Traveler's Log, stardate: 01-02-05

...You know the phrase, "Paris is for lovers"? Well, it's true. It's just a romantic place. I don't know any other way to explain it. It's not that everyone's kissing in the middle of the street or anything, but there's just something about walking around this beautiful city that just one feel romantic and mushy....Yesterday [New Year's Day] we [Vivi, Steph, and I] slept late [about 1:15pm], took a walk around in the city of Troyes, then went to the house of some friends for a little card party. They play a game called Tarot, which is a lot like Hearts, and not played with the Tarot cards that i'm used to at all. Apparently, the party had been going on since the night before, when everybody got drunk, played cards, and slept over. Then the next day, they just got up and started playing cards again and kept playing. We stayed there for a couple of hours, then the party broke up and we all went home. Most of them are teachers, so it was their last chance to "play" before school started up again. ...Today it's Sunday, so all of the stores are closed. We had some lunch - fish with garlic and onions, and pressure cooked potatoes...very light but very tasty. [side note: the French have the available option of mayonnaise in a tube, so you can squeeze it out like toothpaste. neato mcgeeto, man!] Then after lunch we went for coffee (and cake, and liquer...) at Steph's parents' house. His parents are very nice and his mother seemed used to navigating the language barrier and was sweet to include me in the predominately French conversations. We took the more scenic route home, and stopped in the little villages along the way to look at the churches, cemetaries, school houses, etc. Now we're home, it's 6:30pm, and very dark outside. Vivi and Steph are making crepes, and we'll put some Nutella on them so it's more of a dessert. After that, who knows? Steph. has to get up early tomorrow to go back to school, so we may call it an early night. Tomorrow Vivi and I plan to check out the local museum, maybe do some shopping, and then Doc's husband will pick me up here tomorrow at 3:30pm to take me to Gudmont for the week.
For some photos, click here .