Je suis à Paris!

Bonjour!  Je suis à la maison de mon amis Bryn et Campbell Vertesi.  I think I'll only write a bit.  So, my journey!

So, I slept on my first flight from Memphis, TN to Charlotte, NC.  Pretty big mistake since it was only about 2 hours.  My seat mate was carrying her own hoola-hoop to Germany though.  Never got the full story even though I tried.  After that I tried to change my money over while I had about an hour layover, but in Charlotte's airport you have to leave security to get to the currency exchange.  Bad, Charlotte! BAD!  Then, in preparation for a long flight, I had a delicious locally brewed brown ale and bagel sandwich before my flight.  Then I boarded the plane, very simply, and I was in the front row of coach, left most aisle seat of the center aisle.  To my left where two girls from Paris chatting away in French (very friendly) and there was no one in the two seats to my immediate right, but there was a Parisian mother and her child (I'm assuming about a year old or so) in the far most seat in my aisle.  Throughout the flight I helped the two of them with a few things here and there and the baby only cried every once and a while.  Not terrible.  I also had noise cancelling headphones that were magnificent.  I watched about 3 1/2 movies in flight (I didn't see the last 20 minutes or so of Enchanted!)  and just could not fall asleep.  That sort of made sense as we didn't even land until about midnight CST.  So, why would I really be tired?

So, I arrived in Paris and all was fine.  On the plane I realized that I had no phone number for or any real way of contacting my friend who I was staying with.  I finally broke down and bought a half hour of WIFI and sent her messages on Skype, Facebook, and e-mails, then actually called her on Skype.  It took a couple tries but we got through.  I waited for her, but sadly I had sent her the wrong itinerary and she went to a terminal that I wasn't at to pick me up.  A few phone calls, airport transits, and a bit of patience later, we found each other!  It was very nice to see a friend, especially one with better French than me.

We got back to her place (after a detour due to a train strike) and I took a COLD shower, which was awesome.  It's quite hot here and very little A/C in places, none at their apartment.  So it felt like going for a swim.  Then we went to a little lunch nearby.  From now on I'll try to take pics of food and post them on here because the food is beautiful.  I had Confit de Canard and Bryn and Cam both had Tartare de Boeuf.  I really needed pictures of these.  Mine was a duck leg, small side salad, and a vegetable and fruit puree.  It was fantastic and beautiful.  And the rosé wine complimented it beautifully.  Bryn and Cam's   dish was a type of raw, ground beef with different herbs and spices mixed in, and a raw egg yolk in a small shell on top.   And French fries!  Or....just fries here.  I had a bite of Bryn's tartare.  It was interesting.  I may try it again at some point, but it was raw beef, so it was a crazy texture.  And it also sort of looked like all the preparations for a hamburger, but you just didn't cook it.  Very interesting.

So, Cam bought my lunch, which was super cool, then we came back to their place and it was time for my nap.  I slept for 4 or 5 hours, even with cats jumping on me, people driving up and down the street, and Bryn and Cam occasionally practicing.  And now here we are!  Tomorrow I leave for Belle-Ile.  Exciting.  More to come soon and hopefully beautiful food and countryside.