This post covers Saturday 1st, Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd of October.
It's been a crazy few days, all ending as well as it could possibly end, as I sit here in a beautiful Parisian apartment in the 9th district, close to Opera, drinking Haut Poitou rose, and looking forward to a good night's sleep.
Saturday - booked tickets for Lenny and me to fly to Paris on Sunday. Crazy I know, minutes after moving into our new apartment, but maybe not...... moments after Lenny started a new school, but again, maybe not...... Saturday night I couldnt sleep at all. The buzzing was terrible, and also we had to be up at 2.30am to catch a plane at 5am. I can never sleep if I have to get up very early, so I resigned myself to writing emails, figuring out how to get from the airport into Gare du Nord in Paris, and other bits and pieces. Lenny has been offered places in other schools, and I needed to confirm that he would sit the tests when we get back from Paris. So he may not even return to KES. We shall see what transpires next week, my friends.
Sunday - Amir picked us up at 3am. Lenny vomitted in the taxi, just as we arrived at the airport. The airport was full - men everywhere, and hardly any women, certainly no women alone. SO I was terribly conspicuous, which is not a good feeling at 4am, with a vomit stained child at my side. Kuwait airport is not nice, and it was all I could do to hold back tears as I stood in the queue to check in.
Lenny, my star, my little trooper, managed to deal with it all - vomit, queues, his slightly panic-y mother. I have to take this opportunity to say what an amazing kid he is - for those who don't already know! He takes so many things in his stride, so much change and so many new and strange experiences, and (usually) manages to be friendly and good humoured through it all.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, we flew to Doha (one and a half hours away) where we had a more queues to deal with - Doha is a massive transit airport for the Middle East and India, and to be avoided at all costs. Then the plane to Paris was packed, and we were in my least favourite place, second last row, near the noisy toilets. Lenny slept a lot, and I watched some great movies - especially a wonderful French movie called 'Tous Les Soleils' with terrific music by Ensemble L'Arpaggiata.
Paris - arrived, exhausted, at 3pm. Managed, I am proud to say, to figure out how to buy tickets for the train into Paris. There is not a lot of guidance, and every day thousands of baffled tourists must go through the same motions that we did. Luckily, I had already changed dinar into euro, so had a fistful of cash, but how to buy a ticket? Which booth? (the blue ones). How to pay? (only with cash, and they must be coins) What does it say? (you can change language into English - if you must!!) Where to get change? (There is a change machine near the newsagency). I was determined to crack this little challenge, rather than line up with all the faint hearted tourists at the ticket counter. And we did it!
Found the train, took the express to Gare du Nord - very fast indeed, and through the cute little suburbs north of Paris. Got to the station...... well, I thought Central station in Sydney was bad. This place is filthy, covered in graffiti, torn apart really. Mind you, spotless Singapore, where we've been living for the past 3 years - is a hard act to follow.
Found a taxi - bustled through the incredibly vigorous life around the station - what a melting pot of cultures - bienvenue a Paris!
Got to hotel, checked in, unpacked, Andrew arrived (my brother) and my nephew Paddy. They have been on a big holiday around Italy, Greece, Spain and France, having a fabulous time. 'It's really hot in here' they said. Air con not working. 'Sorry,' said the girl on reception 'the air coniditoning does not work, and it will not work - ever.' No, no, no, very bad news. Our room was tiny, with a window that was locked shut, and was absolutely boiling. It's warm in Paris at the moment - 26 degrees. I chucked a fit - I've learned from my husband how to do this - 'unacceptable, unbelievable, I will complain, money back etc etc.' By then, my head was spinning, and if my brother hadn't been there I would have crumbled - well probably not, but it would have been very difficult.
Instead, we bought baguette and a bottle of wine and joined a million other tourists on a Sunday afternoon to have a picnic at the Eiffel Tower. I felt like I was hallucinating as we burst out of the metro into an absolute cacophony of crowds, music, police chasing rogue street sellers, thousands of tourists from everywhere, fountains, and then ofcourse, the majestic tower itself. It was so exciting, I thought my brain was going to explode! We met Anna and the other kids - so incredible to meet up here in Paris - though Lenny looks pretty chilled in this photo, hands in pockets!
And so the evening wore on, caught metro back to where Anna and Andrew were staying, then Andrew and I walked back to the aforementioned Holiday Inn to get my stuff. A&A invited us to sleep the night at their place, which was incredibly kind of them. And then miracle ot miracles, we discovered this place was available for another week. So we were able to take it for us - Michael arrives tomorrow morning to do work for the bank and Lenny and I don't have to go anywhere.
So I now declare that I LOVE PARIS!!! Yes, a cliche, I know, but this area especially (9th arrondisment, near Opera - specifically Rue 41 Rue de Rochechouart 75009 Paris) is SO gorgeous, and the people are just breathtakingly and consistently totally beautiful. For me it is the perfect antidote to Kuwait. It is everything sensual, delicate, robust, stylish in an anything goes kind of way, and also, edible. The women are truly living up to their fame as the most beautiful, sexy and stylish women in the world. I watched this afternoon as women and men, beautifully dressed, picked up their kids from school and wandered down to the local boulangerie for a pastry. Simple life. Now I just have to find a way for us to live here. Numama Paris? Sounds good!
We woke this morning (Monday) and went to a famous flea market. Discovered the antiques section, which was just wonderful - full of treasures. I could browse for hours. My French came back at a local cafe, it felt so good! Then we went to lunch with some lovely friends of Anna's - Jo and Will. Had salmon, une biere, some very very nice wine, and excellent conversation. Life can be so rich, and I am doing life like that right now!
Here are a few Paris photos. This one is a portrait of Lenny avec son chapeau on metro.
Andrew and Louie checking out the light shades in the antique market. I think Louie is declaring his love for a certain light shade. But then his heart was hi-jacked in the old record shops, where he bought a collectors edition of a Pink Floyd album. Quote "I'm going to make a lot of money and come back here and spend it". I quite agree, Monseur Louie!
Me, taking un cafe.
Paddy at Antique market next to a particularly picturesque green stair well.
Billy and Lenny at lunch.
Andrew and Anna at local metro station
A&A&kids packed up and left for the airport - after 5 weeks away they are sad and happy to be going home. They have had a wonderful time, and it has changed all of their lives forever. Australia feels a long way away, but it is just a long plane trip (and some serious saving) to this other amazing world, and they will all be back soon enough.
And now, Lenny and I are here, feeling right at home in the family apartement de Paris, eating cheese and watching crappy French TV.
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