Another Day

Today has been an adventure, as everyday will probably be. I am writing this with a buzz and on a full stomach so I can’t guarantee any kind of fluidity. Theresa and I went to church today, St. Joseph’s. It’s a Catholic church with English mass. It was incredible looking down from the balcony and seeing American families, wondering what their situations are and how they are adjusting to a new life. Then, we sat in a park and looked at the Arc de Triumph. It was surreal… just sitting in a park with my best friend since the tender age of five and looking at this colossal monument that was meant for soldiers returning after a victory. We moved on to the Sunday horse races at Longchamp. It was an amazing place, oddly geared toward children. I got a free scarf. I didn’t know they did free here, but it’s nice to know even the Frenchies enjoy a good giveaway. There is almost a carnival atmosphere on the racing grounds. Stands with the quintessential French treats line the circular perimeter in front of the actual racetrack. Theresa and I stopped and got a nutella crepe and sat near the circular gardens to see the horses parade pre-race. Then we moved to the bleachers above the track. Even though the races were short, they were epic. By the third race, the stakes had tripled and so did the shouting. The crowd consisted mainly of old men and children. An interesting combination and optimum people watching. After the third race we left the grounds and began to walk back to a bus stop. We were so close to a gigantic park area that we just walked past the stop and through the grass. It was beautiful. We even found this mini waterfall above some rocks tucked away in a corner. It was too early to head back to the apartment so we made a stop at the Eiffel Tower. It is so massive… as most monuments and government buildings are here. We paid our dues and started climbing the stairs to the top. We didn’t count the number, but there were many… more than many. Finally we climbed all of the stairs and made it to the second level. At that point you either have the choice of going back downstairs and leaving or paying another 3.5 euros per person and taking an elevator to the top. We were exhausted from the climb but decided it was all or nothing. We paid again and got in the huge line (consisting mainly of young couples making out) in front of the elevator. The ride up was frightening. It was insanely high up. After what felt like a few minutes we were at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I thought the view was amazing from the second floor but this view blew me away. Theresa pointed out all of the important structures and we made a list of what we were going to see next. After a long elevator ride to the ground, we made our way back to the metro. We stopped at a small grocery store for wine and drinks, a bakery for bread, and another small baker for dessert. We made dinner and drank, while celebrating being off of our feet for the first time in a long time. It’s been amazing in the least.