Je suis là !

Cozy here in my friend’s Paris apartment in the 4ème arrondissement – Le Marais – around the corner from the cats’ place.

You all remember Luigi, and his (late, R.I.P.) sissy-cat, Chépa? Well, I’ll be visiting him and his Mama soon, and there’s news. Luigi now has a little brother, and his name is Mario! I can’t wait to meet this little guy, and hope to be babysitting him, too, in the future!

My plane landed at 5:30 a.m. today. We were late out of EWR last night, and still arrived early. I flew on Air France for this trip because they offered a round-trip fare I couldn’t refuse. This meant that we landed at a different terminal than usual. I didn’t think much of it, but I knew the two terminals were far from one another. After we deplaned, I felt like I walked forever through endless airport hallways, without getting anywhere. I’d followed all the signs for baggage, but suddenly it all came to an end, and there were no baggage carousels in sight.

OK. Time to start speaking French.

I spotted a worker and told him I was looking for baggage pickup. He pointed to the doors to my left. I said, “Oh? Le train?” Il m’a dit, oui. Le prochain… arrêt.” Very cordial. I thanked him, and boarded the unknown train with no signage. I’m a trusting soul.

Suddenly, all the passengers from my flight appeared out of nowhere and we filled the train cars bound for what I hoped would be the other terminal and my bag.

I packed light this time around. Really light. I’m already a little panicky about that, but I think I’ll be fine. I have plenty to wash and wear, and that means more room in my suitcase for Christmas gifts, right? At this point, Jennifer reminded me that we both know where the luggage store is, if things take a turn and I need to buy another carry-on. I’ve done that three times now, as you know. I am vowing not to do it again. You heard it here.

Another stamp in the passport! Merci, et vive la France!

It was my first ride on an Airbus 350-900 – a gorgeous wide body. I had a window seat, and my row of 3 was filled. There was a really nice French guy next to me, and we had a lively conversation. He shared his potato chips with me. Who says French people are mean?

I didn’t sleep much on the plane, but I took a short nap here at the apartment once I was settled in, and I already feel like I’ve transitioned to Paris time. At this point, it’s in my blood, don’t you think?

It was so dark when we landed, it felt like midnight, not morning. The sun rises and sets quite differently here than at home. Paris in Winter is the antithesis of Paris in summer in that regard. So, at 4:55 p.m. we had sunset, and at about 8:25 a.m. tomorrow, we’ll see the sun rise. I’m usually here in the summer when the sun doesn’t go to bed till nearly 10:00 p.m., so this is weird, but it’s also my third winter season. I’ll struggle through best I can.

The cab brought me straight to the apartment, but I had to pick up the keys elsewhere. The main door to the street is keyless entry, so I was able to drop off my bag and not drag it to the pickup spot for the key, which is two blocks away. That sounds clandestine, but in actuality, it’s a cool system. Small lockboxes are attached to a wall in the local market. This is new with AirBnB and whatnot, I’m sure. My friend texted me the code, and the door popped open , and voilà, keys! It’s genius, and it puts you in the grocery store where you probably need to pick up a few things, right? I did just that.

It was still so dark, I couldn’t convince my body it was time for breakfast. That is, until I walked past a few boulangeries, and my senses were filled with the beauty and scent of fresh baguettes and croissants. Oh mon dieu!

I chitchatted with the woman at the grocery store. She wanted to practice English since she’s planning to visit the U.S. in May. And with this, I have a new friend. Pearl. I filled two bags with groceries, and began my walk back to the apartment, knowing my next stop was at Manon, a sweet little boulangerie I had frequented all summer.

Once home, I unloaded the groceries, but not my suitcase. Not yet. I brewed some coffee, and took a few bites of the pain au chocolat. First things first, right?

(That pain au raisin could feed a family of four; it’s the size of a plate.)

I’m only here for two weeks this time around. I plan to see my friends, visit museums and cafés, and hopefully light a candle at Notre Dame, which opens this week. Tickets are already sold out, but I’ll keep checking. It’s not just me – le monde entier veut être ici cette semaine.

Maybe I’ll empty that suitcase…

Organized my things, made up the bed,and promptly took a little nap.

So far, I’ve booked a walking tour to see the Christmas lights at night, and also a guided Fashion History walking tour. I’m eyeing a few other excursions as well as making plans with by buddy, Hélène, which usually involves a trek to Montmartre and cigarettes. (I don’t inhale.) I think I’m going to see David from my French class, too. He is a team member of les médecins sans frontières, and said he may pop over to Paris for 2 – 4 days. This means good food, wine, and late nights. We had so much fun over the summer during the Olympics (he was a volunteer doctor for the USA Men’s gymnastics team), so it would be nice to catch up.