Tuesday, May 2, 2000
I took the Roissybus to the center of Paris from Charles de Gaulle airport, about US$8. (Next time, I'd take the RER instead, to avoid traffic.) Checked in to a single at Hotel Saint-Honore (85 rue St. Honore, 1er, 011 33 1 42 36 20 38, 290 French francs per night, 3 nights = 870 Ff = US$130.50). Chatted with 2 young guys I met outside of The Spot, a little deli down the street from my hotel. Their names were Scot and Roman. We didn't chat long. One of them was learning English and although I talked to them in French (successfully, I think), he insisted on trying out his English on me. He was not terribly fluent, but it was very charming. After a few minutes of chat, they said they had to go. I wanted to follow them wherever they went. "I could help you with your English," I wanted to say, but couldn't get it out. They were beautiful, and I admit I was still entranced by them both for at least several hours after they departed. Paris is foggy with cold breezes and heavy mist. I took photos of Jardin des Fleurs, Jardin du Palais Royal, the entrance to the Louvre. Took a nap. Fashion: I noticed that everyone is wearing very unfinished blue jeans. I sat next to a guy at dinner at Le Coffee Shop de Open Cafe. He was wearing a safety orange heavy cloth oxford. Black is very common. I also saw 2 pretty, young boys who shared a bar stool, arms around each other's shoulders, each with a pack of cigarettes in the other hand, like a French version of a Norman Rockwell portrait.