Bonjour Paris!

Bonjour Island readers! I've made it to Paris and have not fallen asleep yet (it was a very long travel day and half). Even though it will still be light out, I will probably be in bed by 8 pm - don't judge.

I spent today wandering around my neighborhood getting a feel for things. I found two of the Metro stations, the grocery store, and two shopping centers (for lack of a better word). And cafe after cafe after cafe. It's a nice area - easy to get around and find my way back to le petit studio.




I rented a very petit studio for the week in the 8th and 9th arrondissements. The Paris Opera is not too far from here. I'm right near Boulevard Haussmann and two Metro stations so getting around is going to be easy. However, I think the stairs in the building may actually be the death of me. I don't know what I was expecting - I'm on the sixth floor of a very old building. I guess the stairs will balance all the macarons and cheese that I plan to eat while here. The room is tiny and will be perfect for when I'm gone all day and just need a place to sleep at the end of the day (if I can make it to the top floor). And also not fight with the key. It's an ongoing battle that I intend to win.

I can't say enough good things about my host. I found out today that he's lived in Louisiana (grew up there? - I'm still a little unsure of that part), went to LSU, and owns condos in Baton Rouge. Small world, I guess. His cousin, Pascal, picked me up at the airport and told me all of this. We talked about Louisiana and he made some recommendations for what to do while I'm here. He also suggested that I dedicate my blog this week to observing the French and writing about them. He thought I'd find that the cliches are true!

After getting settled in le petit studio, I walked around the neighborhood a bit and got some lunch. It just so happened that there was a park not too far from the place I stopped. I got my lunch to go and went and sat in the Square Louis XVI. It is the only public place in Paris named for the monarch and it contains the atoning chapel which memorializes Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (they were originally buried here). It was nice to just sit in a quiet park off a very busy street and not do anything. People watching is going to be my new favorite thing. This is what I'm here to experience and enjoy.

It doesn't hurt that I purchased a pistachio macaron (not from Laduree - that's tomorrow) too. Heavenly.

Tomorrow: the Eiffel Tower and who knows what else?!