hello again from paris, where i am slowly learning how to use a french keyboard without looking at my hands.
due to the transportation strike, we had to walk everywhere today which means i'm pretty much completely exhausted and my legs hurt like hell. but it was worth it because i went to the rodin museum and notre dame (with just one friend, not 40 other people in my group). we walked along the seine for a long time and it was sunny and breezy. later we stopped for chocolat, which was served in two parts: a small pitcher of liquid chocolate and a larger pitcher of steamed milk.
it's sort of frustrating and exhilarating that i haven't taken french in years, but the french still understand me better than the danes. i don't even bother trying danish most of the time in denmark since everyone just cocks their head at me and looks confused. at least here i usually get a pause and then a nod, like they've translated my pathetic french into something understandable in their minds.
we had a fun waiter at the crêperie last night. i tried some french and was mostly understood, although i had a harder time understanding him. i asked him to explain something on the menu (qu'est-ce que c'est?) and his speedy reply blew past me. uh... en l'anglais? he tried again. i asked him later, mon français, c'est pas mal? and he told me it was très bien. i decided then that he was looking for a big tip or was just being incredibly sarcastic.
paris is expensive. parisian food, even "cheap" eats, can be spendy. i had water (bottled, bad choice), a salmon/spinach crêpe, hot chocolate, and half of a chocolate/coconut/vanilla ice cream crêpe and the total (just for me, not including my friend's food) was €20, or about $30. ouch.
tomorrow = museé d'orsay, the catacombes, the louvre and montmatre. and, hopefully, metro trains and less walking.