Restos du Coeur

On the initiative of Peter, I, too, will participate in this chain of solidarity.

This is to help the “Restos du Coeur” (“Restaurants of the Heart”) - founded by the comedian Coluche in 1985 - of which the main activity is to distribute food packages and hot meals, a place to sleep... to the needy (some 800.000 people assisted each year). Sponsored by Carrefour and Danone, and by writing a few words like this, 10 meals will be offered. (You must send a link to: hub@lanetscouade.com).

By suggesting other bloggers to do the same thing, 10 multiplied by... additional meals will be offered. I ask all of you who would like to help, to continue the chain. I suggest also that you all visit this page and this page (in French).

À la prochaine, mes amis

RIP Little Mouse

I am sad to report that our little mouse is dead. Apparently, he never got out of the car. We entered the car a few days ago and it smelled really terrible. We immediately assumed it was the poor little mouse, and upon searching between the seats, found his body. I'm not the sentimental type, but I'm really sorry he died.

We were shopping at our local market the other day, when I saw some acorn squash. I've been curious about it for some time, and finally decided to buy one (one could easily feed four). I've never had it before and wasn't sure what to expect, but thought it would be different than the regular yellow squash we usually get. It takes over and hour to bake it and it tastes very similar to the regular squash. I'm not sure it's really worth the effort. It's easy enough to prepare, once you manage to cut it in half, but an hour to bake is a bit much.

Food Stamps Create Jobs… in India!

I've never seen a branch curl up like this one.

Priceless

How long till we wipe out HIV for good?

It’s Official: Google Can Sell Power Like a Utility. Read More.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Mouse Emergency

David Hallyday (Johnny's Son) - Tu Ne M'as Pas Laissé Le Temps

The Mouse Saga continues. I walked into the kitchen one day and found him (I hope it's a 'him') on the counter, so I'm now certain it is a mouse and not a rat. We bought a mouse trap; the kind that captures them but doesn't kill them. I followed the instructions and put some peanut butter in it and set it out where I figured he'd be running. After a couple of days, he was still running free, so I assumed he didn't like peanut butter. I cleaned out the trap and put in a small piece of cheese and a piece of a raisin cookie. Still, he would not enter the trap. Robb suggested I put it on the counter since there was all kind of evidence that was where he roamed. I did, and within hours he was trapped. This is where you'll probably roll on the floor laughing. I carried the trap down to the car to take him to his new home near a barbeque place. Well, I though at least he'd have a lot of stuff to eat there. As I was getting into the car, I dropped the trap and he came flying out. I have no idea if he is still in the car, or if he ran out the open door. I came back to the apartment. A few minutes later, one of the other residents knocked and told me that my car alarm was going off. I went down and tried to shut it off. Half an hour or so later, the same guy knocked and told me it was still going off. I went back down and found what I thought was the "off" button. Then I tried to find the manual. It was not in the car, so I had to trudge up to the apartment, where I found it in one of the bookcases. According to the manual, I pushed the correct button to turn off the alarm, and apparently it worked because no one came to complain about it after that. But I noticed in the manual that the alarm can be triggered by movement in the car. You don't think.....

This is so unique, so fantastic, so ingenious, you may not believe it's real!

Emergency: The Emergency Number worldwide for cell phones is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.

Hey, look people, more change we can believe in: FBI wants records kept of Web sites visited.

Isn't it great to live in a country where "doing the right thing" is a valued virtue? Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor

**********************

Bill worked in a pickle factory.. He had been employed there for a number of years when he came home one day to confess to his wife that he had a terrible compulsion. He had an urge to stick his penis into the pickle slicer.

His wife suggested that he should see a sex therapist to talk about it, but Bill said he would be too embarrassed. He vowed to overcome the compulsion on his own.

One day a few weeks later, Bill came home and his wife could see at once that something was seriously wrong. 'What's wrong, Bill?' she asked.

'Do you remember that I told you how I had this tremendous urge to put my penis into the pickle slicer?'

'Oh, Bill, you didn't' she exclaimed.

'Yes, I did.' he replied.

'My God, Bill, what happened?'

'I got fired.'

'No, Bill. I mean, what happened with the pickle slicer?'

'Oh...she got fired too.'

The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. So did the first 'Marlboro Man'.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Feel Good Plan B

Another feel good moment that might not have happened according to Geoff. At the time he owned a club in Antwerp, the city government tried to have the station torn down. Geoff, and several thousand others, signed a petition in opposition to the government. They won, thankfully, and we get to enjoy this.

More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes were performed 23 March, 2009, at 08:00 AM. It was a promotional stunt for a Belgian television program, where they were looking for someone to play the leading role in the musical "The Sound of Music".

Our market had a sale so we bought a dozen bottles of Pinot Grigio, our favorite white wine. Well, that and Sancerre.

The other day, while I was preparing dinner, I thought I saw, out of the corner of my eye, something run along the baseboards, but I convinced myself that I was just seeing shadows. It now turns out that we have a mouse or mice. It/they, have left conclusive evidence. We actually saw a mouse running about before we left for our aborted journey last September. but when we returned, there was no sign of it and we thought it had moved on to greener pastures. Evidently not. Now we have to devise a scheme to get rid of it/them. I don't like to kill them, so we'll get one of those traps that captures them alive and then find it a new home somewhere else.

Time for Plan B. I saw it for real this time and it's much too large to be a mouse. Hmmm, maybe it's time for Rent-A-Pussy.

This is rather cool, though I have to admit, I was over it by the 1:30 mark. Science: Auto-tuned.

12 Reasons Why Gay Marriage Should Be Illegal

Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control.

Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people can’t legally get married because the world needs more children.

Obviously, gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

If gay marriage is allowed, straight marriage will be less meaningful (for instance, Britney Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage).

Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are property, blacks can’t marry whites, and divorce is illegal.

Gay marriage should be decided by people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.

Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why single parents are forbidden to raise children.

Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven’t adapted to things like women being allowed to vote or integrated schools.

Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a “separate but equal” institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages for gays and lesbians will.

Video shows fighter jets shooting down US missionaries

One night, as a couple lays down for bed, the husband starts rubbing his wife's arm.

The wife turns over and says 'I'm sorry honey, I've got a gynecologist appointment tomorrow and I want to stay fresh.'

The husband, rejected, turns over.

A few minutes later, he rolls back over and taps his wife again. 'Do you have a dentist appointment tomorrow too?'

À la prochaine, mes amis

Stupid Wish

One of the surprises about the apartment we rented in Paris, was that there was nothing in the kitchen. That was surprising, because in every apartment we've ever rented, there was something in the cabinets; at the very least, salt and pepper. Usually, we would find coffee, tea, sugar and sometimes dry food items that had been left behind by previous renters. But this time...nothing. So, Robb bought some salt and pepper. Why is that even a topic of discussion one might ask? Well, the other night I made what I call Oriental Beef and Noodles (even though I don't use beef) and I used the pepper bought in Paris. I thought it was just regular black pepper and I didn't use very much of it. That's a good thing because this stuff is powerful hot. I had thought I might use diced tomatoes with green chilis, good thing I changed my mind about that. I like spicey food, but I detest foods that are so hot you can't taste anything and your only experience is that of burning your mouth.
I know it's difficult to tell from this picture taken from our balcon, but this is a neon martini glass. The thing is, if you're having a party and you want to invite everyone in the complex, you place this in your window and everyone knows to show up for drink, and fun. Okay, not really. I just made that up, but it's a cool idea don't you think?
The World Health Organisation and the pharmaceutical industry have been criticised for their handling of last year's swine flu pandemic. At a hearing of the Council of Europe - the European Union's human rights body - the WHO faced accusations that it exaggerated the danger of the virus under pressure from drug companies. When a pandemic was declared last June, most European countries changed their health priorities to accommodate thousands of expected patients. A number of European governments had signed contracts with the drug companies to buy back vaccines, believing a flu pandemic long predicted by health experts would be a virus-like bird flu with a very high death rate. But swine flu, it is now clear, is a mild flu with a lower mortality than seasonal influenza. The organisation denies any conflict of interest. - BBC
Obama: Stop Filling Administration with RIAA Insiders. Nearly two dozen public interest groups, trade pacts and library groups urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to quit filling his administration with insiders plucked from the Recording Industry Association of America. Read More.
Why I'd rather be punched in the testicles than call customer service.
On my Wish List:

À la prochaine, mes amis

International Idiots

I LOVE this song (please note that I DID NOT use the word 'heart'!)

I went for my semi-decade eye examination a few days ago, the last time was about ten years ago. They have a new female eye doctor at the place we usually have that done. She is very thorough. She discovered that I have a hole in my eye which could be the beginning of glaucoma, or something I've had forever. She's not sure because no one has ever examined my eyes as closely as she did. I don't know whether to be happy or devastated. As you know, glaucoma can lead to blindness if not treated soon enough. I would not like to be deaf, but I could cope with that a lot more easily than blindness. Oh, and I got new glasses since I somehow managed to lose my others.

A year, or more ago, I signed up for Comcast's paperless statements and billing. Since then, every month like clockwork, I get.....yep, you guessed it, by USPS mail each and every month, a paper bill and a notice that I've signed up for paperless billing. Can we say STUPID?
Hmm, now we understand why the US is interested in Haiti and why there are over 20,000 troops stationed there; they're certainly not there to distribute food. If they are, they're doing a really poor job, because the people that need it aren't getting it.. No, I think this is more likely: Haiti is full of oil say Daniel and Ginette Mathurin
IDIOT SIGHTING - Just in case you think Americans have it locked up - I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbour call the Highways Department to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.' Story from Potters Bar, Herts , UK
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said , 'Where am I , Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
Church Bulletins:
Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
À la prochaine, mes amis

Wireless Pickup

We had dinner tonight at Tropics on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors, Florida. If you like piano bars/restaurants, this is the place for you. Monday night is not karaoke night, but if you want to get up and sing, the pianist and the crowd welcomes and encourages you. Dinner was great; deep fried grouper (a southern fish) with a very good salad.


Waiting patiently for Povarello to pick up our old TV set. I tried to sell it, but I guess no one is interested in anything less than a 42-inch LCD TV. I just want to get it out of my computer room, although if I had the space I would like a TV in there.


I'm once again thinking about going wireless. I bought this Netgear router, but there were two problems. The first was that it's not compatible with a 64-bit system and I'm running the 64-bit Windows 7 OPS. The second problem was that I suddenly realized it was a Wireless G router. I really want a Wireless N router, so I'm considering these two choices. I'm leaning toward the more expensive one simply because I like the look of it better, and it isn't that much more.


The war on terror has been about scaring people, not protecting them. The ease with which the plane bomber could operate exposes the vacuity and recklessness at the heart of the US response to 9/11.


David is right, this guy is just sick.


À la prochaine, mes amis

Florida Snow

Okay, it's not really snowing in South Florida, although it has been known to happen in the past, and it is cold enough to happen now.

In CDG, because we were on a flight to the US, we had to go through two security checks. The first one was the normal one where you take anything that might set off the buzzer and put it in a tray which is sent through the scanner. The second one was an actual "hands on" pat down. I had my inhaler in my jacket pocket and had to take it out to show the "patter". Then I had to take out my wallet. Can you guess what he was patting?

When we got back home, I was delighted to see that the two bottles of wine (there's only one left), and the three bags of coffee I had packed in my luggage had made it with no mishaps.

After returning from the coldest winter they've had in France for many, many years, we were confronted with the coldest winter we've had in Florida for many, many years. Tell me again about how the earth is getting hotter because of "global warming".

When we got into the airport, after picking up our bags, Robb went to the Air France check-in counter to see if anyone had turned in his man-bag. He was told that anything they find at the check-in counters is taken to the airport Lost and Found. Geoff was already there waiting for us, so we'll come back down to check out the Lost and Found. We were surprised to find that Miami Airport has stopped charging for the use of luggage carts, so we no longer use them for free in Europe and pay to use them here. Kudos to Miami International Airport for opening their eyes.

I've changed my mind about the make-up of Tartiflette. It's more like potatoes au gratin with sausage, then cassoulet. Whatever one calls it, it is delicious.

Also, during this visit, I discovered two things I like that I thought I didn't; yogurt and chestnuts. At least, the yogurt with fruit. My previous objection to yogurt was the consistency; or what I perceived to be the consistency. When I actually tried it, at Robb's coaxing, I found it was not what I was expecting.

We drove down to the Miami Airport, which turned out to be an adventure in itself, since we got totally lost because we missed our turn off. But it was really fun. We made it to the Lost and Found department but they didn't have Robb's bag, or my glasses which I managed to lose after putting them in my jacket pocket on the plane. Luckily, I still have the old ones.

Here is the video I took at Hôtel de Ville. The only skaters are the guys cleaning the ice, but there's a good look at the Zamboni.

Climate change: the true price of the warmists' folly is becoming clear

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 07-08 Janvier 2010

07 Janvier (Juedi) - Saw one of these on the street the other day. They're about the same size as a Smart and almost as cute.

So here it is...our last day in frozen Paris. It's time to partir, just as we were starting to get used to the cold. Almost everyone has said that it hasn't been this cold in a long, long time. It must be that damned global warming.

Madame Perez called to say she would be about an hour early for the final inspection and the returning of the deposit.

We walked down to Saint Paul and got a taxi to Place d'Italie and Italie2. Of course, as we are wont to do, we struck up a conversation with our driver. We mentioned that we were going home tomorrow, and he gave us his number and said if we called him, he would be happy to take us to the airport. We're glad that happened because otherwise, Robb would have to walk up to Saint Paul, engage a taxi and bring him back to the apartment to pick up me and our baggage. This arrangement is much better. Beside, the driver was a very cute Chinese guy born and raised in Paris.

In Italie2, we covered almost the entire place. I thought I might buy a pair of shoes, but couldn't find any I really liked, including the ones made by a company with my name. I bought a nice scarf at Jules for half off because of the soldes. Robb bought another stocking hat. It's really nice. I saw a fantastic leather jacket that I would have bought in a heartbeat if I had seen it first. It was three times as much as the one I bought, but it was so much better. Ah well, I've already got three leather jackets, well two jackets and a coat, I don't need another one.

We returned to the apartment, just in time to greet Madame Perez. She is Irish and very nice. She didn't even bother to check the place, just gave back the security check and, after a brief chat, left.

Our last dinner was, of course, at Fontaine Sully. I had a great veal stew, and ate every last morsel. Robb had steak and fries. For the first time in a long time, I finished my entire meal. We said our farewells to the staff, took a last look around and returned to the apartment to finish packing.

Because of the latest "terrorist attack", Air France emailed us and suggested we get to the airport several hours early. We will leave the apartment around 07h00. That should get us there in plenty of time.

Of course, as a final slap-in-the-face, the internet was down when I tried to get on one last time.

08 Janvier (Vendredi) - Up at 06h00. Did all the morning stuff and made one final sweep to be sure we had everything. Just started taking the bags out, when Win (the taxi driver) pulled up. With all the baggage loaded in the back, we climbed in and took off for Charles de Gaulle.

We got to the airport in what must have been record time, easily found a luggage cart, and set out to find the Air France check-in counter. Naturally, it was at the other end of the building. Because we were so early, check-in was quick and easy and we headed for the departure gate. If you've been to CDG on the way to the US, you know you have to take a train to the terminal. It was fairly crowded. Once in the terminal, we passed a lot of stores, but only one place that sold food; it wasn't even a bistrot. We passed on that. Checked out a place where the geeks among us could rent time on a computer. All the stations were empty at that early hour. I didn't look closely, but I think the prices weren't too out of line for an airport. One hour was €2, I think.

We got to the gate where we sat freezing with over an hour to go before boarding.

Boarding began several minutes late. They started, but then stopped, but didn't tell anyone why they had done that. Once on the plane, it was freezing again because they had the heat off while they were refueling. Now, the plane had been sitting there for several hours, why wasn't that already done? We left over an hour late, so a lot of people with connecting flights, didn't make them. I wonder, do they compensate those people?

We were in the middle section of the 747-400. Seated next to me was an English girl who was going to Miami to work on a cruise ship. She was cute and very nice. She invited us to come over and tour the ship before it leaves port in Fort Lauderdale, but I can't remember her name, so I guess that's not going to happen.

It was quite cool in Miami and even cooler in Fort Lauderdale. It was about 19C in our apartment. The heat was turned on immediately.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 05-06 Janvier 2010

05 Janvier (Mardi) - Mon Dieu, it's -3C and the guy across the courtyard has his windows open.

This was another special day. We met and spent several enjoyable hours with Peter of Peter's Paris, a fantastic website on which he features various areas of Paris. There are great pictures and a lot of good information. Peter is from Sweden, but has been living in Paris for twenty-five years. We all bundled up and walked over to Fontaine Sully, where Peter treated us to lunch and a glass of champagne. Afterward, we came back to the apartment and opened a bottle of Bordeaux Supérieur, with a very dried out cork. But the wine was good. Peter, as you would expect if you've read his blog, is a virtual font of information. Thank you, Peter, for the good champagne and the great conversation.

It was also special because I finally managed to get the picture of the heater that I've been trying to get for a couple of days. I mentioned that most of the restaurants/bars in Paris have heaters for those who want to sit outside to drink and smoke. I also mentioned that you have to be warmly bundled to do that. There are apparently, only two kinds of heaters; electric or gas. Some may look a little different than these two, but basically, one of these is what you will see. They work quite well, but when it's windy, no heater is going to keep you warm. On our walks since we've been here, I usually must stop for a breather every now and then, and I always try to choose a place with a heater. More to the point, with a heater that's turned on, becuse they aren't always on. Sometimes the waiter will wait for someone to sit down before they turn them on. Of course, that tends to lose them some customers, because if the heater isn't on, they will get up and walk to a place where they are on.

06 Janvier (Mercredi) - It is 11h00 and it is snowing in Paris.....again.

We went out today to investigate Saint-Antoine, which is only two blocks down the street toward La Bastille. We stopped long enough to take this picture of me and one of Robb. Believe or not, I'm actually smiling in that picture. Then I shot this little fountain in the courtyard. On the way to Saint-Antoine, we came across a shop that previously had been closed everytime we passed. It's a shop that sells all the wonderful goodies one thinks about when one thinks about the foods of France. And, as you can see in the picture of Au Sanglier, it was crowded. We had to pass this fine example of old architecture, Hôtel de Mayenne. If you can read French, this plaque de histoire will give you some information about the Hôtel de Mayenne. There is more information here, and here. When we arrived at Saint-Antoine, we discovered it was closed, so I turned and took this picture of the Colonne de Juillet.

We started walking back toward the apartment when I suggested we could get a taxi to Italie2, because I wanted to check out Darty and FNAC to see if they had the earphones I was looking for, and Robb suggested I could go to rue des Archives and get my jacket. Then I thought, well, we're not sure the place is open, but we can take a taxi and, if when we arrive, it's closed, we can just tell the driver to take us to Italie2. As luck would have it, the place was not only open but, because this was the first day of the winter sales, I got my jacket and paid €30 less than the regular price. I'll bet you can see the big smile on my face right through the internet.

We wanted to stop at Caffé Vito for a café, but it was standing room only inside, and we were not about to sit outside. We next tried Chez Tsou, a Thai restaurant we had enjoyed last time we were here, but it was closed. So we settled for Les Marrionners again. Robb, as usual, was hungry but couldn't decide what to order. I suggested the Croquita he had had before and he agreed. I ordered a pomme tarte and champagne for both of us. Well, I thought I was ordering a pomme tarte, but the waiter brought something that looked like sliced ham and a side of potatoes. It looked quite good, but it wasn't what I wanted. Turns out, one doesn't say "pomme tarte", one says "tarte pomme". Don't ask, I have no idea what the difference is. But I got my apple tart and apologized profusely to the waiter for the mix-up.

Afterward, I thought we could walk down and get the bus, but suddenly remembered I had left my tickets at the apartment. As many times as we've been to that area of the city, we still didn't have a clue where the taxi station might be. We stopped into the Pharmacie de la Mairie where one of the clerks was kind enough to point us in the right direction. Merci, madame.

Tomorrow, will be our last full day in Paris and we still have a full bottle of Crémant, champagne that can't be called champagne because it's not from the Champagne region, but is just as good, and sometimes better, than champagne. We also have a full bottle and two half-full bottles of wine. What to do, what to do. After speaking to Geoff in Fort Lauderdale, it was decided we would pack the wine in our check-in cases and take it back with us.

After dinner at Fontaine Sully, we walked back to the apartment in the falling snow.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 03-04 Janvier 2010

03 Janvier (Dimanche) - Today was another "meet-up" day. We met Rhino75 at Les Marrioners. We rode the bus over to the Hôtel de Ville stop and walked up to the bar/restaurant. I checked my watch and noticed it was already past the time we had agreed to meet. I called Rhino to let him know we were on our way and just a couple blocks from the place. He evidently was waiting for us to call and tell him we were there before he left his apartment. The place was packed. We barely found two seats. There was an empty table next to us, but when I tried to pull it over, the people sitting on the other side told us they were expecting another to join them, and since they had been there first, we conceded it to them. Rhino showed up a few minutes later, and a few minutes after that, a table opened in the corner by the door, so we sat there. Rhino was good enough to let us have the "inside" seats. They weren't too bad and we were fairly comfortable. We chatted for a couple of hours and he was on his way to wherever. Since it was dark, we headed down to l'Hôtel de Ville so I could get the videos I wanted. Sadly, they didn't turn out any better than the ones I had already taken. Luckily, I had thought to bring my camcorder and I used that, so they should be okay, but I can't download them until I get home. If you want to see the sucky videos, you can look at these: Hôtel de Ville, Skaters, BHV.

Tonight, instead of walking all the way over to Pont Neuf, we grabbed the 76 bus at the Hôtel de Ville stop and rode it to the end of the line. When the driver told us the line was "terminé", we told him we wanted to go to the Birague stop and he very graciously let us stay on. I love the bus drivers in Paris.

Dinner was, of course, at Fontaine Sully. They make a dish they call "Tartiflette Maison", which is, in my humble opinion, cassoulet made with potatoes. It is super delicious.

04 Janvier (Lundi) - I decided I wanted to buy the leather jacket after all, so we bundled up and went out to catch the bus over to rue des Archives. Lordy, it was cold...below freezing. We got off at the Hôtel de Ville stop (everything seems to be right there, doesn't it?) and walked up to the jacket store. It was closed, but the sign on their door stated that they open at 14h00 on Lundi. We walked back to the Open Café and nursed a cup of coffee for forty-five minutes. There was an interesting looking guy seated next to us who kept texting someone, or, at least, constantly checking his phone for messages. A few minutes later, a very cute guy joined him. We learned through listening to their conversation that the cute guy was Italian and was in Paris to complete his studies in pursuit of a PhD. The other guy was an American. The witching hour (14h00) finally arrived and we walked back to Roganel, the jacket store. It was still closed. I remarked to Robb that it was so typically French for them to be closed at the time they were supposed to be open. In better weather I would have waited for them to open, but it was just too cold to do that today, so we took off to get the bus back to the apartment.

Once inside, I swore I was never going out again until the weather warmed up. Of course, that was when we discovered we needed milk.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 01-02 Janvier 2010

01 Janvier (Vendredi) - We celebrated the advent of 2010, by spending the day doing laundry. It took longer than usual because Robb forgot to reset the machine to dry, and washed everything twice. Well, at least, we're sure it's clean. Dinner at Fontaine Sully. We both had Escalope de Veau avec tagliatelle. I can't get used to the number of people who will brave this weather to sit outside and drink cold beer, just because they can smoke. Yes, it's true, most of the restaurants with outside seating have heaters, and they work very good. But, when that wind decides to crank it up a notch, there's no heater in the world that will keep you warm. Just because I felt the need to insert some pictures; here's one of the inside door lock of the apartment. Here are a couple as the bus passed a carnival for kids in Place de la Bastille the other day when we went to Italie2. And just because I have it, a picture of Hôtel de Sully that I took by accident one night while walking back to the apartment. Hôtel de Sully, built in 1625, is the structure for which this section of town is named. It is now the home of the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques et des Sites, which in 2000 became the Centre des Monuments Nationaux. This public body, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, is responsible for the management of historic buildings and monuments in state care, of which there are a bunch. 02 Janvier (Samedi) This is my "man" bag. It really becomes quite handy at times. For instance, in mine I carry an umbrella, a couple of scarves, my copy of Paris Practique, a métro map, métro tickets, a pen, a small notepad, my keys and my camera When we were getting our boarding passes in Miami, Robb left his bag at the counter. He didn't realize it until we got to Paris. Unfortunately, along with his umbrella, he also had several items he needs, including his glasses. He tried calling Air France Lost and Found but got no real answer. We plan to stop and check it once we return to Miami on Friday. For those who didn't get to Paris, or didn't get to la Tour Eiffel (like us), you can see what the frozen people saw here: http://31decembreaparis.com/ Robb wanted to buy some more shirts because he didn't bring any with him, so we braved the freezing weather and began the long walk to BHV. One of the first things we encountered was this ad for Vivaldi concerts. If you've ever been in Paris, you must have seen one, they're everywhere. We attended a Vivaldi concert at Saint-Chapelle many years ago, and another at la Madeleine. When we got to rue Bourg Tibourg, we walked up to the Franprix, passing Chocolat Mussy, a confectionnerie, on the way. We had almost rented a place on rue Bourg Tibourg just across the street from the Franprix, but at the last minute, decided we didn't want to stay in a studio-alcove apartment, even though it was very nice and pretty big for a studio, about 35m2 as I recall. After the Franprix, we walked down rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie to check a restaurant, but it appears to be gone, as are several other things we remember from the area. Then, we walked to the store where we had bought our leather jackets a couple years ago. This time, they had a bunch of the kind I like and they had my size. I didn't buy one because they don't have inside pockets, but I'm rethinking that. We walked back down to BHV, noticing that if you can find a place out of the wind and in the sun, it's almost comfortable. Robb bought three shirts and and a beautiful sweater. If they had had it in my size, I would have bought one also. We left BHV and walked back to rue Bourg Tibourg. I wanted to stop and have cup of coffee, so we stopped at a restaurant but every seat was filled. We tried another, and there were a few seats left inside La Feria. Again, instead of just coffee, Robb had a large chicken salad and I had a Croque Monsieur. We both accompanied our lunch with wine. After the restaurant, we went back to Franprix to buy a Bûche de Noël. Yeah, I know, who buys a Christmas cake at Franprix, but it looked so good and was on sale. Unfortunately, Robb cut it before I had a chance to take the picture. I stepped into the traffic on rue de Rivoli, risking my life to get you this picture of la Tour St-Jacques. The tower is all that's left of the church that used to be there, Saint-Jacques la Boucherie. On the walk back to the apartment, we stopped at a mobile phone store, basically just to get warm, but I was interested in how the phone companies work and what they offer. They practically give the phones away; an Apple iPhone 3G would cost only €1. But they sock it to you for the monthly service. We continued to the apartment, passing Saint-Paul, the church for which the area gets its name. Around nine-ish, we started thinking about dinner. I wanted to go to Fontaine Sully, but Robb wanted to go to L'Angela, a restaurant we frequented on rue de la Roquette in the 11éme. He called, made a reservation and we got ourselves ready to leave. Luckily, we only have to walk to the bus stop just down the street, where we can catch the 69, which practically drops us at the door. We were surprised to find that the people we were expecting to see were no longer there, and had left just two months ago. No one was offering any information about the circumstances, so it's left to our imaginations what might have happened. We each ordered the Penne Alla Puttanesca and a 50ml pichet of red wine. For dessert, we both had the Panna Cotta Caramel, finishing with a café. All in all, it was a pretty good meal. We asked the waiter to call a taxi for us, but for whatever the reason, he wouldn't do, I'm not really sure why. We had no choice, we would have to walk to the bus stop or to Place Léon Blum to the taxi stand. When we got to the bus stop, we learned the 69 was no longer in service (you may remember that was a huge complaint when we stayed in that area), so it was off to Place Léon Blum. But we had only walked a block or so when an "available" taxi came down the street. I hailed him, and to our surprise, he actually stopped and picked us up. À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 30-31 Decembre

30 Decembre (Mercredi) - When we arise in the morning, we always make coffee.  But, unlike at home, where we have a Cuisinart Coffee Maker, here we have to use a French Press Coffee Maker. The larger Press makes about three or four cups, while the smaller one makes bout a cup and a half.  If you're not familiar with the French Press, it's really quite simple.  First you pull out the cap and press. Into the glass pot, you place enough coursely ground cofee for however many cups you want to make. Then, you pour in the appropriate amount of boiling water and stir.  You replace the cap and press, and let it sit for about five minutes.  After five minutes, you press down until the press is as far down as it can go, then pour yourself a very good cup of coffee.  The press pushes the grounds to the bottom of the pot so all you get is a cup of groundless coffee.  We use the French Press here because that's all there is, there is no other kind of coffee maker in the apartment.  Lucky for us, we already knew how to use it.  Here's a video for making French Press coffee.

Robb has lost a scarf and is sure he left it at O'Jules, so we walked up to the bus stop near the Saint-Paul métro.  We were going to take a taxi, but decided at the last minute to take the bus.  Of course, taking the bus isn't quite that simple.  We had to take the 69 to Place Léon Blum, where we caught the 61 to Gare de Lyon (a train station), where we finally boarded the 57 to Place d'Italie.  When we got to O'Jules, they said the only scarf they had found was green.  Robb was sure his was blue. We decided to have a sandwich.  Robb had a Croque Monsieur, I had a Croque Madame.  We walked over to the taxi stand and rode home.

 

The other day, I took this picture of a lamp.  When we went out to get the pictures of Hôtel de Ville and the skaters, I wanted to photograph it while it was lit.  But I couldn't find it.  I was sure it was close to the kiosque, where Parisians go to buy newspapers, magazines and etc, but it wasn't there.  Luckily, I had the picture to prove I wasn't any crazier than usual.  Today, when we walked up to get the bus, I saw it again.  It wasn't near the kiosque at all.

 

31 Decembre (Jeudi) - New Year's Eve.  The weather has turned bitterly cold again.  We had hoped to go to the Champ de Mars to watch the fireworks, but it's just too damned cold and they're predicting rain. The closest métro to the Tour Eiffel is a rather long walk, which I'd rather not do if it's cold and raining.  So we will have dinner at Fontaine Sully, return to the apartment, and watch it on television or online.  We did go out to Monoprix to pick up some stuff, because we think it might be closed tomorrow.  Just another exciting New Year's Eve in Paris.

 

Well, it actually did become exciting.  When we got to the restaurant, there were a lot of people already there.  We've never seen it so crowded.  We lucked out and got a seat by the window.  We were no sooner seated than the waitress brought a glass of champagne and a small plate of appetizers.  We noticed that she did not do that for everyone, so I guess the regulars get special treatment.  Dinner was good, I had the faux filet, Robb had the Boudin Blanc (a white sausage). Both came with a side of potatoes. I think the chef must have gone to some kind of special Potato School, because no matter what kind they bring to the table, they're always the best we've ever had.  After dinner, we ordered a glass of champagne.  Robb had a dessert of Petits Fours, of which I had a couple.  Then, just before midnight, the waitresses came around handing out more champagne, party hats, streamers and a package of toys.  Okay, you say, nothing strange there. But included in the toys was that red and silver thing that I thought was a noise maker.  I tried and tried to get it to make noise, but had no luck.  Then I noticed that the French people were using the "noise maker" to blow the red, yellow and white balls at each other.  A blow gun.  No wonder I couldn't get it to make noise. After the official hour arrived, craziness ensued as little red, white and yellow balls were flying all over the place.  A funny juxtaposition was the two little old ladies seated at a table behind us, who were trying to behave as ladylike as possible while this craziness swirled all around them.  By 02h00, the place had pretty much emptied out and we walked all the way back to the apartment in the freezing cold. Happy to have been a part of a really fun evening.  It was probably more fun that we would have had at la Tour Eiffel.

 

Bonne Année!

 

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 28-29 Decembre

28 Decembre (Lundi) - Remembrance of things past: To get through these doors, you need to punch a series of digits into this DigiCode machine. M. Perez, the apartment owner, had sent us the digicode in an email before we left, so we thought we were set. Ah ha! When we arrived at the apartment, we punched in the code and pulled the door. Nothing. We tried it again, and again, nothing. We were about to try a third time when a little old lady came out and we discovered that you don't pull the doors, in spite of the handle, you push the door closest to the digicode machine. We started to enter but the litle old lady wasn't having it. She wanted a full explanation of who we were and why we were trying to enter HER building. I finally had to tell her the digicode before she would let us enter, and even then, rather reluctantly.

There is a nice washer/dryer in the apartment, so we decided to do some laundry today. The only problem was that I couldn't fully remember M. Perez's instructions on how to use it. I'm pretty sure I left out a step, becuse there was very little water in the machine. Robb insisted that it was working correctly and we didn't really have a choice, because evidently, once it starts its cycle, you can't stop it and must let it run to completion. When it finally finished, we looked at the clothes and they seemed to be clean so we put it into dryer mode. Again, we weren't certain of the proper way to set it up, but took a shot. After two hours and forty-five minutes, it stopped. The clothes were not entirely dry, but passable. We hung them over the back of the kitchen chairs to finish the job.

We bundled ourselves as warmly as possible and started walking to the taxi stand a couple blocks up the street, where we got one who drove us to Italie2, our favorite shopping mall in Paris. I wanted to go to Tati to see if they had any thermal socks and Robb was still wanting to go to FNAC. Tati had no thermal socks that I saw, so we were off to FNAC, until Robb spotted a shoe store having a sale. He bought a very nice pair of Guess trainers, and even got an extra €30 off the sale price. The FNAC was just a couple doors down. Robb bought four CDs. Grégory Lamarchal, Joe Dassins, Marc Lavoine and a compilation of famous French singers. After FNAC, we wandered about for awhile through Printemps. Then Robb decided he wanted to go to Aimee's tearoom, so we walked down rue Bobillot to rue de la Butte Aux Cailles and L'Oisive Thé, quite a trek. It was closed. We walked back up to Italie2 and decided to stop at O'Jules to refresh and warm up a little. It was an interesting event because the table we chose at the very back of the restaurant, was next to the table where the waiters ate their dinners. Robb had a Parisian sandwich (ham and cheese on a baguette), while I just had a café. Then it was off to find the taxi stand which turned out to be just on the other side of Italie2. Back to the apartment where we crashed until dinner time.

29 Decembre (Mardi) - The weather is absolutely balmy today. We walked up the Supermarché G20 which is almost adjacent to the Saint Paul métro entrance. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who were enjoying the beautiful weather, the area around the métro was bustling. It was almost as if the métro was pushing people to the sidewalk like candy from a Pez dispenser. Then, I looked about and was amazed. Sunshine! A sight one doesn't often see in Paris in the winter. On the way back to the apartment with our booty, which hopefully will get us through a couple of days, I snapped this picture of a patisserie window.

Around 20h00, we walked up to l'Hôtel de Ville to see the lights and the ice skaters, about whom I had totally forgotten. They hadn't. There were beaucoup des gens skating about. The other day, on the way to la Tour Eiffel, we passed a building that was brightly lit. The only name I saw was 'Baudoyer'. Tonight, I saw the sign pointing the way to Biblio Baudoyer, so I now know what it is. Kind of. I shot a couple videos, but my batteries were too weak and I'm going to have to do them over. Maybe tonight if the weather holds up.

After, getting the videos and just 'chilling' in every sense of the word, we walked up to Quai de la Mégisserie and Pont au Change and caught the 96 bus to Fontaine Sully for dinner. The waitress surprised us with another little treat tonight. She presented us with a little plate of petits fours when she brought our coffee.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 26-27 Decembre

26 Decembre (Samedi) - Today was very special. We got to meet, live and in person, the beautiful Marie Isabelle Reed who puts out a blog called, The French Factrice. She is very pretty in the picture that used to be on the blog and is now on her Facebook entries. But she is really beautiful in person. She could easily be one of the top models in the world of fashion. She has one of those sparkling personalities that make you glad you know her. And she laughs...a lot. We learned that she and Robb seem to have a lot in common, as well. At first, it seemed our plan to meet was not going to happen. She called to say that she was going to lunch with her in-laws and would then get here around 14h30, calling first to let us know she was on her way. Robb and I decided to run out to the Monoprix for a few things. We came back to the apartment and putzed around for a while and then, suddenly realized it was already after 15h00. I was sure we had missed her call and the meeting would not happen, but a few minutes later, she called to say she was at the Bastille and on her way to the apartment. After the obligatory nickel tour, we spent several delightful hours chatting, drinking wine and laughing.

27 Decembre (Dimanche) - Robb has been chomping-at-the-bit to get to FNAC to buy some CDs, so we walked up to la Place de la Bastille where there is a branch of FNAC next door to l'Opéra Bastille. It wasn't as far as I had thought, but it was really cold and FNAC was closed. We stood around shivering for a while and decided to walk back to Monoprix and get the stuff we needed. We bought a lot of cheese and found a very nice hors d'oeuvre. By the time I got back to the apartment, I was exhausted. Apparently, that is going to be the ongoing theme from now on. Not just because it's cold (which by now you know I hate), but because the emphysema has advanced that far. We had the cheese hors d'oeuvres with some toasts and wine. As Robb is wont to say, so civilized.

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow 24-25 Decembre

24 Decembre (Jeudi) - So far, the most adventurous we'd gotten was to walk up to BHV (a huge department store) and, though it doesn't seem like much, that's a pretty good walk. And we still have to walk back. It took us quite a while, because Robb wanted to check out every shoe store we passed, and there were quite a few along the way. After walking through the regular store to get warm, we crossed the street to BHV Homme (the men's store). We each bought a stocking cap (is that what they're called?) and Robb bought a couple of shirts. Then we walked up rue des Archives to Les Marrioners. I thought we were just going to have a glass of wine, but Robb, as usual, was hungry. He ordered something called a "Croquita", which turned out to be a kind of Croque Monsieur with herbs. I had a couple bites. It was delicious.

We had dinner again at Fontaine Sully and discovered that they're open 24/7, somewhat surprising for a French restaurant.

We're still having trouble with our French SIM cards. Mine sort of works, but Robb's is for "Urgences Seulement" (Emergencies Only). The Canadian company from which I purchased them is trying to get Orange to bring them online, but is not having much luck. Quel surprise.

25 Decembre (Vendredi) - The day got off to a great start; blue skies and sunshine and tempertures a little better than freezing. Today, we accomplished a couple of things. Well, tonight, really. We walked up to the taxi station because you can't just flag one down, even if you could figure out their lights. I was going to ask him to drive by way of la Place de la Concorde, but then I thought, well, it's the most logical way to go. Yeah, I know, expecting logic from a Frenchman, what nerve! But sure enough, that's the way he went, so we finally got to see the Champs-Elysées with its beautiful lights, as well as the Grand Roue de Paris. Les Champs-Elysées is even more beautiful in person than in all the pictures and videos. Here's a video featuring the Marché de Noël. There were a lot more lights and decorations on rue de Rivoli than I was expecting, also. L'Hôtel de Ville is spectacular and if I can force myself to go out into the cold to do it, I will take some video and a picture or two. Paris seems to be getting more and more commercial.

The main reason we had taken the taxi was to get to la Tour Eiffel for Christmas dinner. We could not believe the number of people who were there milling about with apparently no idea where they were going or why. Also, they've setup barriers all over the place making it the most frustrating experience I've ever had there. We asked a guy who seemed to be in charge of one of the barrier stations how to get up to Restaurant 58. The last time we were here, it was named Altitude 95 That alone was very confusing. I knew it had been renovated but I didn't know they had also changed the name. I'm not even sure it's owned by the same company. He sent us to the information booth, which he described as "a little hut". There we discovered that we would have to pay to take the elevator up to the restaurant. Talk about a scam! Not only that, but the elevator doesn't stop on the first floor, on which the restaurant is located. Noooo, they make you go to the second floor where you have the option of catching the elevator down to the first floor, or walking down the stairs. The reason for that, as explained by our waiter (from Texas no less), is because the company that operates la Tour Eiffel wants you to wander around the second floor in the hope that you'll happen into one of their souvenir shops and buy stuff. We decided to use the stairs (can you hear the buzzer?). It seemed like an interminable climb down, but we did eventualy get there and found the Restaurant 58.

We asked about sitting by the window and were told that people had called three months ago for that privilege and there was no way it was going to happen for us. We were seated at a table that was rather isolated from the rest, and the only view we had was of the waiters running (literally running) up and down the stairs with their orders. We were no sooner seated than we were presented with a glass of champagne (Alain DuCasse if you're interested) which was okay, but not great. There was already on the table a bottle of Evian water and a bottle of Bordeaux vin rouge.

The first course, choice of three, was foie gras. The presentation was fantastic, the foie gras, not so much. Our choice for the entrée was Noix de Coquilles Saint-Jacques. It came with some kind of vegetable, but we're still not certain what it was. There was also a small serving of polenta with chestnuts. We ordered a bottle of chardonnay to replace the red. It was a nice wine, but not memorable. The entrée was very good. The third course, was desert. I had a pear with chestnut icing. It was more like pear ice cream than a fruit. It was delicious. Robb had a rum cake. Although none of the courses could have been considered large, they were very filling, and neither of us could finish our desert. We finished with café.

After our meal, we walked out to the taxi stand. We barely had gotten there when a taxi pulled up beside us. Some jerk tried to push in front of us and take it, but the driver shooed him away and motioned for us to get in. Then we had a very scenic drive along the Seine back to the apartment. I'm glad we had dinner on la Tour Eiffel because it was a special event, but, for a number of reasons, I don't think I would ever do it again.

You may have noticed I haven't taken as many pictures as usual. Freezing weather is the reson for that. Have I mentioned how much I hate the cold?

À la prochaine, mes amis

Paris Snow - 16-24 Decembre 2009

16-24/12/09 (Mercredi-Jeudi) - Our Air France 747 was more than an hour late leaving Miami International, but never-the-less got to Aêroport Charles de Gaulle a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Robb and I were seated next to an Italian guy on his way to Florence for a visit with his mother and sister. He claimed to be bi and married to a Cuban-American girl.

Cloud cover was thicker than usual, but as soon as I could see the ground it appeared to be white. Taxiing to the terminal left no doubt that it was snowing in France. Everything was covered with a light dusting of the white stuff. The walk to the passport control area seemed interminable and it was quite cool until we got there. Robb had the sense to bring his leather jacket, but I was wearing only a sweater over a very light shirt. We got through passport control with no problem and began the long, long walk to the baggage claim. We were the last two people off the plane and Robb had to make a pit-stop, so we would have been the last two to pick up our bags. But when we finally arrived, we learned that the bags hadn't even begun to come out. We looked around for one of the FREE baggage carts, the same kind for which we had paid four dollars in Miami. When our bags arrived, I pulled out my leather jacket and put it on. We went out to get a taxi. It was quite cold and still snowing. The further we drove, the heavier the snowfall. Traffic was very dense and very slow. I took these pictures as we drove into the city. The first is through the windshield of the taxi. Then one along the road into the city. The next three are various scenes we passed in the city; motorcycles with cold seats, Picard (a frozen food chain - I just thought that was funny), and

the Jacques Bonsergent

métro station. And finally, the courtyard just outside the apartment. One of my readers will find it interesting that just across the courtyard is the office of an architect, who seems to be quite busy.

The owner of the apartment had arranged for a friend to meet us and give us a brief tour. He had told us she would come around 10h30, but we had barely left the airport. When we arrived at the apartment, she was there waiting and we encountered our first problem. Our French phones weren't being authorized, so we had to use our American phones to make the few calls that were necessary. Once inside the apartment, we were happy to find that it is a little bigger than it appeared in the pictures.

The area of the apartment is very convenient and just about everything we need is practically next door, including a huge Monoprix with a large grocery section. On the corner is a produce market selling all kinds of wonderful things. Just across the street from that and next to the Monoprix is the Fontaine Sully, a very nice brasserie at which we have now eaten four times. Last night, after desert, the waitress surprised us with a glass of cognac. On the other side of Monoprix is a pharmacie, and next to that is Julien de Savignac, a wine store. Another block down the street, rue Saint-Antoine, is the local branch of BNP Paribas, Robb's bank. When I click the link, I get a Google street view. If you get the same view, the light-colored double doors left of the Naturalia, is the entrance to the courtyard.

We went to Monoprix to get some staples; coffee, sugar, milk and couple of other items. We were both feeling really in need of sleep since neither of us slept on the plane, but I was near total exhaustion, so as soon as we got the things we really needed, we returned to the apartment.

Then we discovered problem number 2. The only real heat in the place is in the kitchen and the bathroom. There is a heater that barely works in the living room, and no heat at all in the bedroom. Now, during a normal winter, that might not be a problem. But it is very cold in Paris; below freezing. When we left Miami it was 27C (80F), when we got to Paris, it was -5C (23F). That's a hell of a difference in less than ten hours.

So far, this trip has been almost as bad as the last one, when I ended up in the hospital in Canada. I really thought I could adjust to the cold, and as it warms up a bit, I have. But it takes so much out of me and on those few times we went anywhere, I returned exhausted.

À la prochaine, mes amis