Arriving in Paris
Trip Start
Jun 03, 2012
1
11
Trip End
Jun 14, 2012
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Monday, June 4, 2012
Bonjour! In making the descent to Paris, we were able to get a great view of the countryside. The lush plains are unlike the terrain in the U.S. and the grounds are covered in beautiful, green farmlands. I've never seen so much greenery, without the constant interruption of commercialization or industrialization.
As we walked through the airport, we passed through several mazes to reach our terminal to Florence. We first observed that the Parisians are very well dressed; it's notably simple to identify between the American travelers and European natives (most of the Parisians appear as if they stepped out of a magazine). The people of France are mannered, but they are much more aggressive than the typical American; for instance, several Frenchmen crossed in front of our path without expressing a polite "excusez-moi" and a French woman reached over a friend of mine, nearly elbowing him, to grab silverware for herself. It's not to say that the French are rude, inconsiderate people, as some would perceive. It seems they live a fast-paced lifestyle, similar to the typical New Yorker. We've stepped into their social realm-- it's nice to simply observe their actions, "people watch," and embrace their culture.
We've spent roughly 2.5 hours at the Charles De Gaulle airport and had a light French lunch at Bert's, Cafe Contemporain. My friend ordered the "Ve poulet cheddar," an authetic panini made on a traditional press. It consisted of ets de poulet (chicken), cheddar, tomate (tomato), and mayonnaise allegee. We're looking to board the plane to Florence soon. Au revoir!
