Well I guess I can't complain of winter weather (it's nothing like you're getting back in the states), but it's a chilly 28f here in Paris. Normally, that would be fine weather but it's not good when you're in a city of people who LOVE to leave windows open. All the time.
It's also not ideal for one of our new favorite activities: getting lost. Ok, well not getting "lost", more like setting off with a general idea of where you need to be + your map and a good sense of direction. When you're surrounded by 11 million people it's a good way to get your bearings (and the metro certainly doesn't help with that). It's surprising though how close things can start to seem once you know what you're doing. And how 14 metro lines can so quickly go from daunting to extremely useful. You mean I get to know when the next TWO trains are coming? Buses too? Merci Beaucoup.
But the lack of any street organization makes it tricky to navigate and now even D.C.'s "grid" seems like a miracle of city planning, even with it's diagonal avenues and stop-and-start streets. The are so many one ways here that even the buses here take different routes depending on direction. Not to mention the fact that the traffic circles don't appear to have any lanes (yeah, you thought ward circle was hard to figure out....the Etoile in Paris has eight lanes.
Another tip for wandering around Paris...beware the motorcycles. They could care less if you have a walk signal.
Tomorrow is exam results day at the Sorbonne...yay?
-Travis
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