France

Paris

31-5 November 2008

Chartres

4 November 2008

Highlights:

- my hostel was super close to the seine and notre dame, though amenities and atmosphere not as awesome as my hostel in lisbon.

- dinner at jim haynes' home: why i love being socially awkward and meeting other socially awkward people from all over the world, including a hollywood screenwriter, an french moroccan who would vote for john mccain, two germans traveling all over the world on a solar-powered vehicle, and a very drunk algerian-french girl.

- being overwhelmed by all the great artists and works of art at various museums.

- crepes: good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. bonus points to the crepe man in jardins de luxembourg who had honey and lemon crepes to help me nurse my cold.

- the quiet escape to chartres, where the most magnificent cathedral wasn't packed with tourists. 

- walking, walking, walking: including the 668 steps to the 2nd floor of the eiffel tower, then to the arc de triomphe (stumbling upon the oman embassy along the way), down the champse-elysees to moulin rouge and the red light district to get to montmartre and the basilique de sacre-coeur where a street musician was playing oasis' "wonderwall" to a mini-crowd of idealistic 20- and 30-somethings much like myself, before wandering off to the edge of the hill to experience a most blazing sunset.