Paris Journal 2010 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com
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Ah, August in Paris. It has its good points, and its bad points, but mostly I think it is good. The bad part is that a number of places, including most of our favorite restaurants, are closed for a couple weeks – mostly right now. After the 15th, they’ll start opening up again. The good part is how calm the city is. There aren’t quite so many honking horns, not quite so many cars on the streets, and not nearly as many frenzied Parisians scurrying about. There are still lots of people around, however, and many restaurants and shops open. More than we need, at any rate. I went out to buy newspapers at about 3:30, and the regular vendor in a kiosque by the park was sold out of the International Herald Tribune. So I went on to the next news shop, which was closed for vacation, and then the next one, which was also closed. So I went on to the news shop that is built into the side of Zola Color, the rambling housewares and hardware store. The shop was busy, as you might imagine, since other places are closed. But I think it might usually be busy at that time of day. It has so much more than newspapers. It has some books, especially books for planning vacations or looking at photos of exotic places. It has comic books, lots of magazines, and minor office supplies. It is a pretty cheerful place. Both newspapers that we buy were in stock. I did have to wait in line for a while, but only because one of the customers just didn’t have her act together. By the time I was being served, the young cashier was a bit flustered by the unorganized customer and she entered the wrong price for Le Parisien in the cash register. I told her, and she immediately saw what she’d done. Zola Color’s clunky system forced her to find a key, unlock something under the counter, and switch something over so she could correct her error on the cash register. By the time I got home, I’d been gone for 45 minutes, just to buy newspapers. That’s August. I was pleased that I had that much of a walk, however, because in the evening, the weather looked a bit threatening. I’ve been having a craving for pot au feu, so Tom and I went out just planning to wander to see if any of the restos near us offer it. We found it on the regular, everyday menu at the restaurant closest to us, Le Café du Commerce, so I reasoned that I can get this dish anytime – “let’s go on,” I said. So we went by Cristal de Sel, a place that Caroline from Australia and another friend had recommended. It was closed for vacation, but we studied the menu just to get an idea of what it is like. It looks very interesting. The Tour Eiffel brasserie across from the St. John the Baptist of Grenelle church was all buttoned up, closed for vacation. So was Le Minzingue, also across from the church in another direction. We decided to go to our regular “neighborhood pub,” Le Commerce Café, at the corner of rue du Commerce and the Place du Commerce. It wasn’t quite 8PM yet, and already the place was hopping. We each ordered the veal scaloppini with lemon cream sauce and puréed potatoes – a special listed on the blackboard as escalope de veau a la crème citronée et purée maison. The food arrived after only a few minutes of waiting. It was very, very good – better than what I’d had at the fancier restaurant the night before. The amount of potatoes given to each of us was astounding – no way were we going to eat all of that, and we certainly didn’t. We did, however, share a small tarte fine au pommes (apple tart), which was good, but no apple tart is as good as Joel Valero’s at Oh! Duo. Of course, Joel and Françoise are on vacation now, and Oh! Duo is closed for another week, I think. On each side of us were tables with families with kids. Once again, the kids were all well-behaved. It was clear that the resto needed our table to serve someone else – the place was absolutely full. So we paid up and were about to leave when we noticed that it was pouring rain. We waited under the awning at the door until the rain let up somewhat. I tried to get Tom to wait there while I went back to the apartment to get an umbrella. He was wearing a nice blazer, and I was just wearing Chico’s clothes which can take all kinds of abuse. I removed my watch and handed it over with my camera in its pouch to Tom and told him to stay while I went to get the umbrella. But instead he put my camera and watch in his inside pockets, and came with me. Such a gentleman! That was fine at first, but halfway up the street the rain intensified again, and Tom and I ducked under an awning with a couple other people. Once again, I told him to stay while I went for the umbrella. Back at the apartment, I grabbed the umbrella and went back to the elevator but someone had summoned it. When it came up, Tom was in it, looking very wet. I wish he’d do what I say, but it is hopeless. We hung our jackets in the bathroom to dry. I think his blazer will be fine. And my Chico’s Traveler’s Collection jacket is, as I said, indestructible. (Did I mention that I own some Chico’s stock?) So I don’t have to water all the plants on the balcony for at least a few days. The service I provide for those plants is essential. They’d die without me. For most of the summer, they bake out there in the sun with the dry air and southern exposure. Fortunately for them, we’re having a mild summer. But they still require plenty of watering, and I’m their guardian angel. I’ve had to protect them from palombes (wood pigeons) who keep trying to nest in their pots. Even though these are better than ordinary pigeons, one still does not want to live with them and their mess on the balcony. In one pot that they had selected for a nest I implanted screwdrivers earlier in July. That works for that pot, but in the past week or so, the wood pigeons are back, trying to claim a different pot. I keep shooing them away. I don’t have any more screwdrivers. Tom suggested pencils, but then the pencils wouldn’t really be usable anymore. I think I’ll buy some chopsticks. That should work. Sign
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Thursday, August 5, 2010
Fierce-looking
warrior woman statue behind the Musée
D’Orsay, on the rue de Lille la Légion d'Honneur. I notice that pigeons don’t want to rest on
her head.
La
Légion d'Honneur, facing the rue de Lille, next to the Musée d’Orsay.
Looking
up at the same gateway to the Legion of Honor.
Peace
Pavilion and Eiffel Tower.
Photo
in the window of the piano shop on the Left Bank, A
La Corde Pincée. |
