Communication

Charles De Gaulle is a beautiful, modern airport, and we came through the new terminal, more beautiful and modern than the others. The signage was great - not just in that they include English, but the relative abundance of signs made navigating the airport a breeze. Then we left the airport...

We bought RER (their commuter rail) tickets to catch the train to Paris, but I wasn't convinced we were headed in the right direction until we got here. We changed for the Metro (unaware that we got a free transfer from the train to the subway, we looked around forever trying to figure out tickets) and took that a couple stops to our 'hood.

Paris, if anyone has been, has amazing food. This may be news to some, but believe me, it is indeed incredible. So we step off the Metro at our stop, walk up to the street, and our first sight in Paris is ... the KFC. I'm sure it's a very fine KFC, but I think Diana was ready to turn it around and head home. Fortunately, for the Parisians' sake, the place was empty. We wandered a bit, with our 50# suitcases, and eventually found our hotel. It is a charming place, if not for the Valley girls next to our room, up all night chatting about what Susie said about Sally or some nonsense.

So we have had (so far) two of the best dinners I could imagine. Good wine, amazing food, desserts and cafe (their espresso makes American espresso look like - I don't know what - baby formula? It is insanely strong - I love it!) We (the boys) went out our first night with the groom-to-be, had scallops in the best sauce ever, then met up with the girls at an English bar (the bartender spoke less French than me). We were troopers, staying out past 2 - good thing I had that cafe or I wouldn't have made it. Barely slept on the plane, no nap :( and lots of walking around before dinner to see the Pompidou Center and Notre Dame. Friday we took a bike tour of the city, saw all the amazing buildings and worked up an appetite for another awesome dinner (which started at 10:30 last night).

All that hustling about left us exhausted. We slept in a little too long today, so we just picked up a baguette and some cheese, had a picnic at a bus stop and now we're off to the wedding. And then! Then the adventure really gets going!

Oh - one point of contention with the Parisians: I only get 10, 20 and 50 Euro notes from the ATM - I don't have exact change. You are a store - you have lots of customers - I know you can break my 10. Quit making such a fuss! They don't have 4.26 euro notes and if they did I don't know where to get them - you're going to have to make change!