Au Revoir Paris....Hello Seattle

My Parisian adventures have come to a close as I am back home safe and sound.  We soaked in as much as we could on our last couple of days as well as solved the great packing issue of 2010.  Not surprising, I purchased a lot of stuff along the way - I was there for a month after all....  In order for me to get it all home I would either need to ship it or get an extra bag to bring on the plane with me.  After some research it was clear that hauling it on the plane would be much cheaper than shipping it.  I did learn that next time I can arrange for a cargo container to bring my treasures home by sea...if needed.  Reese was even kind enough to bring me a big duffle bag so I didn't need to purchase an extra bag.  But that doesn't mean I didn't get a bag from Paris, in fact I bought 2 but neither are appropriate haulers.  There were many iterations of what got packed where in order to distribute the weight evenly.  Each back needed to be 50 lbs or less.  In the end it all turned out fine - stuff is home safe and sound but there was a lot of fretting in advance.

For our final day we went to a photography show by and about French feminists.  It was part of a month long photography festival all over Paris.  The photos in this particular exhibit were from the collection of Margaret Durand who was very active in the early days of the feminist movement centered in Paris.  It was fascinating to see how closely the French and American movements were linked and how the issues were/are the same in both places.  There was a video compilation of clips from the seventies including an interesting interview with Jane Fonda.  Who knew she speaks fluent French???  After the exhibit we took a coffee/wine break and soon enough it was time for lunch...at 5pm.  Our schedules got later and later as the trip went on.  We were turning French!  We wanted to get in one last amazing falafel sandwich before we left and this would be out only opportunity.  In order for this to happen, we would need to get to the falafel joint(s) ASAP as they all close at sun down on Friday for the sabbath.  Only a few minutes stood between us and our beloved fried chickie-peas so we had to divide and conquer.  Reese would stay behind at the cafe to pay for coffee/wine and I would book it to Rue Rosiers to get the goods.  By the time I got there 2 out of the 3 shops were closed but I made it to Chez Hannah in time and was able to deliver our farewell bundles of joy.  I never thought I would have to rush to get somewhere before sundown - so dramatic!  

After "lunch" we finished packing, cleaned up the apt. and relaxed at home. We HAD to go out on our last night so we ended up at a cafe just down the street that always seemed to be hopping . We sat outside under heat lamps and did our final rounds of people-watching.  We then headed up the street to "Le Bouldog" restaurant for dinner at 11ish.  The place was packed with diners but the lovely owners  made space for us.  The atmosphere in this place is so lively and friendly - so glad we decided to return for our final dinner.  Based on how the owner seated us, it was clear he thought that Larisa and I were a couple....which of course Larisa milked for all it was worth all night long.  So funny.

We were up early in order to get our mammoth bags down the elevator to get a cab by 8am.  Remember that this elevator only holds one person???  In order to get our heavy bags down 5 spiral flights of stairs quietly we had to use the elevator or we would have woken up the entire building (remember the French start their days late - no 7am calls for these folks).  Our brilliant system involved me upstairs (I was "shipping") loading each bag in the elevator alone and hitting "1" to send it downstairs.  Larisa was stationed (she was "receiving") on the ground floor outside the elevator to grab each bag and get them to the doorway.  I would then call the elevator back upstairs to do it all over again.  Brilliant plan and it worked out just fine.  Thank goodness the cabbie loaded them into the trunk and thank goodness I asked for a big cab with room for a lot of bags!

The flight home was 10 hours but not terrible for me.  Larisa ended up sitting next to a guy that farted the whole way home - gross.  Luckily, I sat next to a woman returning from Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.  It was interesting talking to her about her experience there.  She was with a contingent of folks from WA state and they were all flying home together.  

The best part of this day was seeing Jen, Sarah & Annie at the airport.  It felt like I had been gone so long even though it was only a month.  I'm home in my own bed with my lovely girl and adorable kitties.  While life in Paris is beyond amazing, it still doesn't beat my own home sweet home.  

An Ambitious Day

Yesterday we went about taking in two major museums.  Yes, it was crazy and yes, we did it anyways.  Plus, we had an extra added bonus of a photography show which I will get to later.


But, more importantly I'd like to report on my month-long quest to find the best viennoise au chocolate in the city.  I discovered these for the first time on this trip.  Who cares about pain au chocolate when you can get a viennoise!  It is basically a brioche dough studded with chocolate chips and shaped like a tiny baguette which makes it perfect for dipping in coffee/tea.  After many entries, the winner is from Huro bakery right up the street from the apartment.  While it's not my "regular" bakery, I will go there for this treat now that I know it's the best.  A slight detail though....the winner is actually made from baguette dough and NOT brioche dough so it's not technically a viennoise but it's the same shape and has chocolate so I included it in my competition.  Plus, it's not buttery like the traditional version which makes it "light".  How's that for rationalization???   It was chewy, crunchy and soft all at the same time loaded with tiny bits of bitter dark chocolate.  This ranks #2 on the best things to eat in Paris after the falafel of course.  OK, we can now move onto other adventures.


Our first stop of the day was at a Paris based jewelry shop that we both love.  We have purchased pieces back home and looked forward to seeing the shop here.  It's located just next door to St. Eustache church with  my favorite outdoor giant head and hand sculpture.  Larisa bought not one, not two, but three lovely rings (one is a gift so don't get too worried) and then we were on our way to museum land.


We walked to the Musee D'Orsay which seemed like a really good idea at the time.  We later learned that was probably not the best decision because let's be honest, we only have so many steps we can take in a day and we should have saved them for INSIDE the museum.  More on that later too.


The Musee D'Orsay is housed in a gorgeous old renovated train station.  It used to run trains from Paris to Orleans which is why there are the letters "PO" all around the top of the building.  I learned this because I was actually listening to the tour guide on the boat trip the other day....  I generally find the museum buildings more interesting than the art that is housed in them so I spend a lot of time looking at the layout, exhibition design etc.  This place is a beauty and very comfortable for visitors.  We were very lucky because it wasn't very crowded and could maneuver easily.  The Spectacular Art of Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) was the special exhibition and I admit, I have never heard of this guy before the visit.  He was a contemporary of the Impressionists however he was much more of traditional realist painter and was therefore shunned by the then-new-wave impressionist artists.  Gerome's work is extraordinarily beautiful, especially his portraits.  He later moved into sculpture and mastered that as well.  We walked through all the exhibit rooms and enjoyed our time.  


We then headed out to find a lunch spot (although it was already 4:00) and take a rest before we tackled the Louvre which stays open late on Wednesday nights and offers a discount entry fee.  We walked away from the museum to avoid the touristy spots and found a nice little cafe right along the river.  It was warm and cozy - just perfect for a cold day.  We were seated next to a table of 3 folks speaking English.  Remember how we all sit very close to one another here?  Well, it enables great eavesdropping which of course we did.  One of the gents was about 80 years old and French and spoke perfect English.  The other man was Japanese and maybe in his 70s - also spoke perfect English.  The third person was a British woman in her 60s and very well put together.  After listening in for a bit we figured out that the French man was a collector, the Japanese man was a photographer and the British woman was the photographer's agent/manager.  Their conversation was fascinating as they were discussing artists they knew from the 60s and 70s who have since died.  Another very distinguished looking woman came up to the table and knew the art collector but seemed very interested in meeting the photographer.  Hmmmm....he must be important.  As they were finishing up their conversation we heard them say they had to get back because people were expecting him at 5 for a book signing.  Larisa was good enough to ask the British woman (BW) as they were leaving if the gentleman had an exhibition in town and sure enough, he had a show at a gallery just across the street from the cafe.  BW said, "You should come by and see it" and of course we did.  Keep in mind at this point we had no idea who this guy was, just some random Japanese guy in a cafe so far....  The gallery was tiny and very crowded by the time we got there.  It turned out to be an exhibit of Eikoh Hosoe's work.  Still didn't know who he was but his photos are gorgeous.  Sensual black and white photos; staged dramatic scenes and one very famous portrait of Mishima that was taken just before he committed suicide.  It turns out that this photographer is very well known around the world and has a huge following.  While we couldn't afford any of the photos but we were able to each purchase a poster and had them signed.  What a lovely serendipitous treat it was running into these folks at the cafe!


We then headed off to the Louvre for more artistic adventures.  By this time we both started complaining (lightly) of our tired feet.  However, we carried on like champs.  As you know, the Louvre is HUGE and is impossible to see in one visit so we figured out which areas we wanted to see.  For me, it was the Northern painters as I had seen the Italians before including the Mona Lisa. There is room after room after room of gorgeous huge paintings - mostly Christian in nature along with a  few portraits.  We wandered into a temporary exhibit which paired "old master" portraits with more modern and contemporary pieces by artists such as Picasso and Nan Goldin.  I admit this was my favorite along with seeing "The Death of Marat" for the first time.  Absolutely stunning.
Well, by now the two of us could barely walk any further and spent more and more time taking advantage of the seats in the galleries.  We decided it was time to go home and rest like a couple of old ladies.  We even splurged for a cab and nixed the train due to all of the walking up and down stairs that would entail - sheesh!  


We had a late night dinner of cheese and leftovers and stayed in for a rousing game of "words with friends" on our iPhones.  Yes, Paris is an amazing place but with only so many steps one can take in a day, you have to pace yourself.  Only 2 more days left of adventures in Paris and then we head home to our sweeties.  I am getting sad thinking about leaving this beautiful city but happy that I now have another place that feels like home.

The final week

It has been a very eventful week so far and will continue to be until we board that plane home on Saturday.  So much has happened since the last blog post so there's lots to catch up on.

Larisa spent a couple days with a pal in Luxembourg and returned to Paris last Saturday afternoon.  We decided that we needed a little tiny break from French food and ventured into little Tokyo which is basically one street long near the Louvre.  We went to the place recommended in my "Eat Shop Paris" book called Higuma.  It was packed!  As I have learned, all good things here come with a line.  Our lunch was satisfying but not stupendous and we were ready for adventure.  We spent the rest of the day wandering around the grounds of the Louvre, the Tuileries, Place de Concorde and finally Place Madeleine.  It was too late to go into the Louvre as we wouldn't have enough time to see everything before it closed so we just enjoyed the outside area.  I actually think it's the best part of the Louvre anyways...  The Tuileries is a landscaped area in front of the Louvre with sculptures and lovely places to sit and enjoy the outdoors.  Well, it was raining so there was no sitting for us but we did enjoy the gardens a lot.  We made it up to Place Madeleine and explored the big church with awe.  We paid our 1 EU to light a candle for loved ones and took in the amazing history of this place.  The unique thing about this church is that it celebrates the Virgin Mary and the sculptures and alter are very focused on her.  Yes, Jesus is there too but not in such a superstar role like in the other churches here.

Saturday was also our big night out on the town.  We had dinner at "Le Hangar", a restaurant hidden in an alleyway right up the street from the apartment.  It was recommended by the gals who own the apartment as well as other Paris foodies.  It is an adorable little place with very French-y food and atmosphere.  The clientele seemed to be all regulars with the occasional tourist like us thrown in.  This was the nicest place we have been so far as the rest of our meals have been in very casual (but good!) joints.  The food was great (beef stroganoff for me and scallops with celery root puree for Larisa).  The only bummer was that Larisa had to sit next to a smelly Italian man.  I mean that literally, he had an unpleasant odor and remember ... we all sit very close to one another in French restaurants....

After a delicious-but-kind-of-smelly supper we ventured out to find some Paris nightlife.  Lucky for us, most all of the gay clubs are right in our hood so we didn't have to travel far at all.  We made it to 4 different places and finally ended up at a place called 3W.  It is the oldest lesbian bar in the city and it was packed.  The folks here were very friendly - in fact I couldn't tell if one gal was just friendly or trying to pick up on Larisa.  Either way, we left her and headed downstairs to check it out.  To get downstairs you have to go down a very narrow and steep spiral staircase.  I wonder how these gals get up and down after they've had a few drinks.  I imagine there are lots of lesbian bar injuries in this place.
Once downstairs we met a very nice couple from Bristol, England.  Neither of them speak any French at all and were very happy to hear Larisa and I chattering away in English.  Although one of the gals was originally from Glasgow and had a very heavy Scottish accent so we had to listen extra hard to her to decipher what she was saying.  So much for easy English...  We got home after 1 am our time which made it very convenient for me to talk with my family in Seattle!  I was able to catch up on the phone with sister, mom and niece all at the same time!

Sunday was all about walking through our own very cool neighborhood.  While most of the city shuts down on Sundays our neighborhood has some places that choose to stay open.  It's so great to wander here because the streets are very maze like and every little alleyway has something beautiful to see.  The only bad thing about this is that you can never find the same thing twice because the streets are so confusing.  We focused on the southern part of the Marais neighborhood near St. Paul metro stop.  We found awesome antique shops and spent all day looking at old treasures.  There was one shop that I think was created just for me.  It had vintage kitchen linens, ceramics, ribbons, office supplies, wrapping paper and stationary items.  All of my favorite things in one very cram-packed shop!  This is also the day I introduced Larisa to the best falafel in the world.  We stopped at L'As du Falafel for take out on our way back to the apartment.  Of course she fell in love with it like everyone else including Lenny Kravitz.  This place has a zillion framed pictures of Lenny in the restaurant - I think he must be a regular here.  We vowed to go back every day for falafel while we were here.  It really has been the best meal since I've arrived and coincidentally, also the cheapest at 5 EU.

Monday was spent exploring the Montmartre neighborhood and visiting the famous Sacre Coeur church that sits on a hill a top the city.  The first sign of what was to come took place at the train station.  I noticed a lot of people waiting for the elevator to get up and out of the station.  This was unusual as most folks use the stairs here.  Well, we soon figured out why because the stairs in this particular station go on and on and on and on just to reach to street.  By the time we reached the top I was winded and then looked up to see what was ahead of me.  Hills and a lot of steep stairs to get to the church. Thank goodness I had been working out before the trip because it would have taken me forever to reach the top otherwise!  Of course Larisa is Miss Endurance and could give a rip about the upward hike in front of her.  OK, it wasn't that bad after all and made it to the top in no time at all.  The views were stunning - the city view is beautiful from here and the guy playing violin added nicely to the ambiance.  Of course it was packed with tourists and vendors selling tacky crap but we just focused on the view and the gorgeous church.  The neighborhood just below the church is the red light district and as with most red light districts, it is kind of trashy and we didn't stay too long.  We then went back to guess where?  That's right, the falafel place.  This time was sat inside the restaurant as it wasn't too crowded.  I got the falafel plate (basically a deconstructed falafel sandwich) and Reese go the sandwich.  Of course. it was amazing and we left very happy and tired.  We relaxed for a bit at the apartment but had the evening in front of us.  Amazingly enough, I had to talk Larisa into going out!  While that may seem like no big deal, those of you who know us well know that does not happen very often.  I am the home-body of this relationship and Larisa is constantly trying to get me to go out somewhere.  We have entered some weird bizzarro-world here in Paris where Larisa sleeps in later than me and wants to stay home at night.  What the heck???  Well, I was successful in my plea to go out and we ventured to see the Eiffel Tower at night.  I know I know, tacky tourists but it was fun.  We took a cab as our feet were very tired from the climb and got there in no time at all.  Unfortunately the top of the tower was closed so we could only go to the first tier.  Again, we saw amazing city views and snapped up a lot of great pix.

Tuesday was spent at the Place Maubert outdoor market on the Left Bank.  It's the same outdoor market I went to with the cooking class.  We went to an award winning fromagerie (cheese shop) and Reese went crazy with cheese purchases.  While I like and appreciate cheese, I don't enjoy the super funky ones.  For Reese, the stinkier the better.  She loaded up on 5 or 6 little chunks and I got plenty of fresh fruit and veg.  We bought whatever looked great and would construct a dinner with our finds.  Fresh spinach, wild mushrooms, currants and tangerines and of course cheese filled our shopping bag as we headed out of the market.  We wandered around the left bank for a bit and stopped for lunch at a very old pub off of St. Germain.  After that we decided to take a river boat tour as it was actually sunny!  The first sunny day since Larisa arrived.  It was a perfect day to see the city by boat so we spent the next hour or so leisurely floating on the Seine.  There was a tour guide announcing all the sites both in French and English.  Absolutely no one was listening to this poor girl besides me and Larisa.  There was a family of very loud Koreans next to us so we moved.  We ended up next to an even louder family of Italians.  Wow, it seems as if I'm calling out Italians a lot on this post - sorry to my Italian girlfriend and other Italian pals who are neither loud nor smelly!

I decided to head home to prepare our supper and Reese wandered up to check out the Pompidou Center.  Unfortunately it was closed so she ended up having an aperitif at a one of the zillions of cafes/bars up there and even picked up a fresh baguette on the way home.  We had a lovely meal of cheese, sauteed wild mushrooms, spinach and roasted chickie (from neighborhood butcher of course!)

The plan for today is a bit ambitious.  We want to go to the Musee D'Orsay during the day and then the Louvre in the evening as it is open late tonight.  We may be museumed out after the first one but we'll see.

Only 3 more days left of my Parisian adventure and yes, I am sad to leave this beautiful place.  Of course I'm excited to see everyone at home but I will miss it here.  It's been very easy to adjust to the lifestyle and will figure out a way to bring a bit of it back home with me.

 

Home Sweet Home?

Today Larisa left to visit a pal in Luxembourg for a couple days so it is back to solo livin' for me.  We have had some fun adventures in only a few short days.  Arc de Triomphe, concert at Notre Dame and of course a little shopping.  We will resume adventure-finding when she returns to Paris on Saturday.

After being here for three weeks, I am feeling very comfortable here.  My language skills are improving even after this short time and I am more confident either engaging in conversation or telling someone to speak more slowly (which is of course the point where they start speaking to me in English).
 
There are other subtle things that make me feel at home like the bakery guy who now says "see you tomorrow" when I leave or the butcher who smiles and likes to make me say things in proper French.  I've mastered the train system and can get anyplace with ease.  I'm also getting lost when walking much less often.  Making Paris feel like home was a goal of this "vacation plus" and it's been met.  I have thought so many times about what it would be like to live here and now I have at least an idealized idea.  

Perhaps this can be a yearly trip so I maintain this feeling of comfort and connection to this city.  Obviously, I won't be able to spend a month here again any time soon but maybe a week or two to get caught up on all things French?  There are so many places I've yet to see so don't know if this will happen but for now I can think of both Seattle and Paris as home.

The Paris Flea

Oh what an adventure we had today. Two train rides out to the northern most point in the city led us to the biggest open air flea market in the world.  Les Puces de Paris St. Ouen is 7 acres of amazing junk & treasures (mostly treasures) broken out into several different markets each with its own vibe.  We of course got there early because my early bird pal couldn't wait to get there.  The neighborhood was sketch - you definitely felt outside the city center.  We had to walk through a ton of street vendors selling knock-off sneakers and rasta wear.  Once we found the flea we knew we were in for a treat.  We had our first adventure in the bathrooms.  To get to the ladies "room" you had to go through the men's room - weird and didn't make any sense at all.  We waited until the coast was clear and then had each other guard the door so the gents didn't walk in on us.  The real adventure came when we saw the actual toilet.  It was one of those old old fashioned models where you have to squat and go.  Kind of like a bidet without the refreshing shower.  I haven't had to use one of these since I was a kid in Japan,  Well, at least this one flushed.

Once the stalls started opening we wandered and wandered.  And then it started to rain.  Not just a little rain but a huge downpour.  We are weather-proof Seattle girls but even this rain had us ducking for cover every chance we could get.  I even had to buy a hat and gloves from one of the tacky knock-off vendors out on the perimeter.  The first market we went to was my favorite as it had things we could actually carry and fit into a suitcase.  Gorgeous linens, kitchen ware,  paintings etc.  One stand had the most outrageous and odd stuff - old doll heads; old timey cardboard prescription boxes and the like.  It was the funkier vintage French version of Archie McPhee's.  So many tiny things to look at!  I of course purchased a few things that nobody needs but I for some reason had to have.  Other odd treasures I purchased include a funky white metal "J" and "N" that will go in the house somewhere.  I know Jen hates my obsession with our initials but I'm thinking she'll cut me a little slack since these are from sixties era signage.  I also purchased the most amazing 4" X 6"pink framed diorama depicting guess what?  That's right, a miniature photo studio where the photographer AND model are both plastic kittens.  How could I possibly resist such a treasure?

After wandering around in the rain for a good 3+ hours we had to go inside to thaw out.  We found a very crowded cafe (always a good sign) and settled in for lunch.  The cafe was so warm and friendly - full of locals that all seemed to know each other. It was the perfect break we needed in order to carry on.
Oh, and did I mention that Larisa had a pichet (little pitcher) of wine?  So...she was a little tipsy for the next part of our adventure.

We wandered a bit more but the cold got the best of us and decided to head home.  Well, we ended up lost in a maze of bong and gun vendors (not joking) in the torrential rain and we could not find our way to the train.  We eventually ran into some security guards who were very helpful and pointed us in the right direction.

Coming home was a warm relief and after changing out of our soaked gear we settled into a rousing game of "words with friends".  Here's what it looks like - both of us in the same room on our iPhones playing a Scrabble knock-off online.  The only conversation during this time is "Your Turn" or "Go". We must be crazy to be in the gorgeous city playing this silly game on our phones but it is addicting.  As the CTO of the apartment, Reese swears that this game will not cost us roaming charges.  We have given ourselves inflated titles while we are here - I am COO because I know how everything in this place works.  She is in charge of the electronics and hence the CTO title.

We decided to stay in for dinner tonight and had big warm bowls of French onion soup (just called onion soup here).  So perfect for the cold day.  After dinner the rain let up and we were feeling antsy after all that Words with Friends and headed out for a walk.  We headed to the Left Bank past Notre Dame and through St. Michel to Les Deux Magots cafe.  This place has one of the best desserts ever which is tarte tatin with creme fraiche.  Jen and I came to this place a few times the last time we were here just for this crazy delicious dessert.  It was nice to be able to show Larisa some of the major sites along the way and sets us up well for tomorrow's adventures.  More to come.

Phase II - Larisa Arrives

The second half of my Parisian adventure has begun.  Larisa arrived yesterday morning!  After a long flight she arrived at the apartment chirpy and happy - it was so nice to see my old friend.  Unfortunately her cabbie scammed her by charging too much for the ride - I told her to think of it as her initiation to the city.

But...before she got here - I had a couple of final solo adventures.  Adventures like cleaning the apartment top to bottom and having a full on cooking day at home.  I went back to the Grand Epicerie to do my "weekend shopping" and was an old pro at getting my shopping cart AND getting all my produce weighed and priced before checking out.  I also discovered that there is no non-fat milk in Paris - or at least at the shops I had been to.  Oh well, we would have whole milk while here.  It was actually nice doing domestic chores and readying the home for someone.  I cooked the French Onion Soup I learned about in class as well as prepped a lot of veg thinking we would try eat healthy while at home because I know what eating in restaurants here is like (meat, cheese, meat, cheese, fries....).

After settling in to her room and then making me show her every single purchase I have made so far, we headed out to see the city.  As you know from previous posts, Sundays are very quiet around here.  We walked down to Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast and wandered around the neighborhood for a bit.  And then it started raining.  A lot.  We tucked into another cafe on Ile St. Louis with a view of the river.  This is where Reese had her first taste of wine in Paris (Sancerre) and we watched the rain pour and pour and pour.  We made it back to the apt and arrived soaked and cold.  Reese was starting to fade soon after and gave in to a nap.  I took the time to finally finish my book - and as we all know it has a happy ending as all the hostages are rescued.  I then went online to see some of the news around Ingrid's release and was interested to see some of the other prisoners accounts of what happened.  They really didn't like her...

After Reese's nappy we decided to head out again and have a drink and find a dinner spot.  I took her to the Beaubourg area near the Centre Pompidou as it's usually hopping up there even on a Sunday.  We found a very casual cafe up the street and had a lovely dinner with a very nice waiter.  We met a very cute boy who is now living in Toronto but has an apt in Paris.  He is half Tunisian and half Maltese (which made us laugh afterwards).  Do the people from Malta really call themselves Maltese like the dog?  He said that when he comes to Paris he always comes to this particular cafe and sits in the same table because that is where he met his partner many years ago.  How romantic is that?  Yes, he was gay as are most of the cute boys in this neighborhood.

I am very excited for Larisa to see the city when it is open and alive  On her first real day we will venture to the Marche aux Puces de St. Ouen flea market which is the largest open air flea market in the world!  This in the 18th arrondissement near Montmartre - a new area for me.  I suspect many photos and hopefully treasures will follow.

Civil Disobedience & Sauce Béarnaise

Another day of great fun and exploration has just ended.  I got up and out very early by Paris standards.  I awoke early so I could video Skype with Jen and see my cutie pie kitties on screen.  Little Birdie has grown already and Percy is as adorable as ever.  Olive is at Grandma's house (her favorite place in the whole wide world) in case you are wondering why I couldn't see her over Skype...I miss my little family!

I was out the door by 9am to start my exploration.  Larisa is going to have a hard time adjusting to starting her days "late" as she is such an early bird.  We'll see if she picks up the slacker French lifestyle by the time she leaves. I have had no problems at all with the pace here!  I went to see the Bastille this morning.  I thought I was there a few days ago but turns out that I wasn't at the Bastille at all.  It was some other landmark that I have yet to figure out.  The Bastille is an open square (actually a circle if you want to get technical) with a huge monumental column in the center.  This site used to be a prison long ago and it was stormed on July 14 - hence Bastille Day.  This place is still used for public protests and in fact was at the center of the recent strikes and protests we all watched on the news a few weeks ago.  By the way, people here are really pissed off that their retirement age has just gone from 60 to 62.  The Bastille is a busy place with lots of traffic and chaos which I suppose is appropriate for it's purpose.  I have been reading "Even Silence Has an End" by Ingrid Betencourt the entire time I have been in Paris.  Ingrid was a Columbian presidential candidate that was kidnapped by a guerilla army in 2001 ( I think ) and held captive for 6 1/2 years.  There's a lot of controversy about the validity of her version of the story but it is certainly captivating.  I've been reading this book every night before I fall asleep and I was thinking about her experience while I was at this historic place known for civic uprising.  I wonder why there wasn't a lot of public outcry over all of the hostages that were taken during that timeframe.  There were so many people kidnapped during that era that they had several radio broadcasts of family members sending messages to their captive loved ones.  I know the issues are complex and I am certainly no expert in South American politics after reading a memoir but these were my ruminations while visiting this historic place.

On a much lighter note, I discovered a 2 entirely new shopping areas.  It seems that Parisians like to shop as much as they like to protest.  I thought I had seen all I could in the Marais neighborhood but lo and behold I discovered another cool area on the way to Place de Vosges.  There was even another Camper store - that's 3 I've seen so far.  Oh, and Place de Vosges was pretty too.  Open park area, fountain, sculpture of a guy on a horse....did I mention 3 Camper stores so far?

I made my way to Marche D'Algire which is an open air and covered market.  We had visited this market before and enjoyed it immensely.  It's funny because this time I didn't like it so much - the vendors were much more aggressive and didn't seem to really care about their products.  I've learned that I prefer the smaller markets closer to the town center much better as they are way more laid back.  How spoiled am I that I can now say I don't like a green market in Paris...sheesh!

This evening was my Autumn French Bistro cooking class at the English speaking cooking school.  Our teacher Julie was French and spoke great English.  She has worked in restaurants however now spends her time as a private chef and instructor.  She was a little bossy and I loved it.  She was strict about keeping our work area clean and focused a lot on technique.  We made soupe au l'oignion, saumon avec sauce béarnaise and chocolate souffle.  All very classic French dishes that French people don't eat any more.  I loved all of them and will definitely try to recreate that salmon dish at home.  I realize that I never sauce anything I cook but here in France, everything comes with a sauce of some kind and they are all delicious.  It really is perplexing how these folks stay so healthy because they typically eat a big lunch with wine and eat big dinners with lots of wine every day.  I have even noticed more than one baby being wheeled around in a stroller while suckling on a pastry - no lie!  I know, I know...it's a lifestyle thing.  They walk everywhere blah blah blah.  While I'm definitely not French, I have no problem emulating this sauce-filled/walk-filled/shop-filled lifestyle - at least for a few more weeks...

Sundays, All Saints Day and Jean-Michel Basqiat

Here are some things I have learned over the past couple of days.  Sundays are very very quiet in Paris.  The whole city kind of shuts down.  I guess this is when folks are supposed to go to church or something.  However, my pagan neighborhood has some businesses that choose to stay open so it wasn't all bad.  I walked over to the Les Halles neighborhood which used to be a vibrant market place long long ago.  It is now basically a big ugly mall that is run down and lonely.  But, inside there are two gems.  A giant Olympic sized swimming pool (because that belongs in a mall?) and big movie theater.  I went to see the the Jean-Michel Basquiat documentary "The Radiant King".  It was great and the theater was packed.  We had tried to see it in Seattle when it was at the NW Film Forum but missed it.  I recommend netflixing it for any of you who are interested in learning about this 80s superstar.  To get back to the apartment from Les Halles you have to cross through the Centre Pompidou area.  As I was walking through a young lady blew kisses my way (weird) and then motioned for me to sign a petition.  She was maybe 19 years old, small and either deaf or took a vow of silence.  I motioned "no thank you" and then she got all wound up and actually shoved/poked me in the arm.  My first instinct was to punch her (not really) but this potential headline was floating through my brain "Giant American Punches Tiny Deaf French Girl".  I just couldn't make us Americans look any worse so I nixed the punch.  I have noticed through watching the news that the French are very interested in our mid-term elections.  It kind of feels they are more concerned about it than we are in the states with our paltry voting participation rates.  People here seem genuinely concerned about Obama and want him to succeed, as do I.

Yesterday I embarked on my first trip away from the core of the city. I went to see a Le Corbusier house in Western Paris.  On the way I wanted to find this beautiful old candle shop that I've read about.  I double checked to make sure it was open on Mondays as I learned many businesses also choose to close on Mondays.  I decided to walk as it was a gorgeous Fall morning - quiet and crisp.  Alas, it along with every other shop along the way was closed.  I could not figure out why because all of the signs stated they were open on Mondays.  A nice British couple asked me for directions (me!?) and I could actually help them find their way.  I in turn asked them if they knew why all the shops were closed and they told me it was All Saints Day - a real holiday here in France.  I always thought of Nov. 1 as Day of the Dead and not a national holiday.  Just one more thing that I've learned to appreciate on this journey abroad.

I made my way to Foundation Le Corbusier - it is tucked away in a very private semi-upscale neighborhood.  The apartments in this neighborhood are gorgeous with art-deco touches everywhere.  The streets were much quieter than in the center of Paris - definitely felt like the burbs.  I was thrilled to finally see a real-life Corbusier building.  I have never seen one before but have seen plenty in my old textbooks.  To be honest, it was kind of run down on the outside and not as pristine as I expected it to be.    The interior was closed (All Saints Day, remember?) but I enjoyed walking around and seeing what I could.

When I returned to the center of the city I somehow felt relieved.  I liked the feeling that this is my temporary home and that I have learned to navigate it with semi-ease.  I decided it would be a good night to take in the Pompidou.  I was waiting for Larisa to arrive to share the experience but I remembered that it is so huge that two visits would be a good idea.   I took in three of their exhibits - one by an artist named Arman who was a contemporary/friend of Yves Klein, an exhibit by Nancy Spero and a third titles "Elles" which was a group show of many contemporary women artists.  Arman is an artist I knew nothing about - never even heard of him. His work deals with changing the meaning of objects by using them in a repetitive fashion; burning them or encasing them in acrylic.  The Nancy Spero show was great.  I certainly knew about her but never dove into her work before.  Her work deals with societal issues head-on and there is no doubt at what she is trying to convey.  She was very active in the feminist and anti-war movements of the seventies and used her work to advance these causes.  The last show I saw was the group exhibit and it was absolutely huge and overwhelming.  I learned that the museum has made a conscious effort to show women artists over the last two years and has devoted a lot of space (and thought!) into these shows.  There was so much to see and so many artists I hadn't heard of.  I absolutely loved it and wanted to purchase the catalog to learn more about these artists except it weighed about a thousand pounds.  Perhaps I will search on Amazon when I return instead of racking up the airline baggage charges....

This brings me to today - we had so much to catch up on despite the slowness of Sundays/holiday!  I went to see the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit at the other Modern Art Museum.  Yes, they have two modern museums in one city.  This museum is near the Eiffel Tower area and in a part of town I had not yet explored.  Jean-Michel Basquiat is some kind of pop phenom here because the exhibit was packed.  I had to wait for an hour and a half just to get in the door!  I listened to the line to see if it was full of tourists like me but it was all locals I have always liked Basquiat's work but never thought of him as a such a star.  Well, the show was fantastic.  The layout and information provided (even in English) was great.  After seeing the movie and then seeing the exhibit I feel very educated in all things Basquiat.  There was also an exhibit by American photographer Larry Clark.  Fascinating documentary style photos from the sixties and seventies.  Very graphic - in fact you had to be 18 years old to enter the exhibit.  I left this museum very grateful for the French love of American art and I loved that I could see all of this fantastic art in one place.

I am feeling more and more at home here on this vacation plus. Of course, I realize this is under the pretense of having no job, enough money and no obligations.  I do wonder what it would feel like to live here for real - I suppose it is like any other city full of hassles and craziness but the over abundance of culture is amazing and I for one, am going to take in all I can in my remaining weeks here.