A new gourmet burger place in the 2nd, just north of the Louvre.  Jillian & I met the pastry chef who makes the buns, fancy compotes (like caramelized onions, blue cheese, & bacon), and the desserts.

At 5€ ($7) per tee-niny side of fries, they’ve gotta be good right?  When advertised, it says “plus Sauce”, so you think, oh. Well we’re about to get some crazy good sauce. Well I don’t know if you can make out the thimble sized cups of ketchup in the tiny fry baskets, but they could actually be used as thimbles and are filled a generous 1.8 centimeters high.  Dip 3 fries, you’re done.  Is this a joke??  While the little burger was tasty, I still have difficulty knowing I paid $20 for a tiny burger w/ mini fries.  I’m from TEXAS.  I eat 1/2 lb burgers FO FREE.

On Tuesday morning, we had a new batch of guides start training.  I had two of my new guides join the morning meeting with the other newbies, then we grabbed bikes and took the train to Versailles so I could catch them up to observe Karl’s Versailles tour.  I also used this time to meet with the bakery and confirm our 20 sandwich orders 5x week between now and the end of October for the new Easy Pass skip-the-line Versailles Tour we’re starting.  I had to wait 45 minutes before I could meet with the manager, so I pulled up a table and sat in the glorious sun (still a new phenomenon).  It’s days like this, when I’m working on a schedule at a cafe table in Versailles in the sun that I think, yah, this is pretty awesome.  I still get all giddy looking at rows of cafe chairs and people lounging.  I LOVE YOU FRENCH PEOPLE!!  Or France at least.  Let’s say France.  Bc French people, ehhh…

After my meeting with the bakery, I decided to eat my sandwich in the sun on the grass while working on Versailles tour details.  And then a sprinkler popped out of the ground directly in front of me, practically between my feet, with no warning and started spraying me.  Directly.  Like someone thought that would be a hilarious spot to plant that thing.  So much for writing w/ marker pens.

Graham working from his cardboard box desk & chair in the hallway.  What a strange work environment we have sometimes.  No, we’re professionals, it’s cool.  I’m not calling you from the floor while leaning up against a stack of pink toilet paper!

What was I saying about strange work environment?  “Come on Simon, we’ve got a meeting in the front office! I’ll ride the Segway with you. Backwards.” Wurrrrrrr around the corner.

A full week of perfect beautiful weather!! Ahhhh

Baller lunch with Crissa!!

Yah. They were DELICIOUS.

Managers’ dinner at Le Grand Pan – SUCH a good time. It will get its own post, believe that.

Even the carrots at the grocery store are still covered in dirt! That’s fresh!

First time to Fontainbleau!!  I’ve always wanted to visit!

Complete with a hike through the massive Fountainbleau forest, where the kings of the 12th to 17th centuries went hunting.

Blue dot – about a mile into the woods after an hour of hiking.

After all that hiking yesterday, I should definitely indulge in my favorite pastries-chouqettes!!  And a pain au chocolat, because it’s been so long.  You can take the girl out of the bakery, but you can’t make her hike in the woods and not eat 5 pastries the next day.