27 April 2016
Today started out like a normal Wednesday. I took the train to Periere to catch the 93 bus to work. But today, while there wasn’t a strike, I experienced my first French traffic jam. Oo Lala. Basically a delivery truck double/triple parked on a two lane street. There were 2 larger vans, going opposite ways, that could not pass each other. So they put their cars in park and waited. Well this created a backup a few blocks long. The bus driver ultimately gave up and just opened the doors to the bus to let whomever what to get off and start walking. At this point, I was maybe four blocks from the office (and it wasn’t raining) so I got off. What I didn’t realize is that I would have likely been safer staying on the bus. When there is a traffic jam, much to my disbelief, the motorbikes will use the sidewalk to get around it. There was some serious bobbing and weaving all the way to the office.
Today was also the first time I experienced a true “French” lunch. With my colleague heading back to the US on Monday, a lunch was arranged with the two partners he had worked with while on a specific account. unbeknownst to me, champagne was ordered for a proper toast. Speaking of a proper toast, if you do not hold eye contact with the toastee while your glasses clink, it is said to be ’10 years of bad sex.’ It’s weird to hold eye contact that long. Then there was a delectable white wine. Followed by a meal was 5 courses and took almost 2 hours. Appetizer 1: charcuterie, Appetizer 2: some sort of salmon tartar with avocado mouse, Main meal: Sea Bass with some sort of mustard-y sauce served with veggies, Cheese – selection for 6 different cheeses with bread and finally, dessert: meringue of some sort in a raspberry/strawberry gazpacho. Needless to say, I was stuffed and had no desired to go back to work.
After work, Jer met me at the metro (which is now our daily routine) and headed for the grocery store to pick up dinner. We settled in as I have an early morning tomorrow heading out on the Eurostar to the UK for the day.
-Kasey
Step Count:7,770, 3.66 miles
Le tour de walker 