Let's Meet in Paris!

So, update on the American Dinner. Due to the light bulb burning out in the oven, it oven is broken and cannot be used (what this has to do with the light bulb, I am not sure) but this also means that my American dinner has been put on hold until the oven is fixed. My host sister was very sad, but we had runny scrambled eggs instead. So I guess that made up for the rest of the family. Not necessarily me though!
Oh well, then Friday afternoon I left for the weekend to go to Paris to visit a friend from Kalamazoo who was going to be in Europe for a while. It was really fun, and I felt like such a jet setter just hopping on the train for the weekend and taking off. Even though this was the weekend before finals, I still think it was worth it! After dropping my small bag off at the hotel, we went out in search of dinner in the Latin Quarter because it was close to 6 pm, and there were 6 of us. We were walking along the cobble stone streets while the "marketing teams" of the specific restaurants were yelling at us specials they would give us to come into their restaurant.
One started yelling first in English, switching to French, then tried about 4 other languages! It was rather humorous, offering us discounts, drinks, what ever they could do to get us in the door. We finally settled on a Greek-turned-fondue place for dinner. We got seated in the back of the restaurants, and the decor was needless to say, amusing, wit pots hanging off the ceiling and a badly painted wall that depicted the Greek Isles. But we got our free before dinner drink, ordered a bottle of rose to share, and ordered the Greek "formula". Although my Greek "formula" started out with onion soup! But it was followed by moussaka, with very dry beef, although the Greek sauce that they put on the rice was delicious! Finally a creme caramel finished out the meal, and we all left, contended after our first dinner in Paris. Then we made our way to the Notre Dame, took some pictures of it's beauty at night (there was an oddly shaped Christmas tree in the front of it, but the lights were gorgeous). Finally returning to the hotel and getting a couple hours sleep.
We decided to make an early start at the shops the next morning and meet for breakfast at the hotel's first floor at 7:30 am. Unfortunately, due to little sleep, a late start and someone getting stuck in an elevator (I'll refrain from mentioning who!) we actually didn't leave the hotel until 9 am. But proceeded straight to Galleries Lafayette. After some intense shopping, we ate lunch in a cafe close to the shops. Their pizza was decent and the salad fresh, even though the waitstaff was disrespectful and rude (this is France after all!). Then goin got more shops in the afternoon before going back to the hotel to get ready to go to the Champs Elysee for dinner and walking around. We walked up and down both sides of the Champs Elysee, looking at the Christmas market as well as the stores. We also were able to get the best table at this pizzeria on the Champs Elysee, We were on the second floor, right next to the window so that we could look out over the street and people watch and watch the lights as well. It was a fantastic meal with eggplant Parmesan and a waitstaff that spoke to us in French. What a difference it makes when you look like you belong.
Then Sunday morning, we wanted to take it easy before I was to get on my train to go home that afternoon. We decided on this fantastic location to go to for brunch. We got there right before everyone was starting to line up, so we were able to get a table right away. This tea room is located in a museum basically. The walls and the ceiling are beautifully painted with master pieces, and the gardens that you walk through to get to the tea room make you forget that you are in Paris. After a wonderful basket of freshly baked breads, croissants, and pain au chocolats, they served a salad with smoked salmon and a soft boiled egg. Because of the flavor of the egg, it's runnyness didn't bother me in the slightest, it was delicious with the bread too! Also we got dessert after wards. The fromage blanc (heavy yogurt) with raspberry sauce was to die for, and everyone walked away happy.
Finally, after all this, some more walking and shopping I got on the train to come back to Clermont. Unfortunately I had to study the entire train ride for my marketing exam the next morning! But I get to leave again this Friday for the big european adventure! So there is only a couple papers, exams and other obligations standing in my way!
Peace, Love, and Relaxing times in Paris.