we we Parie

i actually got here yesterday, but the internet was so slow and it was getting late so i didn't feel like updating this.......here is how it went: i took the eurostar to Paris.......i missed my scheduled train (typical Elia$........even on a vacation.....Grrrrrr)......i took the next one which is only an hour later......except i got slapped hard on the wrist for that......i would rather not disclose the details.......anyway, i cant remember the train ride since i slept half the way........there were to canadians with me on the train......it always feels good when you see a fellow backpacker.......especially if they are canadians :)

Wajnaa was waiting at the station (i informed her that i was "delayed".....we walked to hostel which was about 25 minutes walk if you discount the time we spent trying to read the map!!.......it is a nice place here (4 people in the room, 2 are canadians.....most backpackers are actually canadians.......THE TRUE NORTH IS STRONG AND FREE BABY.......i dropped off my luggage and started walking.......we walked by the Notre Dame which is as you might expect gorgeous....we didn't go in because it was closed (it was around 5 when i got to Paris).....we also walked by the Centre Pompidou which is this super weirdly designed museum......it has alot of escalators on the outside...it looks like a factory somehow....it is actually their contemporary art's museum.....it is on the list of things to see in Paris......then we walked across the city (not Champes Elysees) and we saw all these historical building that i didn't know half of!  however, with the help of wajnaa, we identified Sainte Chapelle, their Court of Justice (cant remember what is actually called), walked along Saint Michel (micho, they have your name everywhere here.......you and andre actually)....we also saw the Invalides (which is a hotel and a museum that has Napolean's tomb)....again all these places were closed but it was cool to explore the city and see how things are on the other side of the world......finally, we ended the day by a visit to none but the Eiffel Tower......truth be told: it is actually cooler than than pictures.......i mean, i know it is just a bunch of trusses and beams and screws but it is really a monument........it is also bigger than what i thought.....we didn't go up because it was getting late, and there was a line up......wajnaa and my neighbourhood are not the safest at night......anyway, incase that didn't sound like much, that is actually about 5 hours of nonstop fast walking honey........we both went our separate ways via subway (aka metro).....oh, their metro map is way more complicated and complex than London (maybe it's the names??) but no, they have more lines and different systems.....however, i was able to get in and out with just little difficulty :)  i bought 2 greek/turkish shawarma (funny story to be told later), took a shower and sleptttttttttt

bonjoure is more like Hi, not goodmorning!!!

this morning i had to look for a new hostel......thank God that went smoothly (Thanks you Jesus)....dont ask why i didn't book in advance...(it is me we are talking about here!!!)......anyway, next to my new hostel there is a very beautiful church.....it is called Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart).....it is on an uphill so you have to climb more than 200 stairs......it is big and warm from the inside...

after that we headed to the....READY....Musee Du Louvre......its apperance is very misleading ....petite from the outside but it is humongous from the inside....we (wajnaa and me again) went through i would say 90% of it  = 6 hours.....you know the greek and roman statues that i loved........well, they have like 3 times the ones i saw in London!! + many many paintings including....READY....The Mona Lesa......it was so funny, they had it on a special wall framed by itself...i thought that if it was put as part of other paintings, people (unartistic people) wouldn't have given it any attention......anywayyyyyyyy, it is smaller than what you think and not as attractive...:(  the highlight of the visit for me was a statue of a hermaphrodite (son/daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite)....oober cool.....i would show you pictures but incase you cant wait, here is the link http://images.google.com/images?um=1&tab=wi&hl=en&q=hermaphrodite%20in%20louvre .......i was tirelessly saying out loud "mesh me3 2ool/unbelievable) at all these statues....so detailed to a detail you cant imagine.......MANN, i have a deeper appreciation for art......especially the greek and roman..........to be fair, some of the painting that we saw were also incredible.......the visit was definitly worth the money

again after 2 full minutes of rest we walked along the Champs Elysees.......honestly, i thought London is busier and more alive......but Paris seems more historical and cosier........we got some sandwiches, chips and drink and ate them merrily in front of the Arc De Triomphe :)  we are both trying not to be extra late.....the Arc marks the entrance to the city and it is a very awe-demanding entrance........there was some ceremony there........the arc is also huge

wajnaa went home, and i stopped to buy my ticket to Nice, France.......then i took the metro home, took a nice shower after a long and sweety day  (it is humid here and the subways are exceptionally packed.......like you wouldn't believe.....seriously..........no no, seriously

again my first impression of the city is, it is not London :) but it is very welcoming....i look forward for the next two days

please continue to pray for me as i pray for you