A Canadian in Paris

It's so cold!! Do you know what temperature it is here? It's 10 degrees. And it's May. What is wrong with this country?? Why did I think it would be a good idea to come here? I need a check up from the neck up.

It was 46 degrees on the day I left Ouagadougou. I was wearing a sundress and flip flops when I disembarked to 6 degrees in Paris at 6 am on Monday, May 3rd. I still had my hair in braids and the wind whistled through them icy as the reaper's own breath. Luckily I had brought the Air France blanket with me and I wrapped it around my shoulders. It was quite the fashion statement.

As soon as I got my bags I made a beeline for the bathroom and changed into my jeans, which were still warm from the African sun despite 7 hours in the baggage hold. Then I got myself to the metro and began my journey to the heart of Paris. I was still wearing the Air France blanket.

After several misadventures with broken escalators and heavy bags, I made it to my friend Matias' flat in downtown Paris. He and his partner, Alessandra, kindly put me up in the spare room even though Alessandra is studying for a career move and they have an eight-month old baby boy. Luca, the baby, is too cute for words and both new parents are besotted.

I borrowed sweaters and rain gear and hit the town. For the first time in months I felt comfortable giving my camera to a stranger so that I could be in the picture. So now I have pictures of Erica beside the Eiffel Tower, Erica at the Arc de Triomphe, Erica on the Champs d'Elysees, Erica by the River Seine, etc etc.

And the food is amazing. If I have to choose between sheep's head and fondue, or to and baguette, I will choose fondue and baguette every time. It's nice to be in a place where I can eat cheese and drink wine for a fraction of the price I'd pay in Canada. And since I lost a few pounds (when it's 45 degrees your body sheds anything that counts as insulation) I can eat as much Brie and Camembert and chocolate as I want!

I spent some time in Notre Dame, which is my favourite cathedral. A world-renowned choir was going to perform there the next day and I happened to drop in for the dress rehearsal. It was exquisite. On the way out I checked the schedule of who would perform mass the coming week. I noticed that neither the regular priest or many of the visiting priests came from Europe. They all came from Africa. Europe now has so few faithful and produces so few priests that all the up-and-comers are from Africa. In a beautifully ironic twist of history Africans are coming to Europe as missionaries, bringing the light of God to non-believers.

I spent a few more days in Paris hanging out with Alessandra, Matias, and Luca, and now I'm heading to Spain. I sure hope it will be warmer there!