Day 41: Joyeux Anniversaire pour moi! :D

Listening to: "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green (it was playing in the restaurant where I had my first drink as a legal 21-year-old)

Since Paris practically shuts down on Sundays, our options were limited. So we thought, How about the Louvre?

But then because it's the first Sunday of the month, all the museums were free and therefore swarming with tourists. The wait to get into the Louvre was 90 minutes, and we weren't nearly patient enough for that.

So my mother and I spent the day doing the only thing we know how to do extremely well: shopping.

I mean, first we rode on the Roue de Paris. It's still up, strangely, even though it supposedly wasn't sticking around past February. Mom was snapping pictures here and there. We had a Metro mishap with her ticket not letting her through the door. 

I decided Notre Dame would probably be less crowded, and I wanted to go to the top of the bell towers. Except that closed early too. So we were stick on the little island, trying to figure out what to do. Finally, after grabbing a quick bite at the appropriately named Esmeredla Café, Mom decided the best way to salvage the day was to go to the Eiffel Tower. I hadn't visited yet--I was waiting for all my company this spring--so I was glad to go.

Once again, pictures speak better than I can. But I'll add my snarky commentary anyway:

I explained the gist to Mom: couples put their initials on a lock and then throw the key in the water to symbolize their everlasting love. Me, I just was like, "Eternal love is an oxymoron." I'm such a romantic.

But Jamie and I have a lock ready! Because roommate love is true love.

However, we can't put it on this bridge because it's literally sagging from all the weight.

Finally!

You can never have too many panoramas.

Wheels that bring you up via elevator. So crazy.

Mom insisted we do a selfie. But A.) my arms are not long enough to take a good selfie and B.) selfies look terrible compared to the actually nice pictures we got by, I don't know, interacting with other people and asking them to take a picture of us? Sorry, snark; forgot to exercise my WSC. But I mean, come on.

Because really, the pictures below are priceless.

And in the midst of all this hullabaloo, it's been my birthday--mon anniversaire, as you say in French. It was quite enjoyable. So here's the cat I promised:

And here's me taking my first legal drink in a country where I've been drinking for the past two months. Oh, well. It's about pomp and circumstance, people. Thank you all for the well-wishings, and I bid thee all a most joyous bonne soirée. :D

Translated to American college student speak: time to get wasted, y'all. Yo. Man. Kegs. Beer. Hahahahaha I know I'm not fooling any of you. I had champagne with peach liqueur. It was very tame, and I know my cousins are clucking their tongues as they read this.

BONUS:

I AM THE PIGEON WHISPERER. (CUCKOO-CACHOO.)