Other issues...

So I ran out of deodorant in Paris. Not good. I unsuccessfully searched several drugstores looking for a brand I could recognize. I noted that they had one that promised to be effective for 48 hours.

I didn't go with that one, as I shower on a daily basis. Bottom line is that I can't wait to get to Spain to find something effective. It's not just that it's not also an anti-prespirant; it really does nothing for the smell.

The devil you know...

So keep in mind that my high school French classes ended over a decade ago.

Very few places have an English language menu. It's usually not possible to get someone to translate the whole menu for me, so I just end up making due with certain words I remember. Poulet is chicken, gateux is cake. I take care to avoid anything that looks like "cheveux," horse.

So I saw something that looked like beef tartare. So I chose that one, as it seemed familiar. I have never consumed it, knew nothing about it, but I had at least heard of it. It was the devil I knew. I thought it strange that the waiter didn't ask me how I wanted it prepared.

Raw meat doesn't require this information. I was provided with two cups, and happily consumed one of them. I figured that at some point in time, I had consumed something worse. And if the French are serving it, it will at least be tasty, and it was. So maybe I'm over my raw meat issues.

But the whole thing does remind me that the devil you know isn't necessarily better than the devil you don't...

Mumps

I also see all of these stories about the mumps in Illinois and Iowa. Do you all have your MMR vaccine up to date?

I'm going to explore Paris now.

Illinois, the album

I've long since stopped saying that I'm an American, and say "I'm from Illinois" when asked where I'm from.

A handful of times, the response has been, "Oh - have you heard the album?"

Sufjan Stevens (SUF-Yan) is apparently making an album about every single state. Everyone raves about the Illinois album.

So my question is, is it a big hit at home?

Paris...

So I saw the Mona Lisa. It was ok. Actually, there are some much better paintings hanging in the same room. It may have to do with the fact that it is you and 100 of your closest friends trying to view the painting at the same time, which is behind a thick pane of glass. No photos allowed, so I couldn't take one of the crowd.

I'll see Notre Dame and St. Chapelle tomorrow, as well as some more art. The city has a lot of it.

Anyway. I go to Dijon Friday afternoon, and stay there until Tuesday morning. Then, I go to Lyon for a night and a day. I have an overnight bus trip to Barcelona on 3 May. On Saturday, 7 May, I fly to Edinburgh to meet Steve for the week. We'll hit the Highlands. London is 14-17 May. I have a week for Ireland before I head back to the US on 24 May.