Paris Day 3: May 20th, 2009

Day 3 in some ways was Day 1. We got up and met up with J, S and G for a trip up to Pere Lachaise. None of them had it seen it before and it is truly an impressive graveyard filled with cool and creepy monuments and memorials, as well as old friends that are always a pleasure to visit. Having spent our first extended Paris trip in an apartment in the 20th, we knew to take the metro to the top of the hill and work our way down the cemetery, rather than hoof it up the hill like everyone else. The day was perfect with our background of outrageously blue skies, a light breeze and trees overburdened with new spring leaves. We visited Oscar Wilde first, and Edith Piaf next. I left them each some metro tickets and we headed down the hill into the older part of the cemetery (this is my favorite part) and eventually into the urine and graffiti ridden section that contains Jim Morrison. I hung back so J and S could see him, but then Jayme pointed out that someone had written "People are Strange" on the grave and signed it MCF, so I had to take a pic and said hello while doing so. We all then took the metro to Arts et Metiers for a late lunch and parted ways at our hotel.

We collected our luggage, called a cab and headed to the new apartment to meet our landlord. The agency had warned me that he spoke no English, so I had been mentally practicing all the things I might need to say (and a few others) all morning. I was nervous about being able to communicate clearly and not sound like a moron. We arrived almost at the same time Mr. Hannemian's friend Jo showed up He had called her to help with the conversation since she is in fact is a French tutor to American students. But, I didn't really need her much, except a few times where I just didn't understand the words flying quickly out of Mr. H's mouth. Cody told me Mr. H (as well as Cody) was impressed with the amount of French I spoke and it was obviously true since he didn't slow down for my sake. Jo stepped in a few times, but otherwise we did the whole tour and transaction in French. I was even able to banter with Mr. H about the mice he was teasing me about, claiming there were some in the ktichen and winking the whole time. Formidable, non?!

After Mr. H and Jo left, we parted and the stress just melted away. For this first time snce we got off the plane, I relaxed. I really almost collapsed. My whole body just went limp. The apartment is gorgeous and even has a lift. We didn't have to drag our suticases up 3 flights of narrow circular stairs. I think I would have been even more of a tightly wound mess if the Nourallahs hadn't been here to distract us. We met up with them at Mai Thai for some dinner (sadly in the basement dining area), and then went back and collapsed into bed, exhausted after the roller coaster of the last few days.