The Confessions of an American in Paris

I should be working on a paper due on Thursday, but I'm not...

This weekend was exactly what I needed to get away and relax. It took a while for it sink in that I was actually in Paris, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it.
To me, I already felt like I had been to Paris before as I have been to Montreal where all the signs and everything are in French. But it had the old buildings look of London. I was surprised how dirty the streets were.

On Saturday, our Eurostar train was delayed for an hour while we were on it, and then we had to wait forever at the train station, Gard du Nord to get metro tickets, but I didn't care because I was Paris!

Here's how getting my first crepe went down:

We were in some sort of area with food vendors everywhere in the St. Germain de Pres neighborhood and I really wanted a Parisian crepe. My friends were in some boulangerie (bakery) getting baguettes and stuff and there was a vendor making crepes from scratch where they put the batter on a surface and roll it onto a circle. but the line was about 20 people deep. I didn't care. They looked good.
The line barely moved as I was still on the end, and we only had a 1/2 hour to meet our group for a tour to go up the Eiffel Tour.

I didn't wanna make us late, so I rushed to a food vendor across the street that had no line. There were a couple of guys working it. The main guy was about my age, so I told him what I wanted.

Crepe guy: You have beautiful eyes.
Me: Thanks, can I get a nutella crepe?
Crepe guy: Ok, how old are you?
Me: 22. *thinking um can I have my crepe now?*
Crepe guy: I'm 22 also!
Me: oh Happy Birthday! *thinking okay, still waiting for my crepe*
Also me thinking: *ok this guy is full of crap*

They didn't even have fresh crepes! They were old ones just sitting there already made and he haphazardly puts on nutella. Not the Parisian crepe experience I imagined.

Seriously, can a girl get food in Paris without being seriously hit on or picked up?

The next day, I go to the same neighborhood for a gyro. There were pigeons EVERYWHERE. I am they were flying in every which direction and flying so close to my head. Me + pigeon phobia = no good. To me, nothing is worse than when pigeons flap their wings and fly.
It's hilarious, actually. In fact, the Italian guys in front of me thought the same thing laughing and being all, "We'll protect you."

When I finally get to order, the Middle Eastern guy was so sketchy. He was all, "Do you want to get a beer? What are you going at 6 pm tonight?" grrrrr. I felt like saying, "At 6 pm tonight I will be at the train station heading back to London while eating my gyro you're supposed to be making for me."

It's not even safe walking down the street without being obviously ogled at by creepers and getting cat calls. On my way out of the metro station, a guy was with his friend and tried to grab my arm as I walked by. Guys are so aggressive in Europe!

I guess that's my only issue with Paris. Other than that I love Paris and I WILL be back to spend more time than 28 hours could ever have afforded me.

Over the weekend I saw/did:
-Notre Dame Cathedral
-Went up the Eiffel Tower and saw a huge spectacular aerial view of Paris (the Eiffel Tour had lights sparkling all over at one point)
-ate a late dinner at La Marmite in the Montmartre district (and tried escargot for the first time... it's actually really good!)
-saw the Jardin du Luxembourg (I won't lie I only went there because it was featured in that Olsen twins Paris movie lol)
-Saw the Sorbonne while pretending I was smart enough to attend such a prestigious European institution
-Frantically searched for the Mona Lisa in the Louvre (I didn't have much time to spend in there you see) while getting lost on the way to the Louvre
-Saw the Arc de Triomphe and that circular roundabout where all the streets converge
-Window shopped on the Champs-Elysee

All in all a good, but short weekend!

Cheers!
Farida