Out and about in Paris

The last few days have been much more exciting than the first 24 hours, with the exception of Saturday when all I did was go shopping at the Monoprix. Friday night was lots of fun. We took the metro over to the Odeon neighborhood, which is very hip and mostly younger crowd. Really cute side streets and lots of bars and cafes. We went to this Canadian bar called "The Moose" (not to be confused with "Mad Moose" in Binghamton, this moose was not angry) and got to SPEAK ENGLISH!!! (I know, I know, I should be practicing my French, but it was nice to speak in English and be understood). I had a cheeseburger and a 3.50 euro coke ($5 - Paris is EXPENSIVE) which was delightful and we watched rugby and football (not soccer) and had a fine time. Later, we went over to this Scottish bar called "The Highlander" where once again, we could speak English and I got some 5 euro mixed drink and listened to a great playlist of music - I was especially happy to hear such fare as the Bloodhound Gang as odd as that may seem. Can't get enough of "Fire, water, burn" in this lifetime! We stayed out til 12:30 and had to catch the metro back to our apartment, which turned into another adventure. At night, the metros do not run as frequently, so we ended up waiting about ten minutes for the first one to come. Also, the crazies come out at night, so luckily I was feeling the buzz of my mixed drinks so I wasn't as freaked out as I might have been otherwise. At two stops before we were to switch cars, this person, I couldn't tell if they were a male or female, gets on and looks kinda sketchy. At the next stop, as people are at the door waiting to get off, the crazy person pulls out a child's toy gun that made noise and starts shooting at the people and then proceeds to spit on the windows. I tried to avoid eye contact and prayed that the next stop would hurry up and get there. Luckily we got out without incident, but then had to wait for the next metro with a couple of drunk people and this creepy old guy who kept walking up and down the track staring at everyone. Anyway, made it home in one piece and were happy to have spent a fine time in the Odeon. I will definitely be heading back to Highlander in the near future.

Today was eventful in a more educational sort of way. Jaime and I met up with my advisor, Howard Brown, near where he is staying for two weeks - Rue Montogueil - a very charming pedestrian only street in the area of the Louvre. We had brunch at a cafe, which was unfortunately not a patisserie, which would have had more pastries and such, so we just got croissants and coffee, delicious nonetheless. Then Howard had to stop back at his apartment - a tiny box of a room that makes the apartment that I'm staying in look like a penthouse on Fifth Avenue (I'll put some pictures up on Facebook and Myspace) and then we headed on a tour of the center city. We got to see the Archives Nationales (National Archives) where I'll be working come this week - it is a huge building that takes up an entire block. We also got to check out for free the Musee Carnavalet which had a section with pieces from the French Revolution. I took some pictures there, including one of a member of the Commission of Eleven from the Thermidor and Directory room - of course, the smallest one. We spent about two hours wandering that section of the museum and then headed out to see more of the city. We passed through Places de Vosges, a park that is surrounded by apartments with a statue of Louis XIII on horse in the center. We continued on up hill to the Pantheon and a church for the patron saint of Paris, where a mass was being held. The Pantheon is another huge building, the largest structure built in the 18th century. It does remind me in some ways of the Pantheon in Rome, but the doom is different. I'm looking forward to going inside it sometime soon. We then took in dinner at a cafe near the Pantheon where I had yet another croque for a fairly reasonable price, given the area. I'm also looking forward to sampling more of French food, especially pain au chocolat, which is heaven I'm told. Anyway, after lunch we took our leave of the HB, who I will get to see tomorrow in the AN reading room and we set out to see a bit more of the city. We walked around and through the outside of the Louvre which has got to be one of the biggest buildings I have ever seen. I can't even imagine how much art is in there. After that, it was time to head back home after a long day.

As for right now, I'm enjoying "Friends" in French on the television (I finally figured out how to work the cable box) and mentally preparing for tomorrow's travels. Jaime and I are going to the AN and the Bibliotheque Nationale tomorrow to get reader's cards so that we can check out the documents therein. I'm hopeful that the process will be smooth, but worried about my lack of command over the French language. Howard said that since I'm a doctoral candidate, that I shouldn't have any problems getting in, but we'll see. I am glad to not be sitting in 7 inches of snow as they are in Binghamton, but I still miss everyone (Dan the most!) and hope all is well back in the States. More to follow as my time in here goes on.