Memories

I felt a bit nostalgic today, walking to the store, and decided to treat myself to an Orangina.
Don't buy it very often, for obvious reasons, but sometimes. I drank my first in Paris, many, many years ago, when I was there with my father. We walked almost everywhere and lived at a small hotel somewhere in Montmartr. My father had worked in Paris before I was born, and new both the city and the language. And every times since then, I drink Orangina whenever I'm in France.

I love that country! Been to Paris twice after being there as a 13 year old, and in Provence once, and never met a rude or unpleasant person. I speak a bit French, not much, but enough to go into a store or order tickets and small stuff like that. I hade a very funny and pleasant experience once when my friend and I wanted to go by train to a water world, when we spent 4 weeks in Provence. As I usually do, I asked the sales women, in French, if she spoke English. She told med she did, but she didn't want to. All right then. So I started to ask her in my rough French instead, about the tickets to this water world, and she answered me in English. I continued to ask her in French and she spoke English. It was a funny situation, and a rather meet-you-half-way, if you know what I mean? At one time she turned to my friend and said 'so she speaks French after all'. We got great help, bought our tickets and went later that week. :)
That trip was amazing in so many ways! The same friend and I went to Paris for a week some years later. She was the best person ever to travel with. I've lost her a travel friend, since she has a little son now, but not as a friend. :)

The Orangina bottle in the photo, I brought back from Paris the last time I was there. I have one from my first trip also, but I have no idea were it is. The Desperado bottles I also bought in Paris, filled with the most delicious beer... :)