An Evening In Paris

When I was turning nine years old, I got the chicken pox on my birthday. It was July and we didn't have air conditioning. All I can remember doing for weeks is sitting in the basement because it was the coolest room in the house.

Now the great thing about being the youngest kid in a big family is having lots of older brothers and sisters. Well, older brothers are scummy, but older sisters know everything.

That summer, my big sisters got me some great birthday presents. I got a shiny green overnight case that I kept for years. At one point, I had every note I ever passed in school packed in that small suitcase. But the gift I remember the most, the one that made the biggest impression on my nine year old birthday brain, was The Evening In Paris perfume. I got a kit of the stuff. Two bottles of eau de cologne and toilet water. I was kerfluffled by the toilet water. Didn't use it for the longest time, because, HEY! toilet water.

Looking back, I know it was some cheap perfume, but it made me feel all grown up. And I was a miserable little stump that year, you can be sure of that.

Tonight, I will spend my last evening in Paris. Maybe some day I'll be fortunate enough to return and see all the things I didn't get to this trip, but whether or not I ever make it back, I want you to know this: it was worth the trip.

I didn't come here in a great frame of mind. I was scared, displaced and grumpy. I might not have given the French a fair shake. I'm not sure. But the city is amazing. Everywhere you turn, there is history and beautiful architecture. The Parisians embrace life and art. We were actually treated very well on all our walkabouts. I only heard one nasty 'Americain' comment and that guy was pretty easy to ignore.

I can't say I've become a huge fan of French food, but in the spirit of adventure, I did try some. I probably won't be ordering a lot of smoked duck in the future. Most of the pates are just too rich for my palate. Frogs legs taste like chicken. I did not even try escargot. French cooking has a lot of wine based sauces, yumm. Dessert is king--one word: profiteroles. That's pretty much the high points.

We're heading back to Tunis tomorrow morning early. I'm going to spend one last night enjoying the ambiance of Paris, France. I know I probably didn't get to see all the stuff, but I have some great memories.

--Sandee Wagner