Lynn Schirmer

I’m lying here in bed at 1am local because my clock is still on Seattle time and every now and then I hear a siren and it tells me where I am. I want to smoke very badly.

So far I’ve found French people to be attractive, warm, and friendly. I did not expect the dirt, and I forgot about differences in flora and fauna. Something French is making me sneeze, though not too badly. I saw the largest crows/ravens, and birds of prey on the way in from the airport. I don’t know what kind of bird of prey it was, but it dwarfed any bald eagle I’ve ever seen.

Litter and graffiti line the highway, bivouacs of caravans here and there piled high with garbage. Very little taggable space is left on any guard rail or sound barrier. The newer construction around the city is not the most attractive (to my eyes anyway), though it does take chances with color and whimsy you would never see in the US.

I quickly realized I had left my most comfortable shoes at home, and annoyed just about every shop clerk as my fatigue affected my already shallow French. I am a typical American tourist so far, though I have to say, no one has scarves like mine.

The apartment here is beautiful, the rest of what I’ve seen nearby too much for words at this point. Enjoy the pics.