Europe adventure. Day 27 of 34.

Written in my suite at Lesley on day 5 of College Adventure. 

I woke up around eight in the morning, talked to my sister over facebook, made my bed, and packed up my dirty laundry with an intention of doing it first thing when I left the apartment. Or second thing. Sofiane was awake early that morning, thankfully, and he gave me the key to the apartment so that I could come back whenever I wanted. Eventually, I left, with a map out and plans to find a gluten free pastry shop I had the address for.

I was very hungry and as I walked I passed a hole in the wall Indian place, so I stopped in and got some take-out. I couldn't resist. Good thing, too, because the pastry shop I was so excited about was closed for vacation. I was starting to get the feeling summer was a bad time to be in Paris. I tried to find a tea shop I had also found on my map with the same luck. I turned around and headed for the metro, eating Indian food on the way, done searching that part of the city for places that clearly didn't value tourism. I don't blame them, but I was disappointed.

At the metro station there was an old lady wheeling some rather big luggage down the hall, heading towards the stairs. I offered to help, and since she didn't understand English I just took her bag and carried it for her. She was very happy. I have no idea how she would have made it down to the train without my help, honestly. I got off the subway in the area around the Shakespeare and Company book store, because I had to go back there. I looked around for a Tolkein book that wasn't sold anywhere in the US, and thought I wouldn't find it, because their sci-fi/fantasy section is tiny, but the second or third time I browsed through I saw it tucked in a corner. I was so happy. I found out as I paid for it that it had just been shelved that morning.

I went to the big comic book store that was a block or two down from the book store. On the way I stopped at a little sorbet stand that was offering samples in strange flavors like strawberry mint, lemon basil and mixed spices (mysterious, right?). I got a small cup of the strawberry mint. I love fresh mint, so it was pretty good. At the comic book store I bought a gift for my boyfriend, and then continued wandering down the street toward The Luxembourg Gardens. On the way I passed a cinema that I had seen on a list I had been looking at online that morning. I stopped in to check it out and bought a ticket for later that afternoon. It was a movie in English called "One, Two, Three".

With an hour or so to spare before the movie I headed to the gardens. There are so many gardens and parks that I saw on my trip, but The Luxembourg Gardens definitely stick in my memory. They were so beautiful, with carefully pruned bushes and trees, flowers and pathways, statues and water features. I loved the little remote control boats that kids were playing with in the made-made ponds. It was just such a perfect picture and it was a beautiful day. I would have loved to stay longer, but I had to get to my movie.

It was a very cute movie theater and the film was hilarious. I was so happy and feeling very optimistic, so I tried to find another couple of the tea houses I had looked up. No luck with either one, so I got on the metro and took it all the way to a different part of the city where there was apparently a gluten free creperie.

I walked out of the station to see a cute little merry-go-round and a candy vendor. The square in general was adorable, though the streets were crazy confusing. I bought some candy, obviously. I always have to buy candy. And then I got lost. Even with GPS I was very, very lost. I thought I would never find my way anywhere, let alone the one gluten free creperie in Paris. It was probably closed anyway, and I was tired of going up and down all the insane hills. But I was determined to at least check, no matter how long it took me.

And I found it! There were no empty tables in the tiny place, so I waited for a seat. I was ecstatic, though, because it was open and the menu looked delicious and I was starving. When I sat down I stared at the menu for a good fifteen minutes before I could choose what to eat. Everything looked so good. Goat cheese, walnuts and honey or cream and carmalized onions. Apple sorbet and warm cooked apples or nutella and bananas. It all looked so good! I ended up getting the Parisian crepe for my meal, which was mushrooms, ham, cream, cheese and lots of butter and with it I got a bowl (which meant a mug) of sweet cider. For dessert (though I couldn't even finish my delicious meal) I got the Mont Blanc crepe, which was banana, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream with almond shavings. Obviously I finished that. It was all so good!

I never did do my laundry that day.

Okay, I have to get ready for my first day at my new Bertucci's job! I will finish writing about my Europe trip, I promise.