It is now Sunday and we’ve been in Paris for a full week already (actually, slightly longer). Today is also the first rainy day we’ve had. Though, to be honest, I’m enjoying the laziness it provides. Mike has gone off to a museum in the 17th arrond. and Mark is prepping to head out to dinner and a show with family.<\/p>\n
That leaves me resting and recuperating from yeserday’s Gay Pride festivities. The parade began at 1:30PM at Montparnasse and wove a path through the city to the Ile St Louis and ultimately the Bastille. Silly me thought we could head out around 2:30PM to catch the parade as it crossed the bridge to the island.<\/p>\n
No.<\/p>\n
Mike and I sat and waited…and waited…and waited…until nearly 4:30PM for the first portions of the parade to come by. The sun was beating down upon us, resulting in a couple of cranky, sweaty Americans (fortunately I packed sunblock). We saw about 1.5 hours worth of the parade before giving up. I took some fun photos that I will post once I download them (these Parisians love their skimpy clothing and exposed breasts).<\/p>\n
After the parade, Mike and I headed out for dinner and settled for a horrible little cafe called, well, the Little Cafe. The waiter was cute in a bearish sort of way, but the service was horrible (my first stereotypical French experience). The food wasn’t much better (dried-out\u00a0poulet roti with gross pommes de terre). Mike’s lieue (a white fish) was tasty.<\/p>\n
The streets of the Marais were even more crowded (and equally loud)\u00a0than they were a few nights before for the F\u00eate de Musique. I can’t believe how much more this old city parties than Boston. To be honest, it goes a little beyond what I’d like in Boston, but it would be nice if Boston lightened up a bit. The carnival atmosphere on a few nights per year and the celebratory feelings throughout the area are worth the noise and debris (and, from a capitalist standpoint, the restaurants, shops, cafes and bars were making a killing).<\/p>\n
Later in the evening, Mike, Mark (and Mark’s friend, John) and I ventured to the bars. Most of the partying was taking place in the streets as entire neighborhoods were taken over as\u00a0block parties – making driving (or sleeping) impossible.<\/p>\n
One bar had a shower booth where a staff member\/dancer posed, stripped and oiled up \u00a0(I have photos…that I won’t post here).<\/p>\n
Now it is Sunday and I’ve done nothing but watch DVDs of Will and Grace, shower, and read the Amsterdam travel book I bought. Oh, I forgot – I also spent hours on the internet trying to find affordable parking in\u00a0Amsterdam (not an easy task).\u00a0Tomorrow we’re off to Amsterdam (a 5.25 hour drive). FUN! – we’ll probably stop off someplace in Belgium for lunch (scratching off two more countries from my list of unchartered territories). WOO HOO!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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