Paris, je t'aime

Ok, I skipped out a bit on the last of England, as anyone who cares can see. Suffice it to say that were I to come back in another life as an animal, i would have no option but to be a sheep in the Lake District.
We've been in Paris for two days now and I can't say i've been disappointed yet. This is the city I have most wanted to see for ages. It started a bit rockily, getting sorted out in our youth hostel. Dive is all I can say. Tons of Asian kids running around but at least we have our own room - an austere little cell with steel bunk beds, flourescent lights, and cold faux tile floors. The one redeeming thing about it is the big window that peaks onto the backside of an apt building (like in Rear Window, i stuck my head out on the first night and got a look into the cubicled lives of the Parisians of Rue Trousseau). I dragged MJ to Notre Dame after we arrived so we could say a rosary at the church on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, but the grounds were closed all around. sure hope its the thought that counts. magnificent floodlit towers of the cathedral on the island in the Seine - we have still to go back and get inside.
Yesterday we ran around and got our travel pass for the city - cart ohRANGHZE it's called - and got our bearings without trying to see too much. Found an awesome cafe last night, where a terrible thing happened to me.I left behind my supertrusty pocket map of Paris. This was a gem of a thing, with metro stops and major attractions marked everywhere, and a metro map on the back. The real beauty was in its size. it folded neatly into a square that i could pull in and out of my windbreaker vest with the greatest of ease. so you see my pain. we've been somehow surviving without it.
so far the French are freaking great. Instant change of atmosphere from England - French boys singing in the rail station, folk groups dancing in the square. I fit in with the French women who don't seem to mind bedhead crumply hair that looks like it went through the dryer. The cafe culture is sweet sweet sweet, here all the world's a stage. running out of time - forgive this terrible blog, im soaking wet from a rainstorm that i walked in to get here and will try to mqke up for it next time...