Checking in Around Paris

A fountain in Chatelet near Les Halles.

 Bonjour, aloha and welcome, my friends,

It's been a busy two weeks since my last blog post.  I've completely suspended my search for a new apartment and have decided to stay in my tiny apartment with the sexy view.  My most excellent and understanding landlords are going to work with me in getting some furniture which will be better suited to my life/work and the SOLDES (sales) have begun in every shop in Paris.  I think I shall soon be the owner of a new and comfy bed and a desk that better suits my computing habits.  So, without further ado, here are my observations:

Technology:  It only just occurred to me that I can check into places as I wander around Paris.  I see my friends checking in at Joe’s Dine & Dash and thought, “Hey!  I can check in at the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame and the like,” and now I do.

City Life:  Never lock your key in your apartment in Paris.  Locksmiths here charge through the nose.  I was offered a locksmith service for 200 Euros who promised not only to break the lock, but charge me up to another 800 Euros to replace it.  I decided that for 200 Euros I could break my own lock.  In the end, good friends put me up for the night and the landlord arranged a new key for me the next day, free of charge.

Durex. Woot!

Sex: There are condom machines on the street here.  They can be found just about anywhere.

Culture:  I’m officially part of Parisian culture.  This is also true of most kinds of bacteria, but let me explain.  There is a small cadre of ex-pat bloggers who take the time to explain Paris to both non-Parisians and Parisian Anglophones.  Over time, I hope to feature a few of these other bloggers on my blog for a bit of cross cultural exchange of ideas.

Sport: Since arriving in Paris the only sports I’ve noticed were reports on the Internets about the Stanley Cup.  To think that I nearly moved to Vancouver… I could have been an instigator in a riot!  Oh well, there will be demonstrations in Paris I can participate in, I’m sure.

A bicycle path cuts its way through the
busy streets and sidewalks of Paris.

Transportation:  I’ve mentioned that getting around the city on a bicycle is possible and maybe even less dangerous than other cities.   Now cyclists are kinda psychotic and the French certainly have their moments, and so where would a French cyclist ride?  On a cycle path!  (Get it?)  Here’s one below:

More Sport:  Next week I start fencing lessons.  This has been on my “to do” list for years and now… it is finally happening. I’ll be taking private lessons ‘til September when group classes start.  If I get good fast (I’m pretty handy with my fists), then I’ll probably continue with private lessons as well.

Fashion:  When the temperatures in Paris dip below 19C (below whatever room temperature is in F), it seems that everyone in Paris sports a jacket and a scarf.  I’m convinced that this is for fashion more than for comfort, though my French friends wonder how I can survive the cold without a jacket when it gets to be so cold. "These are my Canadian powers at work," I reply. They murmur a long “Ohhh" and nod in understanding.  :)

Cook'n With Class.  Remember you saw
it here first, my friends.  Unless you've
already been there in which case... 

Food:  I was treated to check out a place called Cook’n with Class in the 18th.  Yes, I was brave enough to go into the 18th without a sidearm.  It turns out that this is a great place for an Anglophone to take a few French cooking classes on their visits to Paris.  The link is as follows: http://cooknwithclass.com/

Architecture:  I could swear that when I left, there were was not a guard fence at the Saint Paul metro station.  I’ve taken the liberty to examine them and they look like they have been there for years.  They totally weren’t there!  I swear!

Vampires:  2 weeks ago, I had noisy neighbours across the hall.  Vampires came as I mentioned last time.  This week, I have no neighbours across the hall.  No one says anything about it.

Pride: On Saturday, the gays had a pride parade that raced around Le Marias.  For the most part, I didn’t notice any difference between that and a regular day in Le Marais except the music was a lot louder.  Today (Sunday) penitent Catholics went through a similar path praying and singing hymns very loudly.  They say that you should not judge someone’s taste in music, lest your taste in music also be judged.  I gotta say though, the gays have WAY better music than the Catholics.

That’s all for this time my friends.  I hope this blog posting finds you in the best of health and spirits.

Your humble servant,
Sir Robyn

P.S. If you have a few extra mouse clicks for your humble friend and Parisian blogger… please leave a comment or “follow” my blog, or “like” it, or “tweet” it, or “share” it or whatever you young kids do on the Internets these days. Many thanks in advance.