Every now & then, Olivier & I go running amok in Paris because of the fact that there is so much to see & do here.Most of the time, the crowds, the long lines & general presence of the humans all get on my nerves. But there is one place here in the city that I enjoy not only for its beauty, but because the majority of people that are there can't bother me because for one, I have such a deep respect for them...& for another, because they're dead.That place is a famous cemetery called Père Lachaise.While wandering among the graves here, you're bound to recognize a few names. Like the French poet, Gérard de Nerval...“The first moments of sleep are an image of death; a hazy torpor grips our thoughts and it becomes impossible for us to determine the exact instant when the ''I,'' under another form, continues the task of existence." - Gérard de NervalNot...
“Enterrement de vie de garçon.” Basically, this translates to “burial/funeral of the boy”. No, it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has died – well, not literally, anyway. This is what many of us refer to as “the Bachelor Party”. Naturally, I can’t speak for all French people, but I can tell you that the traditional pre-wedding festivities for the guys here isn’t the same as it is for most American guys.Based on my observations, it seems that the bachelor celebration in France consists of a few basic factors:- Attack the groom-to-be when he least expects it, and then abduct him.- Relieve the victim of his possessions. i.e., wallet, cell phone, etc.- Dress him in ridiculous clothes – the more humiliating, the better.- Take him to a highly populated area & display him before the public.- Get extremely fucking drunk.The activities that these...
When I first moved in with Olivier, this little apartment in Montmartre looked more like a Rubik's Cube than an apartment. The living room was Easter yellow, the foyer, an obnoxious bright orange. Or, what I like to call "traffic cone orange." These areas were of course taking attention away from the purple bedroom and the bright green kitchen with the fire-engine red floor. What baffled me the most was that the little room with the toilet was painted brown. I always assumed that this was intended to provide inspiration for the occupant. Naturally, we've spent plenty of time over the past year working on repairs and some more visually friendly color schemes, so as to avoid any more sensory overload in the eyes. So, if anyone has any illusions as to life in Paris being at all glamorous......if that is not enough to convince you, then maybe a shot of yours truly doing an impression of a high school janitor in her husband's...
We had planned on Friday night being rather uneventful. Olivier & I rented a couple of movies & were serenely stuffing our faces with a variety of snacks.Then we heard a bomb go off…colorful flames & sparks appeared on the other side of the living room window. We both jumped up out of our seats & quite naturally, ran directly toward the threat.Fireworks. It was the night before Bastille Day. We looked down on the street that lay 5 floors below us. There stood a group of what appeared to be 4 or 5 grown men who were firing off some very large fireworks at the buildings surrounding them, along with parked cars & motorcycles.It was right about then that we had started to imagine cars exploding in front of our building, or the entire building burning down.For the first time in his life, Olivier called the police. We are now officially on our...
WHAT I MISS ABOUT COLORADO1 – Fried pickles from Remo’s down on 4th Street in Loveland.2 – Arby’s. I cannot say this enough. I would fall down on my knees at the counter & bring offerings to the high-school student at the cash register for just one Beef & Cheddar combo meal with Mozzarella Sticks right now.3 – Wal-Mart. Low, low prices every day. I could buy cat food, socks, a goldfish, a banana & a TV all in one place.4 – The Halloween stores in October. Halloween barely exists in France. I miss my annual shopping trips for new home décor items at the Halloween shops.5 – The drive-in theater. In the summer, I miss the gluttonous & lazy fun of sitting in the car, gorging on a bunch of crappy nachos & candy while watching movies with my friends. The drive-in theaters are almost gone in the states & they...
Olivier & I have made it point to get out of the damn house from time to time. As much as I love to hermit & as much as the humans get on my nerves, this is Paris, so it would be absurd not to go out & get some culture. The Jardin des Tuileries is the most central garden in Paris...& it's big. It's difficult to miss it. Not only that, but it is beautiful, & therefore filled with tourists. But, there is an even greater feature of this place - you can do some hobo-style brown bag drinkin' & no one will give you any guff. We decided to check out Le Musée de l'Orangerie. For what? Well, for paintings. You come to Paris, you see paintings...& lots of 'em. Of course, there is Monet... And Cézanne... ...& some French guy roaming about in the middle of the exhibit. Once we got back outside, we...
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