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Want to freak an English girl out in the morning? Immerse her in a foreign country with a foreign language. That ought to do it! At least it did for me! This has been my first experience of being somewhere where English has not been the first language and communication is difficult. The few phrases I kept in my head were "parlez vous anglais?" And "je nais comprend pas".
That aside, the Eurostar ride was pleasant, slept for half of it since I was up at 5am and still sick, but it was a smooth ride, 2.15 hours long - or fast depending on how you look at it. The taxi drivers decided to go on strike this morning so it took me over an hour to make a 20 minute train ride to my small, tiny, incy wincy apartment. The good thing going for it was it's right where I wanted to be! Walking distance to Norte Dame and the Louvre; more places depending on how far you want to walk. If you really felt up to it, you could walk anywhere and everywhere in Paris (perhaps not Versailles though).
After settling in and refreshing, I went for a stroll along the nearest main road and found myself suddenly looking at a magnificent building! I didn't know where I was but figured this was a good spot for some touristy photos. Next thing I know, I'm outside the Louvre! I came here to see the Monarch Lisa, but I have to admit, I don't get what's so fascinating about the painting. Van Gogh is still my favourite artist.
Next on the list was a walk along the Seine River. I also crossed the bridge with all the locks (there's more than on of thee bridges by the way) and then I saw Notre Dame. Ever since the movie The Hunchback if Notre Dame,, I have fallen in love with this building, and it's even more magnificent in real life. I only walked round the outside today, but I'm glad I did cause its so beautiful.
Now my stomach was getting hungry, so I let it do the walking to find an appropriate venue for dinner. My instincts lead me to a small restaurant near where I was staying. I ordered duck with poached pear, and a pumpkin and cheese mix. Delicious. My first insight to real French cuisine did not let its reputation down! Dessert was a self saucing chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream. There's something about the chocolate in this country, and I'm in love. I'm not sure if I'll be able to cope with the chocolates back in NZ anymore...
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