Brian's team members include an American lady (age 28, called A), a French man (age 28, called S), and a Belgian man (age 27, called C). I'm the youngest, but four of the five of us will be celebrating our birthdays every two weeks through Oct and Nov. The other night, S took us on a walking tour and it was incredible!
First, I'd like to point out that August in Paris is ridiculously hot and humid. (This is why the wealthy escape the heat and spend the entire month in the Southern part of the country.) The heat lasts long into the night and we started our adventure around six pm. We walked through Paris' version of Central Park, over the Seine River, through the Louvre (you can walk through the courtyards without seeing the museum), past Notre Dame, and into a district that reminded me of the bustle of SF's China Town.
The sights were amazing and we stopped to take pictures often as we walked. S had a particular restaurant for dinner in mind, about thirty five minutes away from the hotel, but he sneakily kept telling us "it is only five more minutes!" The streets narrowed and owners stood in the doorways, calling to us to come try their food. Many food types were around, but we went to a tiny place that served Gyros and it was fabulous! It was tasty and the portions were huge. We ate ours Israeli style, putting our fries inside (thanks Sarah & Matt!) I was feeling a little dehydrated, and C and S kept insisting that beer was the best way to hydrate, after water. I said no thanks, and loved the European logic lol.
S entertained us with a story that explained why these sandwiches were called Greeks and not Gyros. We were at a Turkish owned place, and the Turks and Greeks fought for many years. The Turkish army would awaken in the morning and declare, "I'm going to eat a Greek for breakfast!" If we can figure out how to get back there, we'd love to return.
Night had fallen after dinner, and we saw the Notre Dame in lights. The architecture and sculptures are astounding, especially when you consider that it is celebrating it's 750 year this summer. I really hope to go back for a service or tour. There were entertainers and hundreds of people milling around the front grounds.
S shooed us along, and we continued down narrow, dark streets. We were having a great time, laughing and chatting, though we teased him that he was taking us somewhere sketchy because of how quiet it was. Suddenly, we came onto this large square full of people! There were lights and cafes, people eating dinner at ten o'clock, bars open, and smokers every place you looked! We were amazed, but we continued past, once again plunging into the quiet darkness. Again, after some blocks, we came upon another busy square, and it continued like this, neighborhood after neighborhood.
We decided that this must be 'the real Paris' and I'm hoping we can make it to that side of the city again soon.
We all got along so well, and even though we came from very different places, we discovered we weren't so different after all.
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