Paris

I'm finishing up a week of vacation in Paris. I don't know what I can say about Paris that hasn't been said more eloquently by someone else, but I love this city. Every time I visit, I appreciate it a little more.

I don't know why this matters to me, but I like to blend in with the locals as much as possible (without actually purchasing a striped shirt and a beret.) So I'm secretly delighted when someone asks me for the time and dismayed when someone starts speaking to me in English before I even open my mouth to butcher some French. I get a little of both.

Sometimes I'm just out of sync with Paris no matter how hard I try.  A few nights ago I went out with my brother and some friends for dinner around 8. We went to a little square very near my apartment here in the Marais that has about 6 sidewalk cafes.  It was a gorgeous June evening and all of the tables outside were already taken. I asked one of the waiters for a table. I didn't understand his answer but his body language said "sorry, can't help you." But I saw their tables inside were completely empty so I asked about "a l'interieur". That hadn't occurred to him but he was happy to let us have an indoor table, so we sat down there right away. The next night, another perfect one, we showed up at 7:30 to another local restaurant with the place almost empty and asked for a table. The hostess asked if I had a reservation. When I said no, she shook her head and sighed, "well, ok, but you'll have to sit outside".  So we were too late to get a table outside, then too early to get a table inside. Or something like that.