Friday, February 22, 2013

france: paris & the gypsy thieves

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we didn't spend long in paris. in fact, it was just a day stop on our way to the greek isles. but while we were there, we managed to hit some of the basics of visiting paris--like exploring the eiffel tower, walking down river seine, scarfing down some life-changing crepes & taking the time to have your iphone stolen by gypsy children.

seriously, i never had any ill feelings towards the gypsies, but paris changed that.the picture above is in the train station. we were trying to figure out exactly where we were.
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husband loves to take his classic "feet shots", and i had to include this one. it's just too good.
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such a lovely afternoon. also, you can see i still have my phone in hand (this was taken just moments before it was stolen by the children) bye bye little pretty iphone.
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love this guy. the police behind him--not so much. they're worthless (and i feel validated in saying this, because we tried to work with them after the phone had been stolen and they didn't even pretend to care. i mean, come on. sure your horses are pretty, but at least act like you are going to take down my information and contact me if my phone is found. we are a modern-technological civilization are we not?)
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this may be my favorite picture from the trip. robert is also known for his extreme flexibility--which really is quite amazing. this one will be framed in our house forever.
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bridge over the seine river.
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paris, the city of love.
just don't count on the gypsy children showing you any love (close your purses and keep them tight at hand)
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in case you're wondering the full story about the iphone--here it is.
we were sitting on the lawn in front of the eiffel tower. i stood up to have husband take a picture of me in front of the tower, leaving my cell phone sitting next to him on top of my sweater. by the time i had reached a position for husband to take my picture, there were three gypsy children hovering over him--holding a paper in his face acting like they wanted him to sign it (some fake petition or something). robert knew that something sketchy was going on, so immediately told the kids to leave. they wouldn't, so he pushed one to his left off of  our stuff, and then harshly told the girl on his right to get away.

the kids went running (and though we didn't realize it at the time--running away with my iphone)

after spending much too long trying to talk to the police officers in their 'security booth' that consisted of nothing but some chairs and a paper notebook (not even a computer--no joke) we left very frustrated and discouraged, finding out that this was a very common occurance and three other iphone's had been stolen by the same children in that same half hour block of time that ours had.
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but hey, we were still in paris and i was with this guy :)
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after having my phone stolen, husband went and bought us some nutella crepes and coca-lights. best. thing. ever.
their gypsy children make suck, but their crepes sure don't!
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...just deciding my true feelings on paris.
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walk down the river seine. it was so lovely.
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overall, our short time in paris did not leave us incredibly eager to return, but i think we're both intrigued to experience it with more time and in futher detail.

so, i'm sure we'll return again someday. and this time i'll be prepped to kick some gypsy butt if they so much as step near me, my husband, my iphone or my nutella crepes.

also, if you have any tips or suggestions for our next time--or any stories about theft or gypsies--please i would love to hear them!

10 comments:

  1. Oh gosh - what an experience you had! Paris is my favorite city in the world by a long stretch, so if you ever end up returning, please let me know and I'll give you a ton of tips. I worked there during a summer while I was at UT and the local's view is ten times better than the tourist's. Love the pictures though!!

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  2. My husband and I were only in town for a brief visit, and a guided tour seemed like a great way to get a little history and see some of the French Quarter without getting lost or overwhelmed. France Travel Guide

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  3. Amazing pictures I must say. When it comes to Paris, the first word that comes to mind is beauty and adore. Undoubtedly, Paris is one of the most beautiful and stunning winders of this universe. It is the perfect place for love-couples and family groups. Paris has various eye-catching sites and beautiful places which attract a number of tourists every year. Along with beautiful places, you can also enjoy its transportation as well as accommodation services. Staying in luxurious Paris rental apartments and exploring this beautiful place within affordable hired car can give you one of the best experiences of your Paris travel.

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  4. Looking like you have enjoyed the city so much. And I have to appreciate you for those pictures. They are beautiful and the beauty have increased because of the Eiffel tower. It is really an amazing city. Muse D’Orsay, The Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, PARC Des Buttes Chaumont, Basilique Du Sacré Coeur, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Carnavalet Museum Catacombs Of Paris and obviously Eiffel Tower these places are looking like heaven to me. Thanks to the Paris City pauses for arranging such a beautiful tour. In my opinion, it's better to visit the city under a city pass. Because the save a lot of money and time. Anyone can choose between Museum Pass, Paris Pass,Paris PassLib, Paris City Pass from http://www.tripindicator.com/city-pass-paris/compare-paris-pass-vs-museum-pass-vs-passlib-vs-city-passport.html. They are really very useful. So don't think just go to explore the city.

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  9. Wow! Such a lovely place! It seems you had great time in Paris. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Your blog helped me to plan my itinerary in Paris. Finally I have got my France visa!

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