TBM #2

Trivial, boring and mundane. Posting #2.
Time flies by quickly, and the days are blending together. Having accomplished many of the "tourist basics" in the first three months, my time is now consumed by wandering the streets and observing daily life in Paris.

Ellen left last Sunday. Her three strongest memories of France are as follows: 1) Lost luggage - again. 2) A woman trying to break into the locked pay-toilet while Ellen was inside. Undeterred by Ellen's screams that the restroom was occupied, the presumably deaf woman sought the assistance of a railroad employee who tried to open the door with a key. 3) Returning home one night, we saw a sight rarely seen in Paris - people commenting on what someone was wearing. Although the photo does not capture the fashion martyr's true appearance, it does give an impression of how much women will tolerate in their men. Yes, that is his underwear "fashionably" riding above his pants. I don't think these were Parisians, but I'm not sure.

Personally, I'm hoping Ellen will remember a few of the less remarkable (mundane) moments in Paris, like our lunches together and her visit to the "Statue of Liberty."

Waiting in line for a Metro ticket can be excruciating and boring. One young lady got so tired, she sat down on the ground. Really, one shouldn't have to stand in line for15 minutes, but THIS IS Paris. (Yes, I was behind her in line.)

Waiting in lines in Paris is very common. Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna lose my head. Okay, that was a poor segue to today's (trivial) history lesson about St. Denis. During the third century, after pissing off the pagan priests for his efforts towards converting people to Christianity, he was beheaded on the highest hill of Paris, now known as Montmartre (mountain of martyrs.) Ahhh, the good old days. After his beheading, one legend has it that he picked up his head and walked two miles preaching a sermon the entire way. (Oi.) A small shrine was built on the site where he finally dropped dead. Later, the Basilica de Saint Denis was constructed and became the burial place for the kings of France.

St. Denis, the guy third from the left holding his own head, as depicted on one of the arches of Notre Dame. [Click photo to enlarge.]

Everyone in Paris feels like they suffer, so a martyr is an appropriate symbol for Paris - even fashion martyrs like Ellen's guy above or anyone who gets a haircut like one of these!

And, if you don't feel like a martyr in Paris, at least you can be superficial, even if it is rather boring. Keep in mind, this is Paris, and the window display is in English. I think the French understand much more English than they admit.

Personally, I enjoy the "mundane" views that I see every day, such as the ceiling of the Pantheon and the rays of light that shine between the buildings late in the evening. Paris, even when it is trivial, boring and mundane is TBM: Tres Beau et Magnifique. [Michael - Si tu as besoin d'une traduction, tu me demanderais quand je vous visiterai a Jacou. Bisous.]