Saturday in Paris!

I didn't take my laptop to Paris with me, so I am a few days behind on blogging, but now I have lots of interesting pictures and stories to write about!

I left Geneva on an early high-speed train and was in Paris in time to meet Laurie for morning coffee.  I was very lucky not only to get to see an old friend from Major Street, but also to have such a knowledgeable guide who is not only Parisian, but also an urban planner.

My lovely host for the weekend :)

Laurie took me around Montmartre and through some other Paris neighbourhoods, including where she used to live while in University.  We went for lunch a cute little vegetarian burger place, where Laurie saved the day by turning the breaker when the power went out. 

After lunch, Laurie had some work to do, so I went exploring on my own for a bit. I walked to the Louvre, along the Seine to Notre Dame and through the Latin Quarter.  I didn't have enough time to go into any museums, but I did tour through Notre Dame. 

The Louvre.

The weather was kind of strange this weekend, it would be rainy for a half hour or so, then blue sky would come out and, then it would be back to rain.

Awkward tourist pose in the gardens by the Louvre.

I got an amazing crepe with Nutella from a stall in the Latin Quarter and confirmed to myself why I should never ever be left along with a jar of Nutella.  

Notre Dame

I was surprised how many tourists were out and about on a rainy Saturday in February.  I can't imagine how busy things must get on a sunny summer weekend.

Here comes the rain...

As I was walking back to the train station to meet back up with Laurie, I got caught in a bit of a downpour.  Luckily, Laurie had lent me her umbrella for the afternoon.  I almost lost it in a gust of wind, but it protected me from the worst of the rain.  When the mini-storm cleared, I was treated to a beautiful rainbow near city hall. 

After the rain

In the evening, we went to a housewarming party at a friend of Laurie's.  She had also done an exchange in Toronto at York Glendon Campus.  It was great to meet some of Laurie's friends and to have a chance to practice my French a bit.  I was pretty lost in some of the group discussions, but I think I was able to manage OK in one-on-one conversations. 

We ended up spending the night at Laurie's friend Marie's place in one of the closer suburbs to Paris.  Marie had visited Laurie in Toronto for a couple of weeks, and we all went to New College Grad formal together at Ontario Place.  Marie was out of town for the weekend, but I really appreciate her hospitality :)