Tales Beyond Taos

Way of (Parisien) Life

The smart way to make your way through Paris traffic...

or the sleek way to manoeuver through tourists...

I even spotted police on roller blades besides the good old fashioned ride on a horse...

...but none beat the latest

Velib is the new convenient way of "liberte a velo". Parisiens and tourists alike can ride to their heart's content (and pocket's too) between arrondisements, picking up or dropping off the bicycles at any of the numerous stations all over the city.

Lines are a way of life here, just like any big city. But for bread? Now that tells you something!
Man, Amit and I will really miss the baguettes, pain au chocolat, croissant du buerre, tarte au pommes...

The pedestrian-only bridge Quai Francois Mitterand or Pont des Arts is a popular docking point for youngsters and poor students who don't need to pay the price of a cafe to hang out.

In the late hours of the evening, it's hard to find a spot if you want to have your wine and cheese party like the rest. Amateurs are playing their music (perhaps practicing to get a license to play in the metro; yes, you need to be approved by the town hall and have a license to play at the underground metro stations), people breakdancing, friends teaching friends to twirl fire and then the usual.

Smoking
sipping wine
smoking
tearing crispy fresh bread
smoking
escargots, if you may
smoking
a cheese platter for dessert
smoking
smoking
smoking

Sites of Paris

Instead of standing in line to go up to the towers, I decided to practice French comprehension while sitting in the park behind Notre Dame and listening to little kids as they played.

After a barrage of rainy days in Paris, it seemed like all the tourists had decided to come see Sacre-Coeur on this sunny Saturday. A long way up several flights of steps and a whole new vista of Paris opens up. However, more interesting, just a few blocks away was the not so sacred part...

...not just a store, it's a supermarket!

....culminating at Moulin Rouge!

I thought visiting the Eiffel tower would get old, but I guess not. We spent more than a few afternoons lazing at the lawns, reading, admiring and playing stupid when the gypsies would come by asking if we "Espeaka Eanglish"