When in Paris..

Today was Veterans day, so I got the day off. I went from no plans, to an exciting day with two girls from class I've not hung out with before. We met in front of Notre Dame and on a whim went up it! Because when in Paris...why not? We have to at some point! We all got in for free with our student cards. HOLLER. And then we climbed 387 steps. It was sunny and simply put: gorgeous.

Waiting in line took awhile though. We definitely sat in one spot for 20 minutes. But we we were lucky enough to have stomach curdling laughter because this man was going back and forth across the street putting on a mini show. He was dressed in pilot clothes, funny looking goggles and a scarf. He spoke English. He captured our attention cause he would walk behind people and mimic them until they realized! He'd pretend to take photos just like the tourists, and once they realized they were being mimicked, they'd laugh and shake the mans hand and were on their way. Once he shouted, "Ladies and gentleman! This is my wife!" and offered his arm to escort a woman passing by. She went with it and also got a laugh. There was maybe ONE person out of all the people he did these little pranks to who absolutely ignored him, the rest laughed and moved on. He eventually had all of us in line for Notre Dame watching, and laughing, anddddd he even put his goggles down on his face and started directing the traffic!! Or he'd J-walk in front of a taxi and in the most dramatic slow motion steps ever, walk across the street. The car didn't even honk, just waited for him to pass. They were probably dying of laughter as well.  My favorite time was when he knelt down as a cute old lady was slowly walking by, and he shouted "Maman!!" and then she hugged him. Another favorite moment, he was following a pigeon! And he pretended to be walking it on a leash. "Thiis is really my pigeon, I'm not kidding!" And finally he "handed" a woman the "leash" and she pretended to walk it too. A black guy walked by: "Ladies and gentleman! Presenting, President Obama!" Since we were watching for awhile, he repeated some of the same stuff.. And he tried doing the "Maman!" to an old lady again, but she just ignored him and walked by, which made him sad and he said "That's my mom... :( "  He continued on for awhile, leading his choir in birthday song, or other silly things. Then shook hands with those of us in line, and put his hat out saying the money would be for pilot school. You couldn't just not give a guy like that your change for helping time pass in such an entertaining way. Best part of the day. Bravo sir, you get a 10 for creativity. 

The view from the top of Notre Dame was lovely! And you could REALLY see that Sacre Cœur is sitting on Paris' only hilltop. I need to make my way there soon. I decided when I'm rich I'm going to buy a corner of the top bit of Notre Dame so I can read up there with that view.

Afterward we stopped at Shakespeare and Co. and listened to gorgeous piano music upstairs, while pouring over the many books. We then headed to a cafe on the corner and ordered banane avec chocolate crêpes and delicious chocolat chaud that was finished much too quickly. Later the most delicious panini from right by my house was consumed by the Seine River. The Eiffel Tower sparkled on the hour behind us, Bateaux Mouches sparkled in front of us, boats passed by, and the new ferris wheel put up for the holidays to the right beamed with light as well. SO MUCH MAGIC! I'm in love with this place.