The Metro

It's the little things I'm enjoying most. Case in point: my monthly metro pass, la Carte d'Orange. First, you must purchase an I.D. photo, available at handy spots in the large metro stations (four photos for four euros). They're similar to the photo booths of olden days at Woolworth's and other five and dime stores in the US - only instead of spitting out a long strip of four photos you receive a 2 by 2 square. Plus, the Paris metro booths have more options for refusing photos you don't like. Not that I've had a DMV, passport or other ID photo taken of me that I've ever liked.

Gare de l'Est metro station was out of the cards when we asked for them (at least that's what we thought the cashier was saying) but the next station fixed us right up with our ID card, re-usable ticket and dandy plastic holder. Now we feel like genuine Paris metro commuters. As long as we don't look in the mirror.