More Blog Bites from Deb 3-30-15

***Vignettes from Deb: Several people have said they couldn’t tell whether it was Deb or Warren writing, so now Deb is italicized.

 

***Bikes all over Paris, with people riding blithely amidst the huge busses, trucks and crazy motorcyclists. Lots of the taupe-colored Velib bikes in use. Velib is the public bike sharing system here (like the one Denver has, but much bigger.) and it’s the biggest one of its kind in the world except for those in China. There are something like 20,000 bikes available and ~1250 stations in the greater Paris metro area. You see people on the bikes all over, and nifty little conveyances that pick up a bunch of bikes to get them transported back to the heavy-use stations.

 

*** But it’s the bicyclists that are the interesting part. Almost no one wears helmets, but a small number of people have day-glow vests that they slip on over their coats. The age and dress variety makes for fun people watching. A few minutes observation from a sidewalk café at rush hour included: dozens of fashionable young women pedaling in high heels, even the bizarre platform ones / several dignified gentlemen in expensive overcoats with adroitly tied mufflers, and their briefcases tied on the back of their bikes / a half-dozen women in their late sixties to mid-seventies keeping up nicely with the pack / a nicely dressed, forty-ish mom with a pre-teen son nearly as big as she riding on the luggage rack behind her / and of course, lots of fit young guys setting speed and testosterone records weaving maniacally through traffic.

 

***A sure sign of spring (besides the fact that every bit of gardenable soil in town is blooming) is that the Wallace fountains have been turned on. These fountains are one of my favorite symbols of Paris. In the 1870’s an Englishman, Sir Richard Wallace inherited a fortune from his father, and decided to share it with his beloved France. Clean water was a rare resource in Paris, and water-borne diseases were still widespread. Wallace had several models of cast iron fountains designed, including wall mounted and freestanding pillar shaped ones, but the best known is the big, 9’ tall one with four caryatids supporting a dome. Water falls in a small stream from the center of the dome. There used to be hundreds of these, all financed by Wallace. There are now around 70 of the big fountains left, and a handful of the other models, all still dispensing clean water from March through November. They are a godsend, not only to the homeless, but also to thirsty, grubby-handed travelers like me.

 

***We’ve been amassing a mental collection of Paris courtyards and passages. Often hidden behind the huge doors on the street are little quiet oases with potted trees and flowering plants sitting on worn cobblestones, sometimes rutted from years of carriage wheels. There are fewer and fewer of these available to the public as crime and privacy concerned property owners close them off with digital locks. But we’ve been keeping an eye out open doors leading back to quiet stores or tiny restaurants. Some are grey, glum and utilitarian, but many show the French delight in making even a small space elegant and as lovely as possible.  Warren will share pictures (ed. note: whew I'm glad I had some pics that met the requirements) 
 
 

Francois Premier - The Rennaisance King 3-26-15

Yesterday we reaped benefit from our Amis du Louvre membership by going to a special exhibition at the Biblioteque Nationale - Francois Mitterand.  Dedicated to Francois Premier, France's equivalent, at least in time and learning, of Henry VIII of England and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.    Quite imposing in stature, nearly 6'6" he towered over most of his subjects. 







His symbol was the salamander, a flaming version appears on some medals and very frequently on buildings which were constructed under his dominion.

He was a man of great learning and accomplishment, he loved and respected Leonardo Di Vinci and brought him to live in France, he wrote music and poetry, he was a warrior (though with decidedly mixed results), he was a builder of some of the great chateaus of the Loire.

During his reign he reacquired many provinces that had fallen away from France, but he also lost his Duchy of Milan and all of his Italian holdings. This is a portrait of Francois painted by Titian







This is another portrait print with a decidedly modern look although done in the 16th Century







He also was instrumental in the founding of what would become the Biblioteque Nationale in that he built a library and required that one copy of every book printed in France be submitted as part of it's collection, very forward thinking for his day.

 I read a biography of Francois probably 20 years ago and came away very impressed. Over the years I've tried to see many of the buildings and sites connected with him so this was mandatory visit for me.  Although I have to confess that it was difficult because I'm almost illiterate in French and most of the exhibit focused on books and text (duh!  Library)

Visit to a part of Roman Paris 3-25-15

Today was a pretty day so we decided to take a trip to the Musee de Cluny,  across from the Sorbonne right on Boulevard St. Michel.  Two buses got us within 1 block and walking into the courtyard took us right into the middle ages.  It was the Paris abbey of the Cluniacs and the first hostel on the pilgrims road to Santiago de Compostela.  Interestingly it was a cardinals residence at some point if the carvings in the gable ends are to be believed.  But it was also a public bath in Roman times and as happened to so many buildings from that era it was appropriated by the Catholic church for their uses.  We have been to the museum before but for whatever reason we could only recall seeing the tapestries showing the virgins and the Unicorns, and the roman bath area which had many of the artifacts from Notre Dame that had been recently discovered in  their resting places after the ravages of the French Revolution when they destroyed so many of the religious objects. 



Be that as it may this time we really went through in some detail and found out what a bunch of bumblers we must have been last time.  There were really beautiful tapestries, household items, furniture, and sculpture that should have not been missed the first time but were ignored in our haste. 















These are the angels of the Shotglass















We spent about an hour in the museum and then left for lunch, which we took at a small cafeteria around the corner and turned out to be a very pleasant experience.  After lunch we went back in to the museum and completed our close inspection.

Interesting tidbit 3-25-15

Just a quick tidbit, 4 days ago Paris declared a pollution alert, what I thought was a cloudy mist was particulates (ugh!) but they also banned drivers with license plates ending in even numbers from driving within the Perpherique, had it continued odd numbers would have been banned the next day but thankfully it subsided.  As we rode the bus downtown there were several police checkpoints set up in various roundabouts where they were stopping and ticketing drivers with wrong numbered plates.   Very interesting to see so many Mercedes drivers being pulled over, I wonder if they base the ticket fine on income like they do for speeding tickets in some of the European countries.

How it all begins - another take on Paris 3-23-15

One of the things that Deb and I concluded, separately but with the same result is that Paris is far too big and complex to really be able to do a compendium of all it's charms, warts, and secrets.  Duh!   So we've devised a little plan to get more depth out of the firehose from which we will drink.  It does put some focus into our flaneuring, but it's still allows for lots of aimless wandering about.  I've mentioned the book "Angels of Paris" by Rosemary Flannery before, but we also have other sources as well.   They are "Quiet Corners of Paris" by Jean-Christophe Napias, three books by Thirza Vallois, titled, "Around and About Paris", and a series of cards called "City Walks, Paris" donated by Sunny and Mary Schreiner, and finally "One Thousand Buildings of Paris" by Kathy Borrus.  But I digress.

The notion is to pick an arrondisement and spend a week exploring it.  We identify things like museums, interesting sites, building (like La Ruche), and gardens then craft a day around one or two of them.  Of course we're like cats in that as soon as something interesting moves in the peripheral vision we're off to investigate, still we manage to meander through.


Very satisfying indeed

Our focus for the next few days will be the 6th Arr. because it has so many interesting things, both hidden and not, that are worth seeing.   We started out last week with part of a walk that passed through a 200+ year old series of courtyards called the 'Cour de Rohan'  at one end is the oldest coffee house in Paris, La Procoupe, where in 1776 Benjamin Franklin composed the agreement between the U.S. and France leading to the recognition of the U.S. as a soverign state.  It's also where many of the revolutionaries of the French Revolution used to meet to discuss how to change their society, i.e. remove the head of state.





  But today was the Musee Delacroix, the last home and studio of Eugene Delacroix.  It's only a couple blocks from St. Germain de Pre, but a world away in hustle and bustle.  It is on a serene and quiet place, sitting in one corner away from the busier street just outside of the square.  Delacroix was a 19th century romantic painter whose pieces contrast sharply from those of Gericault a classicist.  However this museum is very small and mostly focuses on the intimate portraits that Delacroix painted for family and friends.  It also has one of the hidden gardens in the rear of the building which is where Deb and I sat and had a bit of lunch.  As you'll notice I lost my head over having lunch in this little space.  I need to work on my photo composition I think.
 

Observations from the 19th - 3-21-15

***Vignettes from Deb:

 

***Paris is in bloom – pink blossoming trees, white ones, yellow blooming bushes, and patches of bright gold crocus in the grass, like spilled sunshine under the overcast skies. Jonquils waving in the gusty, cold winds and tied in bunches for sale on the streets. Every little park or raised bed along the sidewalks is bedecked with spring blooms. Such a delightful relief from all the concrete of this huge city.

***And the flower shops! At least one every few blocks. Big ones with seeds for sale and trees and pots and tools. Little hole-in-the-wall ones with imaginative displays out front, just a few feet wide, taking advantage of every inch (2.5 centimeters) to tempt with little pots of bright narcissus and fancy ruffled grape hyacinths. Mundane displays in front of bricolage (handyman) stores that still make cheerful patches of color. People walking home with baguettes and bouquets, both necessities of life here.

***In response to several questions, no, we’ve not had a single rude waiter since we’ve been here this month. Not one. By contrast, we’ve actually had some fun exchanges with various wait staff from the proprietor of the wonderful seafood place we stumble across (who loved recommending his favorite Vielle Prune, an old fashioned liqueur, to Warren) to the charming waitress at the wine bar/bistro who laughingly suggested that between her poor English and my maladroit French we could figure how to do a reservation over the phone to the handsome young guy waiting on us in a crowded bistro who said he had an ex-girlfriend in Phoenix and would love to visit the Western US. (we suggested he get a job as a waiter in Santa Fe – they would love him at Santa Café.)

***About the lack of rude waiters, maybe it’s because we’re not eating in the busy tourist areas, or maybe because it’s not yet the height of tourist season or maybe because we always try in French and keep to our theory that if you make a fool of yourself first in another language, it sets people more at ease with trying to speak your language. Maybe we just look elderly and peaceful and non-threatening. Who knows?

 

***Two other nice interchanges with locals:

 

***We were trying to find the little conveyance that was supposed to be outside the train station to take people over to the antique show we were going to. We overheard two French guys asking a bus driver about it, and long story short, we ended up following them and finding the “bus”. We struck up a conversation with them, thanking them for leading us around. It turns out that they run horse carriages around the extensive park at the Chateau Fontainebleau. (looking at their website, they do many other things, too, including competitive carriage driving training, training carriage horses, providing carriages for weddings and state funerals, etc.) They were just enjoying the antique fair on one of their last days before their very busy season begins. We’re going to go out to see huge Fontainebleau, and have them take round the huge park for a ride in one of their carriages.

*** Sitting in a nearby wine bar/bistro mentioned before, Warren noticed that an seventy-something lady had left her purse behind when she moved to another table. We started to chat in our hesitating French and had a lovely time visiting with her. She switched to equally hesitant English after a bit, saying she wanted to practice since she used it so often travelling. Asked where she’d been most recently, we somewhat startled when she said “Mongolia, staying in a yurt and travelling by pony.” Hardy, these French. Her fortyish son appeared about that time, and it turns out he’s a restauranteur, coming to eat in his old friend’s bistro. We’re going to check out the son’s restaurant next week.

 

***Probably a good thing to eat in more restaurants. I’m cooking like an absolute neophyte. Poor, long suffering Warren is being a good sport (editors note: most of you are aware of my sporting instincts when it comes to food, i.e. I'm soldiering on manfully), but I’m sure my fumbling efforts are disappointing to have to put up with in one of the world’s great food towns. Everything from a new kind of stove (ceramic top) to the different altitude/cooking time and temperature changes to reading directions for the oven in French is making me feel like a first-time cook. I’m sure that all this mental stimulation is good for brain health, but I think not so good for digestion. 
 
 

A San Francisco sort of foggy day 3-20-15

Well today it was supposed to be sunny and warm, and it was if you live in San Francisco!  Overcast and grey, we had a total eclipse of the sun up north with partials all over Northern Europe, of course had a total eclipse of the sky.  

We did a large marketing run this morning, we found several critical magasins which in their absence up to now had us worrying.  We found a Fromagerie(cheese), a Poissonnerie (fish), and a Boucherrie (meat) all within spitting distance of our primary vegetable vendor.  A bonus was finding a small shop that stocks only produce and products from local or within Paris' greater metro area Bio (organic) growers and very tiny.

These furnished us with fun lunch, of cheese, sausage, olives, bread, and wine.  Afterward, Deb was checking all of the receipts and noticed that the fish monger had neglected to charge us for the fillet of Sabre and the Crevettes, so on our way back out we stopped at the shop to pay them.  They couldn't understand what we were trying to say, thinking perhaps that we had come to complain about not getting fish or being overcharged, etc. , but they were really surprised when they finally understood that we wanted to pay for the fish and shrimp.   They sifted through every piece of paper they had in the trash but couldn't find the original receipt, so we had them way another fillet and agreed we would pay for that.  They refused to charge us for the shrimp, for our honesty, but I think now we will have a very friendly fish monger in the future.  At dinner, the Sabre fillets were delicious, with fresh young green beans, potatoes and a lovely Pouilly Fume.

After squaring up with the fish monger, we decided to take a walk on Rue Mouffetard a vaunted street good for strolling with many small markets.  To get there we wanted to take the Metro line 7 which literally goes within 2 blocks, so we walked over to Rue de Flandres (across the canal) perhaps a 10 minute walk.  As we got to the metro stop I realized that my monthly Navigo pass was in my other jacket so had to buy another ticket to ride.  During the ride down I realized that I left the Paris map on the table, crap!  I got it out specifically to be able to navigate. Not the end of the world as we had an enjoyable paseo up and down rue Mouffetard and sat outside with a beer at the Place de Contrescarpe to watch the world go by.   I fell in love with this little place because it really show how Paris was stitched together from a host of small villages in close proximity.  


A pleasant trip home on the metro, again biting into my beer funds, had us enjoying the aforementioned dinner of Sabre fish.  This was the canal at evening on the way home.

What's a (mostly) normal day in Paris like 3-19-15

***FROM DEB:  In response to some questions about what our everyday schedule is, I’ll give a quick summary. Warren gets up around 6 and I wake up around 7. He often sprints out to get us fresh baguettes or croissants and then makes tea while I stare blankly at whatever object is directly in front of me. After a cup of good Kusmi English Breakfast tea, I become mostly functional. We send and answer emails, do some little household chores (watering plants, putting away dishes, sweeping endless breadcrumbs of the white tile floor in the kitchen, etc.) and usually read a bit about what we’re planning to see that day. After getting dressed and making sure we have our house keys (a MAJOR concern since we have no backup system and locksmiths cost a FORTUNE), we head out, as Warren comments “at the crack of 10:00”. Or sometimes later. Much later.

 

***We then head either for the bus or for the Metro. Metro is faster, but has lots of stairs that my fussy hip is currently complaining about (just a touch of arthritis and getting better every day, thank you to those of you who asked). The slower busses let us see so much more of the neighborhoods. Takes us somewhere between ~15 minutes to an hour to get where we might want to go.

We maybe pack an easy picnic lunch, or pick up a good sandwich at one of the bakeries, or because it’s still cold, pick a pleasant-looking bistro.

 

***We have been exploring museums, a love of ours, or taking annotated walks laid out in several of the walking books we brought. Both choices often result in us taking off, just to see something that catches our fancy. We wander around quite a bit, ant-fashion. No straight lines. For example, today we ran across the newly renovated Picasso Museum on the way to the Cognacq-Jay Museum, and found the first public library of Paris (housed in a magnificent 17^th century building) while just walking over to look at a corner turret. We stumbled across an area of antique stores that I had read about (Village St. Paul in the Marias) accidentally by heading up an interesting looking street.

 

***Anyway, after doing whatever, we’ve been ending up staggering home somewhere between 6 and 8. My days of 12 hour sightseeing are definitely over. Six or eight hours and I’m done.

 

***I whip up a bit of dinner, which I have to do before I sit down or I’m doomed. One or the other of us does dishes. We try to catch the news, either BBC or SkyNews or the French news if we’re not feeling brain-dead. Spend a bit of time translating words we didn’t understand during the day and having a good laugh over what we thought they meant and didn’t. Warren’s been catching a little rugby on TV and improving his sportscasting French. I’m slowly making my way through a giant history of art book I brought with us.

 

***And so to bed…

We really are moving into Spring 3-16-15

Today we went down and had lunch at Angelina, reputed to be the best hot chocolate in Paris and I believe it.   I had a nice salad with foie gras while Deb had a delectable mushroom quiche, but for desert I had Chocolate chaud (hot chocolate) and it was over the top good.  Afterward we walked across rue de Rivoli into the Tuilleries and sat for perhaps half an hour in the sun.  It was interesting to see a promotional photo shoot taking place wherein they had covered a large stretch of gravel with a white carpet and covered several chairs in a coating of false snow.  They then had a few models dressed up in complete winter gear to model clothing I presume.  I asked myself, why now?  Why not several weeks back when there was likely to be snow on the ground?  Ah well, it's Paris.


I've been taking pictures of people who are working in Paris, artists, restaurant workers, tour guides etc.  I think they are interesting and they really add to the pastiche that is Paris.  I'll post some on Facebook in an album sometime in the near future.   Anyway a very interesting group today were dog walkers, two guys with maybe 12-15 dogs, but the best one of all was a German Shepard whose task was keeping the leash for a beagle, he carried it in his mouth and whenever the entourage stopped he would drop it and stand on it with a foot then pick it back up when walking resumed. They are the two on the very left in the picture.  Among them also was an Aussie Shepard looking dog, on the right, who was off leash altogether but he knew his role and kept up with the group, sitting when required and walking along side when all were in motion.  I'm sure his role was rounding up miscreants who got off leash or started running away.

We ended up at the Louvre to see the 18th century rooms that have been renovated. But as we passed the room with La Joconda (Mona Lisa) I made a quick stop since it was relatively uncrowded.  The usual selfie takers were in evidence.  The restoration of not long ago really brings her back to her colorful glory.

A day for reality, cleaning day 3-15-15

Today was cold, overcast and windy all day.  A perfect day for our planned day of weekly cleanup, sweeping, washing, swabbing, etc.  So that is exactly what we've done.  Tomorrow we'll jump into the stream and visit the Louvre, assuming we don't get sidetracked by something just too interesting to pass up. 
I ordered a book online titled, 'One Thousand Buildings in Paris', we checked it out from the library in Denver and I got to page through it quickly just before we left for our October trip.   It was so much fun to see buildings that were included in the book that we felt it would be a great resource.   It's kind of like the book on the Angels of Paris I mentioned in the earlier post about the Angel of the Pushpin, only it's architecture.   Flanneury also requires that a person look on the streets with a certain amount of knowledge as they wander around.

Another Brocante derails us 3-14-15

We started out today headed for the Louvre to see the recently opened series of 18th century rooms that had been undergoing an update over the last couple years.  On the way we decided to go to a little Brocante that was just across the canal on the Rue de Flandres thinking it would be 8 or 9 local people getting together to sell garage sale type things, BIG Mistake.   We got over there and it was over a hundred booths setup selling everything under the sun.  Paintings, clothing, cameras, collectibles of every sort and description.  Needless to say we immediately changed course because what's the use of being a flaneur if you can't view the street life of Paris up close and personal?   I got to feeling like a 1.8 meter pile of S**t because every time I stopped to get out of the basic flow I seemed to be surrounded by flys just circling around me to grab and inspect suddenly fascinating bits and pieces of things.  Seriously this was a sort of frantic conga line, all these tiny and not so tiny madames ready to body check you out of the way.  I loved it!  

We toured the entire length, probably a kilometer in length twice and even managed to snag a couple things we absolutely could live without, but were so interesting that we opened the pocketbook.  A 19th/early20th century terracotta bust, a 1909 etching of construction of the Paris Metro near Notre Dame, and a 1960's Paris street atlas, a silver plate fork & spoon, and some regional sausages.  The Louvre will be there Monday but this market won't.

An afternoon of honeydo's 3-15-15

A couple days ago Deb commenced to doing her Yoga again and today she was pestered with a sore hip joint, wonder if there may be a connection there?  Hmm

Anyway, we had some chores that she wanted done as we add our personal touches to our apartment.  Things like additional pillows for the sofa so that she can sit more comfortably as it is very deep.  Also I wanted some material for making a tea cozy in which we will cover our new teapot.  So to that end, I headed over to Montmartre where there a so many fabric stores and I was sure I could find material for a tea cozy.

Of course I neglected to get a translation for quilted/insulated fabric so I wandered around several blocks and went into a couple stores to ask if they had any, Hah!  I'm certain they had it but trying to explain it without having something to point at was a Marcel Marceau nightmare.  And it didn't work! Too esoteric I think.  Anyway I was footing it up a small rue when I found some sitting on a table on the sidewalk, I stopped and I think it must have been a little sewing shop with some fabrics around, so I purchased a half meter which will be enough to make around 10 cozies, allowing for a couple aborted attempts.

I also sauntered around the Place du Tertre, the historic square on top of Montmartre, and took photos.  I decided that it would be interesting to take photos of the people working up there as artists and in the bar/restaurants.  As I was getting ready to leave I sat at a bench just outside the square and next to a small church, where I fell into a conversation (basic to say the least) with a couple artists who ply their trade for the tourists.  I told them I didn't have money for an impromptu portrait, and they were fine with that.  So I asked how many sales per day they made; the first said he did on average 3-4 per day for 20 euros per likeness, the second said he had not had a sale in 3 days so no money coming in.  The first fellow, who makes silhouettes, said he make one to show me how he did it and there would be no charge.  Sit still for a few minutes he said and went to work.  Less than 10 minutes later he showed me his work.  I looked at it and, you know how this will end, was amazed at his dexterity on cutting with scissors.  Of course I could not just take it as a souvenir even though he offered it to me, I think with sincerity.   The upshot, I paid for the silhouette which is now my profile picture, a fitting use indeed.  I also gave the other artist a little 'pour boire' with the comment that the first money is usually hardest to get, so this was a little jump start.   They were both extremely genial and a wonderful finish to the day. I took a photo and have posted it here you can see his box with a profile showing.  Besides a good conversation with genuine connection and sharing of ideas is worth the price of admission, especially for a plouc.

Deb - Petit Points 3-11-15

***Getting back into speaking French and trying to remember French words. Result? Now I can’t remember either French or English words. Brain-lock. It happens every trip, but dumbfounds me each trip. Hopefully, it’ll soon wear off.

 

***English conversations overheard:

• At the Louvre: a frustrated husband “Mary, you never told me this place was so BIG…”
• At the Foire de Chatou antique fair: An antique dealer standing with an American couple who were strategizing furiously and audibly in English about what to offer the dealer for a small sculpture. “Tell him our highest offer is 2000 euros, but you know I’m willing to pay 3000.”  The dealer maintained an admirably straight face, despite the fact that he speaks perfect English…

 ***Meanwhile, I wander around reading advertisements in the Metro and on the busses, trying to understand what they mean and often wildly misconstruing them. Oh, those idioms! Trying to cope with a different language is such a salutary exercise in humility and frustration. So good for empathy.

 

***Speaking of reading, Warren took at French class at Metro State last spring and really improved his French reading and writing skills. Nevertheless, I was dazzled yesterday when he read aloud an informational sign outside a museum and his translation of the vocabulary and tenses were truly masterful. Turned out he was reading an English sign while I struggled with the French.

 

***Not only do we have severe language problems, but we’re both getting deaf as posts. We’re at the antique fair, and an announcement comes over the loudspeaker, and Warren asks me what they said. I translate that (I think) they said that some house keys had been found left in the toilet. Warren says “Poor guy…” I’m confused and say “What guy?” Warren responds “The poor Husky somebody left in the restroom.” I go off into gales of laughter while Warren worries about an abandoned Malamute.

ed. note - For those of you who have asked, an earlier post (3-9-15) showed the purported "Angel of the Pushpin", it is actually half of a set of candle holders for church candles sitting in front of, or on an altar - Msr. LeMond

Another trip to the Louvre 3-9-15

Cloudy day no rain, but a trip to the Louvre just in case.   Deb bought a book recently titled 'Angels of Paris' which has photos of architecture and sculpture throughout Paris whereon Angels have been portrayed.  It has been fun for us to come upon many of these angels in person.

Yesterday at the Louvre I found another one.  I titled it 'Angel of the Pushpin' .  I must acknowledge Della Robbia for this beautiful piece.


This just in, per several requests to Madame, this is actually the base for a set of candles that would have been in front of, or on an altar

We're on a roll, weatherwise, for now 3-8-15

Today was even better than yesterday, both sunny and warm with no wind!   After yesterday's walk we just lazed away the morning on the little deck outside our kitchen, did a little shopping at the Sunday market two blocks away, and finally joined what seemed to be the rest of the arrondisement at the park along the canal.   I think people were really ready for a nice day because they were out in great force just sitting in the park and soaking up the sun.  I loved seeing this little girl playing with a busker in the park

I had my first extended conversation with a wine merchant wherein he would say things and I would nod and gesture and then likely say something ignorant or foolish and he would very courteously agree.  I did end up with an extremely good bottle of wind at a very reasonable price so all in all it seemed to work out.   I still have a fair ways to go trying to really get better at French.

What a beautiful Samedi 3-7-15

Today dawned bright and sunny and as everyday is Tuesday to us, it just happened that this was a Saturday-Tuesday (a tip of the hat to nephew Duncan).  Anyway one of our true goals for being in Paris is to see neighborhoods a pied, we decided to go and tour the 15th.   There was a very famous building called La Ruche which was the home to many of the starving artists in the 20's and 30's, like Kandinsky, Leger, Lipschitz among others.  Our route took us past the Musee Bordelle, sculptor student of Rodin, and the Pasteur Institute then over by the restoration of the Bal Negre which was a very early place to hear jazz and beguine (west indies) tunes.

BTW, we had lunch at a fantastic little seafood restaurant called, le Cabanon de l'Ecailler.  They serve oysters from David Herve, who is known throughout France for his oysters. Um Um Um

We also stopped in a local park in which was located a wonderful Miro sculpture donated by the artist to commemorate a place he once lived.  A short time later we passed through the location of the former slaughterhouses for Vaugirard, which is now a park where the auction office still stands. 








Finally we reached the gateway into La Ruche which is closed to the public without making preplanning.  It was a chance to see a part of Paris that was unknown to us in spite of our many previous visits. 

Vignettes from Deb, just some short topics: 3/5/2015

*** We’re sitting on “our” bus down by the Louvre, while our driver takes a break. Outside the window, a beautifully dressed woman pushing a stroller with a little girl, maybe a two-year-old, dressed in a puffy red polka-dot raincoat and shiny red galoshes. They pull up next to a puddle and the woman gets the little one out of the stroller and puts her down in the puddle, and then starts showing her how to splash the water with her galoshes. The two of them stomped and danced and splashed until all the water was gone. Then, back into the stroller, and off down the street.

 

*** Tiny bright yellow miniature daffodils in a group at the base of one of our olive trees on the little terrace outside our kitchen. Like a patch of spilled sunshine. And two pale pink ruffled camellias blooming on the large terrace.

 

***Bus images: Little old people with walkers, tottering onto the busses to go to the huge hospital we pass on our route. Young mothers with strollers and shopping bags. People of all sorts hauling cumbersome packages. Everyone endlessly patient and accommodating, knowing that everyone needs to get around in the city as best they can. Every bus stop has a digital sign giving the estimated time of the next bus.

 

***A predicted clear day, and then a burst of tiny hail and rain causing everyone at the bus stop to huddle closer under the roof. People grimacing and making sarcastic comments about weathermen. Some things universal.

 

***Parents and grandparents meeting kids to walk them home from school. Each child gets a highly anticipated afterschool snack, usually on the walk home. Some moms obviously take turns bringing home several children to the same apartment building. Spotted one such, with a group of hungry little boys gathered around her, waiting for her to get their snacks out of her huge purse. Looked a lot like a bunch of baby birds in a nest, clamoring for attention.

 

***Well behaved dogs everywhere, padding along by their owners, loftily ignoring strangers and for the most part, other dogs. Any barking outburst shushed immediately, and the perpetrator shamed. Dogs so quiet in restaurants you have no idea that they are there, lying under chairs or in laps. Still dog messes on the street but so much less than years ago that I’m amazed. And grateful.

 

***Parisians still live in neighborhoods, often not straying far from home. And little “all in one” stores help make that easy. In Madrid, they were called Chinese stores for the usual owners. Don’t know who owns them here, but each one has a truly amazing variety from purses to frypans, flowerpots to toys, all sorts of plastic goods, inexpensive jewelry, screwdrivers, doormats and flower seeds, all in about 12 square feet, stacked to the ceiling and hanging from it. I’m pretty sure that if they don’t have it, you don’t really need it.

A Flaneur's jaunt 3-5-15

Today I got out to ramble around by myself.  Yesterday Deb had a couple issues after a lunch in one of the markets.  Don't know for certain what may have been the cause so names will remain obscured.  Anyway today's jaunt started at the Port de Plaisance de Paris Arsenal (the beginning of the Canal St. Martin).  I got off the subway at Bastille and walked along all the houseboats and yachts moored along the canal until I reached the Seine. 

Then I turned west along the quai until I reached the Ile St Louis at which point I crossed onto the island.  There are many little galleries showing some very interesting art and shops selling souvenirs and food.  From there I crossed over to the Ile de la Cite and walked the streets flanking Notre Dame.  Of note was the site where Pierre Abelard and Heloise lived before they were discovered and Abelard was gelded.  This was by far the most spring-like day we've had since we arrived, I was sorry Deb could not be there to enjoy it. 


Having read two books on Notre Dame it was fun to look at the exterior and find all the interesting architectural bits that were noted in the books.  And of course to be able to interpret (a little) the iconography of the carvings in the main doors.  A masked mime out on the Parvis was performing by striding around and surprising everyone by tapping on shoulders and popping up in front of them.  A few people responded in less amused manners which added to the amusement of the crowd.  I ended the day with a bus ride back to the apartment and a nice quiet dinner with the convalescent Deb who is by now fully recovered.

Moving into spring 3-2-15

Ah, spring is in the air, Ave. John Jaures near us.   It's still windy and raining at least part of the time here but you can see it's coming, plum blossoms and daffodils.  Surely a harbinger of spring