From Paris with Blog

Oui Oui. Ahh Paris, a land of incredible crowds, even more impressive sites, and BO that could kill a big horse. Although there distaste of Americans has gotten better, in which I mean they tolerate their existence, nose however still upturned. Paris is the only city I have ever been to that hides it coolest places. Like Rome, they direct the thousands of tourists daily to 4 or 5 big locations, let a few hundred into the more obscure, and deny access to French society. Which by the way isn't really a way to live in the first place. And here comes our first list.

Ways to behave like French society:

-Smoke tons of cigarettes
-Eat your lunch while in movement
-Overpay for everything, and love it.
-Wear obscure clothing that doesn't fit the season
-Sound obnoxious (but possibly being polite)
-Grope people on the subway
-Follow 20 Vans or Trucks blasting techno down the street in an obscure hardcore parade on Bastille day.

I've seen a lot of things in my life, but the pathetic parade of people following van after van of hardcore techno (and bad techno...I think...I mean I didn't hear the Mortal Kombat theme or Zombie Nation) blasting at ear splitting levels. It wasn't just the sheer ridiculousness that this was even being allowed, but rather how into it these people were. Each van having its own crowd of loyal fans head banging and fist pumping their dirty fingers in hypnosis. Phew, I wasn't sure if I would have been able to check that one off my bucket list.

This was obviously a bit off the grid in the city, and totally worth it, but the rest of Paris is filled with tourists dying to see its greatest sites, and swift locals hawking the junk that they buy. Did you know that people are still falling for the game where you have to find the ball under the cup? Twenty years running and the general public still haven't figured it out its a scan, incredible. That's the ups and downs of the city though, awe inspiring highs, and very frustrating lows.

One of the most amazing structures I have ever witnessed though is the Eifell tower which made me feel very very small next to it. We spent one night watching fireworks on the 2nd level of the tower at sunset, which is 10:15 btw, and another amongst nearly a hundred thousand people celebrating Bastille day in the most impressive fireworks spectacular I have ever seen. I thought we were going to see a band...seriously...needless to say it was beyond awesome. Bastille Day + Eiffel tower you certainly deserve to make the 1000 things to do before you die book.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq6FZENAS9w

If you ever left a Yankee game you know how horrible it is to take the 4 train back in Manhattan, now multiply that by 165 million (gross exaggeration) aka the same number Brussels choose to magnify a crystal and build what is now called The Atomium. I forgot to mention this in my past blog, but Belgium choose to magnify a crystal and then build what it would look like life size. I went in 5 of the 9 balls, yup this happened. Just stop reading now and google it, ill wait. Located right next to mini-Europe, this was choosen to be a major landmark of the country. Anyway, leaving the Eiffel Spectacular was the equivalent of dumping an entire barrel of jelly beans into a funnel. Sorry, that really should have been a pop culture reference, I must be tired. It was hot, smelly, uncomfortable and one of the worst hour and a half I have spent since sitting through Transformers 2.

The Tour DE France is going on, and although we didn't actually see it I enjoyed the countries fascination with watching endless hours of a crowd of people biking together. If you watch it long enough its just one big orgy of follow the leader, yet I'm hooked. Go Yellow....I think.

And finally:

My ranking of Paris, France and Paris related nouns:
1) The Eiffel Tower
2) French bread
3) Notre Dame
4) Schwepps Lemon drink
5) Champs Elysee and Arc D'Triomphe
6) Techno Parade
7) Pulp Fiction scene about a Royale with Cheese
8) Musee D'Orsay
9) From Paris with Love
10) Paris hilton

Sorry no pics, but randomness remains above, and with that I say au revoir to Paris and Hoy! to Holland. Time to be Dutch for a month.

As always, Aloha means goodbye for now.

- Foxx