A view of Orleans from across the Loire river.  Not much more to say about this one than “Wow”.  I’m hoping that I can get some shots of the shops and streets tonight when we go to dinner.  It’s totally reminds me of a Hollywood set.  There’s nothing even remotely like it in the US.

We were driving home one night this week and stopped to admire the view and take a few pictures of the absolutely stunning Sainte Croix cathedral in Orléans from across the Loire river.  Interesting that most ALL of these pictures have been taken at night?  Not so much, since we worked 12 hour days, followed by a 3 hour dinner followed by a few hours of sleep.  Wash.Rinse.Repeat X 12.  But who am I to complain?  I’m IN FRANCE.

On Sunday, it was time to head to the airport and pick up a car to take to Orléans.  This was taken at the bus stop while waiting with my other co-workers for the next part of our trip.  Buh-bye Paris!

We went for dinner last Saturday night in the Montmartre neighborhood below the Sacré-Cœur, so we decided to go take a look.  After hoofing it up 14 flights of stairs (literally), we encountered a large croud sitting on the steps leading up to the basilica listening to music and reading poems.  Too bad I couldn’t enjoy it since I was dying of an asthma attack

Ever hear a German woman bust out with the American slang phrase “shit load”?  Funny stuff.

 ”Do you always make up your own rules?”

“Of course, this is France!”

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“You’re the one getting all the play”

“What kind of play would you like to get, L?”

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“You don’t like my door?  You insult my door?”

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“I think when this place was built they installed the pipes pointing in a ‘V’.  The shit just keeps piling up and up until it waves “Hi!” at you”

“And then the motion detectors finally turn on the lights?”

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“Did you see that security guard out there?  He’s hot! What’s his name?”

“Axel”

“No really.”

“Seriously.  Axel.  I’m incapable of making this stuff up”

“Axel?  How about something French?  Like Jacque?  Or Guillermo?”

“Guillermo?  That’s Mexican!”

“I’m reaching”

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“Would you like something to drink?”

“Everyone ordered wine, but I don’t drink.  Do you have juice?”

“Oui, we have orange juice, apple juice, grapefruit juice”

“Grape juice?”

“No”

“We are in wine country aren’t we?”

Made it to Orléans, about a two hour drive south today around 5pm.  More tonight, including some more pics from Paris.  The weather made a turn for the better as we were on our way south (go figure), so I’ll have more photos that acutally turn out (I hope).  Miss you all, and am loving the comments!

Jet Lag + stress + trying to shove 14 days worth of work into 7 + TOM = Total crap. 

Walked from our hotel to the Eiffel Tower tonight.  Took a bunch of pics from the 2nd observation deck, but most of them were crap since I apparently need Xanax to control the shakes wile taking pictures at night.  Since it was so foggy I didn’t figure anything would turn out, but you never knows what you’re gonna get, or so my aunt Sylvania (like the lightbulb) likes to say.  Kept thinking (courtesy of my good friend B), “Whatever you do, don’t cut off the top of the Eiffel Tower”.   Must be bad juju or something.  Loving the new camera, by the way.

1.  Paris in February = HUMID.  Hair shrunk up on arrival with lovely rats nest quality in .03 seconds.  Seattle can’t even make it this bad.  Is it possible to have 125% humidity?

2.  Ignore what TripAdvisor says.  Bee Shuttle service SUCKS.  Must take taxi or train at all costs.  See #3, #4 for implications of taking taxi.  If desperate, ParisShuttle appears to be more reliable, based on 40 other customers in waiting queue who were picked up on time.  I’ve met them all.  Strangely, they were mostly Steelers fans.  What’s up with that?

3.  Taxi drivers are NUTS.  Accustomed protocol says Ambulance trumps Taxi, but not so in Paris.

4.  Taxi drivers also do not take most expeditious route from airport.  Very much proven when driver misses basic instructions from GPS system while on mobile phone,  thus making passenger pay approx five euro more than necessary on fare.  Fine, except when passenger can READ MAP and see she’s getting screwed.

5.  Speaking of euro, the exchange rate is ABYSMAL.  $1.61 US to 1.00 Euro.  There’s nothing more depressing then exchanging $140 for €85, half of which was spent paying above mentioned taxi driver.  I’ve heard that a much better time will be had if you just stop doing the quick math in your head to approximate how much you’re spending.  This, in itself, is not enough to bust Myth #5.  Will wait on that one, since using scientific MythBusters method.

 6. Taxi drivers who speak little English also enlighten American passengers that the number 11 = “onze’ and the reason they know that is indirectly because of the September 11 tragedy.  Indirectly because “9-11, eh?  Michael Moore, documentary.  9-11, eh?”  Wow.

And this was my first three hours in France.