Walking on your eyebrows

Bright and early the next morning it was off to the Chateau de Versailles. We had a guided tour of the palace, though I wandered off before too long and started trying to inconspicuously follow the Japanese group. Hey, our tour was in Dutch, okay? And while I tried, I was having some difficulties understanding what our guide was saying. The Japanese was a little bit easier, so I opted for that. Too bad I didn't stumble into an English tour! My impression? Well, the Hall of Mirrors was something unique for me, but the rest of the palace� you've seen one, you've seen them all. *chuckle* So I decided to skip the guided tour altogether and wandered out onto the palace grounds to enjoy the warm weather.

After the tour we were dropped off in the center of Paris to grab lunch and, if we wished, to follow along on a guided walking tour of the city. Need to grab something fast and quick? That would be McDonald's, of course. With something like over 200 stores located throughout Paris, it's a safe bet there is one not too far away. One combo-meal later I was feeling revived enough to go on the walking tour. Our guides met us at the Hotel de Ville (city hall) and we were provided with subway tickets. Feeling somewhat like I was part of some domesticated herd, I followed along with everyone else as our guide led us to the subway and explained how the system worked. It reminded me of Japan, actually. You put the ticket into the machine, it pops out in the middle, you grab your ticket, and push your way through the gate at the end. Three stops and a short walk through the underground shopping center put us under the main grounds of the Louvre. It was fun, actually, standing underground, looking up at the sky through the bottom of the giant glass pyramid that had been added as part of the modernization project for the museum in 1985. Still, standing outside and above ground, I wondered how exactly the glass pyramid fit in with the rest of the museum.

Oh. Before I forget to mention it: inline skating seems quite popular in Paris. I saw dozens of people on skates throughout the day, and there even seems to be a special squad of Paris police on inline skates! I saw 5 or 6 of them go skating by as I sat on the bus. They seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, showing off as they skated along the streets. There also seems to be a citywide event every Friday night where hundreds of people strap on their wheels and turn out en masse to skate the streets of Paris. The next time I go to Paris, I'm taking my skates, baby!

Another dinner later and we were left to our own devices for a few hours. I opted for a walk along the Seine and took some pictures that I hadn't managed to snap while zipping around on the bus. Once satisfied, I wandered down to a quiet spot across the way from the Eiffel Tower to patiently wait for the light display. Dozens of tour boats, several photos, and a few mini movies later, I left to go meet the bus at our appointed spot on the corner of the Champs Elys�es that touched along the Arc de Triomphe. I stood on the corner watching the traffic as I waited for the bus to come back and pick us up at 2300. The driving is really insane, at least around the Arc, though I didn't really notice it anywhere else. There are no lane markings and no lights, yet cars were driving around the Arc and turning off onto roads, cutting across and merging into traffic seemingly at will. It was astounding that no one ran into anyone else, particularly taking into consideration the speed at which many of them were driving.

Also of interest was a man wandering around selling roses. He had quite the sneaky routine. He would walk up to ladies who were obviously standing with a man, hand her a rose (I was too far away to hear if he said anything), and walk off. He would hand out a few roses without asking for anything in return, and then go back and ask for money. How sneaky is that?! You think you've just received a gift and then the guy comes back and tells you to pay for it.

Our driver told us at least half a dozen times where and when to meet the bus, but a few people were still missing when the bus arrived. Our plucky driver told us to hold on as he went to look for them: "I've never lost anyone yet," he told us as he drove back through the city. As he had anticipated, all three missing ladies were waiting where he had dropped us off earlier that evening. They were rather shaken and a bit angry at the fright of thinking they had been left behind in the city, but otherwise unharmed.

At last, all was well. We had found our lost lambs and I settled in for the moderate ride to our hotel just outside of the city. As I stared bleary-eyed out of the bus' window, I was awarded by the sight of fireworks going off just over the Eiffel Tower. A pity I wasn't able to stay longer and enjoy them, but as tired as I felt, it was probably a good thing. I have no idea what would have happened to me if I had fallen asleep on the banks of the Seine...

It was after midnight by the time we reached the hotel. I dragged myself to my room, feeling, as the Dutch saying goes, as though I was walking on my eyebrows. Don't know what I mean? Well, have you ever tried walking on your eyebrows? 'Nuff said.