Ginger Without Borders

When you only have a day or two in each city, it is hard to budget your time well enough to see all that you want to see. For Paris, I specifically wanted to see Versailles and the most famous monuments in the city. Since yesterday I went to Versailles,  today I decided to ride around Paris with one of the giant double decker tourist buses. And it was cool. Freaking cool.

But not the cool we think colloqually, I mean it temperature-wise, because in the beginning I was thinking ‘oh its nice outside! I’ll just put on my scarf and gloves and ride the tour the full 2.5hrs. It’ll be great!’ But by the end I was thinking ‘HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I AM SO COLD WHERE IS A WARM PLACE I CANT FEEL MY HANDS! Is my pinky turning blue? DO I HAVE FROSTBITE?!?’

Because, you see, driving around Paris in 40F/4C degree weather is all fine and dandy – if there is sun and no breeze. Only Paris was channeling Vancouver today, and there was no sun and – by the end of my journey – a pretty heavy breeze.

Here is the funniest part to me – something I didnt realize until just a few minutes ago. To warm up I decided to go into some retail stores and window shop. So first I went to a coffee store, and got some coffee for my soul. Then I went to a Lindt chocolate store, and bought a bag of chocolates (again – to warm up my soul). And when I was still cold, I went to the UNIQLO store and bought: a black, fleece turtle neck. With the lion’s mane all ruffled from the wind and my turtle neck on, I honestly look like the most stereotypically American idea of a person in Paris. Just add a berret and it would be perfect. But hey, I am finally not freezing again! And when in Rome, right?
PS Dad – I am alive. And have turned Parisian.