Happy 4th of July to all!
Paris was packed with festivities yesterday…completely unrelated to the American independence day. In the morning was an annual “Chasse aux Tresors,” or scavenger hunt, in many of the arrondissements around the city. Clara and I met up with a high school friend and her friend from Stanford to attempt the game, which turned out to be a lot more difficult than expected. We had follow cryptic and strangely translated instructions to go to different local businesses to gather clues, which eventually led us to the end of the hunt, where we were entered in a raffle for finishing (but left with no prizes except a sense of accomplishment).
dragon at the tropical carnival parade
Directly after there was a tropical carnival going on, with an incredibly long parade of drum and dance groups from Guyana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and other tropical countries. The amount of energy, considering the intense heat and sun, and the huge costumes, was impressive.
Lady Liberty, Jr. looks to NY
As a small gesture of patriotism at the end of a day filled with Parisian festivities, I made a pilgrimage out to the Quai des Cygnes, in the middle of the Seine, where a downsized Statue of Liberty looks to the west toward her counterpart in New York.
Hannah, your blog is fascinating! I am enjoying your adventures very much. Having been to Paris once and only seeing the touristy things, I really do appreciate your taking us to the little but most interesting places. Have a great time.