Walking Tour of Southern Marais Area

When we stopped to put some trash in the bins on our way out of the apartment this morning, I noticed this painting on the wall.

Today's walking tour began at the Paris City Hall and went into the southern part of the Marais, a very fashionable neighborhood with a large Jewish population.  The Hotel de Sens is one of the few surviving examples of domestic Gothic architecture.  It was built in the 15th century and owned by the Archbishop of Sens.  The left-hand gable still has a cannon ball lodged in it (very difficult to see in this photo, but trust me, I saw it).

There were some interesting courtyards and arcades near St. Paul Church.

We had a delicious lunch:  a Salade Nicoise and a Norwegian salad, with smoked salmon.  The wines were Sancerre and Chablis.

We stopped at Laricol, a pastry and candy shop on Rue de Rivoli.  We bought a Breton pastry called Kouign Amann and some candy.  I expect a delicious dessert tonight.

Today's Cheeses:  Brie de Meaux and Reblochon

Sunday Market

The Bastille Market is open on Thursdays and Sundays and is one of our favorites because of the chicken crapaudine.

It's a butterflied rotisserie chicken.   It comes with potatoes cooked at the bottom of the rotisserie grill that have been flavored with the salty chicken drippings.

We also bought cheese, bread and grape tomatoes.

Here are a few more photos from the market:

Our apartment is on Rue Servan, not too far from Pere Lachaise Cemetery.  This morning we noticed that the street signs had the dates 1737 - 1807 and the word "criminalist."  Apparently Monsieur Servan was a criminologist.

Today's cheeses:  Epoisses and Morbier

First Full Day in Paris

Finally, a complete night's sleep!  What an improvement in disposition!   We walked to Place de la Republique to renew our Passe Navigo cards.  These cards give us transportation on the subway and busses for the entire month.  The cost is 62 euros (about $90).

We then took the Metro to d'Aligre market, a large street market.  We stopped at a bistro for lunch.  Charcuterie (meats) and cheeses and wine.  Delicious!

After lunch we bought some vegetables, grapes, and bread, and then walked back to the apartment.

Our September Apartment

After a long sleep-deprived night on an airplane, we arrived at Charles DeGaulle airport and took public transportation to our apartment near Pere Lachaise Cemetery.  The apartment is small, but comfortable.  Here's the living room.

The kitchen is tiny but adequately (not lavishly) furnished.  No bread knife!  What's up with that?  This is Paris, for Pete's sake.

As in many French apartments, the toilet is in a tiny cabine by itself.  Not for the claustrophobic - or the long-legged.

The bedroom has a queen sized bed and built-in cupboards.

I think we'll be very comfortable here.

Now it's off to activate our Passe Navigo for unlimited Métro transportation and to a market for fruits and vegetables.

What I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

All details are available on Ravelry.




  Clogs for Michael

Swing Jacket by Laura Bryant       

Sheldon for Niepa





Baby Socks

A Bale of Turtles

Ski Hat

"What the Dog Saw"

I had already read the individual essays in this book the New Yorker magazine, so they weren't new to me.  They look at topics from an unconventional point of view and that is what makes them interesting.  However, they were more interesting the first time.

My rating:  *** (out of 5)

"Another Year"

In general, I enjoy Mike Leigh's films, and Another Year is not an exception to this rule.  It spans a year in the lives of married couple Tom and Gerri as they deal with troubled friends, the death of a sister-in-law and meeting their son's new girlfriend.  Tom and Gerri seem like an ideal couple.  They enjoy gardening and cooking together, have a good relationship with their son, and are able to accept life as it comes.  Their friend Mary, however, has had one divorce and then wasted years involved with a married man who had no intention of leaving his wife.  During the time span of the movie she buys a car which brings her nothing but grief.  There's no narrative arc in this movie, it's just a slice of life, but an enjoyable one.