Paris Journal 2008

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Last night after dinner we had a fabulous outing. It started with a slow walk up through the Champ de Mars to the Seine. We “visited” a cat that we know and love who lives aboard a boat called the Julia on the Seine, by the Passarelle de Billy. This cat reminds us so much of our beloved General Burnside, who passed away at at least age 21 in 2004.

On our way back through the Champ, we heard a brass band playing, so we went to hear them. It was almost 10PM, and we decided to stay and listen.

At first, the band was playing modern, popular music that a marching band might play. But as the evening went on and the sky darkened, the music became jazzier. These guys were really good! The band instruments consisted of a trombone, drum set, four trumpets, three baritones, and one tuba.

The musicians did not have a hat or case out to collect money. Their families were seated on the grass near them, having a picnic. It seemed that these are just guys from the area who like to get together and play music, just as Tom does with the guys in Fort Myers and Sanibel.

The cops came up to have a “discussion” with them, probably about the fact that they do not have a buskers’ license and weren’t scheduled to play in the park that evening.

But these guys were not the least bit intimidated by the police. They huddled in a tight circle, letting one of the cops talk for a while, then they all laughed and said something, very polite, I’m sure, to the police, who then went away.

Tom thought the cops probably told them to wrap it up and stop playing. The crowd started chanting for more music.

I think the guys in the band included a former cop, fireman, military type, lawyer, or maybe all four. Whatever they said to the cops they said with confidence and perhaps even authority.

If they aren’t collecting money, they shouldn’t need a buskers license and I think that their music should be in the category of free speech.

I’m so happy that they prevailed, because they played on and on, until after 11PM, and we loved it. They attracted quite a crowd.

Being out so late on the Champ meant, of course, that I was able to take some night photos of the tower, all lit up in blue. These are a bit grainy, but not bad for night photos with an inexpensive digital camera.

There’ll be some changes made in the Eiffel Tower over the next ten years. The ticket booths will be grouped together instead of dispersed as they are now. The elevators, which date back to the original construction of the tower, will be replaced with ones that are more energy efficient. There will be a new restaurant and some boutiques. There will be more activities planned to attract French families. And finally, the tower will be made more handicap-accessible.

Early yesterday, we were surprised to find that our cable TV and internet access were not working. I found the number of the ISP/cable provider and called them. After listening to interminable phone prompts in French and somehow successfully entering in all the right numbers as I went through the automated phone system, I finally reached a real French man on the other end of the line. He was very polite and patient, and he spoke not a word of English. Somehow I described the problem and answered his questions entirely in French, with no preparation. Then he put me on hold, and came back on to say that it was a problem in the sector, not with our apartment in particular. He wasn’t sure I understood, so I said back to him that I understand, it is a problem in the neighborhood. And he said, “exactly!” We were both so happy to have communicated successfully.

Later, as I read the local paper, I learned that the day before, some workers cut a major fiber-optic cable belonging to our ISP/cable provider over on the Right Bank. 50,000 customers on the Right Bank were without cable service that day. I think that our area was deliberately taken out of service yesterday in order to re-work the network in the entire area, so that the Right Bank customers could once again have service.

We did what work we could during the day without the internet. Then we took a walk on the Allée des Cygnes at rush hour. The Allée is a perfect place to walk at this time of day because it is away from all the automobiles, in the middle of the Seine.

When we returned to the apartment, cable service was restored for us and we’re all connected again. Whew.

We finished working. I figured out how to use the rotisserie in the oven in the apartment, and I roasted a chicken. It was incredibly good – moist, perfectly done, and very chickeny. We also had fine little red potatoes and a mache (lamb’s lettuce) salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Simple, healthy, and really good.

Speaking of food, if you are a regular reader of this journal, you have probably noticed that we are not eating out as much this summer. The reasons are two: we’re getting older and therefore we simply cannot eat so much rich food so often, and the Euro is way too high against the dollar.

This is okay; I love to cook. I do not love the kitchen in this apartment, however. The owners never leave us any room to put our groceries in the cupboards, such as they are. The fact that the oven has a rotisserie is the best thing I can say about the kitchen.

We usually start the day with juice and coffee. My coffee is a café au lait, so I have milk. Tom has toast and jam. Then in the very late morning or at about noon, I make a nice, fluffy omelette.

Sometimes I start by sautéing shallots, mushrooms, and a little garlic in extra virgin olive oil. That, plus grated Emmental cheese, becomes the filling for the omelette. Or I might chop up some Paris ham to put in the omelette, with the Emmental. Or the omelette might simply have Emmental in it.

Even French people who say they don’t cook probably know how to roast a chicken and make an omelette. These are two of the most basic items of French food.

We snack on fresh fruit and nuts. And then I make a nice, simple dinner, or we go out to buy something simple and bring it back to the apartment.

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Eiffel Tower is blue at night this year.

And the tower still sparkles on the hour, for ten minutes, from dusk until 2AM.

Local brass ensemble playing at night on the Champ de Mars.

The cat who lives on the boat named Julia, on the Seine. The last photo shows the cat with his dog, whom he just finished licking and hugging. Who says cats don’t like dogs? We’ve been “visiting” this beautiful cat for years.

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