Orly West

It's offical, Paris kicks ass! This place truly is awesome. My French isn't great but it passes, and many people here can speak English, though they make a point of saying they don't.
The French are very different. So far I like it. Case in point: last night I went to a restaurant bathroom (unisex) Instead of the toilet I was expecting was this small room with a hole in the floor. It was neatly finished in ceramic and bergundy wallpaper, with two raised stands (to stand on presumably) and a tassely cord to pull to flush the floor. Lots of ordinary everyday things are simply done another way here.

Street life. Really awesome. I managed to get myself lost looking for an address on Bvd Richard Lenoir (turned up on Rue Richard Lenoir) when I came across a gang of youths. THey were drinking beer out of tiny bottles and... playing boules. And table tennis. In the street. At 11pm. The cafes were still open and the place had a friendly, buzzy vibe. The boulevards a beautiful and the architecture just fits together.

The people are colorful. Paris is very mixed ethnically, the dress seems to fit into an all sorts/mismatched theme. It's good to be back in style.

Paris is not as expensive as London but it's still pricey. If I fixed my French I can see it as a place I'd like to live. And there's lots and lots of cheese :-)

But I'm pressing on. I can't find a hostel for tonight so I'm heading south. Bus to airport �7.50, flight �20 something plus tax. I've heard Marseille has topless beaches on the Mediterranean. I could be going for the history or the art galleries, seems from where I'm standing I could go in any direction for those. So I'm going to Marseille. It's been a long long while since I've seen a pair of breasts, and I think it would do me good.

Created 2004-06-11 00:00:00 by 294 and filed under introspection