Paris

Got to Paris yesterday morning, figured out the tickets to get from the airport into the city, found the hostel without trouble. Climbed the hill to Sacre Couer, a church near the hostel where there is a good view of Paris. It was foggy so couldn't see much, but there was a really good violinist on the steps, which made for a nice atmosphere. Afterwards headed south towards the Louvre and Notre Dame. Saw a bunch of people on silver/brownish bikes that I quickly realized are part of a Paris bike program (Janet told me today that the first half hour is free!). Found the Louvre, which is ENORMOUS and very impressive, but almost makes you not want to go inside, because you know you're not even going to be able to see 10% of what's inside it's just so overwhelming.

I ended up walking to Notre Dame and doing that first. As I approached the entrance a woman asked if I spoke English, I said yes, she held up a card for me to read. "I am from Bosnia, living in Paris with my mother who has leukemia. My husband is back home with our sons and lost a leg in an accident. Please give me something for my family." I asked her a question about her mother, but she replied that she spoke ''little english.'' Maybe I'm a heartless person, but I didn't give her anything. I went into Notre Dame, which had very cool stained glass windows but otherwise wasn't overly impressive. On the way out another woman asked if I spoke English and held up another card. I didn't read the story, but the handwriting was remarkably similar to the first. The third time a woman asked if I spoke English I just said no. Part of me feels really guilty when I'm taking pictures of the outside of Notre Dame with my really expensive digital camera but don't give anything to a woman begging outside, but the other part of me rationalizes by saying that a couple euros aren't going to lift them from poverty, and that we're also in France, which has a ton of government aid for the poor.