Last night I felt the need to deviate from my self imposed routine, which is to follow one Metro line, stop-by-stop, until finished--even if it took several days. After dinner last night (Cassoulet from a can, actually very good), I went for a non-scheduled ramble, and ended up walking from Pont St. Michel to the Eiffel Tower. After a week in the city, I still hadn't seen it at night, having begun the project in lines that run primarily through the right bank. If felt good just to explore. Even though it was around ten at night, I never felt worried in even the darkest, smallest streets. I think that one of the reasons I prefer Paris is that it, in general, feels so much safer than most major cities. So far I've been extensively researching through areas with reputations for trouble, like Barbes-Roucheouart, Belleville, St. Denis, etc., and the only time I've felt a twinge of worry was when I found myself on a metro with about ten English skinheads. They seemed to be trying awfully hard to appear threatening, which only served to make them look like boisterous frat boys--with bad haircuts. I know that the banlieus are another matter, and violence can break out anywhere, but so far, pas de probleme.
PS--for Karin and Larry: I've searched everywhere for the gnome store. Here is the closest I could find:
If you notice on this last video, the store wishes all a "scary christmas"--thought you'd enjoy:
OK--I just watched the videos. The gnomes really are there, in the background (unless they're hiding from you, which gnomes tend to do).
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