Paris Tour

• Option 1) Petit Dejeuner a la Amanda, at Le Paradis du Fruit, not far from Darius' Church and Richie's training grounds, facing the River.
  
  Maurice will do the service himself as he has been appointed for all food and drink service, and is doing a marvelous job of it! Your menu at Le Paradis du Fruit will consist of the following:
  
  Lacte aux fruit de la Passion d'Amanda (Amanda's Yogurt and Passion Fruit Cocktail) Pain perdu aux Fraises et cannelle (French bread sprinkled with cinnamon and fresh strawberries) Chococcino (Hot chocolate, topped with Crème Chantilly/whipped cream and split almonds)
  
  
  
• Option 2) Petit Dejeuner a la Maurice (typically Parisian). For this option we journey to the Left Bank overlooking the Barge's mooring.
  
  
  
  
  
  We eat at le Café Gegene, where Maurice will enjoy his glass of wine and gossip at the counter while we are served by his younger brother Pierrot, a professional Garcon de Café and a typical Parisian rude and sadistic waiter. Maurice had to ask Pierrot to help him out for this one, since Maurice is much too adorable for this part. Do not forget to affect a begging tone when ordering; otherwise, you may end up waiting for hours!
  
  Your menu at le Café Gegene, if you can ever get Pierrot to serve you, will consist of the following:
  
  Jus d'Orange frais (freshly squeezed orange juice) Bol de Café au Lait/ Café Noir (your choice of a huge bowl--no mug--of either coffee and milk or black coffee) Tartines beurree et Confiture de Framboises de Maurice (long slices of buttered baguette with Maurice's own homemade raspberry jam) Croissant Chauds (golden crispy warm croissants)
  
  
  

• 10 a.m. Chanel's
  
• 12 noon Saint Laurent, followed by
  
• lunch at the Ritz. Maurice is your waiter again, as every cafe and restaurant in Paris has cloned him because he is so adorable.
  
  For the men, there is an optional shopping session at Francesco Smalto's, the official supplier of the gorgeous and irresistible pieces of rags our divine hero wears so casually.
  
  On the other hand, if the men would prefer to go with Amanda on her shopping spree and watch her try on clothes, we certainly understand.
  
  Lunch includes: Croustillant de Chevre Chaud, salade Frisee (young goat cheese with shallots marinated in oil and vinegar, and trapped in a filo paste sheet and toasted in the oven with a green salad and French dressing with raspberry vinegar)
  
  Saumon a l'Unilaterale et Flan de Courgettes (salmon filet cooked only on the skin's side so the inside is moist and tender, slightly sprinkled with coarse salt, and zucchinis in a light egg custard)
  
  Farandole de Fromages (various French cheeses, selected from among the over four hundred varieties found in France)
  
  Profiterolles Maison (a type of crème puff filled with rich vanilla ice cream and topped at the last moment with hot bitter chocolate sauce)
  
  
  How does Amanda eat such food and still stay slender? We do not know. In any case, if your poor foreign body is not used to such rich food, you can always ask for an extra Maurice clone to roll you to your next appointment.
  
  Now back to shopping:
  
• 3 p.m. Christian Lacroix
  
• 5 p.m. Jean-Paul Gaultier.
  
  
  Wow! Amanda can really shop! What do you think she bought? And what is the balance now on Duncan's AMEX? For that matter, what is the balance on *your* virtual AMEX?

• 10 a.m. Look for an old Toledo Sword with Duncan at the Louvre des Antiquaires
  
  Duncan has been looking for this sword for a long time for an immie friend's private collection, and has heard that the blade in question might have found refuge at the Louvre des Antiquaire, a very high standard antiques shops area located in a very old renovated building near the Louvre Museum.
  
  Although most things are very rare and expensive, the shop owners make sure they have a few trinkets you might be able to afford within your convention budget. Also, Duncan helps you to select items the most worthy of your attention. And of course, Duncan is worthy of your attention too.
  
  
  
• 12 noon. Spar with Richie at the Salle d'Armes
  
  We leave the Louvre des Antiquaires and proceed to the Salle d'Armes (arms room) on Rue Git-le-Coeur. (Note that in modern days we might translate this as "the Lying Heart Street," but it is really an alteration of "Gilles le Queux," or "Giles the Cook".) Since Richie is now an accomplished swordsman and enjoyed so much the game in Duende, he has now found this place to practice in Paris.
  
  Richie graciously interrupts his training to spar with you. First, though, you undergo a preliminary test to evaluate your skill level. After all, you wouldn't want your virtual body to incur some cut that wouldn't heal!
  
  
  
• 2 p.m. Beer with Methos at the Cafe' Les Etages
  
  We join Methos in the 17th century area of Paris, called "le Marais," full of incredible mansions which used to all belong to nobility at the time of Louis XIII. Our cafe is nestled in a centuries old building over three floors, and each floor looks like a cozy living room with a fireplace, old sofas, and armchairs. There you happily slouch in the company of the Gentleman of Cute Toe and Nose Persuasion. As you share beers, you discuss philosophy.
  
  Today Methos discusses the vocabulary of the Priests of Amon in 5th Dynasty Egypt. Some of the group changes the subject, asking questions about Lord Byron and about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!
  
  To increase the cozy feeling , you order your drinks from an old bakelite phone on the wall, and the waiter (Maurice again! Isn't he amazing!) brings them to you.
  
  
  
• 4 p.m. Join Methos, Duncan, Richie, and Darius at a Concert from the Sacred Art Festival at the Museum of the Middle Ages.
  
  
  
  
  We journey now to the site of the former Cluny Abbey. Since this is still considered holy ground, Darius does not mind joining our group. He leaves St. Julien le Pauvre to help you discover the mysteries of Middle Age France.
  
  Here we all sit with Duncan, Methos, Richie, and Darius as we listen to a rendition of the Chanson de Roland, an epic poem of the 12th century. Darius helped transcribe it when it was first written, and provides commentary about the original poem and poet.
  
  After all this, you may be really exhausted. We can remedy that. Come with us now to the Paris Mosk, where you enjoy a typical Arabic Hammam session (steam bath) with your own masseur (chosen from a clone of any of your favorite characters). Your personal masseur deliciously tortures your body until you look and sound like a clean, brainless, but oh so contented heap of a being, ready to get up and party.
  
  Before you leave Paris Mosk, have a mint tea in the adjacent tea-room/restaurant, which, I suspect, appeared in the episode "Promises" (season IV).
  
  

• OPTION 1: Meet Duncan at the Pont des Arts for a Tai-Chi-Chuan or Kata Session
  
  
  
  
  Again, test your skill level first. Meet Duncan on the Pont des Arts (Bridge of the Arts) at sunrise.
  
  This is the only pedestrian, wood and metal bridge of Paris. Not a living soul but you and Duncan are around at that time in this mainly museum area, where the museums are not yet open. Any intruder can be spotted from afar, so Duncan leaves his katana and comes here to practice safely.
  
  You're enjoying the quiet of the city as it wakes up with the sun slowly rising above the river.
  
  After the exercise session, you follow Duncan, jogging back to the barge. We stop on the way at the bakery for warm and crispy croissants and baguette viennoise, which you dip (French style) in huge bowls of Cafe' au Lait (coffee with milk).
  
  
  
• OPTION 2: Cross Paris on a Motorcycle with Richie Actually, this option begins at 5:30 a.m., because it can only be done in the absence of traffic! We meet Richie at the top of the Champs Elysees, by the Arch of Triumph. We mount our Kawasaki 1000 cc motorcycles, put on our helmets, and prepare for takeoff! Make sure you are wearing your leather and boots, too. Ready, set, go!
  
  The total crossing takes us twenty minutes. We go down the hill to Concorde Square, through the Louvre, pass the Pyramid, up the Avenue de l'Opera, up the Montmartre hill, to end in front of the Sacre' Coeur Basilica (Sacred Heart). . . just in time to see the sun rise over the magnificent Paris skyline seen from the top of the hill.
  
  We did pass one police officer, but by the time he realized what we were doing, we were long gone!
  
  Of course, your heart got glued to the tarmac at the Champs Elysees the minute Richie revved the engine, but you will recover. Oh, do not pay attention to Richie laughing his head off, having the time of his life looking at your face upon arrival.

• Option 1) We go to dinner again, and then back to the "Peniche Makara" to hear Joe play. After all, every day ends perfectly if we get to hear Joe play the blues.
  
  
  
• Option 2) We accept a last minute announcement we got from Baron Robert and Baroness Gina de Valicourt, who decided to renew the vows they pronounced to each other in 1696 and to get married during the VR Con.
  
  You are formally invited to join them for the religious ceremony at Saint Severin church, blessed by Darius who lives nearby. You will, of course, be ready to wear your most elegant outfit and wildest hat, picked up during your shopping spree with Amanda.
  
  After the ceremony, a wild party for convention goers over age eighteen will take place at the Chateau de Chantilly, during which you will have every opportunity to pick the date of your dreams. Of course, the place will be virtually buzzing with immies of both sexes, who have agreed, just for that night, to indulge in "pillowtalk" about themselves. Who knows, you might end up getting a taste of immortality in one of the castle's guest rooms.
  
  You may also get a taste of Nutella, the unofficial official food of the VR Convention. You were issued a free complimentary Jar of Nutella upon your arrival in Paris. Now, if you've kept your Nutella in your virtual purse or backpack, you may want to enjoy some along with other party guests. If you've exhausted your supply before you reached Robert and Gina's party, you may have some more. However, you must first sign a promise not to smear Nutella on anyone's ballgown or suit. Perhaps upstairs after the party you might find a way to enjoy this wonderful substance with someone close to you.
  
  To further the closeness, each guest room in both Robert and Gina's mansion and in the VR Hotel has a bedside copy of the soon -to-be-best seller by the most famous immortal lovers: "Gina and Robert de Valicourt's Guide to Keeping Your Marriage and Love Life Spicy and New After 300 Years."
  
  These copies are all personally autographed by Robert and Gina, and they extend to each of you their personal warm wishes that this book will be an inspiration to you.
  
  
  

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