Final Day in Paris
So I left off with us going back to the hotel for a nap. One thing I forgot to mention about pefume shopping:
We saw crazy expensive fancy perfume in that one shop where I only knew two of the 30 brands available, "Juilette Has a Gun" and "Miller Harris" (and I only know these two brands randomly: a friend from the Grand Illusion introduced me to the former, and I was lucky enough to smell some Miller Harris when I stayed at the Empress Hotel in Victoria for an ASA Meeting) and right next door from the perfume shop was a smaller 5 and Dime shop that carried toiletries. At the cheap-o place next door they sold CREED, which by Nordstrom / American standards, is a TOP END / HIGH END perfume. So, yes - the Parisians consider CREED the type of perfume you buy at the grocery store (and CREED is *not* cheap). It made me think of my friend Fareed, who also likes perfume - especially CREED's AVENTUS. When we worked together we said we were the best smelling cubicle at UW.
OK - so we got back to our *budget* hotel and took a nap. We woke in time for dinner. This time I let Jared pick: indian food. Yes, Jared wanted indian food in Paris - but I'd been snobby about him indulging his gastro-interests in non-Parisian food, so I gave in. We made reservations at a highly rated place near the Eiffel Tower. We hopped on the Metro and headed down there. It was a bit of a walk, and we were 45 minutes late to our given reservations - but we made it. The waiter couldn't understand us - or didn't want to - and another waiter was summoned from the bowels of the restaurant to take our order. The food was excellent. Surprisingly, I liked the dish Jared ordered best, and he liked the dish I ordered best. We had a big meal and then walked around the Eiffel Tower.
Once again, a day late and a dollar short. We missed the last ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower by 10 minutes (just like I missed Manet's Olympia by 1 day). I had to keep reminding myself: just another reason to come back to Paris. I had been a pain earlier because I felt like there was so much to see and I couldn't cram it all in. I'll kill myself if I die before I get to visit Paris again :) I do need to come back and I have a long list of museums to see. Maybe I'll come in the winter so outdoor stuff won't be as tempting.....yes, already planning the next visit.
After walking around the Eiffel Tower (and the odd 'Museum of the Americas and Africa" - or - as I think it should be called - the Orientalizing Museum - it showed 'primitive' art from South America, Native American Art, and African Art - what a strange combination. The museum itself was in a very nice modern building, surrounded by fake marsh/swamp land. Dogtails stuck up around the perimiter like a gate.) we took the Metro to Pigalle to see the Moulin Rouge. As soon as you emerge from the metro station you can see the iconic structure. It was quite impressive. Again, another thing to put on the list: the Moulin Rouge was very expensive - $180 euros for a dinner and a show - someday I will spend the money and do it. Why not?
We walked around Pigalle to find a quiet spot for Jared to make a work call. It was 1:30 in the morning - Jared called a colleague and chatted with her about a case while I sipped on some not-soo-great rose. Pigalle also had a host of prostitutes - some of them male, some female, and some in between. All outgoing, non-pushy, and interesting. While the sex workers were out in force, the area did not feel unsafe to me.
From the Moulin Rouge it was a short walk back to the hotel, where I then began my last journal entry. I ended up not sleeping but closing my eyes for about 45 minutes until the front desk called us to let us know a cab had arrived. We had to get to Orly by cab since the buses/metro were not running so early. The ride was expesive - $60 euros - but there was no way around it. Tip for next time: make sure you plan your trip so you don't need to take a cab to the airport.
We checked in easily to our Vueling flight. I spent some time in the duty free shop, where I bought a tiny amount of perfume I hadn't seen back in the states (I'll google the reviews of it on basenotes later on tonight)...The flight was around 2 hours from Paris to LIsbon. Jared and I were exhausted but I couldn't sleep. He slept for 1.5 hours.
An uneventful arrival at the Lisbon airport. We could have easily taken the metro from the airport to our rented apartment for $2 euros a piece, but Jared was exhausted and insisted upon a cab, which was quick, easy but cost $32 euros. He happily paid for it - the man had gotten no sleep since we left (really since before we left). He still hasn't - staying up all night working. I feel bad for him. I wish his vacation was more of a vacation - but I also wish he'd take a vacation away from his fantasy sports league (I don't even know which one, because he does them all - there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't compulsively check his sports scores). I talked with Tina about all the sports obsession and I decided that it might be worth it to clock the amount of time he spends on his phone looking up scores (While we are out to dinner, while we are on the bus, in the middle of a conversation) and use that "clocked" time toward something I would like to do as a couple. 42 minutes of sports time in one day, fine! 42 minutes of perfume shopping where he is a good sport about smelling the stuff I put in front of him. Not such a bad idea.
I also wanted to include that last bit because Jared said the only reason anyone might read this is to see my little snipes about Jared (I guess there were a few in my SE Asia journal). To be honest, I didn't know anyone besides my family would have read SE Asia journal, so I wrote it (and this) as if it were a personal diary, Oh well. SO, I got my one snipe in. I told Jared he needs t0 guest post where he gets his little digs in at me.
So much for Paris. The next entry will be all about Lisbon. I'm on day 2 of the trip, but as I just ate something that might have had shrimp in it and had to take my pill, I'm too sleepy to write about it right now. Maybe I can get Jared to write on Lisbon? So far it has been beautiful and a much more relaxing pace than Paris.
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Jared's Reflections
Ditto on the European cab rides. Outrageously expensive, and the metros are essentially as convenient. Lesson learned.
The airport was easier than I expected given the first thing I saw was a notice limiting carry ons to 10 kg. Elizabeth and I both had seen 20 kg online before we left. The budget airlines like Vueling and RyanAir are notorious for augmenting their cheap ticket prices via fees and charges at the gate -- it was just 39 euro per ticket to fly from Paris to Lisbon (yes, cheaper than the cab ride to the airport). I was pleasantly surprised to receive the "pilot treatment" as I do at US airports, so we quickly skipped the long line of travelers, and were escorted to our own ticket agent. She allowed us to check our bags for free. I was grateful to be free of carrying the extra weight and paying the extra costs.
I was punch drunk giddy when we first got on the plane. It quickly faded on takeoff and I slept the whole way to Lisbon. The two hour flight gave us back one of the 9 hours we lost going from Seattle to Paris. I'd use that one for sleeping when I got a chance.
We deplaned onto the tarmac. It was 830 am and already hot. The beach was going to be nice, I thought. It was also bright. Which revealed the only casualty of the short trip: my cheapo polarized sunglasses. The shades were a fortuitous find at a neighborhood Seattle corner store, not a big expense - no more than $10. Their value lied in their rarity. And their present utility. The squinting was already giving me a headache by the time we got to The Blue House Lisboa, our apartment for the next few days.
