Back to Paris ... via a Night in Athens

Nothing special here … we got to the hostel after midnight and just went to bed since we had to get up early for our flight to Paris the next morning. We did manage to each receive a 60 euro fine on the train to the Athens airport; we tried to scrimp by buying the 3 euro reduced tickets (instead of 6 euro), and the controller told us we didn’t have adequate student status to do this. They wrote our passport info on a ticket (which is all in Greek), and then since we couldn’t pay on the spot, we were told to send an email within 20 days explaining how we plan to pay the fine. Somehow, I think we can sneak by on this one … the ticket is all in Greek, with the “official” email addressed scrawled on the side in handwriting; I just find it hard to find that very official. While waiting at the airport in Athens, an American sat down next to us and we started talking. Turns out she is also an Assistant like me, working in Burgundy! She was super friendly and very interesting, so we all sat next to each other on the flight and had a good time. After spending a week “couch-surfing” in Greece, she got to know some locals really well and even passed on to us a recipe for homemade stuffed grape leaves, “dolmathakia.” Among her other interesting stories, she shared with us that she was one of the near semi-finalists on the French equivalent to American Idol. Can't wait to check it out on tv or online! She was a very fun person to meet ... pictured above with Tina!

We got into Paris, took the Metro to the Marais where we’re staying, and before even dropping our bags at the hotel, we picked up a fresh baguette, Camembert cheese, and apples. Although Greek cuisine was amazing, we were both craving this French lunch! Our hotel was great – we got a corner room with two windows and balconies overlooking a lively square and the Hotel de Ville in the Marais. We enjoyed our leisurely lunch overlooking the square.

Late Saturday afternoon we went shopping, and Tina was happy to squeeze in 30 minutes at Galeries Lafayette, where she bought a pair of boots but probably could have done more damage if they hadn’t closed on us! For dinner we followed a recommendation from our new plane friend. She told us to go to Chez Papa, a restaurant specializing in country-style dishes from southwest France, and to order the salade de Boyarde. She described it as more than just a salad, and she was right! The salads were served in huge ceramic pots – lettuce, eggs, bacon, ham, proscuitto, sautéed potatoes, blue cheese, and a mild dressing – it was more like a casserole and was amazing! We made the mistake of ordering an appetizer before knowing the magnitude of the “salad” … escargot served in a huge pot with a cream sauce of mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. Add a couple of carafes of red wine and this easily joined the list of our most memorable meals! After that we went to a bar in our neighborhood. It was an 18^th-century hotel, turned bar, with 3 floors of small, dark room with tiny, low tables and chairs. It was a cool idea but not a good place for meeting people or talking since all the tables/chairs were set up in little groups. And the 10euro strawberry mojito special wasn’t really worth it … but it was a good way to spend a chill night.