Things have been unusually exciting around these parts lately - well, things in my little life, not necessarily in Paris (an update on my little life is coming soon). Although, last weekend all of Paris (and I believe the rest of Europe, too) was treated to a rare a peek into the usually formidable, mysterious and often private palaces, monuments and government buildings in and around the city. I honestly couldn't say I know much about the event, but Gui was all over checking out a few government palaces, so that's how we spent our Saturday.

We got a late start and only made it to two places, the Assemblée Nationale and the Bank of France. The Assemblée was interesting, and the 30 minute wait we had to get in was worth having a glimpse at the huge, ornate palace where laws are made in France - a place that I often see on snippets of news pieces.






The bank tour was pretty lame. We didn't have to wait in line, but we realized shortly after walking into the place that our "bank" tour was simply a tour of the Galerie Dorée, no money making or counting in sight. Borrrring. The closest we got to seeing gold was this gilded room that reminded me of a room I saw in the Vatican.

But the best part of our day was getting there. We decided to Vélib between tours, which is something that I've been dying (and a little scared) to do since arriving in Paris. For a measly 1€ a piece, Gui and I made our way around Place de la Concorde, and up to Palais Royal without a hitch. I was surprised at how scared I wasn't, in the end. Afterwards, Gui and I talked about taking regular Vélib rides through Paris on the weekends. There's always more to see than we realize, places we have yet to uncover and our favorite spots we don't see often enough.

Summertime in France is all about the sports. Nearly every week, Gui's received a call from someone inviting us to play soccer, Frisbee or rugby...or something. I love that my husband is so athletic and always down to play a good game of sweaty something or another. I've never been all that interested in exercising, but if it counts as a sport, I'm almost always in the mood for a game of tag (and golf, but not real golf, just swinging a club at the driving range - I love the workout my arms get). Besides a game of ultimate Frisbee, I've been pretty content hanging on the sidelines, watching everyone sweat.







I think it's really funny how some of the guys wear real soccer jerseys to play a random game of soccer. During this particular game, Gui scored four goals and remarked after each goal, "that was for you, baby." Dork. With Summer winding down, I think people are in a frenzy to get out and soak the sun up while they can. Next weekend we're playing Frisbee again and this time I plan on stretching beforehand to avoid two days of utter discomfort when walking. Wish me luck.