Love in Paris

PRE-DEPARTURE

19-08-2007 WE RETURN FROM VASTO BY CAR WHERE A LONG NEAPOLITAN DAY AWAITED US BEFORE THE DEPARTURE THE FOLLOWING MORNING. ARRIVED IN NAPLES... A SHOW LIKE NOTHING EVER SEEN!!! ALMOST DESERTED CITY, BARELY CHAOTIC AND STRANGELY... WITHOUT HORNS!!! WE PACK OUR BAGS AND GO EAT A RICH PIZZA AT MERGELLINA, WE GO UP IN A HURRY AND GO STRAIGHT TO SLEEP DREAMING AND FANTASIZING ABOUT THE ADVENTURE THAT WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. 20-08-07 WE WAKE UP VERY EARLY AFTER SLEEPING VERY LITTLE AND DOWNSTAIRS ANOTHER COUPLE OF FRIENDS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE WITH US WERE WAITING FOR US, ALL HEADED TO ROME FIUMICINO SAN LEONARDO AIRPORT. WE ARRIVE IN ROME AFTER HAVING RACED THE WHOLE WAY GIVEN THE TRAFFIC WE FOUND AND WE PARK THE CAR IN A LONG-TERM PARKING LOT BOOKED BEFOREHAND. CHECK IN, WE EAT SOMETHING, AND WE GET READY FOR BOARDING WHICH, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED... WAS DELAYED.

THEY HAD TOLD ME THAT YOU COULDN'T BRING LIQUIDS BUT ANYWAY I HAD BROUGHT THE LITTLE JAR WITH LOURDES WATER, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS USEFUL.:) ON THE VUELING FLIGHT THEY TAKE THEIR SWEET TIME AND WHILE WE WERE DESCENDING I LEAN OUT OF THE WINDOW AND SEE A WONDERFUL SIGHT... THE EIFFEL TOWER ALL LIT UP SAYING... WELCOME TO PARIS:) WE GET OFF BUT BY THEN IT HAD GOTTEN LATE AND THE BUSES WERE NO LONGER RUNNING.

WE TALKED TO AN OLD MAN I HAD TALKED TO THE WHOLE FLIGHT WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING ALMOST ANYTHING BUT WE COMMUNICATED AND HE MOBILIZED 2 OTHER PEOPLE WHO VERY KINDLY GAVE US 2 OTHER SOLUTIONS EVEN THOUGH IN THE END WE ENTRUSTED OURSELVES TO AN ILLEGAL TAXI DRIVER WHO LOOKED LIKE A GUY FROM A MOVIE "THE GOLDEN CHILD" AND WE HAVE HIM TAKE US TO THE SAINT-HONORE' HOTEL WHICH EVERYONE THOUGHT, GIVEN THE STREET, WAS A 5-STAR HOTEL BUT IT WAS A HOTEL WITHOUT STARS BUT TO TELL THE TRUTH USEFUL FOR OUR NEEDS AND VERY CENTRAL, IN FACT IF WE CROSSED THE SEINE WE WERE AT NOTRE-DAME, A BIT FURTHER ON THE LATIN QUARTER AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WE CROSSED AN ALLEY AND WE WERE AT POMPIDOU. ANYWAY WE ARRIVE AT OUR DESTINATION BUT SINCE IT WAS LATE WE DECIDE TO GO TO SLEEP SINCE THE NEXT DAY A RICH PARISIAN DAY AWAITS US

FIRST REAL PARISIAN DAY

WAKE UP AT 9:00... A BLOW TO THE HEAD... WE GO DOWN AND DECIDE TO GO HAVE BREAKFAST IN A BAR WHERE FINALLY, AFTER THE ORANGEADE AND A PASTRY, I LIGHT UP A RICH CIGARETTE IN A PUBLIC PLACE AFTER BREAKFAST... WHAT BLISS!!! LEAVING THE BAR WE IMMEDIATELY DECIDE TO GO VISIT "NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS" WE LOOK AT THE MAP TAKEN FROM THE HOTEL AND IT WAS RIGHT THERE 2 STEPS AWAY. WE SET OFF AND AT A CERTAIN POINT WALKING ALONG THE SEINE, BEHIND CERTAIN TREES, THIS MAGNIFICENT VERY TALL STRUCTURE POPS UP WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE QUEUING TO GET IN. AT FIRST I LOOKED AT THE ARCHES BUT SUPERFICIALLY, WE COULDN'T MAKE ANYTHING OUT. MY LOVE ILARIA AT THE ENTRANCE SPOTS AN ITALIAN GUIDE WHO WAS DOING A KIND OF VOLUNTEER WORK (NOT EXACTLY SINCE HE WANTED A GIFT AT THE END) AND HE WAS VERY USEFUL TO US, EXPLAINING IN FULL DETAIL THE WONDERS OF THE CHURCH.

WHAT REMAINED MOST IMPRESSED ON US WAS ANYWAY THE ARCH THAT, LOOKING AT IT WELL, REPRESENTED THE LAST JUDGMENT: ON THE LEFT WAS THE GOOD DEPICTED BY THE ANGELS AND ON THE RIGHT THE EVIL WITH THOSE LITTLE DEVILS AND THE MEN WHO WERE SUFFERING. AN EXCELLENT REPRESENTATION THAT MUST SURELY BE SEEN EVEN THOUGH IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A PLACE OF WORSHIP WHERE YOU FEEL THE RELIGIOUS ATMOSPHERE, NOTRE-DAME IS TOO CHAOTIC WITH CONTINUOUS CHATTER, IT SEEMS MORE LIKE A MUSEUM. ON THE WAY OUT WE WANDER IN THE GARDENS OUTSIDE THE CHURCH WITH A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY!!! BEFORE GOING TO LUNCH WE GO VISIT THE SAINTE-CHAPELLE... 2 HOURS OF QUEUING, A METAL DETECTOR, TO SEE NOTHING IN THE END, I DIDN'T LIKE IT!!! AS FOR LUNCH WE DIDN'T KNOW THE PRICES IN PARIS AND THEY HAD TOLD US THAT EVERYTHING WAS VERY EXPENSIVE... WE APPROACH THE VARIOUS RESTAURANTS AND THEY ALL HAD A MENU OUTSIDE WITH THE PRICE LIST.

COMPLETELY NORMAL PRICES THAT STARTED FROM A FULL MENU AT 14.50 AND WENT UP, IT DEPENDED ON WHAT YOU WANTED TO EAT THOUGH. IN THE END WE CHOOSE A TAKEAWAY THAT WAS PRETTY PRICEY, WE SPEND VERY LITTLE, LIKE 4 EUROS FOR A SANDWICH AND A DRINK, AND WE ENJOY IT ON THE SEINE, HUGGING AND HAPPY IN THAT MOMENT, WATCHING A STREET ARTIST PAINTING A WONDERFUL PORTRAIT OF A CHILD. WE RETURN NEAR THE HOTEL AND GO DOWN TO VISIT POMPIDOU AND FROM HERE WE BEGIN TO ENJOY ANOTHER PARTICULARITY OF THE PLACE, A STREET ARTIST WHO WAS DOING A VERY TASTEFUL LITTLE SHOW AND ANOTHER WITH THE PIFFERARO WHERE YOU PUT THE MONEY AND HE PLAYED YOU A MELODY LIKE CAROSELLO. POMPIDOU WAS NICE WITH THIS FOUNTAIN CONTAINING ALL SORTS OF MODERN ART THINGS EVEN THOUGH I PREFER ANCIENT ART MORE, ANYWAY WE VISIT ANOTHER CHURCH NEARBY AND DECIDE TO RETURN TO THE HOTEL.

WE PASSED BY A SUPERMARKET NEARBY TO GET SOME EVIAN, THE WONDERFUL PARISIAN WATER AND THEY ALL REST, I WATCHED A BIT OF THIS SHOW OF THE PALACES OUTSIDE ONE ATTACHED TO THE OTHER AND TRYING TO PEER IN TO SEE HOW THE APARTMENTS WERE AND ON TOP OF THAT THE SIMPSONS IN FRENCH... NICE... I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE SLEEPING AND WAKING UP WITH A HEADACHE, I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK DOWN AND CONTINUE MY EXPERIENCE. ILARIA HAD FALLEN ASLEEP BY THEN, RIGHTLY SO, SHE HAD WALKED SO MUCH, AND AFTER THE SHOWER I STARTED TO SWEETLY BOTHER HER A BIT TO WAKE HER UP. FINALLY WE GO BACK DOWN AND GO TO THE LATIN QUARTER. ANOTHER SHOW, THIS PARIS AT NIGHT WITH THE SEINE ALL LIT UP, THE BOATS GOING UP AND DOWN AND THE PEOPLE STROLLING RELAXED WITH A SMILE ON THEIR LIPS.

I START TAKING OUT MY PHONE AND I PLAY THE SONG "SARA' PERCHE' TI AMO" OUT LOUD AND WE START HUMMING AND DANCING IN THE STREET WE ARRIVE AT THE LATIN QUARTER AND THERE WERE ALL THESE LITTLE TABLES WITH WAITERS TRYING TO GET YOU TO SIT AT THEIR RESTAURANT AND THERE WAS ALSO A LITTLE ILLEGAL CONCERT AT THE START OF THE STREET. AFTER GOING AROUND ALL THE RESTAURANTS WE STOP AT THE ONE THAT HAD ATTRACTED US MOST GIVEN ITS CLEANLINESS, WE EAT ONE OF THE FIXED MENUS, WE EAT WELL, WE DRINK A BOTTLE OF VERY GOOD WINE AND AFTER A WALK WE GO EAT A CREPE IN A CREPERIE NEAR POMPIDOU AND RETURN WE RETURN TO THE HOTEL SINCE THE TIREDNESS OF THE DAY HAD CAUGHT UP WITH US AND BESIDES I WAS SATED WITH THAT MAGICAL DAY.

LOUVRE

AS SOON AS WE WOKE UP WE ALL LOOKED AT OUR FEET AND I THINK EACH OF US HAD AT LEAST 2 SIZES BIGGER:s THAT MORNING WE DECIDED TO SPEND IT AT THE LOUVRE SINCE IT WAS RAINING AND THINKING IT WOULD BE A BIT MORE RESTFUL... WE HAVE BREAKFAST THIS TIME IN A TYPICAL PASTRY SHOP NEAR THE HOTEL WHERE THEY HAD EXQUISITE PASTRIES AND THE ORIGINAL BAGUETTES (I don't remember how to spell it) AND FROM THAT DAY WE DECIDED THAT WOULD BE OUR FIXED STOP AS FAR AS BREAKFAST WAS CONCERNED WE SET OFF TOWARD THE LOUVRE AND SEE AN ENORMOUS MASS HEADING NEAR THE PYRAMID. I WANTED TO PULL A NEAPOLITAN TRICK BY SAYING I HAD COME OUT TO SMOKE A CIGARETTE BUT THE USHER WAS MORE NEAPOLITAN THAN ME AND MADE ME QUEUE. WE BEGIN TO VISIT THE MUSEUM AND RIGHT AWAY WE NOTICE THE VARIOUS AREAS WITH WONDERFUL SCULPTURES AMONG WHICH THE VENUS AND CUPID AND PSYCHE.

AFTER WANDERING AROUND FOR A LONG TIME SEEING THE WONDERFUL SCULPTURES WE DECIDE TO GO SEE THE MONA LISA AND HERE BEGAN FOR ME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AREA... THE ONE OF THE PAINTINGS. THERE WERE WONDERFUL PAINTINGS THAT LOOKED LIKE REAL PHOTOGRAPHS GIVEN THE PRECISION AND THE COLORS. AMONG ALL THE PAINTINGS THE WEDDING AT CANA IMPRESSED ME AND THE ROOM WITH THE FRENCH PAINTINGS WITH STRONGER COLORS GOING FURTHER THERE'S THEN ANTONELLO DA MESSINA, I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE I HAD HEARD OF HIM THEN I REMEMBERED I HEARD HIM IN THE MOVIE FEBBRE DA CAVALLO:) IN ANOTHER ROOM I VERY MUCH ENJOYED NAPOLEON'S CROWN... WHAT A RICH THING!!! A REAL SHOW IT GETS TO LUNCHTIME, WE GO OUTSIDE TO EAT MCDONALD'S AND RUSH TO SEE THE MONA LISA. THIS TIME I GET THE HEADPHONES THOUGH AND I LISTEN AGAIN STEP BY STEP TO THE EXPLANATIONS IN ITALIAN OF ALL THE WORKS ALREADY SEEN. FINALLY I SEE THE GIOCONDA.

HER SMILE GIVES ME A STRANGE EFFECT, FROM FAR AND NEAR IT'S BEAUTIFUL BUT I FELT A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE SINCE I ALREADY KNEW IT WAS SMALL BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A QUEUE AND ON TOP OF THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE 2 SECONDS OTHERWISE THE PERSON BEHIND PUSHED YOU. I WENT AROUND TWICE BUT WHAT IMPRESSED ME MOST WAS THE SMILE... IN MY OPINION THERE ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE OF THE GIOCONDA. WE LEAVE THE LOUVRE FULL OF CULTURE AND WITH THE USUAL SWOLLEN FEET AND WE SET OFF DISCUSSING A BIT ABOUT THE IMPRESSIONS AND ANYWAY ALMOST EVERYONE HAD HAD A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION AND ALMOST EVERYONE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY A PAINTING VERY OFTEN ITALIAN. IN THE EVENING OUR FRIENDS DON'T COME DOWN AND MY GIRLFRIEND AND I TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO EAT AT AN EXCELLENT JAPANESE RESTAURANT.

DELIGHT...THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING WAS SHE AND I IN THE HEART OF PARIS SITTING AT A LITTLE TABLE IN COMPLETE HARMONY AND HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING WE WERE DOING... WITHOUT COMPLAINING... TRULY MAGICAL:) SHORTLY AFTER OUR FRIENDS WHO HAD COME DOWN CALL US AND WE GO DRINK SOMETHING IN A LITTLE PLACE. WALKING ALONG THE SEINE AN ITALO-FRENCH GUY APPROACHES AND TELLS ME "I'LL GIVE YOU 2 EUROS, WILL YOU GIVE ME A CIGARETTE" I, PERPLEXED, TELL HIM TAKE SOME WITHOUT MONEY AND I GAVE HIM A PACK WITH A FEW CIGARETTES INSIDE, ALMOST FINISHED, BROUGHT FROM ITALY BUT THIS FACT THEN MADE ME SMILE FOR A WHILE, 2 EUROS FOR A CIGARETTE WAS A GOOD DEAL BUT IT WAS ALSO A LOW THING TO TAKE THAT MONEY. WE RETURN TO THE HOTEL AFTER THE CREPE WHILE THE EIFFEL TOWER GAVE US A WONDERFUL INTERMITTENT LIGHTING NIGHT PARIS

OPENBUS + EIFFEL TOWER +

THIS MORNING WE DECIDE TO GO TO THE EIFFEL TOWER EVEN THOUGH THE WEATHER WAS CRAP. WHILE WALKING HOWEVER WE DECIDE TO GO WITH THE OPEN TOUR, THOSE NICE TWO-STOREY BUSES, WE BUY THE TICKET AND INCLUDED IN THE PRICE WE HAVE THE DISCOUNTS FOR EURODISNEY... WE SIT ON TOP, IT WAS COLD BUT WE HELD EACH OTHER VERY TIGHT, AND IN THE END WE COULDN'T FEEL ANYTHING ANYMORE. WE ARRIVE NEAR THE TOWER AND YOU COULD ALREADY SEE THE GARDENS AND THE MONUMENTS AROUND WHICH WERE VERY BEAUTIFUL. WE GET OFF AND ARRIVE UNDER THE STRUCTURE. THIS IMPOSING IRON STRUCTURE VERY BEAUTIFUL BUT MORE IN ITS SURROUNDINGS THAN ITSELF.

OUTSIDE IT WAS FULL OF GYPSIES WHO CAME CLOSE, LAYING IN WAIT ANYWAY WE GO UP WITH THE LIFT BUT I GOT SCARED, WHEN I REACHED THE SECOND FLOOR IT WAS ALL SO SMALL, ALL SO BEAUTIFUL BUT I WAS TOO HIGH UP AND I STARTED TO FEEL SWAYING AND BEFORE I GOT SICK I DECIDED TO GO BACK DOWN BELOW WHILE MY GIRLFRIEND AND THE OTHER GIRL WENT UP TO THE VERY TOP. IN THE END I DON'T MIND EITHER BECAUSE THIS SENSE OF TALL THINGS THAT THESE FRENCH HAVE IS STUPID, IN THE END WHAT DO YOU GO UP TO THE TOP FOR, TO TOUCH THE CLOUDS??? COME ON... JOKING, IT'S A LIMIT OF MINE THAT IN THE END DIDN'T BOTHER ME THAT MUCH ONCE DOWN I GO LOOK AT THE STATUE OF EIFFEL BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT IN A GOOD LIGHT LIKE BEFORE I WENT UP. ONCE THE EIFFEL TOWER WAS DONE AND AFTER TAKING A QUARTER OF AN HOUR OF JOKES FROM THE GIRLS WE GO AROUND ON THE OPEN TOUR AND SEE ANOTHER 1000 WONDERS FROM THE BUS.

WE SEE THE WONDERFUL PIGALLE, THE PALACE WHERE NAPOLEON'S TOMB WAS, CHAMPS ELYSEES, OPERA, THE CHURCH OF MARY MAGDALENE. WE ATE SOMETHING AND CONTINUED THE TOUR THROUGH THE SAINT GERMAIN STREETS LOOKING FOR THE CHURCH OF THE ROSE LINE THAT THE GIRLFRIEND OF THAT OTHER FRIEND WANTED TO VISIT BUT IN THE END WHEN WE FOUND IT, ALREADY IN THE CHURCH ALL THESE THINGS WERE WRITTEN DENYING THIS ROSE LINE PUT IN THE DA VINCI CODE. I DON'T KNOW IF FOR HER IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT OR A RELIEF, I ONLY KNOW THAT AFTER THE CHURCH WE STARTED HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE BEING OF MAN AND ALL THOSE QUESTIONS EVERYONE ASKS THEMSELVES AND THEN WHAT ANSWER DO YOU GIVE...

BOOOO!!! THE EVENING A NORMAL EVENING, I DON'T REMEMBER THE STREET BUT WE WENT TO HARD ROCK THEN WE SAW A FANTASTIC GAME ARCADE AND OUTSIDE THE REX CLUB UNFORTUNATELY CLOSED!!! A DECENT DANCE WAS NEEDED EVEN THOUGH IN THE END I DIDN'T MISS IT, IT WAS MORE THE CURIOSITY TO SEE THE REX AND TO SAY I HAD BEEN THERE. THE ENTIRE DAY WAS QUITE INTENSE AND FULL OF WONDERS... ON THE WAY BACK WE FIND A CART THAT MADE CREPES AND WE ATE THE REAL CREPE, VERY GOOD. WE RETURN TO THE HOTEL AND BYEEEEE THE NEXT DAY EURODISNEY AWAITED US

EURODISNEY

WITH THE METRO WE HEAD TO EURODISNEY WAKING UP VERY EARLY SO AS NOT TO MISS A SINGLE MINUTE OF THAT DAY... THIS INITIALLY WAS WHAT THEY WANTED BECAUSE I, JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME WE HAD TO SPEND IN THE AMUSEMENT PARK, WAS ALREADY GETTING SLEEPY. WE ARRIVE AT OUR DESTINATION WATCHING THE LANDSCAPE THE TRAIN OFFERS US AND WE ARRIVE IN AN ABSURD PATCH OF FOG THAT WAS EURODISNEY, VERY HIGH HUMIDITY AND THE USUAL KILOMETRIC QUEUE. ONCE INSIDE THOUGH ALL THIS WAS NULLIFIED, LOOKING AT THE ENCHANTED WORLD WE HAD ENTERED AND THE HARMONY OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES WHO WERE HAVING FUN JUST THE SAME AS THE CHILDREN PRESENT. THE FIRST WORLD WE VISIT IS THE FAR WEST ONE, VERY WELL MADE IN ALL ITS SHADES. WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN ON THE RIDES BUT WHAT I ENJOYED WAS BEING IN CONTACT WITH EVERYONE, EVEN WITH AN ENTIRE INDIAN FAMILY WHO OFTEN QUEUED BEFORE US.

WE GO TO THE INDIANA JONES WORLD RIDING THE TEMPLE OF THE FORBIDDEN EYE, SUPER FUN, LIKE ILARIA'S FACE WHEN WE DID THE LOOP. IN THE OTHER WORLDS THERE WERE TECHNOLOGICAL THINGS LIKE STAR WARS BUT I HAD MORE FUN ON THE LITTLE TRAIN THAT RAN ALONG THE PARK. THERE WERE LOTS OF JUNK FOODS TO EAT INCLUDING POPCORN. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EVENT OF THE PARK WAS IN THE GARDENS OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND WHEN WE SPLASHED WATER ON OUR FACES AND RAN LIKE KIDS IN THE PARK. IN THE EVENING THE BIG PARADE WITH THE COLORFUL FIREWORKS, BUT WITHOUT BANGS, IN MY OPINION SO AS NOT TO MAKE THOSE WHINY CHILDREN CRY. AN ENTIRE DAY IN A PARK WHERE TIME FLEW AND WE CAME OUT ALL FULL OF JOY IN THOSE ENCHANTED SHOPS AND IN THE MANY FUN PARADES WE FOUND AS FOR DANGEROUS RIDES THERE'S ONLY ONE BUT DANGEROUS UP TO A CERTAIN POINT IN THE END. THE 3D CINEMA WAS FUN

PIGALLE AND SACRE COEUR

I RELIVE THIS MOMENT WITH GREAT JOY SINCE HERE IN THIS PLACE I FOUND THE TRUE SWEETNESS OF PARIS. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SACRE-COEUR BASILICA. WE DECIDE TO GET THERE ON FOOT WITHOUT THE FUNICULAR AND WE BEGIN THIS BEAUTIFUL ROUTE THROUGH GREEN MEADOWS, TREES AND ROCKY AREAS. DURING THE STAIRS YOU COULD HEAR A SWEET MELODY ACCOMPANYING OUR STEPS AND ONCE WE REACHED THE FIRST LANDING WE SPOT 2 FOUNTAINS. WE FOLLOW THE MUSIC AND ONCE AT THE TOP THERE WAS THIS MAN WITH A HARP PLAYING HIS CD WITH ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND IMMERSING THEMSELVES IN THIS SENSATION OF FULL LOVE. ALL ENCHANTED AND RELAXED LOOKING AT THE SPLENDID PANORAMA OF PARIS FROM ABOVE. WE ENTER THE BASILICA AND IMMEDIATELY YOU BREATHE A TRUE MYSTICAL AIR WITH THE SACRAMENT EXPOSED ON HIGH AND NO CHATTER, NO PHOTOS, AN AIR OF INTENSE SPIRITUALITY. WE GO AROUND THE CHURCH BUT THE MAGIC WAS REALLY THAT OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

ONCE WE'VE VISITED THE BUILDING WE GO OUTSIDE AND ENJOY AGAIN THE SPLENDID PANORAMA WHILE OTHER ARTISTS HAD STARTED TO PLAY, OTHER STREET ARTISTS. WE TURN THE CORNER AND SEE THAT THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE DOING PORTRAITS AND SO WE ALSO CHOOSE TO HAVE ONE DONE. WE NEGOTIATE THE PRICE WITH THE ARTIST BUT TO TELL THE TRUTH WE WEREN'T VERY SATISFIED, I SEEMED TO HAVE HALF-CLOSED EYES WHILE ILARIA DIDN'T RESEMBLE HERSELF AT ALL. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A WOMAN HE HAD ON HIS MIND, I, TO JUSTIFY HIM, SAID IT WAS HIS POINT OF VIEW. WE GET SOME BREAKFASTS IN A PUB AND GO CONSUME THEM AGAIN NEAR THE MAN WITH THE HARP WHO WAS STILL GIVING EMOTIONS TO PASSERSBY. ONCE DOWN WE DECIDE INSTEAD TO GO AROUND PIGALLE WE VISIT A COUPLE OF SEX SHOPS BUT ONE I DIDN'T LIKE AT ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL BLACK MASKS, THE OTHER VERY BIG BUT NOT SUITED TO US SO MUCH THAT ILARIA WANTED TO LEAVE.

LOTS OF SHOPS AND HARD VENUES AND THEN THE MOULIN ROUGE WITH THAT VENT BLOWING HOT AIR THAT MAKES WOMEN'S SKIRTS RISE. ON THE WAY BACK THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE ASKING FOR CHARITY, SURE THEY GAVE YOU A SHOW, BUT IT TOOK 100 EUROS JUST FOR THEM. WE RETURN DOWN AND ANYWAY GO AROUND OTHER AREAS, NICE ENOUGH BUT NOT AS BEAUTIFUL AS THAT ONE!!! IN THE EVENING WE WANTED TO GO TO THE CASINO BUT IT WAS OUTSIDE THE CITY SO WE WENT TO THE LATIN QUARTER TO HAVE A FEW LAUGHS IN AN ARGENTINIAN TAVERN

PENULTIMATE DAY

WE CHOOSE AS A STOP THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE WHICH WE HADN'T YET GONE TO VISIT BUT IT DIDN'T EXCITE US MUCH. JUST THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD FOR AN ANONYMOUS FRENCH SOLDIER. WE GO DOWN THE CHAMPS ELYSEES AND THE SAME SENSATION. IN THE END PRETTY GARDENS, THIS VERY WIDE STREET. BUT NOTHING SPECIAL EXCEPT THAT THE BEAUTIFUL PART IS ONLY THE UPPER SIDE BECAUSE THE LOWER ONE LOOKED LIKE THE MUNICIPAL VILLA IN NAPLES BEFORE THE WORKS. EVERYONE WILL SAY THEY'RE GRANDIOSE, MY IMPRESSION INSTEAD SAYS THE OPPOSITE. PLACE DE LA CONCORDE INSTEAD I LIKED MORE GIVEN ITS FOUNTAINS AND ANYWAY THE HISTORY THAT BELONGS TO THAT SQUARE. IN ALL THIS HALF A DAY HAD PASSED.

AFTER EATING WE GO TO MONTPARNASSE SAINT GERMAIN AND SO ON AROUND ON THE BATEAUX MOUCHE AT SUNSET WHERE THEY EXPLAINED ALL THE BRIDGES TO US AND WE SAW ANOTHER PART OF PARIS THAT WHEN WE RETURN WE'LL SURELY GO TO LIKE A LITTLE PLACE RIGHT ON THE SEINE. RETURNING WE GO DOWN A BRIDGE AND GO AROUND UNDER THIS KIND OF HIDDEN LITTLE PIECE WHERE PEOPLE WERE SMOKING JOINTS AND DRINKING WINE. WE GO BACK UP AND AFTER EATING SOME KEBAB IN A GREEK RESTAURANT RETURNING WE DECIDE TO GO VISIT THE LOUVRE AT NIGHT AND IN THE MEANTIME WE CATCH SOME ACTORS FILMING A MOVIE.

FURTHER ON WE REALIZE THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE AND WHEN WE ASKED IF IT WAS THE SAME THEY ANSWERED NO, ONE WAS ACTUALLY A FILM WITH NON-FAMOUS ACTORS, THE OTHER LIKE A PLACE IN THE SUN BUT FRENCH WE RETURN TO THE HOTEL TO PACK OUR BAGS, FINALLY TO DO IT AND FINALLY TO TAKE A SHOWER SMEARING VOLTAREN ON OUR ANKLES BOUGHT RIGHT THERE BECAUSE OUR ANKLES WERE IN PIECES

HALF DAY AND EVERYONE HOME

THE STAY IS ALMOST OVER AND WE DECIDE TO GET LOST AMONG THE VARIOUS STANDS FOR SOUVENIRS OUTSIDE THE LOUVRE, THOSE I SAW WERE THE CHEAPEST, IN THE END THE SAME GADGETS ARE SOLD EVERYWHERE BUT YOU HAVE TO SEE WHERE TO BUY THEM OTHERWISE YOU PAY A LOT. ANYWAY WE GET LOST IN THIS NICE ROUND OF STANDS WAITING FOR THE TIME TO COME TO RETURN AGAIN TO NAPLES EVEN THOUGH MY FIXED THOUGHT THAT DAY WAS TO STAY THERE AND HAVE FUN AGAIN IN THE MAGICAL PARIS WHERE EVERYONE WAS RELAXED AND READ BOOKS ON THE SEINE BRIDGE WITHOUT BEING DISTURBED. THE TIME COMES AND WE GO GET THE BAGS WHILE WE WERE PREPARING SOME SANDWICHES BOUGHT AT THE FAMOUS PASTRY SHOP AND THE COLD CUTS AT THE SUPERMARKET. WE DECIDE TO SPEND THE LAST HOURS ON THE LAWN OF SAINT EUSTACHE BEHIND OUR HOTEL AND THERE, FROM THE HEAT, EVERYONE WAS LYING ON THE GROUND WITHOUT SHIRTS, SAVORING THAT SPLENDID SUNNY DAY.

THERE WERE LOTS OF CROWS NEARBY, AN UGLY BIRD WITH A HORRIBLE BEAK THAT LOOKED LIKE CONDORS THAT PECKED AT EVERYTHING YOU ATE. WELL, BETTER NOT TO BOTHER THEM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE SCARY LIKE PIGEONS OR FIERCE. ANYWAY I LIE DOWN ON THE LAWN TOO WITH AN ICED BEER IN HAND AND MY SANDWICH AND FOR A WHILE I ALSO LOSE MYSELF IN THAT TOTAL CALM AND I HOPE AS ALWAYS THAT TIME WOULD STOP AND LET ME ENJOY THOSE MOMENTS FOR A LONG TIME. IN CONCLUSION I LIKED PARIS FIRST OF ALL FOR THE GREATNESS IT HAS IN DOING THINGS. EVERYTHING YOU LOOK FOR IS CARRIED TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS... CULTURE, TRANSGRESSION... EVERYTHING IS TAKEN TO THE NTH DEGREE. BUT THEN I ATE WELL AND FOR ME TO SAY THAT, BEING NEAPOLITAN, IT TAKES A LOT. VERY CALM PEOPLE EVEN IN JOKING, THEY KNEW HOW TO BE DELICATE.

ARRIVED IN ROME I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED I WAS IN ITALY... A CHAOTIC AIRPORT WITH FINANCIAL POLICE RUNNING HERE AND THERE AND LOST BAGS AND LOTS OF ITALIANS REALLY PISSED OFF!!!

SEE YOU SOON PARIS...