French Crafts, je t’aime!

Bonjour!

Paris took up the whole 3 weeks,
though other countries we planned to tread.
Mostly cause family and friends from Europe
wanted to visit us there instead.
I don’t have wild tales of my travels.
It’s like any big city, I suppose.
Only, with older architecture, slighty nicer fashions
and everything in euros.

We live in a time where the web gives us instant access
to information and more.
I continue to wonder why so many people now seem
less educated then before.
If the internet I did have growing up as a kid,
a genius I’m sure I would be.
I’m doing my best to make up for it now.
I even cancelled our cable tv.

If you have not checked it out already,
Google Maps you must use.
It’s not just satellite images,
now you can actually see street views.
On any map of any town,
just drag that little stick man.
You’ll find there’s rarely any road
not captured by The Google Van.
While it will never compare to actually being there
and seeing with your physical sight.
You can still tour the world via computer
without the costly and long airline flight.

Not to mention the crude airplane food
and customs riffling through all your threads.
FYI, in Europe, a stroller and a baby
gets you whisked past the line of hundreds!
Once back in the states, however,
be prepared for very long waiting.
Security checkpoints and tourist sites
are not so accommodating.

While I wish I could have brought you all back souvenirs,
there’s peddlers everywhere.
Like this dude from the Côte d’Ivoire,
who stepped into our camera shot there:

The airline restriction on luggage is insane and really sucks.
If over 50 pounds in weight we’d get charged $150 bucks!
Imagine me on a scale holding my bag and then,
moving shoes and jeans from one to the other and doing it again.
Just leave behind the French magazines.  Can’t bring back that Paris gravel.
Talk about milking every dollar out of people when they travel.

So with that, may I present a memento:

of the city of love and other things.

And a photograph of a little boy visiting the estate of ancient queens & kings.

With gardens so vast, it has not been surpassed.
So beautiful you could cry.
We left le Marais and spend the whole day
at the palace of Versallies.

Back then Paris was filthy,
and this a playground for aristocrats.
T’was their escape from the sewer stench of the city
and it’s sickly inhabitants.
Where Marie Antoniette had a village built
on the grounds where she had played.
And pretended what it’s like to live the simple life
of a pheasant dairy maid.
I am sure the revolutionists were thrilled about that,
no wonder they wanted her head.
I also heard if you dug deep enough,
the dirt under Paris is all stained blood red.

And before you comment on my choice of greys,
it’s merely just for show.
The Eiffel Tower has more of a dark tannish
(almost pooish) coloured glow.

And with every one a t-shirt will go
that contains the following draft:

My relative/friend spent 3 weeks in Paris.
All I got was this stupid handmade craft.

We now return you to your regularly crafted program!