Ahh..Paris. Even if it's in a maggie.

Gargoyles. Argh. I bought National Geographic Traveler tonight as an escape from the dreary Winter. I saw the feature on Paris on the cover, and I was eager to read all of tips on lodging, museums, and most importantly, the food. As I flipped the pages, there was an image taken from the top of Notre Dame cathedral with the gargoyles in the foreground, overlooking the Seine. It was the same image I saw just over a month ago. As I squinted at the picture, I could see the rugby/soccer shop where Jesse bought his jersey. The bright yellow canopy brightly set the shop apart from the river walls. I closed my eyes, and I was there, the cold, brisk wind blowing in my face, the gleaming mid-Winter sun drenching the observation desk.

Even as a I sat on the green line train engrossed in the article, reading each listing to see if I had visited it last month, I felt as if I was in Paris, just taking the Metro line 4 back to Boulevard du Raspail. So ready to reutrn...

first trip with another backpack....

I just got back from Paris. It was my first trip without my green backpack in 13 years. My purple one filled in just fine, providing appropriate storage for my carry-on junk (I'm a heavy packer!), my laptop, and other trinkets I carried to and from Paris.

Paris was fantastic. It was chilly, but not cold (around 45-50 degrees), and without the crowds of even shoulder season (Fall, when I was there last). January is the best time to come to Paris. The government mandated sales mean slashed priced at almost every store, from the high end boutiques to "les grands magasins"/department stores, to even smaller local specialty shops. The lines at attractions, if there were any, moved quickly.

I was very relieved that my French held up well in the city. Since we stayed in Montparnasse, an area in the 14th on the left bank, removed from many tourist areas, it gave me the chance to speak in French, not only for convenience, but for functioning. Three times I was complimented on my French, and the look of surprise on the peoples' faces was priceless when I said American.

The next trip I take to Paris, I hope to delve deeper into the less "touristy" spots of the city, since I've now covered all the "must sees" twice. Going back as an adult allowed me to explore all of the places that I missed during my last visit 10 years ago, when I was a naive 19/20 year old backpacker.

When I arrived at home, my green LL Bean backpack was waiting for me. It had been repaired in Maine, and sent back to me. New zippers, new zipper tabs. Same old backpack. It's been to Paris once, maybe its next trip will be somewhere new.

Return to France

I'm heading back to the land of crepes and nutella for breakfast! the land of moules-frites, steak-frites, and just frites. It's my return to Paris, to Rennes, and Mont St. Michel, my most favorite spot in France. I'm leaving on a jet plane in January...not the most ideal time for frolicking on the banks of the Seine, but still it's away from North America, and away from home. A few days away from the madness of everyday life as an archivist.
I'm most looking forward to returning to Paris, and seeing everything that I missed the last time. I'm a step above being a naive backpacker, and definitely a few flights from the Ritz. I'm making lots of lists, of all the things I want to squeeze in...how can I resist being a master planner?
The Eiffel Tower at night, Sacre-Coeur, a return visit to the Musee d'Orsay. All on the list. Et bien sur, a return visit to Rennes.
Just have to get the backpack fixed...need an emergency trip to Freeport
Too much to think about....ahh....