Has its perks. And its downsides. For example:
Perk #1: Today, July 14, is a national holiday - Bastille Day. And, rather than hanging out in some boring backyard (downside: we don't have backyards), we can picnic in the gardens of one of the most famous palaces in the world - Versailles.
Downside #1a: We didn't have July 4 (or 5th in the case of this year) off. For those of you who are feeling a bit slow today, we don't have Thanksgiving here either.
Downside #1b: It's raining, so instead of picnicking by the canal in the gorgeous palatial gardens, we are sitting in our living room watching the downpour.
Perk #2: It's July 14, and it's only 70 degrees outside.
Downside #2: Last week it was 90+ and Paris doesn't really believe in AC.
Perk #3: The metro system is fabulous.
Downside #3: I was sitting in one of the fold-down seats by the door on the metro the other day (it faces forward in the car, so the door was immediately to my right), and as we pulled into a station, I noticed a middle-aged guy in a blue polo stretching and scratching his hairy stomach (which happened to pudge past the top of his jeans a bit). I thought to myself, "Not so attractive, buddy; why don't you keep that to yourself?" He then got on the train one door behind me. As the train was moving, though, he made his way to the open area in front of me, faced the front of the train, and put his hand on the door handle, poised for a quick exit at the next stop. Then, for some reason that escaped me, he proceeded to bed forward... at the waist... far... with his back to me.... approximately 12" from my face... Wow. We're talking a good SIX INCHES of hairy crack. Seriously. All I could do was stand up so at least I was no longer eye-level with the thing. Thankfully, Oliver was sleeping; he doesn't need to see things like that. Neither do I, for that matter.
Perk #4: Boulangeries (bakeries) and tartes frambroises (raspberry tarts).
Downside #4: No Sonic ice. No slushes. Almost no ice period, for that matter. (And consider this in light of Downside #2 above.)
Perk #5: I get to shop in the shadow of the Eiffel tower twice a week, browsing BEAUTIFULLY fresh produce and meats. The guys at my charcuterie call out, "Oliver!" as I walk up, and one of them asks after my parents and brother whom he met when they visited. My fruit-stand man asks after "le bebe," and the Greeks running my veggie stand smile and look at him adoringly. I hear "Bonne journee" at least 5 times, and I walk home with deliciously flavorful food.
Downside #5: I'm not always sure what I'm buying when I shop. Thankfully, I have managed to avoid the pigs' feet and cow tongues so far, at least.
I'll try to keep you posted as I discover more... Maybe this will be a regular post: Ups and Downs. I've got good intentions, at least. :)
Oliver making faces at his daddy the other day (notice the growing chub!!):
Inside, the cathedral had much of the grandeur of Notre Dame de Paris (see previous post) without much of the touristy-trap feeling.
The stones in the floor possessed a labyrinth: a spiritual journey, often done on the knees of the pilgrim, to reach the center of the maze.
The light streaming through the windows was breathtaking (view this picture larger to see the actual beams of light coming from the center window).
The church was built to house "Mary's Veil," supposedly the clothing worn by Mary when giving birth to Jesus (and housed in the wooden altar below). After a recent birth myself, all I can say is YUCK.
The stone choir screen was so intricately carved.
And displayed many scenes from scripture, including this one of Simeon's celebration and prayer over the dedication of Jesus at the Temple.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch outside a cafe in the shadow of the cathedral. Really, the weather was INCREDIBLE.
And the flowers in the town were gorgeous, as well... Couldn't complain!
We ended the evening back in Paris with a visit to our favorite Creperie, a small restaurant in the shadow of Les Invalides (about a 10 minute walk from our apartment). As we realized that we had not taken a single picture of all 5 of us during the entire trip, sweet Chris took one for us.
And then he snapped this fabulous picture of my mother - is she gorgeous or what?!?!?!
You'd think that more than a week of 6 people (including a newborn) in a two-bedroom, 850 square-foot apartment would be tough. Maybe a little tension, frustration, or boredom. But no, we had a FABULOUS time. My only complaint concerning their trip is that they had to leave! :-( I miss them already!
I then headed home to relieve Chris and feed Oliver, and my parents and brother continued on to visit the Medieval Museum, home of the famous Unicorn Tapestries. That was a highlight of the trip, especially for my dad, as the Unicorn Tapestries were a favorite of my grandmother, his mom, who passed away earlier this year.
The following day (yes, that's right, day SIX), we toured Montmartre, the Bohemian capital of the worlds of art and music. L'Eglise du Sacre Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart) tops the hill with its white-domed majesty.
The windy streets are full of artists, creperies, and tourists.
This scene happens to be a famous painting by Utrillo (minus my family, of course), an impressionist artist who specialized in scenes of Montmartre. Apparently, this "free spirit" (i.e. drunk) artist once exposed himself to passersby and claimed, "I paint with this!" Just a fun fact...
One of only two windmills left in the Montmartre area and the scene of Renoir's famous painting.
The other windmill still standing in Montmartre, one familiar to many thanks to Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
That afternoon, we walked a little in my neighborhood, making a necessary stop at Cafes Richard, where we bought my brother a little espresso cup bearing his name.
This is the same street (the major one that runs behind our neighborhood); it is one this street that I do most of my daily shopping, etc.
