Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday, we had our last full day en Paris. We headed out to see the largest hardware store in Paris. Through the Marais to Bazarre Hotel de Ville: another beautiful walk! Both Chris and I love hardware – it’s a’thing’. Interesting specialized bits to do neat stuff…. We weren’t disappointed in having made the sojuourn! Need a safe? There are forty different styles to choose. Intercom system…what style would you like? Light switches and bulbs, hand made nails and braided ropes; bells and walls and walls and walls of door pulls of every style and variety. Chris took video and photos, much to the amusement of several young service assistants. You may be thinking what's the big deal about a hardware store but last time you went to get a hook to hang a picture what variety did you have? Have a close look at the photo EVERYTHING in the photo is for hanging pictures!

We hopped the Metro to Place Charles de Gaulle, only to meet another totally unique and completely Parisian site.  The Champs Elysees was been closed to vehicles for a three day art installation ‘Capitale Vert’. Parisians in their droves and tourists from around the world had come especially to see it. The Champs Elysees must be nearly 50 metres. For the length of it, maybe 8-10 km, it had been covered with turf (sound familiar Sydney-siders?) and displays of all manner of food crops were available for people to see, smell and touch. Cows, sheep, and pigs also attended. The artist’s vision was to better inform people about where their food comes from, and the challenges that face farmers.

We strolled across Pont Royal, between Palais Beaux Arts and Palais Petit Arts – what a site on such a splendid day – and were back in Saint Germain. We had intended a fancy dinner out to complete our Paris leg, but fate had other and better plans for us. We stopped at the bar next door to our apartment for a drink, and soon were making friends with all the ‘locals’. They thought we were cute, and we thought the same of them! After lots of animated discussion, our new friend Nicolyne has invited us to return to Paris and stay in her summer home in Lyons. It was such a fun night!

All I can say is that I have the very best impression of Paris. I felt perfectly safe. People were genuinely kind. Everyone wanted to help us. I really can’t recommend a visit highly enough!

Chris alluded to another adventure earlier in the piece. We bought a house, in Paris. Well, we were in Paris and bought a house! All things being equal, we may be in our new home by July 01. We have been planning to build on Sommerville Parrish for years, but any number of things have stopped us. This is a new Queensland style home adjacent to Sommerville Parrish, with an additional ten acres. It is a fabulous property, and we are delighted to have this opportunity. It is a bit sad though that the builders of this house and our neighbours have had to give it up to move back into town for health reasons. We have given them blanket visitation rights.

We are now enroute to Avignon. The TVG is a highspeed train, and so far, I am pretty impressed. We’re cruising along at about 200kms/hr, and should reach our destination in about another hour.

I’m impressed too with the speed but also the country side. There was a bit there with rolling hills, fields of grain, hay crops being taken off by Green John Deere tactors, the difference to Alberta was the small size of the fields  and large number of buildings, farms, houses along the edges. Oh and a medieval castle every so often. This train is so fast and so big that they can run up a grade over a hill that is three of four times our height in a kilometre or two no long slow ramp  just up and over woogie tummy style. When we pass another train at this speed the is slam as the air cushions hit and we are literally knocked to the side a bit and then back when they pass. It is FAST!

Bring on the cooking school!