Buenos dias
We spent four lovely days in Paris, though the city of romance didn´t really turn on the weather charm, and our umbrellas got a workout. Our hotel was in the middle of a busy bar and restaurant area, which made for good nights out and short walks home, but drunken singing outside our window in the middle of the night (not by us). We met up again with Emmanuelle, a lovely French journalist who we initially met on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. She gave us some tips on what to see and do, and took us out to a restaurant owned by a couple of her friends for some true french bistro food. We are planning to catch up with her and her partner again when we get to Barcelona.
We managed to combine some classic tourist stops with a little soaking up of the culture of the streets of Paris. In one eventful day we went to the Museum of Modern Art at the Pompidou Centre (very modern and eye opening, but we have decided that we just don´t have the art appreciation gene, and sometimes just don´t get it!), the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre! We managed to put a lot of ticks on our tourist checklist that day. Maddi had previously avoided the Louvre as a lot of the art is quite old, and it is huge. We did the right thing though, and saw the Mona Lisa (tick!) as well as a random selection from the vast array of art on display.
Adam was very excited to learn that the Paris Motor Show was on while we were in town, as you would know if you have looked at the photos. In perfect man/woman style, he spent the morning there while Maddi went shopping in the Marais district. Not much money was spent, but lots of window shopping. We had considered waiting to get our haircut until we got home, but we both got sick of looking shaggy at the same time, and figured Paris was as good a place as any. It was pretty funny though, because Maddi´s high school French did not stretch to complex haircut terminology, and not much English was spoken by the staff. Still, we both escaped happy with their efforts, despite Maddi´s transient mullet fears as her guy scissored and razored away with abandon.
We are now in Madrid, where the weather is warm and sunny, and the people are out late partying. Standard dinner time here is about 10pm, and even as we head home at midnight, others are just sitting down to eat. We do have a Spanish phrasebook, but when the tapas menu has 30 options, it takes far too long to look up every word, so we do a little bit of random hopeful ordering. No food disasters yet. There is a really great vibe on the streets at night. It is still warm enough for people to wander around wihtout coats, eat outside, and spill out onto the streets from the multitude of bars. It must go off here at fiesta time.
We have missed bullfighting season, but after seeing 15 minutes of it on TV yesterday, that is not a bad thing. A little too much bleeding (by the bull) and poncing about (by the bloke) for our tastes.
Off to the south of Spain tomorrow, so we are looking forward to the Moorish influences on the architecture and food. Adios!
We managed to combine some classic tourist stops with a little soaking up of the culture of the streets of Paris. In one eventful day we went to the Museum of Modern Art at the Pompidou Centre (very modern and eye opening, but we have decided that we just don´t have the art appreciation gene, and sometimes just don´t get it!), the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre! We managed to put a lot of ticks on our tourist checklist that day. Maddi had previously avoided the Louvre as a lot of the art is quite old, and it is huge. We did the right thing though, and saw the Mona Lisa (tick!) as well as a random selection from the vast array of art on display.
Adam was very excited to learn that the Paris Motor Show was on while we were in town, as you would know if you have looked at the photos. In perfect man/woman style, he spent the morning there while Maddi went shopping in the Marais district. Not much money was spent, but lots of window shopping. We had considered waiting to get our haircut until we got home, but we both got sick of looking shaggy at the same time, and figured Paris was as good a place as any. It was pretty funny though, because Maddi´s high school French did not stretch to complex haircut terminology, and not much English was spoken by the staff. Still, we both escaped happy with their efforts, despite Maddi´s transient mullet fears as her guy scissored and razored away with abandon.
We are now in Madrid, where the weather is warm and sunny, and the people are out late partying. Standard dinner time here is about 10pm, and even as we head home at midnight, others are just sitting down to eat. We do have a Spanish phrasebook, but when the tapas menu has 30 options, it takes far too long to look up every word, so we do a little bit of random hopeful ordering. No food disasters yet. There is a really great vibe on the streets at night. It is still warm enough for people to wander around wihtout coats, eat outside, and spill out onto the streets from the multitude of bars. It must go off here at fiesta time.
We have missed bullfighting season, but after seeing 15 minutes of it on TV yesterday, that is not a bad thing. A little too much bleeding (by the bull) and poncing about (by the bloke) for our tastes.
Off to the south of Spain tomorrow, so we are looking forward to the Moorish influences on the architecture and food. Adios!
posted by Adam & Maddi at 8:41 pm
1 Comments:
enjoyed the pics. you have seen a lot in your travels. look forward to your return. bob,sue &nan.
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