brian's blog

Back in the cafe for another round of highlights:

• The Eurostar chunnel train was a big disappointment. I think it's my fault. After hearing about the chunnel marvel for so many years, I expected flashing lights, giant flashy signs, and cancan dancers to accompany our approach and disco lights flashing from within while we rode through. But no. It's just a long tunnel.
• Yesterday, visited the Louvre, then walked along Place de la Concorde & the Champs Elysse and climbed the Arc. Today we've visted the Centre Pompidou and will do a historic walk of old Paris this afternoon.
• They've moved the Mona Lisa to another room at the Louvre. Now it looks even more diminutive against a massive, otherwise bare wall.
• It's frustrating when people I speak to in French switch to English during the conversation. C'mon, my French isn't that bad, is it? Maybe I'm out of practice.
• There are subway posters very graphically (and gruesomely) equating a) the act of leaving a lamp on unnecessarily with b) killing dolphins, and running a) a wash cycle half empty with b) killing leopards. I'll try to get a photo. I'm a treehugger but the connection between the two escapes me.
• I have a new arch-nemesis. On our first day in Paris we stopped off at a no-name cafe to order lunch. The aloof waiter seemed very amused by my efforts to speak French and was certainly making fun of me after we completed a moderately spartan order. I hope to settle the score someday if I ever see him in North America, struggling to figure out directions to his hotel. I'll purposefully get him so lost.