So much

After the hard work over the year, the last few days have been feeling like a Roman orgy. Good food and wine everyday. Have been trying to cook new dishes everyday - chicken tikka, biryani, pork masala, tenga anja - you can see the common thread - all meat dishes....

And then yesterday was absolutely brilliant! The talk was on that lets go to Paris. Tweedledum is on such a high that he actually agreed to drive into Paris and I was relaxed because we had Alchoholics Anonymous with us. He's driven to Paris a dozen times. Didnt even think of issuing a map till about 6 in the evening. Of course, it was already issued out. But I still hadn't panicked...till I met AA and he tells me he can get us to the highway and then he's zilch...OOPS!! Anyway, we brave souls - went to viamichelin and got out the directions till Saint Germain. Thought, if we can park somewhere there, we'll be fine. And lucky us, things just kept falling into place! Entry into Paris fine. At one junction, we were in the left most lane when I asked the car next to us for directions and it seems we had to take a right turn from that crossing itself. How I love Paris!!! Can you imagine, we actually did it and no honks!!! Drove on - got lost - Tweedledum kept getting calls - he kept taking them - and we would sort of gesticulate all kinds of mixed directions and he would take the one road we didnt point at:-/

Now, the wonder of wonders. As we drove close to Saint Germain, what do we cross but the fountain I have been searching for all this while - The entry to the Latin Quarter!!!!! Thats exactly where I had wanted to take Tweedledum and we saw it because we were lost...divine intervention or what;-) We didnt stop right then, but ploughed on for parking. Which was smart...saw the beautifully lit up Eiffel tower, crossed the Seine, gawked at the Louvre - all in all a lovely drive and then we finally found our way to the underground parking too.

Now, the aim was to re-find the fountain. Crossed the Notre Dame (by foot, this time), showed Tweedledum 'Shakespeare & Co' (the cat was still there), asked people for directions to the Latin Quarter while I crossed my fingers that they wouldn't send us to the Rue de la Huchette. Well they did, but that was the one bit of geography I seemed to have missed out on - the fountain is on the other end of the Rue de la Huchette! I had to drag these guys through the touristy bit promising better wonders further ahead. Shy person was promised he would be bought back to 'Haagen das'. They loved the real quarter...but by now everyone's tummies were growling and we got into the first Lebanese joint we found. Great Food!! A funny waiter/ maitre'd/owner. I asked for the menu/ carte and he points at himself and says I am the card. Why do you want anything else? We must certainly have looked like students cos he gave us a simple enough option, delicious but simple - Shy person and I kept staring at the platter on the table next to us. They were having koftas (beef unfortunately...wish I hadn't known). From there on to ice cream and then a pub with music, sports and beer. Lots of beer!!

After every molecule in my body had been relaxed, the heading back process started. First and foremost, we drove to the Eiffel tower where Tweedledum could also sit and watch the lights. Poor guy - always driving - never gets the view. After his viewing satiation, we started home. Fortunately again, there was hardly any traffic on the streets. Post all kinds of errors and tribulations, dropped the 'cargo' at school and we headed home for 'us' time.

And learnings from the underground parking. Always carry the ticket with you - it permits entry back into the parking. We didnt carry it. Had to come in with the cars. Thank god I speak french. The guard seemed most unhappy with this sudden entry of a bunch of drunken students. And if that wasn't enough, in a sudden burst of a thirst for knowledge, Shy person had lifted up the barrier behind the car so that noone could take our car away. Well, now we had no idea how to get the damn thing down. Struggle, struggle, struggle. Get the guard. He calls for a replacment for his desk. Shy person manages to crack the thing. Tell guard he's not needeed. He insists on coming to see the place. But the guy was real sweet. Just smiled us away. Which, I think, is a super achievement, being able to smile when you have to work at that time in the night......

Sweet memories..