Puces? Marches?

Fleas? Markets?

Saturday Day - Picnic aux Jardins du Luxembourg et "Tecktonic" La Techno Parade 2009!

Enyi and I on our way to les Jardins du Luxembourg from Châtelet. I thought the METRO was bad... First time taking the RER and it was hotter than Satan's toenails.

Wine, chocolate and my roast beef/dried apricots knapsack lunch.

Oh hey, Enyi.

Already tipsy. Day drinking in Paris Parks... I finally feel like we belong!

The back of the palace.

Aftermath.

Lauren, back for fifths already?

Cheers!

The scene that greets me and Enyi as we leave the park...

???!!!

Not quite sure what's going on... Hear loud bass; must be some parade?

We had stopped into Brioche Dorée for a quick bite; WHAT is HAPPENING out there???

Where did all these people come from???

Shoved into the mob! No choice but to follow, resistance is futile.

Oh yes. We joined them.

Pourquoi pas?

Enyi got into it.

And so did I, EEE!!!

Behind the Dj-ing bus!

Interesting outfits...

Everywhere. Standing on bus stops, dancing, drunk?

From a distance; Enyi and I had finally had enough of the mob.

Lactose Intolerance Tolerance...

Cheese really does kill me. Tomorrow will have to be a sans les produits du lait day.

PS. Have yet to post on what I've been up to since Thursday!!! Will update soon, but too tired, its 2am and finally time for some shut-eye!

Saturday Night - Ce Soir: l'Avare

Just got back from the showing of l'Avare at Salle Richlieu in Place de la Colette off the Metro stop Palais Royale. Afterwards, we took coffee, desserts and snacks at a nearby café with our professor to discuss the troupe's contemporary interpretation of Molière's (incredibly old) play. The show was ended with the LONGEST EVER encore applause and numerous encore bows by the actors. Think: at least five minutes and 5+ returns to the stage with the curtain rising, bowing, falling, rising, bowing, falling, to never-ending applause... Incroyable!

Ooh la la!

"Enyi, take a picture of me!"

The theater; gorgeous, lots of gold leafing and gilt detailing... So French.

The view.

Balcony seating!

Somehow I snuck a short clip of video of the play, but it's really short because I felt really sneaky doing it.

Enyi and Professor Barbareau

Some of that famous applause!!! Seriously unbelievable.

An awful photo of the front of the theater just as we were leaving.

On the move.

Me! On our way to the nearby café with our professor.

Café Palais Royale (I think)?

Oh look, me and Samantha! QTz.

I had a delicious cappuccino; but the real winner was Sam's chocolate mousse: incredibly thick and rich... Mmm.

Aftermath.

A view from behind, having just swiped my Navigo at the entrance. "Hurry up, Enyi!"

Descending into the bowels of Paris. Morbid? Quelling?

À la Defense!

Just before we boarded Line 1 (La Defense) of the Metro. Enyi took the photo.

Hier Soir

18 euro bottle of rose wine on me!

more on this later after i rest more

Discovery Part Deux

When I am emphatically intent on explaining something and don't have enough time to think about it, I suddenly become much more fluent and the words just drop onto the tip of my tongue like magic. I don't understand it in the least! I guess I really am absorbing this stuff.

What a Regular Lunch Looks Like...

So people here don't use tupperware, or Ziplock plastic bags... A) Because they never make enough food for leftovers, except for a teeny tiny amount; and B) Because they literally use up everything they buy without excess... BUT how am I supposed to pack my bag lunches? (Another thing the French don't do...) Answer: Aluminum foil. Yesterday I tried packing a salad in one of her 3 plastic boxes (tupperware?) and the balsamic vinegar almost ruined everything in my bag! Thanks to its super strong scent, I located the offensive spill and made sure it was kept upright at the bottom of my bag for the rest of the day; but what a hassle!

Aha, that Tarama-thing I was talking about... Some sort of delicacy of fish eggs... Note the intense pink color.

A typical bag (aluminum foil) lunch. Meager leftovers of roast beef, carrots, a little slice of cheese and dijon mustard!

Up close and personal.

And of course, on the left, my little snack bundle of dried apricots!