We got to Paris mid morning, eager to start our short stay up and running...but it was not meant to be. I had this "it could never happen to me" moment in the Metro when I was pick pocketed by two girls who already alighted on the first stop after which I realized that my purse was open, with my wallet, sandwiched between our passports and the envelops containing our pocket money, gone. It was not about the money (I had 40Euros and $11) but the hassle of losing my cards (good thing I had photocopies of them), my driver's license and above all, my lost sense of security that rattled me. So instead of proceeding to the Louvre, it was le poste de police we ended up in. On a Saturday, there were only a few of them there and none of them spoke any English at all. I filled up my complaint form and waited to be interviewed. After what seemed like an eternity, I was called in by a lady who was supposed to ascertain that what I described on paper was exactly what happened to me. She asked me: "parlez vous Francais?" "No" was the simple answer. The problem? She, too, doesn't speak any English! At that point in time, I was asking myself, why couldn't this have been Spain, where at least, somehow, I can understand words and some phrases? So...Google Translate to the rescue!
The problem with that, to me at least, was: it translated words, not phrases which would have, in one way or another, made sense to me. I felt sorry for the lady for I knew that she was frustrated in typing the whole report to me but even if it was in English, some things still were lost in translation. Why didn't I take up my uncle in suggesting to me to study German and French in college before? Oh well, that was that and there was nothing I can do anymore. I could have allowed it to dampen the whole experience but this was Paris! And Laduree was waiting for moi!
So after, arranging stuff with the credit card companies, we hit the streets of Paris, first agenda: Cathedrale Notre Dame - the quintessential French Gothic architecture known the whole world over. Not to take away from the picturesque facade and the impressive interior, I was after all just a normal Roman Catholic girl rearing to light a candle and say my petition to Our Lady! I promised myself that the next time, I would hear an entire mass there - yes, even if it is all said in French!
Next stop? Avenue des Champs-Elysees - for my Laduree fix! Ranie was so funny when he was kinda hesitant to try the macarons but guess what, he was the one who finished it - relishing every flavor there was in his small box :)
While licking his fingers to savor the last few crumbs of the macarons, en route to the Arc di Triomphe, he saw the ultimate destination for a chez like him - Joel Robuchon's! He was dying to go in but we were not appropriately dressed for the occasion. This was Paris, after all! So there goes again that next time adage!
And another thing that caught our attention...well, I'll let the picture tell the story:
I wish I were her - sans the stiletto heels :)
We took a few pics by the Arc di Triomphe then visited Gustav Eiffel's wrought iron masterpiece. We passed by the Louvre and my heart skipped a beat but I had to remind myself that Paris really was not a destination but just a short layover so I was appeased with the thought that more and better things were to come.
Missing rice, instead of feasting on French food, we had Thai instead, with oh so many Filipino staff. Food was great and yes, we got what we paid for.
We had an early night...too exhausted from all the ebbs and flows of this one eventful day...besides, another early train ride to Luzern, Switzerland awaited for us in the morning so it was time to say: "Au revoir, Paris!"
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