Oh, hello, I'm back. Sorry about that. Where were we?
Ah, yes -- day 2.
Grace and I sat up half the night talking and drinking red wine until we finally collapsed. She left for work early the next morning -- she bravely cycles 45 minutes or so to her job at the International Herald Tribune -- and I wandered around the apartment trying to get organized. I finally made it out the door in time for the rain to start which was fine, the blue-grey canopy over the city was a welcome contrast to the blinding brightness of home.
I followed Grace's directions and made it onto the Metro without incident. What I noticed right off is that the people of Paris truly dress -- as in they wear real clothing. There was not a t-shirt, nor a pair of sweats, sneakers or flip-flops on a single soul, and I really looked. Even the guys who looked to me like they might be more blue-collar workers wore closed-toe leather shoes and nice shirts or light sweaters and nearly everyone sported a scarf in some form or fashion -- men and women alike. Another unexpected detail: The Metro is very quiet. People really don't interact; there's very little eye contact and any chatting is whispered or completely inaudible. It made people-watching a little more challenging, but nonetheless I watched and took note and I'm glad I did because I noticed that people exiting the train stood with their fingers looped around a metal latch that had to be flipped up in order to open the doors. I certainly didn't want to call attention to myself by an outburst of undignified wrestling with the door latch, so the intrusive people-watching paid off. When we stopped at the the Palais Royal-Musee de Louvre I was able to disembark and not look like a complete moron. Which is always nice.
I had planned to spend my first full day in Paris in the Louvre but I was so taken by the exterior that I actually spent the entire day wandering around the courtyards and gardens. My pace was leisurely to the point that I really did completely lose track of time. I stared at the statues that line the main courtyard of men who participated in the design and construction of the palace and particularly became enamored by 
this astronomer hottie, Cassini. After ogling him for a bit I wandered beyond the grounds of the Louvre and visited the carousel, had some coffee and a croissant, and sat in the grass with a statue of Venus for a while as I breathed in the quiet and the smell of the blossoming trees mixed with the soft, misty rain. I eventually strolled all the way up to the Arch de Triomphe and back and realized I needed to head back to the apartment to meet Grace for dinner. I planned to go back to the Louvre the next day and actually go inside this time. But first, an evening in Paris awaited.
this astronomer hottie, Cassini. After ogling him for a bit I wandered beyond the grounds of the Louvre and visited the carousel, had some coffee and a croissant, and sat in the grass with a statue of Venus for a while as I breathed in the quiet and the smell of the blossoming trees mixed with the soft, misty rain. I eventually strolled all the way up to the Arch de Triomphe and back and realized I needed to head back to the apartment to meet Grace for dinner. I planned to go back to the Louvre the next day and actually go inside this time. But first, an evening in Paris awaited.