Week One - Day 3 -Marche des Enfants Rouge

Some how I lost a day!  Still have not slept through the night. So I am a bit tired. Tonight I use the cough syrup! A bit of a late start today. We were ready to walk out the door when Peace Corps friend Steve Morello who lives in Lyon and works in Paris called from Athens. We scheduled dinner with Steve for next Tuesday night. Last time we had dinner with Steve in Paris, his hotel had to wake him up to leave, and he missed his train home. I was, at the time he called to tell us, just following John around St Germain with a sever cognac hangover. We had consumed 13 dozen oysters between the three of us in addition to de nombreux bottles of wine, Then hung out in a cafe where every time Steve asked if I wanted another cognac – I said yes. This is where and where we saw Karl Lagenfield in the Jacques Pouvee boutique where John got the details to build the $2Million table that resides chez nous.

Josh Margolis texted me from SF but I was on the phone with Steve and have not mastered texting on our tiny new phone yet. Before we left for the marche we had to stop in one of the offices of Cite to obtain our museum passes, which allow us reduced entry to many museums in Paris.

Anyway our goal today was the Marche des Enfants Rouge. This is the oldest covered marche in Paris originally created in 1615 by Louis the XIII. We got there a bit late but were able to buy wonderful tomatoes, awesome asparagus, gorgeous leaks, parsley, and cow cheese with mold on it. The fishmongers had already closed up but we had passed a god looking Fish store on the way to the Marche and went back there to buy two mackerel for dinner. The fresh scallops on the shells looked beautiful, the oysters made me think of both Josh and Steve. Lots more looked delicious but I went for the cheap mackerel for 3.76e. When Josh is here we will buy oysters to eat at home. After the marche we headed for BVH a large magasin, department store, in the Marais. I need paint brush soap, which I had forgotten to pack. My sense of direction is pretty good but after wandering around the department store looking for a razor for John I was totally disoriented. Fortunately this time John had a sense of direction.

We came home for lunch of ham and cheese but than makes it sound ordinary. It isn’t. When I was buying the fish the monger asked me if I preferred the US or France. I replied en ce moment la France en raison de la nourriture meaning at this moment France because of the food. We are resting a bit and then will head for the Centre Pompidou or the Beaubourg as it is called, tonight it is open until 9PM. But first we must buy razors for John, rice for dinner and more bread! Funny note now when I google anything ……  it is in French which is ok but unnerving that the google empire knows so much about what I am doing!

My feet hurt up to my but however I figure that I can eat more if I walk a lot.

Great show of Nancy Spero at the Beaubourg. We were able to get in for free after a bit of discussion. The woman at the info desk initially told me that we could get into the museum for free but not the special exhibit. So we stood in line for 20 minutes and then the cashier refused to give us tickets. So back to another person at the info desk who lent me a piece of paper, which said that, we were allowed in for free. Back to the cashier. He was désolé. (sorry) John says that my French has improved immensely in 3 days. Having to use it is great. I have the vocabulary but not the practice. It is a true luxury to be able to go the Centre Pompidou for an hour or so and know that you are able to return and it does not break the bank.

Now cooking dinner. Rice with fresh parsley, asparagus, leaks and mackerel, and a splurge a Sancerre for 9.50e. John is exploring the city bike rental for us. Now John is making me research the Velib bike site in French.