Alicia visits: a 3 hour crash course on Paris

So I picked up Alicia at the gare de l'est after having picked up a morning baguette with some jam and brie.

Alicia wanted to see Paris with me for 3 hours before her friend Lucy arrived, so I did my best to take her walking around the part of the city I've come to love. After showing her my apartment and the local places I frequent, I took her down Beaubourg until we hit the Seine and Notre Dame. Alicia's reaction really pleased me as it reminded me how I had felt merely 1 1/2 months ago. Notre Dame has become such an essential part of my skyline now, it was nice to be reminded how truely lucky I am.

We continued the walk down into the St. Michel area and dipped breifly into the tip of the latin quarter. I showed Alicia some places she could grab a huge 3 course meal for 9 - 22 EUR with some excellent people watching and then brought her to Ile st. louis for a tour of the ice cream lines.

We continued back across the Seine for a mini-tour of le marais that took us to rue des rosiers, bustling with the sounds of falafel stands and their proprietors beconning us to come inside. Swayed by a free sample, we ended up going to one and had the BEST FALAFEL IN PARIS. I realize now why they charge 5 EUR for these. It is so much more than a falafel. There's cabbage, and grilled eggplant, and hummus, and cilantro, and tomatoes, and this amazing red sauce and probably about 10 falafels all wrapped in a delicious pita. Wow.

Alicia: "What is that red stuff he is putting on it?" Me: "Deliciousness"

The guy lurking behind us in the blue shirt is the proprietor, who not only gave us a free sample but saved us the two seats right in front of the store. Prime seating real-estate in Paris.

After sitting with our massive falafels and doing some people watching, we headed down to the rue rambuteau and the centre pompidou. I took Alicia up to the top of the centre pompidou (for free - yay for being 26 and younger!) and took in the view. It was kind of a foggy day, but you really can't beat the skyline here.

Alicia on the 4th floor open-air terrace at the centre pompidou.

After dropping Alicia off with her friend Lucy, I returned home to the apt to finish up some homework and crash. Naps are amazing.

À demain, Paris!

Total damages today:
baguette: 80 centimes
falafel of my dreams: 5 EUR