spanish works and so does English, but French would be better. I could actually hold entire conversations with people since they seem pretty friendly, at least the ones I've come across. In any case, I've been here a whole 9 hours now and I already know I want to come back.

I went wandering around le Marais today. That's the neighborhood I'm staying in. And then crossed a bridge and ended up on one of the two islands here - l'Il St. Louis. There is a proliferation of shops, restaurants, and cafes. I could have bought something in every shop, but I resisted (well, my pocketbook resisted). From the Ile St. Louis I crossed another bridge to the other island - l'Ile de la Cité. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is there. Beautiful, grandiose, gothic splendour. In a word: stunning. The light was perfect as it was late afternoon at this point. Pictures can be seen on my facebook page (which you'll know how to get to if you know me). I happened to be there right at the time of the Vespers mass. These women were singing and the incense was burning. It put me into a wonderful meditative state of relaxation. I wandered a bit more, and then found some dinner at an Italian trattoria/deli. I can easily imagine my brother opening a place like this someday. It's a little place, no more than 16 chairs, owned by a very friendly couple (French born, I think, but from Italian families). There was a deli case of various italian cold cuts and cheeses. They offered an antipasti plate, a few hot entrees, and an excellent wine collection. I had this wonderful roasted eggplant with sausage and roasted tomatoes, I think there was also some cheese on top (al forno), and a small green salad. Delicious! A glass of wine and some tea capped off the meal. It was so simple, but perfectly done. Exactly how food should be. So far, the first day (half day, really) in Paris has been excellent. Now, I just need to learn the language!