Deux Moulins Wednesday, Oct 3 2012

Day 7. September 8, 2012

James had been a bit stressed, and so decided to go get a massage while I relieved my own stress by shopping.  As relaxing and fun as a vacation can be, it can also be exhausting! So, a low key day was exactly what we needed.

After a bit of online searching, we found a Thai spa with reasonable prices (which was also recommended in Where magazine.)  Imagine my delight when, walking towards the spa, I spotted a Naf Naf!  I had been eying dresses from Naf Naf since before we’d even left the States, and I was determined not to leave Paris without one.  I got three!  In addition, on my little shopping adventure, I purchased a pair of earrings shaped like angel wings, and some French lingerie (because, duh!)  All that, and I still had about 45 minutes left before James would be done with his two hour massage.  I found a sort of cafe/grocery called Daily Monop (they’re all over Paris) and got some Greek pasta salad, and a small bottle of pink wine. I sat down at one of the tables on the sidewalk and enjoyed people watching while eating my little lunch.  I felt very happy.  The day had already been a success and it wasn’t yet 2 p.m.!

After collecting a much more relaxed boyfriend from the spa, we took the Metro to Musée d’Orsay.

My main reason for wanting to visit d’Orsay was that I love the Impressionists!  I really enjoyed being able to tell James things about the paintings that we saw. It’s nice when I can teach somebody something new.  It was also very exciting to view Impressionist pieces I had never seen before. Next, we saw some amazing Art Nouveau furniture and planned what our house will look like when we’re rich.  By this time, the museum was closing, and it was time for us to leave.

Back to Montmartre we went! It seemed like we walked uphill at all times, regardless of which way we were going! Along the way, we stopped at a little cafe for some libations. Here we met Max. He was a very friendly and interesting little fellow, but he didn’t want to stay still so I could get a good picture of him.  This was the best I could do:

After sufficient refreshment (and scratching Max behind the ears) James took me to see Moulin de la Galette, one of the two remaining windmills of Montmarte.

Directly across the street, we found a bar serving Delirium Tremens on tap for €4.50! It was decided that it would be irresponsible not to share a pint.

Finally we made it back down to the district we don’t talk about in polite company.  On this strip sits the Moulin Rouge, the Musée de l’Érotisme, and numerous strip clubs and grown up toy stores.

We wanted to have dinner at the Moulin Rouge, but the show was sold out (as were all the shows for the next week!)  We did visit the Musée de l’Érotisme, which was. . . interesting.

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Paris Souterrain Tuesday, Oct 2 2012

Day 6, September 7, 2012

We got up early enough to visit The Catacombs, this time, and were pleasantly surprised by how quickly the line moved!  After only about 30 minutes, we were winding down the stairs, going deeper and deeper under Paris.

The Catacombs were created in the 18th century when Paris’ cemeteries and mass graves were becoming too full, and thus a danger to the living population.  The underground tunnels used to create the catacombs were once stone mines that had long since fallen out of use.  So, in 1786, the transport of bones from other ossuaries and cemeteries began.  It took 2 years to complete.  In 1810, Louis-Étienne Héricart de Thury had the brilliant idea to reposition some of the bones into decorative displays.  The Catacombs have been opened to the viewing public since 1874!

A the beginning of the tunnels, there are incredibly detailed sculptures of a city, done by a stone worker who was homesick and tired of spending so much of his life underground.

The entrance to the ossuary itself is inscribed with a warning.
Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort.
(Stop! This is the Empire of Death.)

From here, it is quiet.  The sound of footsteps seem to be swallowed into the vastness of the tunnels, and you feel the need to speak in whispers so as not to disturb the place.  Somewhere in the darkness, you can just barely hear (or maybe sense)the sound of running water.  There is an aqueduct somewhere nearby.  In some parts of the catacombs, water drips slowly down through the limestone.  A sound that would test the nerves of anyone trapped down there. (I know it tested mine!)

There is a path laid out for visitors to follow, and all other tunnels are carefully closed off. This is necessary, as a person who wanders into tunnels could starve to death before finding his way out.  Throughout, there are stone plaques, engraved with the names of the streets that lie above.  Knowing which street you’re under wouldn’t help very much, though, if you can’t find an exit!

Aside from the artistically arranged bones, there are numerous stones bearing verses on death,  in French,

Ainsi tout passe sur la terre:    
Esprit, Beauté, Grâce, Talent    
Telle est une fleur éphémère        
Que renverse le moindre vent.

Ils furent ce que nous sommes        
Poussière, jouet du vent ;
Fragiles comme des hommes.        
Faible comme le néant!

(Thus ends everything on earth:    
Spirit, Beauty, Grace, Talent
Ephemeral like a flower    
Blown away by the slightest breeze

They were what we are
Dust, toy of the wind;    
Fragile like men
Weak like nothingness.)

Si vous avez vu quelque fois mourir un homme, considérez toujours que le même sort vous attend.
(If you have, some time, seen a man die, always consider that the same fate awaits you.)

in Latin and French

Omne Crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum
Croyez que chaque jour est pour vous le dernier
(Believe that each day is your last)

and in Greek, Latin, and French

Ούχ όσίη φθιμένοισιν
Non fas est mortuis insultare.
(It is not right to insult the dead.)
C’est une impiété que d’insulter aux morts.
(It is an impiety to insult the dead.)

The weight of the earth around me, the persistent warnings that death awaits us all, and the skeletons illustrating that point… This place gave me (to use the technical term) the heebie jeebies.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Climbing the narrow, spiraling stairs back to street level was another nerve wracking experience for me, but it helped to know that I was going up to fresh air and sunshine.

A metro ride to the Pantheon did the trick to bring us back to the land of the living.  There are always so many interesting people on the metro and at the stations!

The Pantheon is an amazing piece of architecture (modeled after the original Roman pantheon) which houses a replica of Foucault’s original pendulum.  The pendulum, when suspended from sufficient height and set to swinging, is designed to rotate with the Earth’s gravity, and accurately tell the time of day.  It seemed to be a bit off when we were there, though, making an ellipse, rather than a line.

Also, for the sake of being meta (citation needed), there’s a model of the Pantheon inside the Pantheon.

Since we apparently hadn’t yet had our fill of dead people, we went down into the crypts to see the tombs of Voltaire, Rousseau, Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Marie Curie, Louis Braille, and others.  Some were extravagant. . .

(Voltaire)

. . . and others were plain.

(Dumas)

Many rooms contained empty tombs with no names inscribed, reserved for famous people who haven’t yet died.  You’ve got to be pretty prestigious to make the Pantheon your final resting place.

As the sun began to set, we walked up the Champs-Élysées to L’Arc de Triomphe.  We didn’t go to the top of L’Arc de Triomphe because we were tired and had enough of stairs for a little while, but we did go underneath that crazy traffic circle and come back up to stand under the arch and see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

(Here lies a French soldier who died for his country.)

After enjoying the pink sunset behind the arch, we were more than ready to call it a night.

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Crypt, Gargoyles, Padlocks Friday, Sep 21 2012

Day 5, September 6, 2012

On Thursday, we got a very late start.  Our plan was to visit the Catacombs.  We didn’t make it there until about three in the afternoon, however, and the line was long.  We were advised that the last entrance to the Catacombs would be at 4:00, and that there was a chance we wouldn’t make it in.  “And maybe you wait in line for nothing. Just so you know.”
So, we decided to skip it.  Back onto the Metro, we headed to Ile de La Cité for Notre Dame.  Once there, I remembered that our Metro passes also included La Crypte Archelogie du Parvis Notre Dame, a preserved archeoligical dig underneath the square of Notre Dame.  From here, we could see pieces of Paris all the way back from Ancient Roman times, and glimpse what the city looked like then.  It was absolutely fascinating!

Afterwards, TO THE TOP! This upward climb exceeded that of Sacre Coeur by 100 steps, reaching a grand total of 400 once we reached the top.
On the way up, we were greeted by lots of gargoyles, some looked like regular animals (an elephant, a stork, an otter,) and some like strange beasts.  It was easy to imagine Quasimodo creeping around amongst them, holding counsel.
Speaking of Quasimodo, we got to go inside one of the towers to see the massive bell that rings daily at Notre Dame.  I got to touch Quasimodo’s bell!
After the bell, there was a little bit more to climb to reach the very top.  This, I think, might have been my favorite view of Paris, and the weather was absolutely perfect for it!

We finally descended again, to bring ourselves down to ground level.  We did pop inside the church for a moment, but mass was being held, and so we didn’t get to roam the entire nave.
Out from Notre Dame, crossing one arm of the Seine, there is a bridge COVERED in padlocks.  There are actually two such bridges in the city, the other is near the Louvre.  These locks are called “love locks” or “love padlocks” and the story goes that if two lovers affix their own lock to the bridge, and toss the keys in the Seine, their love will be unending.  Sometimes, though, this proves not to be true, as we saw a teenage boy with a small saw trying to cut through one of the locks.  Nevertheless, we added our own lock to the strange decor of the bridge.

The rest of the evening was spent meandering through the streets, visiting Shakespeare and Company, pausing to watch some street performers on roller blades, and just enjoying Paris at night.

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I Love the Louvre! Friday, Sep 7 2012

Day 4, September 5, 2012

We got a late start on Wednesday.  That wasn’t a problem, though, because the Louvre is open late on Wednesdays!

It’s hard to detail everything of interest, so I’m going to keep this one short.  The pictures (found here) can do some of the talking for me.

We purchased a Museum Pass before leaving the States, and so were able to go straight into the Louvre. No waiting for tickets! Because of this, we were also able to go in and out of the museum as much as we wanted.  We went out of the museum for lunch, then back in. Then, out again to get some fresh air and snap some pictures while we still had daylight.  We even left the museum, cut across the shopping area, and re-entered the museum on the other side, saving ourselves a lot of walking through the museum itself!

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts, for me, was seeing what’s under the Louvre.  On the spot where the palatial museum stands today, there was once a medieval castle.  The current castle was built on top of the foundations of the old one.  Visitors to the Louvre are able to walk through what was once the moat of the castle, viewing the old foundation.  Archeology and architecture both interest me greatly, and so seeing something like this is amazing to me.

(A model of what the old castle looked like, based on the intact foundation, and the artwork of the time period.)

(Decorative pieces from the old castle)

(Medieval foundation)

There are no places like this in the United States; no medieval castles for me to delight in.  I guess that just means I need to make more visits to Europe!

Ancient Egypt was another favorite of mine, with it’s numerous sarcophagi and well-preserved artifacts.

Of course, I also marveled at the great masterpieces: the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Millo, as well as many of the Italian religious pieces.

The apartments of Napoleon (the last exhibit we saw at the Louvre) were beautiful, gilded, and covered in velvet, making me long for fancy things.

After a day of walking, and photographing, and reading, and walking, we were definitely ready for a relaxed evening.  We grabbed a carry-out pizza near our hotel, and brought it back to the room to eat while watching some Babylon 5 on James computer.

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A Good Day for Wandering Friday, Sep 7 2012

Day 3, September 4, 2012

On Tuesday, we moved to a new hotel, called Hotel de la Paix, in the Montparnasse area.

While waiting for our room to be ready, we went to La Closerie Lilas for a drink.  The atmosphere there was perfect! Soft music played into a low-lit room.  We sat at the polished wood bar and enjoyed our cocktails with quiet conversation. So very refreshing!

After drinks, it was time for lunch.  We wandered around a bit, exploring the area, ultimately deciding on a Caribbean restaurant called Le Creole. I had a delicious white fish filet covered in a sauce that was very similar to hollandaise.  James had delicious Caribbean pork with red beans and rice.

Back at the hotel, once settled in, we decided it was time for a little nap.

A couple of hours later, we went back out into the world where I discovered the lovely Luxembourg Gardens.  Here, the flowers are completely changed three times a year, and people of all ages come to play, relax, and socialize.  If I lived in Paris, I would want to live near here.

From the Gardens, we wandered around the area a bit more, then stopped in St. Germain-des-Pres church.  We were able to get in between the end of the last sermon and closing time.  This gave us enough time to admire the artwork, the sculptures, the architecture, and to light a candle.  I’ll say it again: I love old churches!

After the church, James and I went back to Place St. Michel so that he could follow directions given to him twelve years ago.  His mind must be a steel trap, because after a few turns down side streets we found ourselves at an expat* bar called The Mazet.  At The Mazet, we enjoyed ice cold ciders (I don’t recall what brand) while listening to some Lauryn Hill and the Fugees.

It turns out, the dream of the 90s is alive in Paris, as well.  You’ll hear 90s music playing all over the place, and they sell Swatches at the Louvre!

As drinks before food seemed to be the theme of the day, it was time for dinner.

I love, love, love how restaurants in Paris have their menus posted outside. It makes it very easy to browse for a place to eat in an unfamiliar city!

We chose a place, for the menu, yes, but also for the fact that they had a table overlooking the street.  Hooray for people-watching!

It was here that I tried my first escargot!! As far as flavor goes, I really liked it. The texture, however, was a bit off-putting for me. I ate three of my six, then decided that was enough.  At least now I can say I’ve tried it!

My entree was a no-better-than-decent beef bourguignon, but once again, they had me at dessert.  Much like Amelie, I love the first crack of the topping on a creme brulee.  When I was little, I used to roast marshmallows by sticking one entirely into the fire, then blowing it out.  That burnt sugar flavor on the outside, with the sweet, creamy inside was one of my favorite things.  I like to think that creme brulee is my grown-up version of that.

*An expat (or expatriate) bar is one that caters to people who are not in their home country.  The Mazet, for instance is an English pub.  We also saw an Australian one called “The Long Hop,” a Scottish one called “The Highlander,” and a Canadian one, creatively called “The Great Canadian Pub.”

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View from the Top Tuesday, Sep 4 2012

Day 2, September 3, 2012

On Monday we rolled out of bed at about 10:45 am, narrowly missing our hotel’s free breakfast.  Not a problem, though! We hopped on the metro for Montmartre, where I tasted my first ever crepe!  Words cannot describe it. The closest I can come is this: Om nom nom nom nom!!!!  It seems fitting that I should experience crepes for the first time in Paris.

My crepe was oeuf, fromage, et champignones (egg, cheese, and mushroom,) while James had his customary oeuf, jambon, et fromage (egg, ham, and cheese.)

Breakfast consumed, we took the funiculaire (which I shall now refer to as the Great Glass Elevator) up the hill to La Basilique du Sacre Couer.  Yes, we cheated and didn’t take all the steps, but our legs thanked us for this small concession later when we climbed 300 steps! to the top of the dome.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Basilica stole my breath the moment I stepped through the door.  Whether or not you’re Catholic, or even whether or not you believe in God, there is an undeniable, palpable, spiritual magic filling places like that.  The beauty of the artwork, frescoes, sculptures, and architecture is, alone, enough to inspire awe and appreciation. Then, add to it the amount of energy and emotion, grief and ecstasy, that has been poured out into the space, and it’s heart-wrenching in the best possible way.

A banner hanging outside Sacre Couer informs us that “For over 125 years, here, night and day, someone is praying.”

That’s powerful.

Below the Basilica are the crypts.  Here, you will find two more alters (where more services are sometimes held,) as well as the tombs of various church officials, and statues honoring more of the saints.

Also, this guy is one of the first things you see when entering this lower level.

Perhaps one of the more interesting parts of the crypts was the two areas (enclosed in glass) where one can see the tome they read from when the church was consecrated, as well as a whole slew of Sacred Hearts

Finally, in one of the areas with an altar (nave? chapel? sanctuary? I’m not sure what to call it) there are the tombs of an archbishop and a cardinal (?) with huge statues of each man above his respective tomb. These statues are facing the main alter, and one is offering a model of the Basilica in that direction, offering the church to God.

This is the altar.

You’ll notice a gold rectangle in the center. The space behind that golden door is said to house the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Jesus Christ’s actual heart.

In each corner of the room, there are holy reliquaries, which house bones from some of the saints.

Did that give you goosebumps? It certainly did for me!

With that strange, reverent, eerie, and awe-stricken feeling, we left the lower level.

Then came the steps.  Three hundred, winding, twisting, narrow stone stairs, taught me something I didn’t know about myself: being surrounded by stone on all sides, not being able to see anything but stone in any direction, makes me very, very nervous. Good to know.

It was worth the climb, and the unpleasantness, though. The view was phenomenal!

On the way back down the hill from the Basilica, we paused to watch a cat chase pigeons, and listen to a guy sing and play his guitar.  At one point, a policeman asked the guy to pack it up.  The guitarist convinced the police to let him play for ten more minutes. He played Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” which I think is brilliant under those circumstances.  It’s been stuck in my head since then, though.

After stopping at a chocolatier for some macarons, we headed over to the Champs de Mars.  We were planning on visiting the Musee du Vin (Wine Museum,) for which we also have free tickets.  We made it almost to the front door of the place when I realized that the tickets clearly told me it was closed on Mondays.  Oops!

Instead, we headed over to La Toure Eiffel and waited in the long line to go to the top.  I will say this: that line moved WAY faster than I expected it would!

Once at the top, the plan was to have a glass of champagne.  It was 5:30, and it turns out the place where you buy the champagne was closed until 6:15. So, we waited forty five minutes, at the top of the Eiffel Tower, just to have a couple of glasses of champagne.  It was worth it!

James’ toast, went something like this:

“To being dedicated drunkards. . . I mean, to our dedication to drinking. . . I mean, to patience!”

Well said!

Back at the bottom off the Tower, I needed another crepe! This time, with Grand Marnier! Delicious!

We rounded out the evening by walking through the Bastille neighborhood and into the Place de Vosges.  This beautiful, massive building was once a castle, with the two largest portions designed for the king and queen of France.  They never lived in it, though. After the Revolution, the Place de Vosges was divided into apartments.  One of them (number 6) was once the residence of Victor Hugo, where he wrote Les Miserables. Below the apartment now sits Cafe Hugo, where we had dinner.

The meal was perfect, but the crowning glory was the chocolat chaud at the end.  I will never be satisfied with regular hot chocolate again!

Back at the hotel, I went to bed exceedingly happy, dreaming of panoramic views and lofty breezes.

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Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart Monday, Sep 3 2012

I’m resurrecting my old blog to chronicle this wonderful adventure I’m having.

On Saturday afternoon, we took off for Paris.  The flight was fine, as flights go.  The food was uninspiring, which is to be expected, I suppose.

I’m wondering why they even bothered with the spot of marinara on my manicotti. Was it for decoration?

Oh well!

Day 1, September 2, 2012

At 9:30am (or, what my body believed to be 2:30am,) we arrived at CDG (Charles de Gaulle airport.)  It is certainly the most interesting airport I’ve ever seen.  For those of you who haven’t been there, let me attempt to describe it.  First, the various gates are at pods around the airport grounds. They look like individual islands, with no attachment to the main part of the airport (or each other.)  It turns out, you go underground on a moving walkway, and back up into the main section. It’s pretty neat.

We arrived at our hotel too early to check in, so we decided to explore Pere Lachaise cemetery.

There are several different levels to Pere Lachaise, and lots of different streets.  It’s bigger than some towns I’ve been in. It was fantastic to just wander around and look at the many, many interesting tombs, and occasionally get a bit lost. Traveling with an Eshu, though, means you’re never truly lost, and it doesn’t take long to find your way again.

I saw the tombs/graves of Oscar Wilde (covered in lipstick kisses), Jim Morrison, Sarah Burnhardt, Edith Piaf, Heloise and Abelard, Gertrude Stein and a few more that I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Certainly the most stirring part of the cemetery, though, was the section dedicated to those lost in World War II in the concentration camps and in the French Resistance. The sculptures are of emaciated people, and are as disturbing to look at as the pictures of the events they commemorate.
Everywhere, plaques and engravings urge us never to forget.

——————————————————————————————————————–

After we’d sufficiently worn ourselves out in the cemetery (while jetlagged, mind you,) we stumbled into a cafe called Le Purgatoire.  Here, I had my first meal in France.

James had a croque-madame with an Orangina, while I had goat cheese raviloi in a buttery sauce, with a beer called “Cuvee des Trolls.” Yes, I did order it just because it had a cute little dude on the advertisement.

After lunch, we were able to check in to our hotel (Classics Bastille.) The room is small, as I expected, but it’s comfortable, clean, and on the 4th floor, overlooking a courtyard.  Pretty nice, I’d say!

The skyline is even prettier in the evening, but I couldn’t get a good picture of that.

After getting settled in to the hotel, taking some showers, generally refreshing ourselves, and fighting the urge to take a nap, we went back out into the city.

The plan was to take a boat tour on the Seine (the tickets came free in the City Case packet we ordered before we left the States.) But on the way, James had things to show me!

First, the metro!

It may be strange to get so excited about public transportation, but really, it’s amazing!  It’s so efficient!  I wish we could have something like this in New Orleans.

(Also, now we begin Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego)

We got off the metro near Place Saint-Michel and Notre Dame.  After a few pictures, and playing with the pigeons, we went in to Shakespeare and Company.  The place is perfect.  I love it as I love any used book store, but there’s more to it.  There is a lot of love and a lot of magic in that place.

Finally, we made our way to the base of the Eiffel Tower, near which the boat tours depart.  We had a little trouble keeping our eyes open (because, by this point, we were exhausted) so I occupied myself by taking pictures of pretty much everything.

The cruise was decently informative, and they played the silliest version of La Vie en Rose I’ve ever heard.  Mainly though, it offered spectacular views of some of the city: the beautiful bridges, the museums and monuments, and the people.

After the cruise, we went. . . somewhere, and ate. . . something for dinner.  I don’t actually recall.  I think the meal was pretty good. I do remember having delicious Creme Caramel for dessert, though.

Finally, we managed to get back to the hotel, and fell asleep immediately!

All that, and it was only day one!

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Hello again! Thursday, Mar 24 2011

A little over a year and a half,  it’s been.  So, what brought me back?  Partially, it was the realization that this blog still exists, but mostly it was the same thing that brought me here in the first place.  I want a place to write my thoughts, creative or mundane. So, perhaps I never manage to write regularly… it’s nice to know I can when I want/need to.

For the most part, lets never mind what’s happened since the last time I wrote.  There is far too much to detail.

One thing I must say is that someone finally wrote a “missed connection” ad for me.  I didn’t actually read it, but he told me he wrote one (after reading this blog) and for some reason asked me to promise not to read it.  He’s an odd one, for sure, but that’s the best kind!  And I love him. And what’s more, I know he loves me.  He tells me he loves me, but more importantly, he shows me. No… “show” is not the right word.  I really don’t  know how to describe it.  He… sends his love at me…. it radiates from him.  I read it in his eyes often, and in those wordless sounds he sometimes makes, and in his touches, and in his kisses.

I’ve loved before, and I’ve been loved, but not like this.  This is like having fat-free Cool Whip with your strawberries for your whole life and then tasting them with sweet, delicious double cream. It’s like spending your childhood summers swimming in the neighborhood pool and then having your first dip in the ocean.
But… I’m gushing….

Anyway….I may, gradually, regale the ambiguous  “you” with some of the things that have happened in the past 579 days (yes, I figured out the exact number of days. Yes, I’m a dork.) Right now, though, I can’t.

Let’s consider this a re-introduction.  We’ll get into the good stuff—the “interesting” stuff, if you will—tomorrow.

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Affirmative Saturday, Aug 22 2009

There has been a whole lot of stuff that has happened since my last post, which I will account at a later date.

For now, my daily affirmations:

• I am interesting.
• I am  good enough.
• If I make a minor mistake or say the wrong thing, I am not an idiot or a horrible human being.
• I can take care of myself.
• Today is going to be a great day.

I just decided to do this, oh… about 2 minutes ago.  I think it’s a pretty good idea.  I need it.  It’s absolutely ridiculous for me to only believe these things when someone else tells me them.  I need to believe it when I say it myself.

I’m encouraging the rest of you, readers (however sparse), to think of your own daily affirmations.  We’ve all go things we need to work on.  You don’t have to stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself these out loud.  You don’t have to share them with anyone else.  They’re just things to keep in your mind throughout your day.

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Omens? Oddities? Monday, Jun 1 2009

 

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

Last night, I met up with some guys from I band in which I might be the singer. I got home at about 2:30 a.m. Sitting in the driveway was a hearse. It was unexpected. It was late. I was drunk. I was sufficiently creeped out. In addition, it was parked so close to the house that I had to squeeze between it and the wall to get into the courtyard and through to my house. It gave me chills and goosebumps even after I was safely in my home. I didn’t think I was a very superstitious person. I live with a black cat. I’ve walked under ladders. I’ve broken mirrors (though whether or not I’ve been cursed with bad luck is debatable.) For some reason, though, walking past this hearse felt like a dangerous thing to do.

The thing was still there this morning when I left for work, and though it still gave me a slight sense of foreboding, it wasn’t so bad in the daytime.I’ve done a little research. It seems all the superstitions surrounding hearses involve ones with a body inside. This one was empty. So, no sweat, right. Sure, but it still made me uncomfortable.

In the past week, three people have told me that they have found my twin. In three different parts of the country.

The first was at about 2 in the morning. My ex sent me a text message, asking if I was walking up St. Charles Avenue, past Igor’s. No, I told him, I was definately at home in bed. He said he saw a girl that looked exactly like me.

A couple of days later, my friend Bryan, sent me a text message telling me he’d found my twin. Bryan was in California.

Today, another friend sent me a message on facebook saying exactly what Bryan had said: “I found your twin.” This “twin” is in Virginia.

There’s going to be an army of people that look like me. We are going to destroy the world with our cuteness.

Wait. I just looked at pictures of the girl in Virginia. We look similar, but I wouldn’t say “twin.” Her eyes are blue, while mine, alas, are not.

Still, there’s the other two. The people who claimed they saw my twin are people who know me very well. I trust that they were not mistaken.

Meh. Stranger things have happened, especially in this city.

 

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