Just when I had convinced myself....

that I didn't actual hate people I realized nope I really do still hate people. This post will be short because it took my an hour to upload the stupid Eiffel Tower video and who knows if that even works.

But I knew I was coming to Europe during peak tourist season, I also knew I was going to tourist locations so there would be lots and lots of people who were all tourists. A great way to see amazing sights but not much of a way to soak up local culture. Again I was ready for this. I have even had some good interactions with folks (see M's discussion of our new friends from Ireland) to lead me to believe that I don't actually hate people anymore.

Today's jaunt into Paris has reaffirmed that actually I do. Multiple times I found myself quoting my Aunt Gerry and wanting to yell at people "to act like they have some fetchings up." First we went to Notra Dame which was beautiful. We got there about half way through a mass in Latin. Which was sad because we would have liked to participated. But it is rude to disrupt service so we kind of found some seats in the back and read/listen to info about the building until service was over. Apparently folks don't have fetchings up and felt it was totally ok and cool to treat the folks taking in Mass like zoo animals. People were jumping ropes to video tape the service (side note - people haven't started watching vacation movies have they because every other f-ing person we have seen is taping their trip 24/7) and taking pictures of the alter and the host. It was rude. We are in a working church and there were many people actual there to worship be a bit respectful.

Then we went to the Orsay which houses among other things an amazing Impressionist collection. Are people raised in barns? When have you ever been allowed to 1) take flash photos of old paintings or 2) eat gooey chocolate bars by unenclosed priceless works of our. But there were hundreds upon hundreds of people rushing to go to every single painting in the place to take a full color photo. Beyond my issues with their inability to follow the large posted signs of directions, I wanted to yell ACT LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE. They weren't even reading the signs with the painting so like they even knew what they had a picture of. I think they just assumed because it was in there it must be famous. I bet you could post pictures of poop done by a toddler and folks would take a picture, go home and then tell their friends abut this famous painting that they can't remember the name of.

Last night we also saw people who clearly have never been allowed out of their homeland either. We were sitting by a fountain to the north of the tower. As many older fountains are it was decorated with sculptures. This particular one had large sculptures of Romans bathing which meant they were nude. We were there about an hour and I lost count of how many people came over to pose in really lewd and inappropriate ways with one of the nude males. It was so bad I started taking pictures of the absolutely mental stuff they were doing. What is the matter with people?

Regardless of how it seems, I am loving the cafe and people watching scene here. The laid back vibe is just what I needed. Last night we had the best night just chilling in a street cafe with a carafe of wine and then in the grass by the Eiffel Tower. All and all it was a good night and I am sure tonight will be as well.

Now to drink more wine and eat some good cheese : )