Month: February 2015

Friday, February 27

Sunshine is back! Temp in the 40s. I discovered that there is a painting by Giacometti at Notre Dame des Champs which is about 15 minutes away on foot, so we walked up there to see it after breakfast. It’s an interesting 19th century church. It is up on Montparnasse which is noticeable uphill  walk of about 20 minutes.

There was a Roman Temple on the site 2000 years ago replaced by a Christian church early on. That wooden church was eventually replaced by a big monastic church in the 1600s. The revolution ended all of that and the church was torn down. In the 19th century the present building went up, and it is a thriving parish church now. … more »

Thursday, February 26

A day of drizzle and stillness. The Irish would call this a “soft day”, and it was just that. We didn’t leave the cozy confines of the apartment until 5:00 pm when we headed off for a three metro line trip into the 19th arrondissement for dinner with a delightful family: mom from Oklahoma, dad from Normandy, France. The 19th is where Charlie’s publishing office is, and it all happened just about two blocks from where we were headed. The father of this family is the vice principal of an upper level school (18 to 23 year olds), and mom teaches at the Institute Catholique right here in our neighborhood. Their lives are like a story-book love tale. … more »

Wednesday, February 25

This was food day and reading day. All we really did was prepare for a dinner party here in the little apartment. At 484 square feet, there is not a lot of room for entertaining; but it works with a little planning. I made a long list for the grocery store trip today, and then I forgot to take the list. However, making the list was responsible n’est pas? As a result of forgetting the list we came home with twice as much as we needed, but without the coffee filters. I have made another list for tomorrow. We have fun at the “Mono Prix” store which is about 10 minutes on foot. This walking to the grocery is a good idea because you do not buy more than you can carry home. … more »

Tuesday, February 24

A 300 mile day, but not on foot, don’t get excited. On foot it was only 2.8 miles. This was the “road trip” day from Paris to Amboise in the Loire Valley. Nicole driving, me in the right seat, Jim and Jean in the back. After we missed the third exit speeding past Orleans, I took the phone as GPS and began giving directions. We had a few showers coming and going, and the wipers were like sticks of wood dragging on the windshield. That fact coupled with a driver who badly needs a cataract removed provided for a breath-taking ride. Coming home in the dark was even more thrilling. During lunch we bought a bottle of water and filled the windshield water reservoir in the car, but given the condition of the wiper blades, it made little difference! … more »

Monday, February 23

Bright morning sun broke out by 10:00 am. For the two of us, it was a reading morning until Jim decided to wander over to the big Left Bank Department Store: “Bon Marche”. While he was out I took a 3 mile walk around the neighborhood checking out a chocolate shop down the street, and wandered over to a shop that sells church vestments where I have bought some albs in the past. There was a nice simple one that got my attention, but the $200€ did not. On the way over there I walked past the Chapel which is all that is left of a huge Carmelite Monastery from the 16th Century. I always think this is a very holy place, and I always stop and look inside the gate. … more »

Saturday, February 21, 2015

“Le weekend” as the French call this was nothing more than a day of recovery, reading,  and relaxation. That’s my “3Rs” for France. Half way through this adventure it was time for laundry. After sitting in front of the washing machine for a few minutes watching little green lights blink as I turned the one dial and pushed all the buttons, it started. There were no instructions, and the vocabulary on the front of the machine was way beyond my limits and experience. It had nothing to do with food, drink, or directions. I discovered there was no laundry soap. In some way being in this place is a little like being  at camp, so it was time to improvise. … more »