So, this will probably seem quite an odd beginning to a 'I heart France' blog entry, but the truth is the truth - the 'overall' truth is that it is great, however, there are a few 'peculiarities'.
I walked around and didn't see a 'no photo' sign, so I took a photo. This was the 'welcoming' ground to Paris, Charles de Gaulle airport. They kept on shoving us into this room, one flight after another. I would estimate there were about 400 people standing in line with TWO border officials to check passports...
I found this sign funny, because even the French in the line were upset, but hey, what can you do? Just relax and go with the flow....
So my friends, Ellen and Lisa, picked me up at the airport (merci BEAUCOUPS!) and we went to our hotel. We stayed at a Hotel Formule 1 (I would recommend it; cheap, but clean).
Here is a picture of Basilique St. Denis, right where we stayed. It's in the north of Paris and is the basilica where the French kings/queens were buried.
Inside it had a very pretty 'Rose Window'....
Here are Ellen and Lisa 'showing' us the door....
We then took the subway to Ille-de-Cite, the 'heart' of Paris, where Notre Dame is. Most of the Metro stops are done in 'art decco' - very interesting to see...
Ellen and Lisa humored me and allowed me to walk along the Seine river....I was just SO happy! Everything was SO beautiful and I felt 'good' there - I had a good feeling about the city.
And then there it was - NOTRE DAME! 'Sanctuary! Sanctuary!' Forgive the Hunchback comments....
Anyway, I was just VERY happy inside, however, you know when you watch a scary movie and you're like screaming at the person on the screen 'LOOK BEHIND YOU!' Well, just imagine you're hearing 'scary' music in the background right now....I'll explain why....
Here is the altar (that's one thing I don't get - in Europe, it just depends on where you go, if you can take pictures or not. Sometimes they say NO photos; other times, NO flash photography'; Catholic churches seem to allow it more than Protestant, but not always....hmmm....)
Do you hear the 'scary' music? It's saying 'Aaron, beware the Ides of March! Beware....(even though it was technically August ;)'
Here is the Rose Window - I actually liked the one in St. Denis better, but this one was still pretty....can you hear Demi Moore singing? 'I don't know if you can hear me or if you're even there....I don't know if you'd listen to a gypsy's prayer....' ;)
So, right around now I opened up my Samsonite wallet to get out some money to buy a few souvenir Notre Dame coins. Then Ellen and I sat down....I love to talk as most of you know....and....umm....I forgot to put my wallet back in my bag! Yup! Good one! UGH!
So as of right now I still don't realize that my wallet is now sitting on the bench where I was sitting....
'AARON! LOOK BEHIND YOU!!'
We left Notre Dame. We all liked the gargoyles and so I took a picture.
'AARON! LOOK BEHIND YOU!!'
Here is Notre Dame from the back - very pretty, eh?
'AARON! LOOK BEHIND YOU!!'
So just after this photo was taken I listened to the little voice in my head, realized I no longer had a wallet which I once had ;) and we raced back into the Cathedral.
NADA! ZIP! ZILCH! No wallet on the bench! I asked a lady who worked there if anyone had turned it in and she said 'no one would turn something like that in.' :( Wahhhh! Cry!
The following feelings occured: 'how could I be so stupid?!' then it turned into 'how could people do things like this to each other? Why would they do this to me?!' And then, after cancelling credit cards and Ellen buying me a French crepe ;) I began to.....
I guess just like dealing with death, there are truly steps of 'loss'....
Here is the 'what can I do about it?' 'Yeh, what can I do about it?'....'Let's enjoy the day we have in Paris!'
