Day 12: Paris to Pescara

I am writing this from the train as today is somewhat of a travel day. We left Paris after an indulgent three days. I decided to nickname Paris as the city of indulgence after its outstanding bakeries and pastry shops that lure you in with just a glance through the street side windows. Cafes perched on almost every corner offer food, coffee and desserts. Even in the winter, the patios are sheltered and heated, allowing Parisians and tourists the chance to watch the city go by. My personal goal was to eat at least one pastry a day from the different bakeries we encountered. I accomplished this, as well as smuggling an outstanding macaron (much different than the macaron in America) over the border to Italy in order to indulge in one last French dessert at lunch today. Mission accomplished, and the German Sheppard at the airport who sniffed me for drugs didn’t seem to mind either. We spent most of Paris on foot, with the occasional train ride to seek out some of the cities famous sights. The Eiffel Tower, Cathedral at Notre Dame, Champs-Elysee and the Arc de Triomphe are just the few we visited in our short stay in Paris. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Paris, I supposed I expected to be slighted by a Frenchman at the fact that we were American. However, as it turns out, in all the interactions with which the language barrier was rather large, we managed an understanding and usually had a laugh with the person whom we were trying to communicate. As long as we agreed that we didn’t like George Bush, we were ok. The stereotypes of rudeness, and intolerance were nowhere to be seen. We attempted their language and they attempted to accommodate ours, everything but intolerance. Although myself and Tim and Raphael enjoyed Madrid, we realized soon after getting off the plane in Paris that this was a special place. The language itself is beautiful, as described by Rafael, “you could just close your eyes and listen”. Agreed… Madrid had its own charm though, Flamenco and the inclusive culture. We were able to experience the culture of Madrid by walking the streets at night. However, taking a day in the massive Retiro park really opened my eyes to Madrid’s charm. Street performers, musicians, and large families all take part in making a leisurely day. Much a metropolis like Paris, fashion seemed important to both, with different styles of course- Paris being the more sophisticated, conservative type, and Madrid with the more flamboyant clothing displays.