Paris, Part Deux: Gypsies

For some reason our group has become infatuated with gypsies. It all started in Venice, when people (who we decided were gyspies) kept coming up to us and trying to sell roses or "chicky chickys". One poor girl actually bought a "chicky chicky". Lucky for her she has since lost it and fully regained her soul.

I digress.

While at a bar in Paris, Frog and Princess, a creepy gypsy man kept following the group around. I didn't notice as much because I, along with Kari, were on a mission to have a Parisian drink. While we struggled to get to the bar and order this man kept creeping on the group. Eventually he got so close that one girl nicely put up her hands in the STOP position and shook her head "No." The gypsy then goes on to pull out a lighter.

Meanwhile...

Kari and I finally get to the bar and ask the bartender to make something. She ended up being American. What we got was not some authentic Parisian drink but rather a flaming shot of Sambuca.

This is our reaction when she pours out the nasty liquid and lights it on fire. As you can tell from our expressions we are saying "WHAT?!" The bartender was most likely a gypsy as well because she liked to light stuff on fire.

Post flaming licorice shot, Tess (victim of the gypsy) comes up and through all the noise I comprehend that the gypsy man lit her on fire. So naturally we leave. The next day I wanted to see a burn mark in her jacket but, alas, it was just a missunderstanding on my part, though she was threatened.

On Saturday (night after fire-gypsy) we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. It was supposed to be rainy and snowy, but instead it was a beautiful, freezing day. En route to this landmark, and unbeknownst to me, again, there was another gypsy encounter. The gypsy pulled the classic gypsy trick: "The Gold Ring". This is how it works (pay attention to avoid being gypped!)

Gold Ring Trick
1. Gypsy hides a ring along a pathway
2. Gypsy lunges at ring as victim nearly steps on it and stops them mid-stride.
3. Victim looks down at gypsy holding ring, confused.
4. Gypsy mumbles "It's solid gold. You can have it. Good luck for you, good luck for me."
5. Gypsy puts ring in victim's hand. Victim, still confused, holds ring and tries to shrug away.
6. Gypsy stops victim and rubs belly either saying "Baby" or "Hungry".
7. Victim tosses a few coins if they are feeling nice and gypsy snatches them up and scampers away.
8. Victim looks at ring and thinks "Why would gypsy give me a 'solid gold' ring and then beg for 50 cents?"
9. Victim thinks a minute more and realizes, "I fell for the gypsy trick!!"
10. Victim a) throws the ring aside immediately, or b) keeps the ring and loses soul.

Despite the gypsy, we made it souls intact to the Eiffel Tower. It was very windy and cold, but we still went to the top and got to see all of Paris! It was so beautiful! Even on a frigid day we were waiting in lines the whole time. I don't even want to imagine how it will be when the weather warms up.

Me in front of the Eiffel Tower

After we got back to the ground we found a great little cafe and had chocolate crepes and french fries...hey, when in Paris!