389 - My First Trip to Europe VI

Around 6:30pm (they start work late and end late in Europe it seems), Jean-Philippe asks me if I’m ready for dinner. I’m pretty excited about it and Hubert comes over and says he’ll pick us up at the hotel and we make plans to meet Jean-Philippe at a bar before dinner for a few drinks.

Bernd and I head back to the hotel to change and freshen up, then I meet him at the hotel bar as we’re both a bit early. I got there first and asked in my best French “Un beer sil vous plait”, then, change my mind quickly and say “Martini Blanc”, to try the drink Bernd drinks, and it was very tasty! Basically, it’s white, sweet vermouth over ice with lime.

We jump in Hubert’s car, and head on out into Paris (pictures coming Monday I hope). We end up at a real nice Irish pub (would I expect anything else so far?) and have a few drinks and lucky for me, everyone’s speaking English for me. I talk to the 3 young owners, a guy from Italy, a guy from Germany and a girl from Amsterdam.

After about an hour or so, we leave the bar to walk to our restaurant. Less than a block away we take a left and we’re right on the “Avenue des Champs Elysees”.

(the picture at right isn’t mine, but to show how beautiful this street is! Click on it to ‘embiggen’)

Immediately, I’m struck at how wide the sidewalks are, and I’m wide eyed like a kid on Christmas morning. I notice then, there are car dealers in the buildings here! There are no “lots” like in the US, but if they want to show you a car, they make a phone call, and a car shows up at the curb a short time later.

I notice, that on one end of the street is the Arc de Triomphe, and the other is an enormous Ferris wheel!  I’m full of questions and they can’t answer quick enough as I walk down this famous street. Soon enough though, we get to the restaurant, which, in my fuzzy memory of 12 years ago, seems to be this hotel. 

More on Monday…. have a wonderful weekend all!