LUCKY!!!!!!

Sitting on my suitcase outside the wrought-iron gates of my apartment, I mentally ticked off the list of jobs that I needed to achieve before my departure. I was feeling apprehensive as the exciting chapter of my adventures in France was about to turn the page:

The gas was turned off, the taps had been triple checked, the doors were locked, I remembered to pack my camera, my passport, etc.

It was 5:00 p.m. sharp as I was picked up by a very kind english teacher at my school, J. He was travelling to Paris the next day with his wife and daughter to spend time with his family that lived there. I was soooooo lucky to travel with them in the car. The journey is VERY expensive by train. However, I was very privileged to be the benefactor of their warm generosity, charm and wonderful hospitality.

I was delighted to meet C, J and B's young adult daughter. Her sense of humour, warm personality and endearing bubbly personality ensured that we had a very merry, shared dinner. 

J had a transport card that he very kindly allowed me to use for his visit to Paris. As it turned out, it was a brilliant Godsend. I was able to have limitless travel on the Paris metro. All it required was a small photo of myself. This proved to be more difficult than you can imagine. We tried all sorts of clever ways to take a photo of me and print it. Trouble with the computer and other technical devices meant that J toiled patiently for about an hour to FINALLY produce the finished masterpiece. The quick snap taken of my face and shoulders, became a tortured, grossly widened piece of photographic manipulation. We all rolled on the floor in fits of laughter at the photo of me that had a very close resemblance of Miss Piggy wearing Viki's spectacles. It transpired to be a wonderful asset. I used this pass for the entire six days with unlimited use of the Paris Metro. It only cost about 40 dollars. I blessed it every time I used it. All I had to do was to wave it magically over the sensor in order to allow me to pass into the underworld. Lucky!!!! I was extremely grateful for C's confidence and swift execution of loading the card for me when we first landed in Paris. For some bizarre twist of abnormality, the photo loaded onto this blog upside down. Perfect. That means you cannot examine closely the repugnant image of moi.

The dinner was delicious. Spagetti bolognese. My contribution was an apple crumble. An attempt to replicate a favourite NZ dessert. 

The previous day I had spent a long time in the supermarket looking for all the specific ingredients to give it the most detailed and accurate resemblance to the way I cook it back home. After about an hour of repeatedly searching through the aisles, I decided to settle for a disappointingly easy option. I bought a pre-prepared packet of topping. 

We managed to find room in our bellies for this filling desert. The hosts made positive noises as to how delicious the desert was. I was slightly embarrassed that I had stooped to preparing it the easy way. 

I took a photo of the two aperitif wines. I will definitely buy these two bottles at the local liquor store. They were a perfect start to the meal.

The muscat had a light, sweet and wine-like quality.

I had an incredibly comfortable sleep in their spare room. We rose quite early and had a wonderful breakfast together. There wasn't too much fuss at all, as the car was loaded. The early morning light was filtered and beautiful for  the to and fro movements as the car was prepared for the long journey ahead. 

I was sooooooo lucky to sit in the back of the car and watch the scenery from a comfortable and stress-free vantage.

C sat in the back as well.

The journey to Paris began at about 8:00 a.m. and finished at about 4:30 p.m.

The first hour was BEAUTIFUL. The local roads, mountains and villages were as pretty as a postcard. We all laughed and conversed with excitement. 

Once the scenery settled into main autoroute highway, we all settled into our own peaceful thoughts. I took the opportunity to spend a wonderful hour and a half listening to Joseph's Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat on my i phone. I realised after that, that I needed to conserve the battery. So no more listening to music.

The hours passed by very pleasantly and comfortably as J drove with skill. The car handled the journey with ease.

B had packed a fantastic french picnic lunch; we coped with turkish style toilets en route; we were constantly paying tariffs for road usage via toll booths; and the changing countryside and weather ensured that we were constantly entertained.

As we approached Paris, the mood in the car began to change gears. We hit metropolis with a jolt; lane changing, traffic lights and manoeuvring through busy streets. Next thing I knew, J swooped onto a footpath, we quickly cheek kissed farewells and C and I were bustling towards the Metro.

C lived in Paris and knew the ropes. I metaphorically clung close to her as I was launched like a catapult into the bustle of the city.

 The first thing that hit me was the NOISE!!!! Amazing!!!!

We flung ourselves onto two connecting Metros. The noises were so totally foreign and bewildering, I began to shake. C sensed my nerves and asked if I was all right. I was overwhelmed with fear in a very short period of time since exiting the car. I responded with a nod of the head, my petrified eyes brimming with emotion.

With my small suitcase on wheels, we negotiated the streets to find my hotel. I was sooooooooo lucky that C lived 7 minutes from my hotel. This was a miraculous coincidence. C escorted me to my two star room. We both stood in silence as we surveyed the postage stamp sized room.

I assured her that I was fine now and that it was now safe for me to become independent. 

After her departure I snapped the room to record for posterity my residence. I also knew that you would be interested to see my temporary Parisian paradise. After all, I have invited you to MEET ME IN FRANCE.

Hmmmm. 6 nights in this little haven of loveliness. 

Interesting. I was very, very lucky to have found a very affordable accommodation that would allow me to stay so long in Paris.

I had booked a bike tour of Paris the next day. It began at 10:00 a.m.

I was petrified to tackle the Metro on my own. The thought of trying to figure it out and arrive at the designated rendez-vous in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral filled me with terror. I decided I would do a dummy run of the route that I should follow the next day. This would ensure that I would arrive early, safe and relaxed. 

The next two weeks became an oscillating curve of good idea/bad idea.

The dummy run to the Notre Dame turned a good idea into a bad idea.

I congratulated myself for calculating an easy route. I was very happy to be doing a walk-especially after such a long car trip. The dark, overhanging clouds were a non-existent backdrop to my buoyant mood. The thunder and lightening were an exciting dimension to this wonderful promenade.

It was when the heavens opened and I became soaked to the skin in a matter of minutes that my happy disposition turned into me becoming bedraggled kiwi idiot tourist. I arrived back at the hotel sodden and thoroughly annoyed with myself for not taking my umbrella and for not heeding the warning signs about the weather.

This was a very interesting introduction to gay Paree. I wonder how my luck was going to hold out?????