We've arrived at our hotel! It's pretty small and it looks independently owned, which is nice. The owner (or relative, anyway) who works behind the desk is very nice and cheery. Even when some Italians came in and didn't speak barely a lick of French, he worked though talking to them. It really takes patience for that kind of thing! Fortunately we are right next door to a laundromat. This is perfect because it is high time I do a load of laundry. Our room is supposed to be ready in about 15 minutes, so I get a little down-time before putting my things away. Nikki is looking for a payphone to call her fiancé. I'm eager to get out and find a bike rental place, and explore the area a little bit. I still want to get a hold of my great Aunt Kay. I've called her twice this morning, but she didn't answer- I wonder if I have the right number? Somehow I need to get my friend Daphne's number, too- I'd love to get a coffee or something with her and meet her fiancé.
I guess Sarah and Andy or our friend Kazu are going to try and sneak in on Sunday and spend a night in our room- I don't know if that's going to work, though. They might just have to pay for their own room. It's a gorgeous day out right now and I am itching to get out there, but the owner is here now, talking to the concierge in rapid...Arabic? (I think).
Saturday
So, second night in hotel Luna Park. Our room is pretty small with only one double bed, so Nikki and I share it. There is an odd-looking non-flushing toilet (I forgot the word) i the corner of our room, with a sink next to it. This little area is separated by a shower curtain. It's a little odd, and we're on the fourth floor (without an elevator :-/) so we have to walk up and down (with the luggage, it was a bit of a pain). The toilet (the real one) and shower are both communal, and a little cramped. I guess this is was 20 Euro a night gets you for a hotel in Paris!
Yesterday after waiting an hour for the chambermaid to get our room ready, we left our stuff in our room and did some laundry at the laundromat next door. It was a little confusing at first, I don't often use public washing machines. There was a dried fruit market right next door to the laundromat, so I went in and got some dried bananas (a new favorite snack of mine. Try them!) I also bought a laundry bag with a sort of wannabe-Burberry plaid pattern for about 1 Euro 60. It will definitely help lighten my load when I head back to Besac. Later that night, we tried finding an opera to go to, but didn't know exactly the price for each one we found, so we decided to wing it. We took the metro to the "Opéra" stop and got off right in front of the Paris opera house. We looked for a few minutes at the schedule of shows at the entrance of the theatre when one of the ushers told us there was a "private invitation only" show tonight, but regardless he yanked two tickets out of his jacket pocket and let us through! Out of total surprise, we walked inside just as the last call for seats bell sounded. We climbed a few sets of stairs and chose a private booth on the side of the theatre. It turned out not being an opera, but a dance rehearsal for a local school of dance! It was a 3-part show with pointe dancers who seemed to all be aged around 12-25 years old. It was really enjoyable, and even better because it was free!
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