BLOGG # 100--PARIS VIGNETTES --THE METRO

On our third day in Paris we planned to do the highlight of the trip -which is to visit the Eiffel tower. I have been to Paris several times and have never felt the need to see this weird folly of an erection but was willing to give it a try.Certainly the family was eager to go and the eldest knowledgeable grandson and expert in French,metro systems and map deciphering, had mapped out our trip on the metro. The Paris Metro is complex,many layered constructed over many years and ranging from old lurching trains to fast bullet-like ones-but the one thing they all have in common is that they are not "physical challenged person -with cane -friendly." One had to walk endless corridors ,up and down endless steps,there were few working escalators and only two elevators in the system. The first one we entered in our district of Marais was old ,very crowded and it lurched. As soon as I entered blunderingly, a handsome elegant black and serious Parisian in a beautifully tailored grey suit-Armani?? offered me his seat-a precarious pop up stool on which I perched hanging on to the pole for dear life. My family stood packed sardine -like with the other commuters. As we reached our stop, My tall skinny sixteen year old bent backwards over the crowd and snaked his hand quietly through the crowd towards me. I grasped it gratefully and with relief. As he pulled me up I happened to glance up and meet this elegant man's eye. He nodded his head once approvingly and gave me the tiniest smile and I smiled back-I, proud of my thoughtful grandson,he, acknowledging my pride and appreciative of this charming act. Am I over-imaginative? I don't think so. All I know is that I left that crowded train with an uplifted heart and a warm feeling because of this spontaneous communication with a stranger. The next train was a bullet-I sort of shot into it. It was full of course and a very elegant Parisian woman immediately got up, I stumbled and she and a frail man holding a big parcel caught me. I sat down covering my face in confusion hardly able to thank them-How I hate being dependent. My family stood clustered in the entrance. At one point someone got up and offered my daughter a seat but she refused and indicated to the woman who gave me hers to take it. She also refused and indicated to my daughter to take it so she reluctantly did. I watched my daughter as she sat there chatting with her husband -she was glowing and why not? Here she was at last with her family in Paris on the metro going to the Eiffel tower. She looked beautiful and very appropriate in her black and white striped simple frock and with her abundant hair pulled back in a loose French braid-very French I thought. As the elegant woman got off at her stop she bent over my daughter and wished her and her family a wonderful Paris holiday. My daughter beamed her thanks and I thought "How often does an elegant busy Parisieane stoop to wish a tourist a good holiday?" And I left that train with a warm feeling too. The Eiffel tower was astoundingly impressive and surprisingly beautiful. I promptly secured a seat on a bench and set out to observe the crowd. Every member of this world was represented, there was a celebratory gaiety obviously caused by this towering edifice which more than justified the expense of building it-the world needs this. Everyone was busy photographing each other or "selfing" themselves with the tower in the background. None of our party left terra firma to climb due to the snake like lines.I enjoyed reading the notices-"BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS" IGNORE STREET HAWKERS" they were all over the place amusing us. We decided to go back home another route through the adjoining park. We landed in a very exclusive residential district with shady trees-it was very hot-It was all lovely but our knowledgeable guide got us hopelessly lost.His smart phone was useless. I was asked to produce my map-I told them tartly I had left it behind as I couldn't stand their jeering every time I took it out.So we wondered aimlessly around very much like Moses and his tribes in the desert getting occasional glimpses of the tower through the trees.At last the scene changed and some aspects of commerce appeared and a sidewalk cafe like an oasis appeared in the shimmering horizon.It was very hot. We collapsed gratefully into comfortable chairs. It was a touristy cafe-the first one we encountered.The menu amused me. It featured hot dogs hamburgers,club sandwich and boeuf bourguignon. I had that and red wine, the others had hamburgers -no one dared order a hot dog-and my son-in-law had a beer named 1664- Hmmm.Our friendly waiter gave us directions to the nearest Metro which we were grateful for. We were now seasoned Metro commuters and our trip home was uneventful.