Saturday afternoon

Perhaps it was the second glass of red wine? A robust Cahors from southwest France. Or the garlicky mashed potatoes? Maybe it was the concert? Or all three? I finished the afternoon feeling warm, relaxed, and with a big smile on my face.

Paris is empty. It's the winter vacation - 2 weeks in February when school is closed and everything stops. My classes and choir practice have been suspended and all of my friends are out of town. I decided to brave the cold, rainy Saturday afternoon to go to a show recommended by Melissa and Paolo. The show is called VocaPeople. I was hoping to go there with Marc, a good-looking guy who sings bass in the choir, but I'm not sure if he is really interested (in me or in the concert). So why wait? I went to the last-minute ticket kiosk and scored a great seat at half price. Plus, I had time for lunch before the show.

The Plomb du Cantal is a brasserie just down the street from the theatre. I've noticed that it is always packed but have never eaten there. Why not try it?

Cantal is a sparsely populated region in southcentral France. It's known for its cows, cheeses, and sausages. The restaurant is a meat and potatoes kind of place, a specialty is the "aligot" - mashed potatoes mixed with local cheese and lots of garlic. Forget this place if you're looking for nouvelle cuisine or tiny portions. It's crowded and noisy and just what I needed to warm me up on a cold day.


And the concert? Great fun. See for yourself.

Nostalgia

Back in the days before Walmart and Monoprix - before our throw-away culture - we kept household items for a lifetime, maintaining them with the help of specialized tradesmen. And before the days of shopping centers, cars, and websites, the tradesmen came to us; announcing their passage with a distinctive call.

One morning on my way to class in the center of Paris, I was attracted by the sound of a bell. I made a slight detour to investigate and discovered this guy trolling for business, looking for scissors and knives to sharpen.


To be fair, I've seen a similar knife sharpener at the Boulder farmers market. But does he still wander the streets, ringing a distinctive reminder of his passage?
Listen for yourself.


p.s. I love the sounds of Paris, and I'll be including more sounds to give you a sense of the city.

My new TV

French TV goes all digital soon, and my tiny hand-me-down TV is analog only. Every day a message scrolls across the screen warning me that it will no longer work after March 6th. So I've been doing some research and shopping, but hate to invest a lot of money since I don't watch TV very often. What to do?

A few days ago, Dominique came up with a brilliant solution. He has a friend who has just upgraded and has a perfectly acceptable digital flat screen TV to sell for a fraction of the price of a new one. Yes! I'll take it!

Furthermore, Dominique was willing to deliver it to my apartment and set it up for me. Double Yes!! You can see the difference below.


Best of all, we had a nice visit. I haven't seen him for several weeks, and I thought maybe it was over . . . . but maybe it isn't over . . .?

Friday evening

You may have noticed that my dating posts have been few and far between these days. Unfortunately. Dominique is still in the picture - sorta. We write almost every day, although I haven't seen him for weeks. And it will be several more weeks until I see him again - if, indeed, I do see him again . . .

So I was quite excited when a writing buddy, Carol B., suggested getting together for a movie on Friday evening. We both would much rather meet someone (a man) who is new, exciting, and sexy. But at least we weren't staying home alone on a Friday night.

We went to see "The King's Speech." Have you seen it? I think it is probably the best film I've seen all year - with the possible exception of "Des hommes et des dieux" (Of Gods and Men). You must see these movies!

Following the movie we went to a small nearby restaurant for dinner. On the way, I just had to stop and admire the newly refinished church of Saint Sulpice.

Gifts

Before I moved to Paris I was a practicing "doula." A doula is a woman who provides emotional support during childbirth. I was privileged to attend many, many births in a career that spanned over 30 years. I remember very well each and every birth I ever attended. It's a moment that one never forgets.

I stay in touch regularly with many of "my" moms and babies. Jennifer is one of those whom I'm very close to. I was Jennifer's doula for the birth of her second daughter, Adeline. Here is one of the very first pictures of baby Adeline.


Recently, Jennifer discovered a new passion (besides being a mom plus working full time as an engineer.) She is making cute little gnomes and she made one just for me. It arrived last week along with a little story - also written just for me. Here's Fleur sitting on my computer and keeping me company.


This isn't just a commercial plug for Jennifer and her cute little gnomes, it's also a thank you. She is the person who taught me most everything I know about blogs. She has maintained her own blog since 2006. You can find her blog here. She also helped me set up my blog - the background colors, images, font, and layout. Thank you, Niffer!

Oh, and if you'd like to buy a personalized gnome for yourself, friend or loved one - you can find them here.

Surprises - Part 2

This morning I was on the bus heading home after a morning of taking pictures when I suddenly saw Superman and Spiderman. Huh? What are they doing here in Paris?




Oh yeah, Batman was there too, along with his boat . .


p.s. The building is called the Artcurial. It's an auction house located on the Champs Elysees. You can bid on Superman and his buddies here

Surprises - part 1

Yesterday I was looking for a restaurant that had been recommended by a friend and found myself in a neighborhood that I don't usually visit. The sign said: "Elvis My Happiness"
Huh? Am I in Memphis or Paris?


It turns out that this is boutique is also the HQ for the French Elvis fan club - second largest in the world. You can find anything and everything Elvis related here, including organized tours to Graceland and Las Vegas. The clerk even had the haircut - but I didn't ask him to sing . . .