What can you get for 3 Euros?

I'm home! Home sweet home! There is something so exciting about coming home from a vacation: flying over those majestic Rocky Mountains at sunset, opening my closet to find those beautiful clothes that I have been missing over the past few weeks, finishing a batch of laundry and putting it neatly away in my drawers, sleeping in my own familiar bed (this bamboo bed picture is NOT my bed, but I think it would be a nice bed)...this lasts for a couple of days and then I start remembering all the fun times I had on my vacation. I pull out my camera and relive all the good memories. The hard moments where I felt like crying (see "More than Turbulence") don't seem so bad in retrospect. Here are some of my last memories:

On Thursday evening, our professor booked us tickets for a dinner cruise of the Seine River. This was the most picture perfect evening! We floated by all of the lit-up monuments of Paris, beginning and ending with the Eiffel Tower.

They gave us all of these crazy appetizers that I would never order on my own: Foie Gras (goose liver) spread, tomato stuffed with goat cheese, something unrecognizable wrapped in salmon...a cold tomato soup is in the middle. Very unique. I appreciated the gourmet flavor and tried to soak up each second of the luxurious ride.

My airport shuttle dropped me off at Charles de Gaulle on Saturday afternoon to catch my flight. After passing through security, I decided that I was pretty hungry. I had a 10 Euro bill that I wanted to spend. I started looking for some yummy lunch food in my terminal. Soup? Salad? All that was there were two gourmet pastry shops and this Caviar Seafood House.

People sit on these fancy bar stools and order wine and caviar.

Don't ask me why, but I decided to glance at the menu. I love that France always has their menus posted for all to see. Why don't we do that in the states? My jaw dropped: what?! 106 Euros to 495 Euros?! For a plate of caviar?! Are people crazy?! This is food, people!

I was just about to leave when I glanced at the side dishes. Were my eyes seeing right?! Mashed potatoes for just 3 Euros!

I called over the server. I asked her if I could order just the mashed potatoes. She looked at me with eyes that said, "Seriously, weirdo?" I kept my smile and confidence up. She nodded and said I could get whatever I wanted. I then watched her make me the most delicious mashed potatoes. She displayed them so nicely and included gourmet dipping sauce. She asked if I would like anything to drink and I said, "Non, merci." When I was through enjoying each and every bite, I handed her by 10 Euro bill. She gave me 7 Euros change (that's right--the price in France includes tax and tip) and included two dark chocolates as well as a beautifully packaged hand towel. Now I call that a super deal!




Awe! Trips are so great (I will just forget that Delta lost my suitcase once again--I did get it back last night)! Now I have to plan another one someplace else!