A Visitor

So. Billy Higgs, ( an old friend from school) has just dropped into Paris for the week. Great to catch up, plenty of translating, but heaps of laughs:)
Tourist-wise we've ticked boxes for The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg Gardens - all by night, and even found an Australian shop that sells Tim Tams and Coopers fine pale ale. .. Two nights ago we made the trip accross town to the North of Montmartre where another Erasmus student from Canada was hosting a get together. As it turned out, this part of Paris is best known as Little Africa. So at 9'30 at night with a frigid wind being sucked through the underground, Bill and I ascended the steps of "Chateaux Rouge" ready to join the group at Toby's. Signaling the apparent difference between this part of town and any other, piles of trampled corn cob husks littered the upper part of the stairwell and ground around the metro sortie. The odd blackened and roasted corn cob also lay about the mess. But despite the cold and time of night, the streets were still full of activity. Dozens of North-African immigrants were ensconced in hearty, laugh-riddled conversations by a greengrocers, some wended their way through the slicks of corn cob husks on the pavement- clearly looking for somewhere to pass the night - possibly involving mischief. Others still, making their way home with the groceries would eye Bill and myself, the two white youths with as much curiosity as surprise, being the only two Caucasians in sight! But the area had a a great feeling of openness unlike many other metro stops in Paris, and was definately an eye-opener. -- have to head now but more news as it's made - cheers, Tim.