Random

The drinking age in France is roughly 15 years old. Well, it's like having your permit at 15...you can drink with an 18+ year old person there. But once you hit 16...free for all.

There was seriously 6-8 weddings today. As I was waking up this morning I kept hearing honking horns. I looked out and saw wedding parties driving by. As I sat outside and had lunch several more drove by. Although I suppose it could have been just one HUGE wedding. I am not sure who I could ask about that, or even how to ask...so I'll let it slide.

Today's lunch was half a baguette with a channel cut into it, stuffed with salad (French-English for lettuce...even the menus that repeat the items again in English call lettuce "salad). Anyway...salad, cold chicken, 2 hard boiled eggs and a mustard/mayo/pepper spread. Again...quite good. The bread had a much softer crust than what our American baguettes get, and the spread was delicious. There were literally 2 eggs on it...they halved 'em and slapped 'em right on top. How do these people stay thin?

The bartender last night, the guy, was a surfer from France. He's worked in Spain, London and the Czech Republic as a bartender...and really wants to go to South America and work...and surf. Bars are the same world round it seems.

Mojitos are VERY popular at bars. Popular enough to have a giant bowl (at least a 2 quart size) filled with mint.
Route 66 Mojito...
-mint leaves
-lime wedges
-simple syrup (like half a shot worth)
-sweet and sour
Muddle all that then add rum and ice
Shake
Poor into glass and top with bottle sparkling water.

They did have a soda gun and I asked them why they don't use the gun soda. The girl just said it's better this way. Interesting.

Drinks have a lot less ice in them too...which sorta sucks. I had to ask for more a couple times. And water isn't automatic...you gotta ask for it.

Today for me is laundry day. My room gets cleaned every day (expected), but I'm starting to stink the place up a bit...and I've been taking plenty of showers. I'm not quite sure how to dry things though...you see, my shower has no door. It's about the size of a closet but with a hand held water spraying thingie. Actually, the fixtures here are remarkably modern and new...right down to the toilet paper dispenser. But the electrical is not. There are only 3 plugs in my room...2 on the floor and one up high on the wall for the wall mounted TV. The two on the floor don't work...so I've got my laptop charger sorta bungied up to the TV. It works...decently. Hums a bit though, which worries me a touch. If my laptop crapped out I'd be in serious trouble here.

You know those govt warning labels they put on cigarette packs? Here they are like 5 times the size...the warning on the front is 1/3 the size of the box...on the back it's 1/2. The front says "FUMER TUE"...I'm trying to get a webpage to translate for me...someone else do it.

Last night the people at the bar told me to go to Amsterdam today. Being drunk I said "HELL YEAH WOOOOO!". Now that I am sober...I don't think so. This place is enough of a trip while sober. Besides...I don't feel like lugging around all my crap. I'm settled here, and very content.

I talked to a friend today...which made me extremely happy. I find myself being a bit more "needy" and "worried" about things these days. It's probably because I'm so used to such instant communication. But right now, at 20 minutes to 6 pm...it's only, what...8 in California? 20 to 9? Yow.

Two things....
Soldes = Sale...like "our store is having a sale"
And according to Google...

Fumer tue = To smoke keep silent.

Intriguing...