Last Weekend

Tags

Anti-Macron, Anti-Macron demonstration, apartment, bande dessinée, Belleville, Café des Anges, church, departure, Grand Fête, head on a platter, John the Baptist, Jourdain, Latin Quarter, Le Jourdain, Lisa, Macron, meals, Metro, neighborhoods, Paris, Place Saint-Michel, tourists, touristy, typanum, Village Jourdain, Zhizhong

The open studios walk Andy and I took a couple weeks back ended up in a neighborhood of Belleville called the Village Jourdain. I had noticed a banner for a festival being held there on my last weekend, so on Saturday morning I headed over to see what it was like.

A flâneur at the Village Jourdain festival

The festival was very charming and almost 100% local. There was a brocante (tag sale), shops and restaurants, a stage with local performances, and lots of convivial people. Anti-Macron demonstrators took advantage of the crowd to organize an impromptu sing-along, with lyrics on banners set to a popular tune.

An anti-Macron sing-along at the Jourdain Festival

There were many budget lunch options but since it was my last weekend I felt like going a bit upscale. Fortunately I was able to get a seat at the bar of Le Jourdain, a delightful seafood tapas place a few blocks from the center.

The happy dining room at Le Jourdain

The service was friendly and professional and the food was excellent; the kitchen was somewhat slow but I was in no hurry.

Seafood tapas at Le Jourdain

More seafood tapas at Le Jourdain

After lunch, on a whim, I strolled up to the pretty neo-Gothic church on rue de Belleville, across the street from the Jourdain métro station, for a tour offered by the parish priest. I assumed that it would take about half an hour but I didn’t anticipate the gusto with which the priest would explain every facet of the church’s history, architecture and decor: it ended up taking 90 minutes!

19th Century Neo-Gothic church at Jourdain

The priest explained that the tympanum is like a bande dessinée (comic book)

At left, John the Baptist’s head is about to be chopped off. At right, it’s being served up on a platter.

I understood almost everything the priest said! (Addressing a group is a key professional skill for a preacher: he was speaking so slowly and distinctly that any fool could understand him.)

I had been anticipating a photo opportunity from climbing up the bell tower but in fact the most interesting view was of the excavation for modernization and extension of métro line 11.

View from the church tower of excavation for modernization of Jourdain station on métro line 11

That evening I thought it would be nostalgic to go over to the Latin Quarter, where I had always used to stay, from my student days through the 2008 trip with Andy. I tend to avoid it these days, but I do have a soft spot for the area, if not for the throngs of tourists.

A dancing couple at Place Saint-Michel, heart of the Latin Quarter

My plan had been to eat in the tourist district, as I had done for so many years, but I simply couldn’t bear it! I walked a few blocks further, to a Vietnamese place in a quieter area.

The Tourist Track in the Latin Quarter

I had planned a photo shoot along the banks of the Seine for after dinner but it started to rain so I high-tailed it home and called it a night.

On Sunday I spent most of the day at the Grand Palais (described in my previous post).

My last week had been fairly solitary, since most of the people I spent time with this year had already left. Even Zhizhong had unexpectedly been called away to China on business, but fortunately he got back in time for us to have a farewell dinner on Sunday night at one of his favorite local places, Café des Anges on rue de la Roquette near Bastille.

Farewell dinner with Zhizhong at Café des Anges

Packing at the end of a trip is infinitely easier than packing at the start, since there are almost no decisions: you just throw everything into a suitcase (after triaging liquids, sharp objects and spare lithium batteries). The only issue I encountered on Sunday morning was weight. I travel with a hand-held scale, which showed that my checked suitcase was two pounds overweight. I moved a book to my carry-on and ditched some replaceable bottles to duck under the 50 pound limit. Then I tidied the apartment, wrote my previous blog post and checked out.

The process of getting to the airport, checking in, going through security, etc. was predictably annoying, but not in any interesting ways. The flight itself, on Air France, was surprisingly tolerable. Among the 200 movies they offered I chose Jules et Jim, directed by François Truffaut, in French with English subtitles. I found all the characters believable and relateable. Jules and Jim were both in love with the same woman but in the end I was even more deeply moved by the affectionate and respectful friendship between them.

Farewell to the view from my 2018 Paris apartment

Andy and Uncle Bob in Paris

Tags

Andy, Andy Mack, Canal Saint-Martin, Il Tre, Il Tre 3, Italian Beer, Les Délices de la Lune, Les Enfants Perdus, meals, neighborhoods, Paris, rue Montorgueil, Zhizhong

Ten years ago, in 2008, I took my nephew Andy, then 15 years old, on an eleven-day trip to Paris (and Chartres). He had been studying French for several years, so when I offered to take him pretty much anywhere he chose France. I had been here many times as a tourist, but this was my longest visit, and the experience — even though we stayed in hotels — started me thinking about the idea of an even longer petit séjour. It was thus a particular treat to host him for almost a week this year.

Andy and Uncle Bob (2008)

Andy and Uncle Bob (2018)

Andy arrived on Saturday evening after a 3-1/2 hour drive to LA, and two flights, so we just had a quick Breton meal at a favorite neighborhood place, Les Délices de la Lune.

The next two days we had a great time visiting art studios and galleries in the Belleville neighborhood, which had its annual open studios event that weekend. I’ll post separately about that, but on Sunday we first met up with Zhizhong for brunch along the Canal Saint-Martin. We had a delicious meal at Les Enfants Perdus, which Alexis had introduced me to several years back.

Andy and Bob at brunch with Zhizhong at Les Enfants Perdus

Brunch with Zhizhong at Les Enfants Perdus

There was a funny moment when the waitress whisked our menus away after we chose drinks and breads from the top section. We were still trying to decide among the several tempting main courses and desserts, but it turned out that you get all of them!

The main courses of our brunch at Les Enfants Perdus

Monday evening, after all our walking, Andy and I had a simple Italian dinner at Il Tre, on rue Montorgueil.

Andy’s first Italian beer

A simple well-prepared Italian dinner at Il Tre on rue Montorgueil

Dining in Strasbourg with Zhizhong

Tags

food porn, Kougelhopf, Krutenau, L'Alsace à Table, L'Ami Schutz, La Hache, Les Canailles, meals, restaurants, Strasbourg, Zhizhong

Yes, it’s time for food porn from Strasbourg!

On Saturday our lunch was at L’Ami Schutz, a “restaurant-bierstub” along a canal near the Barrage Vauban. It served traditional Alsatian food, but I was able to get a meal of fish, noodles and veggies that was tasty and not too heavy.

Zhizhong and Bob at our first lunch, at L’Ami Schutz

My fish and noodles, at L’Ami Schutz

Our shared frozen Kougelhopf, at L’Ami Schutz

That evening, our foray off Grande-Île into the university neighborhood of Krutenau eventually led us to an excellent gastronomic restaurant, Les Canailles. I assumed that the name was a reference to canals, but it turned out to mean something unrelated.

Menu at Les Canailles in Krutenau

Tender octopus appetizer at Les Canailles

Delicious fish dish at Les Canailles

On Sunday we headed back to Krutenau, intending to have lunch at a Syrian-Lebanese restaurant that had caught our eye. That place was closed, however, as were many others, so we settled for a modest local restaurant/bar, that nevertheless served up some quite reasonable meals.

Pleasant enough lunch on the terrasse of a local Krutenau place

Sunday evening Zhizhong fond a place on Google maps near our hotel that looked good: La Hache. It was open, and had great energy, but was booked solid. By that time it was getting late so we ended up at a fish place near the city center, L’Alsace à Table. It had a slightly odd vibe but the meal was just fine.

Oyster appetizer at L’Alsace a Table fish restaurant

On Monday we happened to be in the neighborhood so we stopped in at La Hache again and made a lunch reservation. It turned out to be a simply delightful place. Everything was perfect: welcome, menu, service, food, wine, decor, vibe and value for money (rapport qualité prix)

Zhizhong and Bob at our favorite bistro in Strasbourg, La Hache

Appetizer at La Hache: Cod sushi, avocado and mango

Supreme de volaille at La Hache

Pork over red choucroute at La Hache

Strawberries, merengue sticks with ice cream, topped with whipped cream, at La Hache

Last look at the dining room of La Hache

We would also return to Les Canailles for a somewhat more gastronomic meal, but for a classy but casual dining experience it’s hard to beat La Hache anywhere. All in all we were quite happy with our Strasbourg meals.

Update: Here’s a photo set with full-size versions of all the photos from my 2018 trip to Strasbourg:  Strasbourg 2018 with Zhizhong

Mot du jour: canaille, a dishonest or immoral person. I didn’t recognize the word, but apparently in English it means rabble, rifraff or proletarian. My guess is that it’s being used here in the last sense, even though I don’t see that definition in Larousse.

A Day Trip to Amiens

Tags

Amiens, Amiens Cathedral, canals, Cathedral, half-timbered, Judgment Day, Marais, Metro, Paris, rose garden, Saint Sebastian, secret garden, tympanum, Zhizhong

On Sunday Zhizhong and I met up at Gare du Nord for a day trip to Amiens. I was almost late because the line 4 platform was closed for repairs, but the efficient Parisian métro system nevertheless got me to the station with time to spare.

The signature attraction of Amiens is the cathedral, which is quite impressive; here are a few pics.

Zhizhong was surprised when I explained that the tympanum showed Judgment Day, when the blessed are led off by angels to heaven while the damned are led by devils to hell through the mouth of a monster.

The highest interior space of any cathedral in France. Meant to impress!

The ornate interior seems to have been recently re-gilded.

Zhizhong wondered aloud why Saint Sebastian has become something of a gay icon. I have no idea…

The stained glass is colorful but modern since the medieval windows were destroyed in the Revolution. Chartres is one of the few cathedrals in France with mostly intact windows.

There are many other heritage buildings in Amiens, but the regional museum was closed and the rest of the town seemed a bit depressed.

An attractive half-timbered building opposite the Amiens cathedral

One notable feature is that the city is built around many canals.

Ironically, one of the biggest thrills of the day for me occurred after we got back to Paris. Zhizhong mentioned that we were near a hidden garden at the Eastern edge of the Marais. I was skeptical that there could be anything interesting in the area that I didn’t already know about, but I followed his lead.

The entrance from the Marais is down this alley…

… then through this literally forbidding barred gate.

But inside was a gorgeous rose garden, in full bloom!

It’s a public park, sitting in a courtyard of posh private residences.

Many thanks to Zhizhong for his company on the trip, and especially for unveiling yet another Parisian secret.

Update: Here’s a Google photo set with full-sized versions of all my photos from our Amiens day trip: Amiens Day Trip

Parisian Food Porn

Tags

Amiens, Brian, Jackie, L'Envie du Jour, La Régalade Conservatoire, Le Quai, Le Quai Amiens, meals, Pratolina, restaurants, Sheila, Zhizhong

I have been remiss in not posting enough food pics, but I’ll make up for it now. Oh, and yes there are also a couple of pics of the friends I ate with.

First off is Pratolina, an Italian restaurant a couple blocks away in the 2ème. Starter was a salad with sliced pears and walnuts, followed by salmon ravioli. Warm greeting, good service, nice atmosphere and quite good food.

Next is L’Envie du Jour, a French restaurant in the 17ème. Starter was nicely presented bites of mackerel with veggies and fish over lentils with crispy onion topping. Food and atmosphere was quite good. Service neither problematic nor memorable. I’m not that familiar with Batignolles, although I did visit the area my first year here. I had the impression that the quarter was somewhat run down, but there were lots of attractive looking and busy restaurants in this area.

Both of those meals were with my new friend “Theseus,” of whom more later.

On Friday night I met up for dinner with cousin Jackie, cousin Brian, his wife Sheila, and their hosts and friends Rick and Sheryl. I may have my own place now but this is still a family year! Brian and Rick suggested La Coupole in the 14ème but that seemed to me like a project so I offered to look for something closer to home. I found La Régalade Conservatoire on The Fork. Although I had never been, it looked good and not crazy expensive, and was just a few blocks away in the 9ème. We all agreed that everything about our meal was superb: ambiance, welcome and service, and of course the food. Quite a find! 

Brian, Jackie, Sheila, Rick and Sheryl after dinner at La Régalade Conservatoire

Green bean and mozzarella appetizer at La Régalade Conservatoire

Cod over baby peas and tiny clams at La Régalade Conservatoire

Sheila enjoying her feathery light Grand Mariner souffle at La Régalade Conservatoire

On Saturday Zhizhong and I went for the day to Amiens. More later about the cathedral and town, but here was our meal at Le Quai. Perfectly nice food in a small city with a limited selection of restaurants.

Bob and Zhizhong at one of the many canals in Amiens.

Correct main course at Le Quai, Amiens

Correct dessert at Le Quai, Amiens

En Famille

Tags

Ali, apartment, Aya, bis, Jackie, Lisa, May Day, meals, neighborhoods, Paris, quater, ter, Virgule, weather, Zhizhong

The unique feature of this year’s petit séjour is that the first part is en famille. I’m staying for ten days in the 15ème arrondissement with my first cousin Jackie, her daughter Lisa and Lisa’s four-year-old daughter Aya.

Jackie, Aya and Lisa in our intensively furnished Airbnb in the 15ème

Our apartment is lovely, well-designed and filled with light. It’s also filled with a fascinating collection of bric-a-brac. The location is safe and quiet, well served with grocery stores and boulangeries, albeit completely lacking in anything that might interest a tourist (I haven’t noticed one since I’ve been here). We chose the area to be close to our friend — Lisa’s former partner — Ali. I’ll move to central Paris next week, but I have to admit that living here is perfectly pleasant, and perfectly Parisien.

The day I arrived the weather was dreadful, cold, windy and rainy. The flight was early but there was a SNAFU. The plane landed in the distant reaches of Charles de Gaulle airport, and the five buses sent to take us to the terminal left me behind, along with two dozen other passengers (and the entire crew). We waited for ten minutes or so on the freezing exit steps until the crew invited us back into the plane, where it was at least half an hour more before a sixth bus finally arrived to rescue us.

The was also a SNAFU concerning the address. Lisa had correctly told me that our building was at « 15 quater, rue A___ B____. ». I didn’t know what to make of quater, which isn’t in my Larousse, so I ignored it … to my sorrow! I was well acquainted with 15 bis, which means a second entry with the same number, somewhat like 15A. And I congratulated myself on having also encountered the enigmatic ter, which would in America be 15B. But Lisa had to explain by telephone, after the door code didn’t work at 15, that quater is yet another entry beyond ter!

15	15 Bis
15 Ter	15 Quater

After quater I personally give up but for the curious I offer this link. Jackie called me with the same problem when she arrived later in the day. I’m afraid I was laughing too hard to be properly sympathetic!

One of the peak experiences my first year in Paris — 2010 — was a walk across half the city with Lisa on May Day. We planned my arrival to allow us to take another May Day walk, adjusting gracefully to the changed route of the march and the inclusion of my new hyper-radical first-cousin-twice-removed Aya. Luckily, the weather was much improved, so we had a delightful walk, after a longer bus ride than we had expected. We arrived at Place d’Italie a bit after the main demonstration, but still managed to borrow a red flag for a classic photo op.

Aya waving the Socialist banner to demand equal rights for all!

Zhizhong was busy at work that afternoon — on a jour férié ?!! — but he joined us later for a lovely reunion dinner, at Virgule, near Place d’Italie.

Jackie, Lisa, Aya, Bob and Zhizhong at our May Day dinner.

The adventure in dining begins!

That afternoon we noticed some curious posters, for another demonstration next Saturday.

Google Translate explains that la fête à Macron means “the party in [President] Macron.” Sounds like fun!

Mot du jour: faire la fête à, to beat up.

Last Tango in Paris?

Tags

Andy, apartments, Brian, France, Lisa, Montorgueil, Paris, rue Montorgueil, Zhizhong

I’m leaving for Paris in a few hours on another petit séjour! Six weeks this year, the first ten days with my cousin Lisa and her daughter Aya in the 15ème and the rest on rue Poissonnière — just a few blocks above my beloved rue Montorgueil — in the 2ème. I’ll be in Paris until June 11.

This will be the most family-oriented of all my long stays. After Lisa and Aya leave my cousin Brian and his wife Sheila will be in Paris the following week, and my nephew Andy will be staying with me for the last week in May. Other friends will also be passing through, and possibly crashing with me, so it won’t be too solitary a visit. Not to mention Parisian friends such as Zhizhong, who has proposed a long weekend road trip in early May.

This year for the first time I’m using Airbnb instead of Paris brokers, such as Paris Attitude. I’ve had good luck with Airbnb elsewhere, including for six weeks in Tokyo last year. It’s a treat to avoid the punishing broker’s fee, and infinitely more convenient to pay by credit card rather than having to bring cash for both rent (converted to euros) and deposit. The real issue is the legal challenge that the City of Paris is making against illegal short-term rentals, whether through brokers or Airbnb. This has been a lurking issue since I started my long stays, but has now become focused in a lawsuit that could force Airbnb to remove 2/3 of its Paris listings. That reduction in supply could push short-term rents through the roof. Will this be my Last Tango in Paris?

I’ve written before about the Sweet Sorrow of leaving Paris at the end of one of my long stays, but in fact there’s a similar feeling as I prepare to leave home for such a long time. Tearing myself away from familiar routines has been a purpose of these trips since the beginning. Paris has increasingly become a home away from home, so the element of daring (always somewhat spurious) has largely evaporated. But the interruption in my Boston/Cambridge life is the same. I’ll be back in just a few weeks, inshallah, but winding things up and saying farewells is nevertheless slightly tinged with sadness. As I get older the resonance with a final departure — to a hospital or hospice from which I may or will not return — becomes stronger. This isn’t a problem, however. Rather it’s the flip side of my enjoyment of my regular Boston life, which it’s one of the goals of the trip to remind me of. And this little twinge takes nothing from the thrill of heading back for another long stay in the City of Light.

 

 

Last Days

Tags

art, contemporary art, France, Guillaume, MAC-VAL, meals, Paris, Vitry-sur-Seine, Zhizhong

My last few days this year — Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — were more of a denouement than a peak. I had no house guests, and my only social events were a play and an impromptu dinner party at my apartment on Wednesday night. I did see two good art museums, but mostly just walked around, did a lot of blogging and reading, bought a few gifties, finally sent my postcards, etc. I have often remarked that a trip is too short if you aren’t ready when it’s time to go home; this year I’m ready.

My first art outing was to the Grand Palais to see their Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso show: discussed in my previous post.

On Wednesday I trekked out to yet another banlieue, Vitry-sur-Seine, to see (for the first time) the contemporary art museum of Val de Marne, MAC-VAL. It takes a solid hour to get there, the first half on the métro and the second half by bus. I learned by harsh experience that you don’t buy a ticket to Vitry-sur-Seine — that works only on the métro and RER — you just use one normal métro ticket for each leg of the journey. I’ll put up a photo set eventually, but here’s a clip of one of my favorite pieces:

Wednesday evening Zhizhong and I saw a student production, Dom Juan 2016, at the charming Théâtre Adyar in the 7ème. The students themselves were very easy on the eyes, and their energy and intensity was admirable, but both Zhizhong and I found the French challenging. We could follow the overall concept but the details and jokes were often lost on us. After the show we met up with Guillaume and pulled together a last-minute dinner at my apartment. I’m happy to report that at the end of the evening I was still sober enough to stagger the length of the apartment into bed.

Zhizhong and Guillaume at an impromptu dinner at my 2016 apartment, on my last night in Paris!

Thursday morning I cleaned, packed, and — for you, gentle reader — blogged.

Last Weekend

Tags

16mm, 2015 by Nicholas Delprat, 2016 by Béranger Laymond, Ali, Anti-terrorism teams, Army teams, art, banlieue, Béranger Laymond, bidonville, bouche à oreille, bouchon d'oreille, Canal Saint-Denis, Censier–Daubenton, contemporary art, Foodi, Foyer Vietnam, France, Galerie les Yeux Fertiles, Grand Train, Guillaume, Jacques Carelman, Jacques Prévert, language, Le Grand Train, Lemon, Lina's, Lisa, Louvre, Marais, meals, Montorgueil, neighborhoods, Nicholas Delprat, Palais Royal, Paris, racism, raton, raton-laveur, Reliefs, RER Control, Roma, rue Montorgueil, Rue Mouffetard, Saint-Denis, shantytown, soldiers, Submachine guns, We Can Control Space, Zhizhong, Zongzi

These past two years my cousin Lisa — so big a part of my Paris experience in earlier years! — has been in Uganda working on her Ph.D. She’s still looking after me, however, and she suggested a dinner with our mutual friends Ali and Zhizhong. We met at my place on Friday evening for an apéro, then ate at nearby Foodi, where I had dined my first night in Paris this year.

Ali, Zhizhong and me on our way to dinner.

There was a snafu about our reservation — I’ve found that smaller restaurants often don’t notice last-minute reservations made through the Fork — but we just had to kill half an hour at Hoppy, and then could be seated.

Zhizhong and me at Foodi (photo credit, Ali)

Ali and I had bento boxes, but Zhizhong was thrilled to get a traditional Chinese dish, Zongzi. In a beloved legend packets of rice were thrown into a river to distract fish from eating the body of a hero.

Zhizhong’s Zongzi Traditionnelle at Foodi

Ali headed home after dinner but Zhizhong and I got into a deep conversation, mostly about the opportunities, challenges and temptations of his new job. He’s working like crazy, but also coming into contact with upper levels of French business and society that raise all sorts of interesting questions. We used to have conversations like this back in Cambridge while he was working on his Ph.D., but this is the first really long talk we’ve had in the 3-1/2 years he’s been living in Paris. It was after 3 am by the time he headed home, and I staggered into bed!

I understandably got a late start on Saturday, then strolled over to the Palais Royal to do some reading.

Reading at the Palais Royal

I grabbed a quick and cheap lunch at Lina’s on Etienne Marcel, then strolled over to the left bank via the Louvre. You see teams of four heavily-armed soldiers all over Paris. Usually I’m reluctant to take their picture but I did take this shot to give you the idea. From one perspective they make me feel safer and from another perspective they make me uneasy.

Well-protected Eiffel tower seller at the Louvre

My destination was the little district of art galleries in the 6ème arrondissement near the École des beaux-arts. I had slighted this area despite my interest in art because I had the impression that these would be schlock galleries catering to tourists. There were a few of those towards the Latin Quarter but overall I was quite impressed with the quality of the galleries in this area.

Snow bicycle by Jacques Carelman at the Galerie les Yeux Fertiles

After the galleries started closing I strolled across the Latin Quarter to rue Monge, and headed up to a student-run restaurant I had read about, the Foyer Vietnam, in the 5ème. Mysterious from the outside because its windows are frosted, inside it’s a simple and welcoming Vietnamese restaurant. The food was tasty and inexpensive, and I sat at a long table with other diners. Very much the kind of experience I was looking for that evening.

Both before and after dinner I strolled around the area. I had previously noted the neighborhood around métro Censier–Daubenton as one where I could envisage staying one year. The only real drawback I saw was the fact that it’s a bit of a hike to the Marais, which is these days more of an issue for my guests than it is for me. Nearby rue Mouffetard, which had charmed me on earlier trips to Paris, now seems trampled to death by the tourist hoards. Rue Montorgueil itself — while still attracting a lot of French visitors — seems to be going in the same direction. Where can I go to escape from … people like me?

On Sunday morning I blogged and got a quick lunch at Lemon. Then Guillaume picked me up and we traveled together to the banlieue of Saint-Denis to see a contemporary art show. Guillaume had worked in Saint-Denis on an assignment and his employer, a city planning arm of the Paris region, plans to move its main office there. I had previously been to see the basilica (which is most impressive) but hadn’t dared to venture deeper into the city. It was reassuring to have an experienced guide.

In prior years I’ve usually purchased a monthly Navigo pass, which extends on weekends, etc. to the entire Île de France region, including Saint-Denis. This year, however, I’m just using métro tickets, which only cover the inner zones of Paris. When Guillaume pointed this out at Gare du Nord we joked about the idea of my taking my chances on being “controlled” and required to pay a substantial fine, but decided to buy the correct tickets. Our virtue was rewarded, since there was a massive control operation at Saint-Denis! Dozens of police were writing up fines for people who didn’t have the right credentials, and catching people who were trying to escape the control.

The art show was supposed to be in an apartment building in a lovely location, right between the Seine and the Canal Saint-Denis. At first we went to the wrong floor and had a disorienting experience since nobody at all was there.

Selfie of me and Guillaume in sketchy banlieue elevator

But once we found the show it was normal and the organizers were friendly and informative.

Reliefs, 2016 by Béranger Laymond at We Can Control Space show

Bob and Guillaume contemplating 16mm, 2015 by Nicholas Delprat

The show organizers had said that there were also some exterior artworks, so after leaving the gallery we went around back. It turned out to be a sandy beach on the banks of the canal, where a cheerful young crowd was watching France beat Ireland in the round of 16 of the European soccer cup!

Afternoon on the beach … of the Canal Saint-Denis

This being France of course there was a bar, and of course we each had a couple of beers… After the match we got into conversation with neighbors at our picnic table and learned a lot about the building. The residents are mostly artists and other creative types (also, contrary to the prevailing demographic of Saint-Denis, mostly white), and they are fighting to keep control of the building. It’s really a gorgeous spot; the only little issue I noticed was the Roma (gypsy) shantytown across the canal.

Roma shantytown across the canal

Guillaume explained that French racism against the Roma is even more intense than that against North Africans. There’s no immediate prospect of a Frexit, but the far right would love to use fear and hatred of immigrants to lever France out of the E.U. as well. Our conversation was in French, as at the dinner party in May. I had to ask him to repeat or explain a few times but on the whole I was able to keep up pretty well.

We said farewell at Gare du Nord, so I strolled over to the Grand Train, which I has first visited with Kristoffer the previous week, to see what it was like in nicer weather. It was a lot busier than last time, but all I had energy for was drinking a small beer and heading home for dinner and sleep.

“Time misleads us. Time hugs us. Time is our station. Time is our train.” –Jacques Prévert at Le Grand Train

Pizza restaurant at Le Grand Train. One of a dozen bars and restaurants.

Mot du jour: « bouche à oreille », “word of mouth”, but literally, “mouth to ear”, which I think is more evocative than our idiom. Not to be confused with « bouchon d’oreille », “earplug”.

Bonus Mot du jour: « bidonville », “shantytown”.

Second Bonus Mot du jour: « raton-laveur », “raccoon”, but literally, “little rat washer”. Beware the word « raton », however, since it’s also a racist slur for North Africans.

Machine à raton-laveur by Jacques Carelman at Galerie les Yeux Fertiles

Two Parisian Evenings

Tags

apartment, France, Jared, Lemon, meals, Montorgueil, Paris, puit d'amour, rue Montorgueil, Sherard, Stohrer, Zhizhong

Sherard and I understandably got a slow start on Saturday morning, after our big Friday night. We caught up with Jared W and one of his friends for lunch at Lemon, the new Icelandic place I had eaten at a few weeks before. We enjoyed our pocket sandwiches and juice drinks but like last time the service, while friendly, seemed unduly slow and disorganized.

After lunch I introduced Jared W and his friend to Stohrer on rue Montorgueil, which was an instant hit! The bakery/deli is one of the oldest in Paris, having been founded in 1730.

Jared W and friend with their first puits d’amour (wells of love) from Stohrer on rue Montorgueil

That afternoon Sherard went shopping while I did some reading and blogging. At 4 pm we joined Jared R and Steve, the other two members of our book group, for a transatlantic meeting on Skype to discuss the second half of the Pulitzer-prize-winning book Middlesex, which we all liked. Jared R was thrilled to see us at the apartment where he had spent several happy days the previous week, and Sherard and I enjoyed a tour of Steve’s new house.

When Sherard and I first planned the trip I had gotten tickets to the Paris Opera for a performance of La Traviata. This had seemed like a good idea at the time and Sherard had viewed a version with English subtitles to prepare. As it worked out, however, he was too tired, so I invited Zhizhong instead. We both enjoyed it, and were surprised that the three-hour performance seemed to fly by. As it turned out there were both French and English surtitles.

Zhizhong and me at La Traviata

I was surprised to see that there was a 30 minute intermission after the first few scenes, then a shorter intermission later on. This made perfect sense, however, when we realized that a light supper was on offer at fairly reasonable prices. Since neither of us had eaten before this was a godsend.

I was sorry Sherard couldn’t attend but he really did need a serious nap. He woke up hungry around 9 pm and set off towards the Gare du Nord to find something to eat. (Not the direction I would have recommended, but it worked out great.) He got into a conversation in a café with a couple of guys who turned out to be gay. They invited him home, served him a Brazilian meal, and watched Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with him. His Southern knowledge helped elucidate many subtle points.

So, special Parisian evenings for both of us!

[I’m still a week behind in my blog, but at least I’m making progress!]