Look! It’s Mickey Mouse! And he’s playing soccer! As a window decal at a McDonald’s in Paris!

Here’s the security gate on a restaurant we passed one night on our way to dinner.

From a Parisian costume shop (there are lots of them): Lucky Luke, Asterix, Zorro, Mickey Mouse, Snow White, and Spider-Man. Together again for the first time.

Madagascar was about to open in Paris when I was there, and ads for it were everywhere. They touted the movie’s all-star voice cast–but they were different all-star voices than the ones in the U.S. version of the film. And I’d never heard of any of them.

In Paris, it’s completely normal to randomly come across a store that sells nothing but Barbapapa-related products. Many, many Barbapapa-related products…

One thing about the costumed characters at American theme parks: They almost never sit down on rocks and need to be helped to their feet by passing guests… (Photo by Elizabeth McCracken.)

Here’s Falbala (aka Panacea), an Asterix character, in an $18 figure I bought at Parc Asterix–home, I suspect, of the best theme-park gift shops on the planet.

I’m still playing catchup from my Paris visit, so I’ll blog highlights of the trip in bits and pieces. Starting right now.

Here are figurines I bought–at a neighborhood video store–of the characters that the French call La Girl and Le Loupe. These aren’t those 100-euro limited-edition collectors’ items, though I saw plenty of those. No, [...]

You know it’s been a crummy weekend when CNN.com’s home page carries separate news stories about the deaths of Tigger and Piglet. (Although both Winchell and Fiedler deserve to be remembered for far more than Pooh, of course.)

Both gents will be missed. And as far as I’m concerned, they’re irreplacable–even though Disney obviously doesn’t agree.

I’m about to come home from Paris and am shamefully behind on my blogging. Stay tuned for a full report, and here’s a picture from my visit to Parc Asterix to tide you over. (Photo by Elizabeth McCracken.)