Last Day in Paris

Our last day is Paris was nothing extravagant, since it was probably the first day we had to actually treat our trip like a vacation...which means, sleeping in. I guess all the museums and french cuisine has the effect of turkey.

With no itinerary set, we headed down to the Louvre area and relaxed by the massive gardens and ponds. After about 20 min of watching other tourists dose off with their heads bobbing back and forth in their garden chairs, we walked down to the Islands area where Notre Dame cathedral sits. Now Notre Dame is supposedly the most famous church in Paris, but also apparently the most well-run tourist shop too. There was nothing short of a gift shop and admission inside, and it makes we wonder why anyone would still go there for service since half the audience are tourists snapping away with their cameras. Even more weird is that the confessional boxes are clear glassed rooms, so everyone and their moms can watch you confess your innermost sins to the crowd outside.

Next, we headed to take the riverboat cruise on the Seine River to close out our Paris adventure. Sitting on the upper deck, we got to see Paris and its backstage life. What struck me the most was that the high school kids really have to place to hang out. Back in the states, they hang out at the mall or Starbucks, or at the park playing some football or basketball. But land in Paris is a premium, with no 24'hr fitness or big open parks to throw the pigskin around. So what do they do? Apparently, they hang out by the river and smoke all day long. No wonder the perception of French ppl are of smokers and artists, because that's the most accessible activity around.

The Paris leg of our trip has certainly been interesting and fun. We now head to Venice tomorrow, then Florence, and finally round out our trip in Rome. But before I sign off Paris, I think the most memorable part here was the bathroom shop in the Louvre mall. I mean, it was a boutique, complete with a vast array of multi-colored pastel toilet paper, a cleaner that wiped the seat after each customer (so you can't blame the pee-pee stain on the seat on the person before you), and a receptionist that directed you to your stall. I didn't have to go, but I sure went anyways.