It’s been a wonderful start to my summer in Europe. I woke up at 8 and had breakfast with some of my hostel mates, the bulk of them English-speaking vagabonds much like myself.

This guy from Quebec City helped me out with a lot of info about some Italian places I’ll be visiting in the next few weeks, including Florence, the Cinque Terre, Siena and a few other spots.

The Arc de Triomphe

I took the Metro over to the Arc de Triomphe around 10:30 and spent two hours walking from the Arc down to the Notre-Dame area. One of those truly great walks for people-watching. I am paying for internet access in the “Qwerty Zone” of some large netcafe (“Access Academy”) near the Sorbonne.

Lunch today was a crèpe sandwich similar to ones I make at home, with eggs, mushrooms and cheese. This neighborhood — the western half of the Latin Quarter — is very similar to the one in which my hostel is located: tiny streets snaking around old buildings, neat little shops and cozy restaurants piping meaty aromas into the air.

Latin Quarter restaurateur

Later this afternoon, I plan on walking to a skyscraper (the Montparnasse tower) where there is supposedly an aerial viewpoint more spectacular (and cheaper!) than the Eiffel Tower’s. Then I plan to walk around Rue Cler near La Tour, Rick Steves’ stereotypical, classic Parisian street.

Things are great, the weather is unbeatable (70 & sunny with a breeze) and it looks like I will be heading out to Britanny on Monday. More later!