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PARIS ‘09

In April my little sister will be in Paris, France, performing in this:

I’ll be in the audience. After much hemming and hawing over the expense, I managed to find a $404 (including taxes and fees!) round trip ticket on Continental that broke the back of the Camel of Indecision. As they say.

I haven’t been to Paris since high school, when I visited with the Paris ‘92 club. We did fundraisers for two or three years, then jetted off to the City O’ Lights to lose our collective innocence.

My memories of that trip are foggy, but lovely. Here are three:

-Resisting the advances of an “artist” who followed me around in the Pere Lachaise cemetery. He wanted me to accompany him back to his apartment, where he would “sketch” me. Bizarre and funny enough to not be scary, even as an 18 year-old on his first trip to a foreign land.

-Walking from one end of the city to another with a torn and incomplete map, alone, late at night, boldly breaking my school group’s curfew and buddy rule, because of a situation involving a transit strike and a young lady who’d needed to be walked home.

-Being asked for directions by American tourists on the Metro, and answering with a cartoonish French accent.

I’ve braced myself for things being less romantic and exciting now, since I’m no longer a wide-eyed teenager. However: it’s Paris. I’ll be able to rustle up a little excitement, I should think.

Any hot (cheap) tips for my Paris to-do list would be greatly appreciated. Along with (double cheap) hotel recommendations.

6 Comments

  1. Kelly Kane wrote:

    Sounds like a great trip! I’ve never been to Paris or anywhere in Europe…but surprisingly I read this today AND had a dream I was there last night! Weird, huh?

    Such a good deal on the flight too! I have no suggestions since I haven’t been there, but I want to see some pictures when you return :)

    XO
    Kelly

    Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 11:10 am | Permalink
  2. Tatian Greenleaf wrote:

    Love the American tourists episode. When I took a group of 8th grade students to Yosemite on a school trip a couple years back, we were asked questions by (American) tourists on a park shuttle bus. My students each spontaneously adopted a different foreign accent and described their lives in London, Amsterdam, Paris, and New Delhi to the pleasantly pleased and thoroughly persuaded audience.

    Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 11:27 am | Permalink
  3. For a cheap place to stay, maybe look up that artist. I presume living in Manhattan has loosened you up a bit. A franc saved is a franc earned.

    Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 4:00 pm | Permalink
  4. Daphna wrote:

    ah, she’s lovely.

    Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 9:52 pm | Permalink
  5. Jove wrote:

    I am curious about this Paris ‘92 club. Is there still time to become a member?

    Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 11:41 am | Permalink
  6. Morgan wrote:

    It wouldn’t be fair to the other members, who’ve been holding imaginary fundraisers for the past 17 years. That’s a lot of imaginary sweat equity.

    Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 11:47 am | Permalink

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