My wife is from Rochester, Indiana;  a good friend from Rochester, N.Y; and here were are at the Rochester Hotel in Paris, France.  Good karma we hope!  I’m nine hours off my normal time schedule, 5.122 miles from home, and 10 days from going back there.  We arrived yesterday without much sleep, took a short nap, and woke up on top of the Eiffel Tower for a beautiful sunset.  This morning we went for a walk/run around the Arc de Triomphe, and will finish the evening at a Moulin Rouge show.  French burlesque:  “I see London, I see France, I see __________’s underpants,”  goes a well-know tease I somehow remember from childhood (when I can’t seem to remember anything else.)  On the more sophisticated side, museums will I’m sure will fill the rest of today.

Being a tourist is not easy, especially since we’re all trying not to be identified as a tourist for some reason.  “Don’t wear that, you’ll look like a tourist,” is what my wife keeps telling me. What’s so bad about being a tourist?  At least you’re a source of revenue, making it possible for others to work, in the area. Whether you’re a working stiff or not, being a tourist at the very least means seeing sites other than the office water cooler.   You’ve escaped from the work day grind.  Enjoy.  Being a tourist is the best kind of work if you can get it!

Today was the first day of the work week for the unlucky here in Paris.  It’s a very crowded city, and I felt more like I was dodging people than running.  The sidewalks are very narrow and everyone walks with a purpose.  We passed through the fashion district, home to all the elite clothing and accessory designers.  Fortunately, their stores were closed early this morning, so my wife could only drool.  I just kept running!

While sipping on hot chocolate for breakfast, we spoke to an elderly couple from Florida. They hadn’t been home since early April and were headed to Amsterdam next.  When my wife eventually retires we hope to travel like that, even though the couple admitted they were anxious to get back to their house.  After all, being on the road that long is probably hard work, but maybe a job we’d all like to have!