I meant to type this up last night, so I'm a day late, I guess. I fell asleep instead. Therefore: read it as though written on May 29, and I'll do another entry for today's stuff.Hmm. Today. I missed breakfast at the hostel because I set my alarm for 9, forgetting breakfast only goes unti 9:15. Actually, I forgot about breakfast entirely. Here's hoping I figure things out for tomorrow....
Dinner last night was crêpes and (yummy) cider; lunch today was cheese and bread from neighboring shops on the Ile de Saint-Louis. There was also ice cream from Berthillon figuring into the equation there. I now know why all the guide books name it the best ice cream around. I may never eat cassis sorbet anywhere else again.
Music is peculiarly abundant in Paris. Today, as I was wandering across the bridge between the two island, I encountered a man playing the soprano sax. And he was
really good. The funniest thing, though, was his accompaniment. Not a tape deck — oh no. In Paris, that's apparently reserved for train cars. No, he had a young man accompanying him on piano, because they'd dragged an old upright into the middle of the bridge.
I think I'll recap the rest of yesterday before I continue with today's activities. After the crêpes, I decided to wander around. (Oh, right, before that: roomate at hostel. Nice, American, named Page, from N. Carolina, in law school in D.C., will be in Oxford doing a course later this summer.) Anyway, I walked for a ways before stumbling on the Pitié Salpêtrière. There was a strike; it was closed. Only in France do
hospitals close for strikes. But the gate was open, and I wandered through. Very nice gardens (for a hospital). The problem was, when I left the hospital, I was something approximating lost. Not so bad, I had a map, but what made in a problem was that I was wearing new sandals. Sandals not made to be walked long distances in (at least not yet). Anyway, walking back along the Seine was lovely; there were numerous groups of students picnicking, and many of them had candles out on their blankets, and it was all very picturesque. Later, I watched a juggler on the same bridge where the saxophonist was today.
So anyway, today I met up with Anna, which was great fun. We wandered around, and then a friend of hers joined us. I'd never met anyone before who works at a strip club.... We spent most the afternoon lazing around the same memorial park I found on my first day. We also sat on what I'mcoming to think of as the Bridge of Entertainment (can you guess which one that is?) for a while and watched some kids breakdancing. It turns out that Anna, having now lived in Chicago for 2.5 years, knows a good deal about the different styles and moves. (
leech, I think Jon Q. was at least as good as most of the kids there.)
I ate dinner at a Persian restaurant which Anna recommended. Goodfood, but nothing very different from the Persian restaurants in Westwood, IMO. I engaged in some discussion with the couple at the table next to me ("You know this is an Iranian restaurant, right?" "Yeah, and?" "But you're American!" "Yeah,
and?"), but really they were very nice. There was some discussion in English, some in French, and on the whole I think I did relatively well. The restaurant had Tavel, too; another good thing. Just as I was finishing, a guy came through selling flowers, and the couple bought one for me. They wouldn't let me say no, so after a while I stopped trying to and was gracious instead. A rose and an orchid. Nice.
OK, that's all for pseudo-today; next entry: real today