Sim cards and crêperies...

So today I got myself a shiny new french SIM card!

I returned to the post office (having had a mini adventure on the way - I thought I'd exit the metro from a nearer exit than my normal one but ended up surfacing somewhere that I TOTALLY did not recognise but of course having the incredible sense of direction that I do, I took stock of my surroundings, chose a road and found myself right where I wanted to be - darn I'm good!) and the lady from last night was there and she showed me to her range of SIMs. There were four and although they had different names and were different colours, I had no IDEA which was best.

So I explained I'd want to call England sometimes, she replied that they all could do that. I asked what the difference was between them and she said she had no idea and that she wasn't very technologically-inclined. So I chose one at random and pointed and said "I'll take THAT one, please." (In french)

She then scurried away and returned some minutes later with a completely different one (and might I add, definitely the least pretty) saying that they didn't have the one I wanted so she'd give me that one.

I was happy. I clutched it all the way to work (buying a croissant from a new boulangerie on the way) and set it up upon my arrival. I think I get 15€ of credit if I send them a bunch of info on me but it'll only last 30 days from now so I need to step on it!

Work went well today (hooray!) and I actually finished early! But we stayed to watch the Holland-Brazil match online and then met one of our dutch colleagues on the way back who was delighted. Oh and for lunch I had a rare beef steak in a peppery sauce with chips!

I love it here.

It is still hot but I have remembered the mixed blessing that is the air-conditioning: I woke up with a terribly sore throat this morning and accompanied by a runny nose, it has remained with me all day long. However, on the brighter side I went for a wander down the street behind me after work and found a really beautiful crêperie with very kind staff, where I sat and wrote some cards whilst eating this:

I forget what it was called but it was had an emmental cheese base and parisian mushrooms in a pepper and tomato sauce and was utterly delightful, and then I had a scoop of very dark, very delicious chocolate ice cream!

I then took this picture looking down the street home before buckling truly spectacularly in the middle of the road! (Jen - you would sympathise, Crosby - you'd have wet yourself!)