day 2 - a day of extremes

Let's just say that since yesterday was one of the biggest ironies of our lives, we shall do a quick summary and then move right on to today.  The word "thanksgiving" entails enumerating one's blessing and giving thanks to God.  Our blessings began with a late checkout, and depositing baggage at the desk so we could have our sightseeing day before transferring to Versailles (where Marie Helene, my friend from college days in France, now lives; her generosity has us staying there for free - Blessing #1). 

We dropped into the Metro and popped out at Charles de Gaulle Etoile to begin our day in the afternoon.  Our day was to have been composed of a long walk from one end of the Champs Elysees to the other with a bit of window shopping, a nice meal, and some historic encounters as a preview to the following day at the Louvre.

 Instead, it seems that Paris was having a bad case of the flu.  During the course of the next nine hours, having been robbed by a cluster of ten year old bandits in the middle of a fine restaurant in broad daylight (how does this HAPPEN? Highlight: mental snapshot of the day, my triathlete daughter running full tilt down the Champs Elysees chasing a gaggle of boys who promptly vanish into thin air with her iPhone), we were utterly astonished at the sheer volume and flurry of activity.  We had had (albeit somewhat strained) interactions with le Commissariat de Police, the media geek at a store called "Virgin Mobile," the restaurant owner, a terribly substandard waitress, and a group of nice people at the local Al Anon meeting. The meal itself was indeed fitting for a Thanksgiving in Paris (a succulent pave de saumon, a refreshing ratatouille, tagliatelle, salade avec chevre chaux, mousse au chocolat and creme brulee), - and eventually given to us for free - Blessing #2.  Still debating whether or not it was worth the price of the iPhone. 

There is no denying the wonder and glitter of the Champs Elysees by night, all dressed up for Christmas - Blessing #3.  We were struck, however, by the juxtaposition that  gloriously extravagant celebration exists within a cadre of evil to which we, as yet, are not accustomed - blessing #4.  Paris is changing...as a reflection of the present world where children are not protected.   (What kind of person trains a child to steal for them?)

Among the sweeter memories of this Thanksgiving night were a doggie named Bijou, the carols in the air, and the various culinary delights of the season from many nations, presented in booth after booth of brightly twinkling lights and deep fragrances of diverse kinds from specialty wood-grilled meats and roasted chestnuts to mulled wines and tiny fluted sugar cakes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In some measure healed by it all, we prayed for the boys in the gang, and set off to retrieve our luggage and move to Versailles.

But Paris continued to throw up on us....and we would arrive at Versailles much later than intended, having suffered this time from misinformation that often  happens during periods of construction in the metro, although no one here is in agreement as to what really was the problem...it's a French thing, I think.  Anyway, it was a series of perfect storms, as it were, that got us in to our new hotel (grace a Dieu - blessing #5)  in the middle of the night, having missed dinner with my friend, wearied of travel in general and concluding that we did not, in fact, love Paris.  Boo for you, bad old Paris.  Get well soon, s'il vous plait.

Once safely installed in our new room, we blacked out around 3 a.m.   To be continued...