Paris is an odd place. A beautiful place, as I mentioned, but very different from the US or UK. In America, police walk around in snazzy uniforms with guns discreetly in belts. English bobbies don't even carry guns, and wear silly hats. Several times in France we saw police dressed in full camo carrying huge, scary, automatic weapons. I guess they're protecting us from terrorists? As we cued outside the Eiffel Tower we waited for these trigger-touching police to turn and waste one of the obnoxious souvenir sellers (How many times do I have to tell you "Non, merci!"?)
These scary police patrol train and metro stations, the Eiffel Tower, and other major tourist sites. They are not on the trains, including the crowded one we took to the Crypt, on which Max was pickpocketted. Lucky for Max, he doesn't have any money. His mother suggested that this pickpocket was obviously not very bright as Max was dressed "like a homeless person." Nevertheless, Max remained calm while someone rummaged through his pockets, confident they would find nothing. I hate crowded trains, if that had happened to me, I'd have grabbed that pickpocket's hand and yelled "Arret, vouleur!" ("Stop thief!") This was one I practiced.
A phrase I was thrilled to learn in Paris: "C'est moi qui fabrique le miel bon." A brilliant slogan from Miel Pops, honey pops a la Francaise. Made by Kellogs. It was delicious and, while not Lucky Charms, pretty damn good. For real, check it out.
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