When we did the math to figure out we would be landing at 5 am EST, we knew we were in trouble. As much as we attempted to sleep on the plane, the cards were just not dealt in our favor. After a 7 hour view of night sky, ocean, and an occasional span of icy land, I was excited to see something different. I was anxious and ready to bust, my mind filled with dreams of delicious food and wine. I was ready to get off this plane.
So begins my first journal entry on our 17 day journey through France and Italy, a trip one year in the making...
As we cross the English Channel, I take note of the ground below. It's France, and I'm seeing it for the first time. Low clouds look as if they are floating on water over channel. The farm lands irregular shapes with cute little towns spattered throughout. Jet stream blurs the landscape, it looks like an old movie, like a storybook.
We arrive at Charles de Gaulle. The customs super lax, don't even know if they checked my passport. Tom laughs as cute little boy speaks excitedly in French to his dad, a thing that never fails to be funny and cute through out our trip.
The train systems are confusing, says it accepts credit cards but doesn't. We board a train which is styled in a gross primary color palette, worn down and covered in graffiti. The disorganization and lack of sleep has me on edge. Can I begin my vacation yet?
French fall colors begin to relax me. Tom sleeps on my shoulder and keeps saying "don't want to miss the city" and then falls back asleep. We are spit out near Luxembourg gardens, take very small elevator up to our dollhouse room. Dollhouse because it is equally tiny and adorable.
Open the door to a busy restaurant, Cremerie Polidor, and are thrust into French life before we are ready. Waitress scribbles 9.50 per carafe on checkered tablecloth. The unknown house wine at Cremerie Polidor is dry, earthy, very French. We feel somewhat out of place, need to get in groove. We are young and foreign, overly self-conscoius.
We dine on pumpkin soup and beef bourgignon, two entrees we will have again and better the following night. I kept feeling like I was getting glares for taking pictures, but I guess I started a trend, as the French man I thought scoffed at me proceeds to take photos of his date. Alright, I could get into this… EVERYONE is drinking wine
Off to Notre Dame and Ile St. Louis.
There are plastic bags of fresh bread at Monoprix right next to cosmetics and ladies clothes. Jumbo sized leaves (big enough to cover my head) line the sidewalks. We pop into a shop, get some chocolate cake 4 free, merci. Almost run over by a dog, there are lots all over Paris.
Need to find relief. French public bathrooms are sooo weird, although later we discover bathrooms in Europe or just weird in general. We follow signs, which lead us underground. There is no distinction between men and ladies, they keep telling us it is free but there is a ticket booth and turnstiles.
Notre Dame looks amazing from all angles, yellow leaves against the grey stone. Too many crazy pigeons, children chase them. Light pours into the windows of the cathedral, very appropriately lighting up a jesus on a crucifix, this is what churches should look like, moving.
"Do you speak English?" I am handed a card with a sob story asking for money. Our first tourist scam, but certainly not our last. Not so bad in France, but Italy is obnoxious.
Too many gourmet shops in Ile St. Louis, it is intimidating for the first day of the trip. We go to Berthillion despite freezing cold weather, I've been dreaming off it and I will have my ice cream, and oh boy the ice cream we did have. Dark chocolate so rich and creamy with a perfectly tangy raspberry sauce that Tom proceeds to drink after the ice cream is gone.
Everywhere we turn it is beautiful buildings with lights and fountains. We officially fall in love with Paris at night, all life swirls around the Seine. Now I feel it, we are on vacation.
Window shop for dinner. Stop for at a café where the coffee is delicious, apparently we aren't supposed to get café ole at night, oops. A bubbly server responds to Tom "do you get a lot of people at this time of night", and in a sing song she answers him for 5 minutes while bouncing around and cleaning tables. We can't understand a word, but French people so far very nice.
Wander around looking for Louvre, and are taken aback by its unimpressive entrance on the outside. It is a disguise, as we are led to breathtaking courtyard!! Oh wow, the lighting makes the statues appear like they were painted on, like the cutout city on the moon in Baron Munchaussen. The walls drowns out city noise, and the air is filled with the eerie melody of some flute player in the distance.
Try and find our way back across the Seine, get lost, ask for directions... it is intimidating, but people are nice and often speak English. We avoid the smoky bars, and have to take a chance on a mystery food spot, hope its good.
Tom is still having mixed luck with speaking French but Paris is the place to learn, and by Beaune he is my hero and by Lyon, I am anxious to speak Italian
The Brouilly is very light and fruity, but the cheap Bordeaux overshadows with its explosive with flavor, perfect with the steak au poivre. Portions surprisingly large and, not so surprising, the ratatouille is scrumptious. I didn't realize how hungry we really were, and we gobble up our "partege" dinner.
Paris is never ending quaint, seriously cute. All the little shops and streets, cafes and restaurants, adorable. Well, except for weird restaurants with moss walls and chandelier tubes spouting feathers, we definitely prefer the homestyle authentic to artsy modern haut cuisine.
On the way back to our hotel, we see a fight break out in front of a bar and gawked with other tourists. We even grabbed some snacks from a street vendor while we were entertained, root beer sour belts.
All in all, a very good first day. We fall asleep exhausted and overwhelmed.