Acid's Adventure

"And you thought we weren't going to have any fun today."
-Ferris Bueller

I got up this morning, ready to ship myself a poster and to visit the "laverie" to do a little laundry. But everything was closed! It's Thursday, but apparently it's a holiday. I have no idea what holiday, because - as all Americans soon discover - I don't speak French.

So I took a nap. I got up at about half past who gives a rat's ass and decided to go the green square with the blue circle on it that is at the lower right-hand corner of my map.

I made a stop at Montparnasse to see if the famous skyscraper (56 stories) was open - no luck. So I proceeded to the green square.

"Gosh there are a lot of children," I thought to myself as I rode the Metro to Porte Doree. I wanted to get away from this crowd of kids so once the train stopped, I walked quickly towards the exit .

But they were following me. I walked up a hill towards where I thought the green square would be - and they were right on my tail. Then I saw it.



A big fairground. Rides, cotton candy ("barbe a papa"), beignets, pommes frites (freedom fries) and about one thousand more kids like the ones I thought I was escaping.

It started off as a "WTF?!?!" experience, but I got into it. Shooting games, big stuffed animals, the usual "come and try your luck" banter from the madames et mecs from the booths. Scary rides, kids rides, fun houses, haunted houses. Ice cream twists, waffles, crepes, hamburgers.

And waaaay on the other side was the green square - Bois de Vincennes (Vincennes Woods). And the blue circle - Lac Daumesnil. There were swans, mallards, and things I'd never seen before. People in canoes.

People in canoes?? I love canoes. But me? Alone in a canoe? And no one with a life jacket. But wait - it's me, Leslie G. Stubborn and fearless without apology. I got my ass on that boat.



It was bitchin'. I highly recommend Paris, and I super-highly recommend Paris on Daumesnil Lake in a canoe. And whatever this fair is called, it's pretty cool, too.

Did I mention free admission? Then 10 euros for the boat, 2 for the ice cream, and 5 for the fries and Sprite (it just tastes better here). Haven't NEARLY approached the fifty bucks Six Flags at Elitch's wants from us.

You can see the whole experience by clicking here.

Paris rocks. Bientot.