"Dude. Please take off the Cardinals hat!"

This week in Paris has been a blur of sightseeing and getting logistical things done for our long- term stay.

After sleeping in late my second day, it started with a meeting with Mariannick, the team secretary, at the Flash office. We were given our transit passes that allow us full access to all of Paris Metro Lines, RER Lines, buses, and trams. We also need to sign some kind of players license.

Note on signing day: I hope it wasn't anything really important, because the entire document was in French and Mariannick's English isn't top notch, so she just pointed to a couple blank lines and I didn't my best Herbie Hancock. Jeff and I met with Esume once again, trying to wrap our heads around Esume less-than-simple offense, a combination of Cleveland Brown and Hamburg Sea Devils. Jeff and I are having a hard enough time picking it up, I can't imagine how the French guys are handling it.

Team President Julian came in and Jeff and I met him for the first time. A former player, Julian is the head of the board of trustees in-charge of the team, and the most active, although most day-to-day operations is handled by Mariannick and Bruno.

That evening Jeff and I decided it was about time to put our freshly minted transit passes to use and figure out where the RER and metro station are in relation to the flat, ... as well as catch our first glimpse of la Ile de Cite. Following Cedric's lead, we walk to the RER station hopped on the B and 10 minutes and 3 stops later hopped out at Chaletet-Les Halles and walk out in to the chilly Parisan night.

Our first walkabout took us down to the Georges Pompidou Centre (France's world famous modern art museum and exhibition hall), down Rue Rivoli, infront of the eastern edge of Louvre, then back to le Pont Neuf along the Seine. The photo behind the background of the blog title is taken here, and through the lazy haze you can see the Tour Effiel in the distance with its spotlight shining through the mist.

As it was getting late and we still weren't sure of the trainline's timetable we decide to walk back to Les Halles and stopped to grab a gyro on the way. Quick ride home, and still a bit jet-lagged I started unpacking and then collasped into bed.

The next day, Mariannick stop by again, and shows us how the radiators and washer is used, (I feel retarded) and then takes us to the bank at noon, to get our bank account and debit card settled so we can recieve our salary electronically. Afterwards we head to a Super Wal-mart size place named Carrefour to load up on groceries.

Note on Carrefour: Everything about this play seemed totally contrary to everything I thought France and the French were about. Batteries, sweaters, coffee makers, and fish all sold in the same store? Well I guess, captialism has a far reach, even to mostly socialist France.

After another horrible practice indoors at that same gym, Cedric cooked dinner back at the apartment.

The next morning Jeff and I had to meet Esume at the Flash office to go over some more of the offense so were up at 11, and attempted to find our way through La Courneuve to the stadium on foot. After meeting with Esume til 3, we decided it was time for a proper downtown stroll about this time without our French fluent roommate Cedric.

Jumping on the RER, then transfering to a Metro line at Chatelet, we walk out of the Metro at Place de la Concorde, a gigantic trafffic circle with another obelisk in the center. This was the spot where Louis XVI , Marie Antionette, and many others lost their heads the guiltotines but during the French Revoluiton. The Place borders the Seine to it's south and the Jardin de Tuileries to it's east. A large, white ferris wheel is here, and is said to give you an amazing view of the city. Jeff and I decided that would be best to do with female companionship and moved onto the Jardins de Tuileries.

The Jardins de Tuileries is a massive 63-acre garden that lies between the Place de la Concorde and the Lourve. The grounds of a former palace that was destroyed in 1871 by riots of the Parisians. Since it's January the gardens are not in full bloom, but it had a different kind of beauty. Naked trees, bare fountains, and frost-tipped bushes were frozen still in cold air, I felt like I was special getting to see a view of the famous gardens that wouldn't make it into any guidebooks or trave mags. At the east of the gardens, the northern (Sully) and southern (Denon) wings of the Lourve stretched out like arms reaching for a piece of this quietness.

Note on the Jardins: The one thing that spoiled this for me was being approached every 20 seconds by an African trying to sell me and more often Jeff, some kind of friendship bracelet. These guys have no shame, and won't leave you alone. I'd completely ignore them, but Jeff, (baseball cap = American) stops and talks to them. Rule #1 when dealing with beggars and con artists, ... never stop walking to talk to them.

Now I.M. Pei's glass pyramid was in sight, and I became dissapointed it was late in the evening, because I knew I would be just wasting time if I went into the museum now. I have seven months in Paris, so I am sure I will find a few days to explore this massive home of Mona Lisa and Winged Victory.

Regardless, Jeff and I descend in to the pyramid to check out the sprawling underground entrance to the musuem. The musuems three different wings all feed into this cavernous room. Cafes, bookstores, and a library lead to an underground subway entrance, as well as the less famous inverse pyramid, which I knew from Dan Brown's best-selling Da Vinci Code.

The rest of the evening highlights read like a tourist blog, which I still am in denial about. I wanted to just SEE everything, I would worry about explore these world-famous monuments sometime later in my stay.

A walk through the 7e arrondisement, (mostly upper class apartment homes and embassies) took us to la Tour Effiel. Beautiful by night, I snapped a few photos.

To end the day we took a subway ride to le Etoile and caught a view of the Arc de Trouimphe.

To end the day we walked down the Champs-Elyesses. McDonald's, Starbucks, and Louis Vuitton. That is about all I have to say about that .

After a long day of seeing a little of a lot, we took the subway to the RER and the RER home.

On a side note, check out Sebastian Tellier's "La Ritournelle." That song as well some songs from Frightened Rabbit, (weird name, awesome tunes) especially "Good Arms vs. Bad Arms" and "Modern Leper." These songs have been going through my ears, as my eyes have been taking in Paris.

I hope things are great back home. Keep me up-to-date.