Paris Journal 2015 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com

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Two years ago, Tom decided he needed to have a doctor in Paris. A general practitioner named Nancy Salzman, MD, was recommended to us. Nancy (doctor-salzman.com) is a Canadian who has French nationality. In addition to family practice, she specializes in travel medicine and treating expatriates. Yesterday, Tom decided to make an appointment to see her again. I was surprised that he was able to get in right away; he’s going there this afternoon. I accompanied him the first time he went to Dr. Salzman’s ofice. There were plenty of kids with runny noses and fevers in the waiting room, so this time I won’t go. We decided it is better not to expose both of us to whatever germs are there. After the appointment was made, Tom and I went for a slow, easy hour-long walk in the neighborhood. We took time to pause and examine architectural details. In some ways, I like these walks the best. In the evening, we dined at Le Cap, across from the local town hall. I think the tarte fine aux pommes is one of the things that keeps us going back to Le Cap. So does the friendly service. Before that fine dessert, we each had the coeur de rumsteak with the Lyonnaise-style potatoes. The potatoes were divine, but the steak, while tasty, had that chewy texture that is too typical of French beef. The peppercorn sauce served with it was powerful and good. Tom’s steak, in particular, was large. But he was armed with another ZipLoc bag again, and again he secretly stashed some of the steak away. Sliced thin, it will make good roast beef sandwiches. Longtime reader Cynthia S. asked about this surreptitious “doggy bag” practice. Parisian restaurants, unlike American restaurants, typically do not ever offer to let you take home your leftovers. What happens with all this food? We think it is completely wasted, which is a shame. Many of us, as we get older, simply cannot eat so much as we used to. Tom and I have decided to take matters into our own hands, so to speak, and so we try to be sure we have a supply of ZipLoc bags ready. There’s a note on the inside of the apartment’s front door reminding us to take a ZipLoc bag when going out in the evening, and reminding Tom to apply sunscreen on his face before going out during the day. (My makeup has as SPF 20 sunscreen, which is more than adequate for me in Paris.) Then when we return home at night, I have to remember to remind Tom to take the ZipLoc bag out of his jacket pocket and put it in the fridge. This memory thing becomes more challenging every summer! Cynthia S. also told me that Paris has adopted the “Idaho stop.” That means not requiring bicycles to come to a full stop at red lights or stop signs if the coast is clear. That explains why we’ve nearly been hit in crosswalks by three bicycles and a bicycle taxi so far this summer. Bicyclists need to understand that the coast is NOT clear if pedestrians are trying to cross the street in the crosswalk. I am so tempted to shout, “VOUS N’AVEZ PAS LA PRIORITÉ, MADAME!” when a cyclist nearly hits a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but so far, I’ve kept my mouth shut. In looking into this Idaho Stop phenomenon in Paris, I just learned that it does not apply to all intersections; only to ones marked with special yield signs. And, it is only good for right turns, or for going straight when there is no right turn. Here’s an illustration: Source: http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-07-09/paris-follows-path-idaho-and-lets-bicycles-run-red-lights If bicycles would consistently yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, I think the Idaho Stop would be fine. But I’m not convinced that they will. While I’m on this subject, I want to mention a precaution that every pedestrian should take when crossing one-way streets in Paris. You must look in BOTH directions before crossing, because usually there is a bike lane painted on one side of a one-way street, allowing bicycles to go in the opposite direction that cars must go on that street. So, while you might not see any cars or bikes coming from that one direction, you still need to check to see if bicycles are coming from the other direction. Just be safe out there. Find me on Facebook

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 Beautifully decorated early-20^th-Century brick-and-terra cotta building in the 15^th arrondissement. Quaint old building that is part of a private Catholic school on the rue Violet. Other parts of the school were so well secured with iron bars that we thought it looked like a prison. Schools so often do look like that. Inside the church of Notre Dame de Lorette. La tarte fine aux pommes at Le Cap. ← Previous Next →