Paris - Day 2

Tonight was a little bit of the last night plus a lot of amazing.

Today was to be an “alone” day. My father called my directly to my Italian cell which I’m sure is going to cost a fortune in the long run, but oh well. I put him to the task of getting me internet in my apartment, or at least finding me a McDonald’s near to me. He semi-failed/semi-passed at both tasks.

He e-mailed Sophia (the woman from whom I am renting my flat) asking about the Wifi. We then spent some time on the phone trying to get me to a McDonalds. I left the apartment around 14:30 (thus putting Notre Dame off until tomorrow) to find the McDonalds he claimed to be on Rue Suffren. As things seemed to diverge, I called him and asked if he had sent me to “McDonald’s Paris Headquarters” because I knew he had found it by searching “McDonalds Paris” in Google Maps (something I’ve done many times before). He goes, “Oh no I didn’t do tha- oh wait… yea, I’m sending you to Jennifer McDonald’s… apartment.” He then proceeded to use his high school French to navigate the McDonalds France website and get me to one. I spent a while trying to get linked up but finally did and spend about 1.5 hours collecting information/bullshitting.

He did finally hear back from Sophia who gave us what seems to be a network key… and a password… for a network called “Neuf” or as my dad put it “might have a 9 in the name.” There is a “Wifi Neuf” but clearly in some foreign land that is very far away from my flat, so much so that I could not get connected. After McDonalds I had gone food shopping and picked up some basics for the remainder of the week. I made myself a couple hotdogs on croissants and some pretzels in spicy ass Dijon mustard (like legit, clears your sinuses).

The depression I was feeling last night began to set in again as the pictures I carry with me of my various nieces, nephews and my parents holding them peaked out at me from the torn envelope they were in inside my bag. Carrie had told me she saw a gay bar the night before last where “the boys walk around in their underwear.” I explained to her that she may have very well peaked into a sex club, but hey, desperate times call for… well… me to go there. It was near the restaurant we ate at last night which had a McDonalds so I figured I would bring along my laptop and if the bar sucked, I could use the internet. As my luck would have it, the McDonalds at Voltaire does NOT have free Wifi. I then followed the (vague) directions I was given to the gay bar but to no avail.

Rather deflated I passed a “Velib’” bicycle rental stand much like the one on the corner near me and as I had seen throughout Paris both today and yesterday. Inspired by my failure, lack of evening plans and the coffee I had just chugged from McDonalds, I spent about 25 minutes trying to figure out how to rent one (it is basically a row of bicycles locked into stands with a machine near them where one pays, selects a bike, and goes [WAKE UP AND SMELL THE RENT-A-BIKE NEW YORK!]). I spend the next 2.5 hours riding the streets of Paris trying to get home. Although lost and feeling borderline frantic (due to a major bladder issue that needed to be tended to) I was amazed at what I was able to see. It also gave an amazing sense of accomplishment when I finally did turn a corner and magically found myself at the “Velib’ depot on the street to my flat.

I decided to drop a few more €uro to call my mother as I had already spoken to my dad, Anthony and Tricia today. I still miss them all dearly and wish I could be seeing Paris with them, but now that I have this new way to view the city I’m hoping the weather tomorrow will be clear enough for another ride.

Bonsoir!