Day One in Paris

I loved taking pictures of the architecture, and I also thought it was so interesting how the streets converge and how the buildings are so oddly shaped sometimes.
A gas station in Paris - just stop by the side of the road and fill up!
A Smart Car barely holds two people.
Parking in Paris. How do you think they get out of their spot???Some ancient ruins at the Park Monceau.
A statue and greenery at the park.The Metro stop at Park Monceau
And, of course, my camembert cheese. Sigh.

I arrived at 10:00 this morning, and got my luggage. No one was at the douane (customs), so I didn't have to declare to anyone. Good thing I didn't have anything to declare. The Paris shuttle arrived around 11:00, and we drove the streets of Paris and arrived at my friend Staci's house about noon. They have a beautiful house! Tall ceilings, spacious rooms. It's on the fourth floor of a building in the 17th arrondissement, which is in the northwest of Paris. I ate a crêpe with gruyère cheese and jambon (ham) for lunch, and then took an hour nap. When I woke up, Staci and I walked around the neighborhood for two hours while her kids were at school. We went in all sorts of stores - a children's book/toy store, a grocery store, a boulangerie (bakery), a chocolaterie (chocolate store), and other stores. I love walking the streets of Paris. Just hearing the sounds of the cars (I took a picture of a Smart Car, which is a car that can barely fit two people in it) and the people speaking French. We saw a few Metro lines, and we bought some Metro passes. Then we walked around Parc Monceau, which is a beautiful park with statues and other ancient ruins and stuff, and then picked her girls up from school. Their school is located in the park. Elli is in kindergarten, but here they go all day - from 9-4:20. Xandi is 3 years old, and is in preschool and goes from 1:30-4:10. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store and I bought Camembert cheese and Nutella, and then we went to the boulangerie and I bought a baguette. Then we came home, and I called Christian and talked to him and Aidan (I cried because I miss my family so much; Ethan was at school).

For dinner we had chicken and dumplings - thanks to Staci for making it! And, of course, we had baguette & camembert, and then for dessert they bought me a "welcome to Paris Erin special cake" - a chocolate and raspberry mousse cake from lenôtre. It is a fancy schmancy chocolate store in Paris that is quite expensive, but they have started making cheaper versions that they sell frozen at the grocery store.

I am so excited for this upcoming week and all of the fun things we have planned! Heck, even if I sit here and read the french paper and watch french television, I'm excited.