French Monuments Tend To Hang Out Near The Metro

My first full day in France didn't start until much later than I wanted it to. Due to a ridiculous case of jet lag, I didn't wake up until well after noon. Upon waking up I met a friend, Caroline, to head down to the local supermarché. I had written a little list before I went, which was good, because upon entering I was totally overwhelmed. It didn’t help that it was Saturday, midday, and that it’s the biggest store in the area. After entering you are welcomed by a flurry of French people, grabbing groceries very quickly. It’s seriously like hyper-speed. In this sort of store they did not have shopping carts, like those you’d see in the States. Instead you are expected to use a basket. They do have little push carts that can accommodate two baskets, which is the most anyone can really handle. After wandering around for awhile picking up things that were definitely random I went to the checkout. French supermarchés are likely Aldi stores in the State. People are expected to bag their own groceries, and at many of them you have to pay for the bags as well. I then had to lug all of my things back to my chambre at the Cité.

Later in the day I went with Caroline, and our friends Sarah and Jessie to buy cell phones. We took the metro to St. Michel-Notre Dame, which is right on the Seine. Upon exiting the station you can see Notre Dame right across the Seine. The four of us walked over to check it out, and ended up wandering around inside for a good half hour. Going into this I’m expecting that some of the famous monuments are going to be completely tourist-ified. But this was surprisingly not. Ok, there was a long line outside, but it moved relatively quickly. Inside there is a counter at the entrance, but then most of the rest of it is relatively untouched. The ceilings were impossibly high, and the stone work was amazing. I’m not a religious person, at all, but I could see myself attending a service there at some point in the next six months.

After Notre Dame we headed over to the Orange Boutique. Cell phones in Europe are somewhat different than in the States. All incoming calls are free, and it’s much easier to pre-pay. I got a cheap phone (that is actually way cuter than my old one), and I set up a pre-pay plan. It took us about and hour and a half and I felt bad for the girl who helped us, because it was obviously difficult to work with three Americans who didn’t know cell phone vocabulary in French.

Jessie then led us down a road to find something to eat. Jessie did the pre-program, so she is at least partly familiar with Paris. We found this great café by the Metro stop Odéon. I ate a Croque Madame, which is a ham and cheese melt with an egg on top. It was incredible and relatively inexpensive for Paris. I’ll have to go back there again.

Afterwards I went home and passed out, exhausted from the cell phone ordeal and my jet lag.


NOTRE DAME PICTURES CAN BE FOUND HERE:

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