Glatty Goes Global: Paris Day 1

-------------AIRPORT----------------

Currently I am sitting in the airport waiting to board my plane in thirty minutes. I already hear people talking around me in rapid French. I am extremely excited to go back to Paris but its bitter sweet because part of me wishes that I was home for Christmas more than anything. Yesterday I came very close to breaking down and buying a ticket back to San Francisco, but I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t take advantage of having Christmas in another country. I arrive in Charles De Gaulle at 3 and I hopped on the RER to meet my friend Jonathan (Docta Shoes for my friends from USF) in his ‘hood.

I was really excited to eat and haven’t eaten in a while since I think that eating in Paris is far superior to eating anything in Scotland (don’t get me wrong I love Scotland but the food in Paris is far superior).

Me on the train to airport at like 7:30 am.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I much prefer to travel alone. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy vacationing with my family but I prefer travelling (like flying) by myself. Its so much easier to check in when there is only one of you and getting through security so much quicker. After I got through security I wandered around the shops for a bit looking at all the cheap perfume in the duty free stores. Maybe my whole family should travel separately whenever we go on vacation to avoid the eventual fights that always occur. Flying by myself is just much easier. And I enjoy it much more. But I wish I was meeting my family in Paris. I’ll let you know how it is to fly on Air France by the way (since I couldn’t get a flight on my favourite airline BMI).

-------- THE FLIGHT-------

Ok so I officially am in LOVE with Air France! Nice big seats, small sandwiches on a two hour flight and free wine (not that I had any because I wanted to be sober for customs and what not) but still. Absolutely amazing. And so much leg room. Will definitely be booking with Air France in the future for my trips to France.

The downside? The customs line at the Paris Airport was absolutely horrendous. It took me about an hour and a half to get through. It was so hot that eventually I had to start fanning myself with the book I was reading. Ugh. And then the customs guy literally looked at my passport for five seconds, only looked at the fact that I recently travelled to Copenhagen and the UK (which he looked and with interest but didn’t ask me any questions about) and then he didn’t even stamp my passport. ARGGHHHH. I was sooo pissed. I feel like if I am going to wait in a customs line for an hour and a half I should at least get a nice fancy stamp in my passport but I guess not.

On the bright side since it took so long to go through customs it was relatively easy to find my bag since there was no one on the carousel. I got my bags just fine and then headed to RER which is one of the main lines of transportation to Paris the city from Charles De Gaulle. It was hard to figure out how to buy a ticket but eventually I did it and got on the train to central Where I eventually met my friend at his stop Denfert-Rocherau.

Me in the underground.

The train ride there was so much different then I remembered Paris to be. Maybe since the first time I went to Paris I took a taxi and saw the nicer parts of town…. Or maybe I was just to enthralled and excited but I don’t remember that much graffiti and somewhat ghetto-ness. I didn't mind though really. It only really made me love Paris more since it reminded me slightly of San Francisco. I’m starting to think that Paris can do no wrong with me. Except I have started to realize that underneath the strong French nationalistic attitude still lies a somewhat strong division between black and white French people which somewhat delusions my perceptions of France.

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I met my friend Jonathan (aka Docta Shoes) in the underground station and he proceeded to walk me through the cutest market right by his flat. It had a tong of shellfish and lobsters and oysters (which you know that I’ll have to have all of). He took me to his flat, which I will be staying at while I am in Paris. It absolutely love his flat it is sooo cute. The only downside is the communal toilet (which you have to rub rubbing alcohol on every time you need to go to the bathroom). I took a shower and then we went and met his brother at his flat in Marais. I love his brother Daryl, he is soooo nice! I am starting to learn how to get myself around the Paris through the underground.

Daryl, Jonathan and I went to the Japanese district and for the first time in 5 months I had Asian food! It was so nice to finally have Asian food even if it was in Paris! We had the best Ramen. I ate ALL of mine I was so happy to finally have food in my belly especially of the Asian persuasion. Lucky Jonathan is getting really good at French so he can order for us and generally get us around. The ramen (or Lamen as they call it here in Paris was so good).

After Japanese we went out for a drink to one of Jonathan’s favourite spots. It was soo cute and very French. They made us cold Sangria, which was really good. The bar was darkly lit and had old French posters decorating the walls. After our drink we went and walked around Saint Michel for a while (saw a really drunk boy who I helped across the street but later on who hit his head and had to have an ambulance called for him, it was very scary). Jonathan and his brother got a crepe from this side shop that smelled absolutely divine but I knew that I wanted to save my calories for tomorrow. His brother ended up going home early but Jonathan and I met up with our friend Greyson from USF. Greyson, Jonathan and I went for a drink and a local bar to welcome Greyson to the city. We had to run to the underground and catch our lines back to our respective sleeping areas (Jonathan with his brother, Greyson in his hotel, an me at Jonathans flat). I got back to the flat fine…. eventually. I got a little lost on the streets but it was quite and nice out so though I got lost I didn’t mind it much. I walked home by myself it really wasn’t that bad and the streets were so still it was amazing.

As I finish this blog I am laying in Jonathan’s bed listening to a French lady sing somewhere near me. Paris is amazing and I am already back in love with it.