Nous arrivons

We packed everything we'll need into just two suitcases--one big one and one carry-on--a backpack, and my purse, and off we went. My wonderful parents drove us to the airport 20 minutes from their house, which is about a billion times better than taking the subway for 2 hours to a New York airport, lugging baggage on public transit. And we managed to be in a row with huge amounts of leg room:

So it was about as good as an overseas flight can be. Of course, we still didn't really sleep.

When we arrived, it was the new year. The RER train from the airport into town was free, the gates open. It was pitch black outside at 8:30 AM, and the only other people on the train were travelers or tired party-goers: all in all, pretty surreal. Even as the sun began to rise as we walked (in the rain) to our apartment, no one was on the street.

Our apartment is tiny, but real (a relief since we found it online), and in a perfect location.

That is the only room, and the bed pulls out to sleep both of us. There's also a bathroom and a tiny kitchenette, and a wall of French books belonging to our literature-professor landlady. On the other hand, things that were not here when we arrived included: a seat for the toilette, any trash can, and any towels. Weirdly, towels are super expensive here--whereas wine and nice cheese are cheap! But the apartment is cozy, and we quickly furnished it with baguettes:

Many bakeries (and fruit-sellers, butchers, sidewalk cafes...) are on a busy pedestrian street near our place, which is decorated for Christmas:

As well as a sight that was all too familiar to those of us who have spend some time in the Bronx:

Now that we're recovering a bit from our jet-lag and have succeeded in negotiating some daily tasks like grocery-shopping and rent-paying, the question is: how many days are we allowed to be tourists before getting back to work? It's grey and raining, but Paris is still beautiful this way...

Bonne année!