Goat cheese

Another of my favorite vendors in our twice weekly street market is the goat cheese guy. His cheese is delicious and he's fun to talk to. He mentioned that visitors are welcome at his farm. Too bad I didn't realize that when Cindy and I were visiting the Loire Valley. The farm is not too far from Cheverney and Bracieux. It's also near the region of France known for Sancerre wines which are a perfect match for these goat cheeses.

New phone number

I now have a French phone number. It was a very easy process; I went to a local phone store and purchased a new prepaid sim card for my Blackberry. Voila! Now my friend Odette can call me back without calling the U.S. first.

The phone number is quite a mouthful. In numbers it looks like this: 06 73 80 08 92. But when you say it, it comes out like this: zero six, soixante-treize, quatre-vingts, zero huit, quatre-vingt-douze. That’s because the French have an odd numbering system. The number “sixty” = “soixante”, but “seventy” = “soixante-dix” or sixty plus ten. “Eighty” = “four twenties”, and “ninety” = “four twenties plus ten”. That means that “ninety two” = “four twenties plus twelve”. Get it? Anyway, trust me – it’s a mouthful!

Numbers aside, I am delighted to be back in Paris. I feel so at home here. And while many things have changed since I lived here in the ‘70s, many things have not changed. I am taking lots of photos and will be posting more soon. In the meantime, here are just a few:

Leaving FNAC with brand new books


Fromagerie (cheese shop) near my apartment


Fresh fish anyone?