Another lapse, sorry.  I am feeling better, but still not 100%.  We started getting back into the swing of things by going to the Stroke Recovery Center today.  First for Meditation with Barbara (not Streisand, that’s Barbra) and then David had speech with Mary.  I hope to make PT and ST session appointments tomorrow with Blade and Arlene.

Yesterday, I figured a lot of folks would be on their way home, so it was safe to go out shopping, so we went to Palm Desert to the Apple Store.  David needed to upgrade his iPad so we got the new iPad Air.  Very nice, and much faster.  The store was not crazy, and the guy that helped us was very nice and not high pressure.  We got what we wanted, and some help setting it up and then we were on our way out.

This morning, very early, we went to pick up David’s new brace for his foot.  It is very light and from the little I saw today, it seems to work very well.  A little less drag on the foot.  We didn’t get a chance to take our normal walk, but David walked around a bit.  We went, after the Stroke Recovery Center, to get a haircut for David.  I am thinking of letting my hair grow a bit more before getting it cut again.   OK, I think I am losing you.  When I start to talk about letting my hair grow, I have dug too deep.  Hopefully tomorrow will have more excitement.

Oh, my, I have fallen down and I hope I can get back up!  Coming back, first, the jet lag, and now I think I have a cold, so have not written since we got back from France.  Not much to report, except we have been walking, which is great.  I also took a short walk this morning, but, as I said, I haven’t been feeling very good, and still not on a regular sleeping schedule.  Hopefully by Monday.

We had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday.  Nothing elaborate.  A friend mentioned a plan for Thanksgiving for one (or two or three) from the New York Times, and I looked it up – thanks Kathleen.  I didn’t follow it to the letter, but just used it as inspiration.  Turkey cutlets with a red wine sauce, roasted beets and roasted sweet and regular potatoes.  Also some stuffing from the store.  Had more elaborate plans, but since I wasn’t feeling so great, they got scrapped.

Went to the movies today and the day before yesterday.  Hunger Games: Catching Fire on Wednesday and Philomena today.  We enjoyed both of them, but I particularly liked Philomena.  A little too sentimental for David.  HG:CF was not as violent as I anticipated, so that was good.

The flight back from Paris was good, but oh so long.  I have to say that for some reason, this trip, we were taken care of very well.  From the moment we checked in at Charles DeGaul, there was someone assigned to help us get to the gate and onto the plane and then for the transfer in San Francisco, the same.  Someone took us through customs and to the gate.  I was very grateful because if I had been trying to do it alone, I don’t think it would have happened.  We had to pick up our luggage in San Francisco, go through customs and then recheck it, and even with the help, I felt a bit overwhelmed.

Anyway, we are back in Palm Springs now, and getting, slowly but surely back to our old schedule.  David has laid in the sun every day, except today.  It rained!

I cannot tell a lie, we fly back to California tomorrow, and I am glad.  David is probably gladder, but it will be nice to get back to our routine.  That is not to say that we didn’t have a great time in Paris.  It has been wonderful, and I actually understood the Uber driver tonight when he said it was cold today in French (I was going to type it out, but it is too late, and I need to get to bed).  I am not sure why, but for the last two days, I have been sleeping in quite late, and today I didn’t rouse myself until it was almost noon.  In my defense, I was up at 7am for two hours, but then went back to bed.  That was my mistake!

As soon as we were ready, we headed to Alex and Claire and just relaxed.  Theo was more playful than he has been for the past week.  He has been under the weather, and now Alex and Claire are taking their turns at feeling a bit of the cold.  Claire made a great dinner, and we just hung out and then home.

Yesterday, I also slept in rather late, and we took a short walk in the area.  I wanted to explore the area near the canal St Martin, and at a certain point David asked where we were going, and I told him again and he asked why.  I was a little exasperated, and asked if he wanted to go home, and he said yes, so I turned around and started heading back and told him that I would drop him off and I would look for myself.  He insisted that I turn back around, and we walked along the canal, and every once in a while he would just say “why?’  Along with my fascination with maps, I am intrigued by urban waterways.  I’m sort of a nerd that way.  Not sure why, it is just something that I like.  The neighborhood was kind of cool too, with interesting shops and restaurants.  Later in the evening, I found out that there is a name for the types who live in the area, BoBo’s (bourgeois bohéme – sort of like Brooklyn!)

Then home to get ready for the UNIS gathering at the Marriott Champs-Élysées.  We called a car with enough time to get there and some to spare, or so I thought.  The traffic was horrendous and I knew we were in trouble when we were behind a garbage truck for what seemed like an eternity.  Then, as we approached the area around the grands magasins, it was horrendous.  The number of people looking at the windows of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps were, well, like Fifth Avenue in New York at this time of year!  We were not so late, only about fifteen minutes.  Alex was there as well as two other UNIS alumni.  One was with his wife and the other had his daughter and his parents. Phil and Timor were both really nice, and Timor’s daughter was delightful.  Timor also had some tips for Alex and Claire for getting into a creche.  It was a small group, but nice and we had a good time.
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Then we headed off to La Table des Anges for dinner with Alex and Claire.  We arrived a little late to this as well, and I asked Alex to call the restaurant from the car and I think they actually thought it was quaint (odd) that we were calling to let them know that we would be about 15 minutes late for our reservation.  We had another great meal.  David has a hard time relaxing, and was anxious when the next course wasn’t on the table and the French do have this odd thing about coffee and dessert.  Coffee isn’t served with dessert, but rather, after dessert.  Even though we asked for the coffee to come with dessert, they thought we would prefer it the French way!  I was fine with that, but David, not so much.  Generally, when it comes to meals, they are much more relaxed and not so rushed, which I like.

Then we walked home from the restaurant while Alex and Claire caught the Metro.  A nice stroll along Ave Trudaine where there are a number of cafes and bars.  One had dancing inside, and I think it was swing dancing, which was kind of cool.  There are moments that I am not always able to write here or that I don’t remember.  It was a Saturday night, and the city had most of the holiday decorations up, and lit, and there was a certain magical air about it.  Even with all the traffic and crowds, there was a sense of festivity.  When we got out of the car on the Champs Élysée, the thickness of the crowd was difficult to maneuver, but sometimes it is exciting to be around that throng.  Then as we were walking home after dinner, catching a glimpse of Sacré-Cœur looming over us all lit, as if floating in the sky was pretty wondrous.  The markets.  The wet cobblestones.  The wedding dresses – I forgot to mention that we saw one of the wedding dresses (a peach number) actually being used.  She was surrounded by her bridesmaids as they held the hem of her dress do it didn’t drag on the sidewalk just off of Boulevard du Magenta.

Too many glimpses and moments to recall and remember, but it has been a glorious three weeks, not to mention the almost two weeks on the cruise before Paris.  There was a moment last night when Timor’s mother mentioned that her father had a stroke in his sixties and lived for another 35 years, and I am sad to say that initially I thought – “Oh, God, I don’t think I can do this for another 35 years!” – but both David and I have been fortunate in so many ways, and in spite of the obstacles, we push along and have fun doing it.  I’m just glad that we can still laugh at the bumps along the way!

Not sure why I am up so early, but I am, and writing.  Yesterday we got a relatively earlier start, and went to the 8th arrondissement to check out the area where the possible apartment is for our spring visit.  First we headed to the Musée Jacquemart-André on Boulevard Haussman where there was an exhibit of English Victorian paintings from the cult of beauty.  We both enjoyed it very much.  Then we walked to the Champs Élysées and the area.  Checked out a market nearby and then began looking for a place for some lunch.

We found a Chinese restaurant, and decided to go in.  Had a great meal, and the woman who I think is the owner was very friendly and nice.  She asked where we were from and we found out that she is from Malaysia, so had a nice conversation about things Malaysian.  I told her that I had lived there for a year, and she said that things have changed a lot.  We asked if she had been to the US, but she hasn’t.  Anyway, very nice, and the food was great, so we told her when we are back in the spring, we will be regulars.

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By the time we got on the bus, and were getting close to home, it was late.  We were supposed to meet Alex and Claire, but David said he didn’t want to go out after a full day.  Once home, David took a nap, and I ran out to get some food for dinner.  Went to Picard – a store that only has frozen food – and picked up some pizzas.  They were good!  Then some TV, the blog and then sleep.  I will head back to bed now for a little while.

Today we went to the the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in the Palais du Louvre.  We were going specifically to see an exhibit on undergarments – corsets, panniers, etc – but we spent more time in the jewelry collection.  Pretty impressive and we were both disappointed that they didn’t have more of a selection of fakes in the gift shop!  The undergarments were fun too, but not as shiny!

When we left, you guessed it, it was raining.  Now today the phone said that it wasn’t supposed to rain at all.  Can trust the damn thing.  When we got home, I ran to the market and made some dinner – pasta with eggplant and we had some cheese.  Then watched some Castle followed by Modern Family.  Castle is taking a very strange turn in the the strange a bizarre, which I kind of like.  Then the blog and some more Hungry for Paris.

The visit is winding down now, and I am looking forward to getting back to life in Palm Springs.

Today was another great, albeit wet, day.  We got up and the sun was shining, and I thought, my phone has got to be wrong.  There can’t be a 90% chance of rain.  We got going late again today, and headed off to visit the first of two apartments that are possible for our spring visit.  The first was on a street running parallel to the Champs Élysées facing the park near the US Embassy.  It was beautiful.  On the ground floor, with a perfect bathroom – large shower that I could wheel David into (if I wanted to, though he doesn’t need that), and they even have a shower bench.  Mathilde, who takes care of the apartment and showed it to us, had tea ready for us and Claire was already there when we arrived.  I think that the final selling point was, as we were sitting drinking tea, you look out the front windows, past the private garden, and see the French flag waving above the Grand Palais.  The park across the street is also delightful, and within a short walk are the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries and the Louvre.  oh, yes, and the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais are right across the park.  It is more money than we wanted to spend, but we are worth it, right?  And think of all the money we’ll save on taxis and cars!  Mostly it is the bathroom set-up that did it for me.

When we left, it started to rain, and just got heavier as the day went on.  We got on a bus to get to our next apartment visit, and I left a message for Jean-Pierre to see if we could get in earlier, and he said he would meet up.  We made it to rue Saint Andrés des Arts to meet him, and had to wait a bit.  When he arrived we walked in, and the location of the apartment is perfect, but the bathroom set-up is not perfect, but doable and it is pretty dark.  It is also on the ground floor, but in a courtyard, so, not much daylight.  Claire, David and I left and went to sit in a cafe to warm up and chat a bit.  We talked about the apartments, and while we would save some money on the second apartment, it isn’t a place that we would really want to spend a lot of time in, but in an area that is lively.  The first one is very comfortable and I could see us relaxing there, but still getting out to see things.  My gut is saying we should grab the first apartment.

When we left the cafe it was raining pretty hard, and we tried to get a cab, but where having no luck, so went to Uber and waited under the overhang at a Starbucks on Boulevard Saint Germain.  Got home pretty quickly, but had to turn around pretty quickly to meet Claire Lempress for dinner and then the theatre.  Got on Uber again, and I was surprised to get the same driver who took us home moments before.

We got to Boullion Chartier, which was relatively empty and waited for someone to acknowledge that we were there, and finally went up to someone who looked like he was in charge, and he asked if we were two, and I said we were three, but waiting, and he said we would have to wait.  I was a bit worried that this was either going to be a very strange unpleasant experience, or he didn’t understand me.  Claire arrived and we were seated, and it was an interesting and nice experience.  First, the prices were kind of shocking, and I mean that in a good way.  Their house soup is 1€.  Claire commented that it might be really bad.  Dinner was pretty good though.  Not spectacular, but good and hearty, and I think that we sat down at 6pm and the food was on our table by 6:10pm.  I got the distinct impression that they turn tables over here at an alarming rate.  I finally had my Choucroute Garnie, or as they called it Choucroute Alsacienne – sauerkraut with sausage and ham.  I liked it very much.  Overall, it was a very nice meal.

What I loved the best was how almost everyone – from waiters to patrons – looked like cartoon characters.  It was like we walked into a painting.  At a certain point I noticed that there were these drawers on the wall that looked sort of like post boxes, and Claire asked the waiter what they were for.  He said that in the old days, regular patrons would keep their cloth napkins there.  As we were leaving, the place was beginning to fill up, and the waiter was asking two patrons who had their bags on the seats next to them to move them to the racks above so they could seat people next to them.  From the stanchions outside, it was clear that they do indeed line up to come into this place and we just beat the rush.

Then, off to La Belle et La Bête.  It was a relatively short walk to Theatre Mogador, but we were pretty damp by the time we arrived, and as I am beginning to get used to, when we came into the lobby, there was a guy who was going to be our personal usher because of the wheelchair.  He took us around the line of people who were waiting to get into the theatre, and whisked us to our seats, then took the wheelchair and our coats.  He asked if we would be wanting to get up during intermission and we said no, but as soon as intermission started, he came back to check on us to make sure we were OK.  Then, before the end of the curtain call, he was back with the chair, and helped us out.  The show was great, and I loved Lumiere.  Very funny.

Claire helped us find a taxi, and then we said good-bye.  From the sound of it, she is having a great time in Paris, and it is doing her well!  Fortunately, it was dry on our trip home, so we were not soaked as we got in the door, then some blog reading and more of Hungry for Paris.  Tonight’s chapter was about Paris fashion and restaurants and the bad effect celebrity had on food from the 80’s through today.  The author thinks that the emphasis on seeing and being seen is waning in favor of good food again.

Out with Debbie and Laurie on their last night in Paris

At L’as du Fallafel in the Marais

This morning, I checked a few things off my list.  I called to arrange seats for our flight home on Monday, contacted some folks about possible apartments for the spring and responded to a number of emails.  Tomorrow we are going to look at two apartments that are both on the ground floor and look like they have showers that are on the ground and will be better for both David and me.  I am keeping my fingers crossed or croiser les doigts.  Claire is joining us for the viewings.

So, after getting some business out of the way, we headed off to see an exhibit at the Musée Carnavalet in the Marais.  It is a collection of dresses that belonged to Alice Alleaume who was a saleswoman at one of the haute couture shops in the Place Vendôme.  The dresses were from around the turn of the century through the 30’s and were incredible.  We did have a little detour before getting to the Museum when I got us on the wrong bus.  I made it work and we got off near the Louvre and walked to the Marais.  Along the way, we discovered Galerie Vivienne and took a stroll to look at the shops and restaurants.  A lovely diversion!

After the museum, we strolled to the Ile Saint Louis and visited the shops there before heading to the Ile de la Cité.  Walked past Notre Dame, and just glad that we didn’t need to visit.  More lines and crowds.  It is amazing how busy Paris is, even in November!  We walked past one of the apartments we are visiting tomorrow to check out the neighborhood, and had a bite to eat around the corner.  Well, I say a bit to eat like it was a snack, but we had soup and  each of us had a full plate of food – David had risotto with scallops and I had Bœuf bourguignon.  Then, in an attempt to burn the calories, we walked to Alex and Claire’s.  Well, I walked off the calories.  A few of them at least.

Had a great visit with Claire and Theo and continued when Alex came home from work.  It is always great to be with them.  Had another small bite with them, and then David was getting tired, so we headed home.  Read the blog and more of Hungry for Paris.  Tomorrow we have a big day with the apartments and then La Belle et La Bête.

We had a great visit from Debbie and Laurie.  On Sunday we went to the Musée D’Orsay again and revisited the Hungarian exhibit with them, then split up and David and I went to the art nouveau furniture, which was incredible and then looked at the painting by Lautrec and a group called La Vie Parisienne.  After we strolled over to Boulevard Saint Germain to meet Alex, Claire and Theo at the place we sat last week.  When we got there, Claire was waiting, fresh from her visit to IKEA, and Alex and Theo joined us later.  We had a bite to eat, and then headed off for a walk down Boulevard Saint Germain, and ended up walking up Rue Bonaparte with a stop at Pierre Hermé for some macaron.  We had a nice selection, and tried the Mogador at the suggestion of Luba.  Thanks for that, it was delicious!  Then  we walked a few more blocks to the Jardin du Luxembourg.  Lovely, as always, but as the sun was waning, it was getting colder, so Alex, Claire and Theo headed home and we did the same.  I was going to take a car, but when we went to pick up the car, there was some malfunction and the car wouldn’t open, so cancelled the booking and called Uber.

Got picked up just before we began to freeze, and the driver was very nice and chatty.  A guitar player for a band, and was wanting to move to NYC.  Then back to the warmth of the apartment and tried the macarons, which, as I said, were delicious.  Debbie and Laurie then had to head to the train to go back to London, and we ended a terrific visit with them.  A little TV, and reading the blog (but no writing) and more restaurants.

This morning we got a slow start.  Did some laundry and then we took more of Luba’s advise and went to explore the Marais again.  This time, Rue des Francs Bourgeois and Place des Vosges.  Saw lots of great stuff, but just window shopping!  We then wandered to Rue des Rosiers and stopped at L’as des Fallafel, and we had a great lunch – very filling and good.  Then, we wandered some more and ended up on Rue de Rivoli and headed back to pick up a bus on Boulevard de Sébastapol and home.  Ran out and picked up some quiche for a snack later, and I am finding my French is much better if I sort of mumble and don’t try for it to be perfect.  Folks seem to understand what I am saying, and don’t look at me funny, they just think I am lazy, not American.   When I got home, we watched some Castle (in English) and streamed the latest episode of The Good Wife.  Read some more of Paris Reborn, and David is asleep, and I will be too, soon.

Debbie and Laurie arrived yesterday, and we relaxed a bit in the morning, went to lunch at the little bistro around the corner that we went to with Alex last week – Chez Casimir – and then hopped in a car and headed to the Grand Palais to try to get into the George Braques exhibit. Debbie speaks French, so that helped get us pointed in the right direction. I thought it was odd when we were sent to the entrance to the garage, but the guard there said that we were in the right place. At a certain point, he opened the gate and told Debbie we should go in, without much more instruction. So we went to the bottom of the ramp and we were in what looked like the underground loading dock for the Palais. After looking around we wandered to the left, and found two more guards, who told us we should go up a rather steep ramp where there were doors. Both sets were locked, but had intercoms next to them, so we pushed the buttons, but no answer. Finally, someone came up and asked what we were looking for, and we said the George Braques exhibit, and he said that it was down the ramp, and took us to the door we were to go in through (near the guards who sent us up the ramp).  We got through the doors and were in the bowels of the palais, and greeted by Julie and another group with a wheelchair.  Then we took the freight elevator up to the first of two floors of the exhibit.  There was a long discussion about whether we had to pay or not, but it was decided that David didn’t have to pay, even though he didn’t have his Disabled Person’s Priority Card, which you can only get if you are French or have a work permit.  This was the first time this was a problem.  We were happy to pay for the three tickets, then we went to the exhibit.  It was terrific and there was a lot of work from many periods.  Almost too much work.  Sometimes it is best to have the best selections from a period and edit it down.  By the time we got through the second floor and discovered that there was yet another section, David didn’t want to bother to get someone to work the small lift to get him to the other level.  Debbie and Laurie went to see it and reported back, which we were happy to see through their eyes.

Then home and a nap before our dinner with Alex and Claire and their friends Ed and Alexis.  We were meeting at Casa Olympe at 8pm, so we headed out the door at about 7:30.  After getting in the Uber car to take us there, I realized that it was actually much closer than I thought.  Only a block or two further than La Table des Anges, where we walked to the other night.  With the traffic, it took almost the whole 30 minutes to get there anyway!  We were the first to arrive, so got settled, and were soon joined by Ed and Alexis and then shortly after that by Alex and Claire.  It was a great dinner, and we were so glad to be able to take Ed and Alexis out as a small thank you for being such great surrogate parents for Alex and Claire since coming to Paris.  They are also lots of fun to be with so it was a great evening all around!  After dinner, we walked home.

This morning we got up, had a bite to eat and some coffee then out the door and got on the bus to head to the Village Noel at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées.  We strolled all the way up, and even though David and I weren’t really shopping, within the first 60 yards, we had made two purchases – boots for Theo and mittens for David.  We stopped and had a mound of potatoes with cheese and ham and a sausage and when we were a the top of the market and spoke to Alex and they were going to come out and meet us.  When we got back down to the bottom of the market, spoke again, and told him that were were going to head to Maxim’s and would meet them next door in Minim’s for a coffee and to warm up.  The waiter was less than thrilled with our arrival, but he got over it, and while we were there 3-4 people came in want to use their bathroom and had to have a coffee at the bar first.  Being so close to the Place de la Concorde on Rue Royale, they must get a steady stream of people wanted to use the bathroom.

Alex, Claire and Theo arrived and we had some wine and chatted for a while.  Theo has been not feeling so well, unfortunately, so he wasn’t his jolly self.  It was also much colder today, so we didn’t want to stay out too long.  Then we got on the bus to head back home and said good-bye to Alex, Claire and Theo and after some searching, found the stop for our bus.  We hit some major traffic snarl near the Opera, and the driver had to take a detour to avoid it.  I am guessing it is the beginning of Christmas shopping at the Galeries Lafayette and when we drove by on our way in, I noticed that there were crowds looking at their windows, which might have gone in this weekend.

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Then home and back to the warmth, a little reading – we are rereading Paris Reborn, and it is taking on much more texture because the places are all very real having just seen them and you get a better sense of the spaces.  Rereading was David’s idea, of course.  So smart.

I am going to leave you with one other little bit of Paris.  The area where we are staying is

very nice and interesting, but has the distinction of being home to what seem like hundreds of wedding dress and wedding suit boutiques.  And this is no Kleinfeld’s or Vera Wang, they come in all shapes, colors and styles, but this one caught my eye and I couldn’t help taking a picture to share.  I don’t know who the bride is who would wear this, but I think that the dress speaks for itself.  Also, I might add, it was only in the window for two days, and was gone the day after I took this picture.  The white ones remain.

OK, I was desperate and tired and this song is not from a stage musical, but I have had to branch out.  And it works with today’s events.  But, I will start with yesterday.  Yesterday we headed to the left bank and wandered a little bit on Rue Cherche-midi.  I had heard there were nice shops on this street, and when we visited the last time, most were closed, and it was starting to rain, so yesterday we made another visit.  It was nice, and the shops were lovely.  Then we headed to the Musée Maillol where they were having an exhibit of Etruscan artifacts. It was a fine exhibit, but navigating through the museum with a wheelchair was not easy.  Between three different levels, with stairs and an out of the way elevator, it was not pleasant.  Afterwards, we walked to the corner of Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Saint Germain, where we sat outside and watched folks walking by as we ate lunch.  Very nice.  There was a woman who I noticed because of her high heel sneakers who later crossed in front of us near the Opera when we were driving home.  Small town!

After a nap, we headed over to Montparnasse to visit with Claire and Theo before we headed to the theatre.  Alex came home and soon after it was time for us to go to Theatre Bobino for Spamalot.  In French no less.  Now, as I said, I love to go to see american musicals in other languages, but, the problem here was that we didn’t see Spamalot in English, so a lot of it was lost on us.  I am sure that a great deal was changed for this version, but I could be wrong.  There was a chorus of scantily clad chorus girls who really did look more like they belonged at the Follies or the Moulin Rouge and there was a Can Can.  The Can Can did make sense in the story though.  I did enjoy it, and the audience, which was very young and enthusiastic, loved it!  Then we headed home.  The show started at 9PM (!!!!) so we were home after midnight, and that is late for even me.

Which brings me to today.  This morning, we both slept in, and it was after 11AM when we roused ourselves.  Had some breakfast, exercised and headed out.  We drove by Parc Monceau and then to the Grand Palais to see the Miss Dior exhibit and the George Braque exhibit.  As we walked up to the entrance, there were again lines and a whole lot of people.  I thought this might be because the Miss Dior exhibit just opened and was gearing up for waiting.  I asked one of the guards where the entrance for the wheelchair was, and he said the second entrance, which he said in French and I understood, so I ran with it.  We got to the second entrance and the guard there said we were in the right place, and ushered us in.  As we approached the door, it said VIP and Press, and I thought, well, he sent us this way, and I will just plead ignorance.  Then security saw us coming and stopped frisking people, and stepped aside to let us through.  Then I saw the people processing tickets with their scanners, and I looked and was ready to say, “they told us to come this way”.  She turned and opened the door for us, and let us in.

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I didn’t want to go too far, so looked on “The Fork”, a european version of Open Table and found something that sounded nice and wasn’t too far away.  La Table des Anges, and it was great!  The waiter was so warm and friendly, and kept on giving us extra stuff – shaved prosciutto (or the French version), cheese that just arrived from the Pyrenees and an apple liquor to end our visit.  The meal was excellent as well, and we had help selecting dinner from both the owner and the chef.  He wanted us to have the ham that he just made, but we opted for duck breast for David and risotto with new truffles that had just arrived.  Both were delicious.  Our entrees were also great, David had an avocado puree with crab and I had the foie fras.  We will definitely be going back here.

Then some TV – Project Runway All Stars and The Good Wife.

Today was rainy, so I ran to the theatre to get tickets for La Belle et La Bête, and this time, I was successful, because the box office was open, and my french was good enough to buy three tickets.  Excellent seats, I might add.  So tomorrow is Spamalot and next Wednesday is La Belle.  Very fun!  When I got home, it was only misting a bit, so we headed out to get some lunch.  I found a restaurant that sounded interesting on the website La Fourchette – the French version of Open Table.  Still haven’t been able to snag a reservation to Frenchie, but will continue to try.

Anyway, the restaurant – Auberge du Clou – was excellent.  I started with the Paté Maison and David had the onion soup and then David had the pork shank and I had salmon.  David didn’t love the pork, but my salmon was great.  Lovely, warm room as well.  We were there just at the end of their lunch rush, because there was a lot of cleaning up being done, and the only other table downstairs was a couple with their dog.  This was a first for this trip – having someone eating at a restaurant with their dog – one of my favorite things about Paris!

Then home, and David took a nap, then we read and watched some TV.  Watched Addams Family Values and was able to switch it to watch in English, but after David went to sleep, I watched the end of Thelma and Louise in French because I couldn’t switch it to English.  Still a great movie, in any language.

Today we went out to buy tickets for Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre Mogador, and I checked to make sure that they were open on Mondays, and according to the website, they were, but when we got there, they were closed.  Today is a national holiday, so I understand, but was not thrilled that my plan was thwarted.  We also waited for the bus, but it was taking too long, so we walked to the theatre.  Not a bad walk.

After not getting tickets, called Alex to set a plan for meeting, and we started walking towards the Eiffel Tower.  Met alex under the tower, and were just glad that we weren’t interested in going up, because the line was crazy.  Although, my guess is we could have cut the line with the wheelchair.  We walked, and for a few blocks, David got out of the wheelchair and walked.  It was good for him to get up and practice some more.  We will have to try that some more.  Then stopped in Alex and Claire’s old neighborhood for a bite to eat in a little greek place.  I has stuffed eggplant and Alex and David had crêpes.

Then set a meeting with Clair and we found each other near the École Militaire.  On our way back to their place, we stopped at Des Gâteaux et du Pain for a few treats to take away.  They were quite tasty and we had them with some coffee and tea.  David was feeling a bit tired from a full day, so we left after tea and came home.  I made some dinner, then some Project Runway All-Stars and The Good Wife, some reading and sleep.

David watching the boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg

It was a little chilly in the Jardin du Luxembourg today

Panorama of the Jardin du Luxembourg

Boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg

Today was the first truly sunny day we have had in Paris.  It was very cold, but the sun was great.  We took advantage of this by going out and exploring.  First, breakfast, and because we had run out of cereal, and the stores were all closed because it is Dimanche, we went to the cafe downstairs for a petit déjeuner anglais.  I forgot to ask for David’s eggs to be scrambled, and that was a disappointment for him.  Over easy isn’t what he would call a good start of the day.  The coffee and croissants were good though, so not a complete loss.  We hopped in a car and drove to the left bank and the Jardin du Luxembourg.  A delightful, albeit cold way to start the day.  We watched the children (and children at heart) sailing their boats, and then walked through the park.

After leaving the park, we headed to Boulevard St Germain, but again, because it was Dimanche, most stores were fermé.  It was still a very nice stroll.  We then walked the market on Boulevard Raspail, and picked up some cheese, wine, dates and a toy to bring to Alex and Claire’s.  We arrived a bit after 2pm, and they were having lunch with the couple who they share a nanny with.  Very nice folks, and it was great to meet them and talk.  After they left, we relaxed for a bit, and then Claire Lempress came to visit for a while.  She is babysitting Theo, and they wanted to give her the lay of the land.  It was also a very good excuse for us to see her.  She is in Paris for the semester, and from the sounds of it, is having a great time and all of us want to take the courses that she is taking.  David and I also now have a date to see La Belle et La Bête with.  She said she couldn’t get any of her college friends to go with her, so we will take you next week.

Then we dropped Claire off on our way back.  Once home, we watched the first episode of Project Runway All-Stars, then began reading a new book – Mastering the Arts of French Eating by a friend of Alex and Claire’s.  So far, it is very interesting.

Yesterday David had an emotional day.  This trip has not been what he had hoped.  He told me that there were three problems that really made the trip not so pleasant for him.  First, the elevator issue is making him anxious and is difficult for him to adjust to.  Next, he says that he isn’t really seeing anything from the wheelchair when we walk.  That things are above his eye level, and he doesn’t get to see anything.  Of course, That sort of makes two of us, because I am pushing him, and usually (but not always) more concerned about avoiding hitting anyone or getting stuck in some crack in the pavement.  Finally, even with the shower chair, the bathing situation is not the best.  In Palm Springs we are all set and there is plenty of space to get around.  Not to mention, there is only a small step into the show.  Here, the tub is very high, as are most – Alex and Claire’s tub is the same – about six inches higher than a standard tub in the US.

We have had a great visit, and it is terrific seeing Alex, Claire and Theo, but we are going to head home on the 25th or 26th of November, almost two weeks before we had anticipated.  I am also going to look into traveling more outside of Paris when we come back in the spring.  Maybe a week in Copenhagen or Berlin before heading to Paris and then going to London at the end of the trip.  We’ll see.  I feel bad that it isn’t working out for David, but I understand his frustration.  He is also very concerned that I am not getting to do things that I would like.

Today Alex came over in the morning with Theo, and then we went to their neighborhood.  The sun was shining in the morning, and when we got on the bus to get to Montparnasse, it was cloudy, but not raining, but by the time we got off, it was raining pretty hard.  After leaving Alex and Theo at their apartment, we headed to Theatre Bobino and got tickets for next Wednesday for Spamalot.  I am looking forward to that, and I think that for the last week, we will get tickets for Beauty and the Beast.  Very appropriate for Paris, I think.  both are in French, and we have always made an effort to see American musicals in other languages when we travel – two of my favorites so far were Grease in Prague and Man of LaMancha in Madrid.  before I met David, I saw La Cage aux Folles in Berlin, which was also pretty impressive.
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When we got home, I ran to the market to get some stuff for dinner, and made a pasta with zucchini that was pretty good.  Also picked up some cheeses and one of them was very good. Too bad I can’t remember what the name was.  I will have to try to find it again tomorrow.  Then watched the final bit of the Miss Universe Pageant, or as I like to call it – Donald Trump’s personal Match.com.  I think this is still where he shops for wives, right?  Such a pig.

Anyway, while David is feeling bad, or has some down moments, we still do a lot and have a good time together.  It just is more difficult, obviously, and we have to pace ourselves.  I give him a lot of credit for not having more moments of frustration, most of the time he is very positive and upbeat.

Today we had a visit from Alex and went to lunch.  We first made a stop at Gare du Nord because David needed to have a blood test done, and I thought that having Alex would be very helpful, because his French is much better than mine.  I can’t even say “Pardon my bad French”.  Anyway, it was very helpful.  Once we located the lab, we headed to lunch first.  It took a bit of a stroll to find the restaurant that I was interested in going to, and as we approached the door, the waiter came to meet us and asked if we had booked, but we said no, and he said – impossible and recommended the restaurant just a few doors down, and we went.  It was a great meal.  Alex and I had the foie gras and steak and David had oysters and scallops.  We shared some dessert as well – a fig tart and pot au chocolat.  The tart was better.

Afterwards we strolled back to the Gare, and found the elevator down to the lower level, where the lab was, and had the test done.  It is amazing how easy it was, and relatively cheap.  I always thought it was funny that you needed a prescription to get blood tests done, I mean, who goes to have a blood test done just for fun?  Will get the results tomorrow online.  The folks at the lab were great too.

Then Alex went back to school to teach a class, and David and I went home and took a nap.  Then we got up and met Alex, Claire and Theo at their usual Friday night hangout – Café Basile.  It was very nice and relaxed and in their neighborhood.  Had some cheese and frites and, of course, some wine.  Very nice.  Then drove back home, some TV (NCIS in English), the blog and book.  Tonight was about the introduction of north African food in Paris and some recommendations for restaurants.  We may seek some of them out.

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Yesterday we went on a quest with Claire and Theo.  First, the trip to meet Claire was exciting.  After a few obstacles, we used Autolib‘ for the first time!  I reserved the car on my phone, and we went to pick it up, and it was there.  I had some trouble finding the release for the trunk, so the wheelchair went into the back seat and then when I tried to start the car, it wasn’t working.  I was determined to make this work, so I called, and got to someone who could speak English.  It seems that if you take too long getting into the car, it won’t start for you, and with trying to figure out the trunk release and all, I had exceeded that limit.  So, after locking and unlocking the car, it started just fine.  Then I put the address in the GPS.  It started giving me directions that I thought seemed odd, but began to follow them.  It took about 20 minutes just to get by the Arab Market that is near our apartment, and then we were on our way.  Past the Moulin Rouge and then I made a wrong turn and we took a short tour or detour of Montmartre, but then back heading the the right direction.  Driving around the Place Concorde was an interesting experience.  Sort of like a large parking lot with an obelisk in the middle and cars just sort of going where they wanted to.  I was grateful that I just wanted to go straight ahead, because if I had to go in any other direction, I might not have made it.  It took way too long to get to Claire, but we made it, safe and sound.

First, we headed off to get a taste of the best baguette in Paris for 2013 at Au Paradis du Gourmand.  It is kind of close to Alex and Claire, and the folks there were really nice.  The shop has a few steps up to the entrance, and even with the lunch rush starting (when we left, the line was quite long) they stopped to put out the ramp so I could wheel David up.  We got the baguette, plus sandwiches for later.  David was eyeing the croissants and sweets, but I told him that we were waiting on that.

Next, we headed to a bakery that was, sort of, not really, nearby to get croissants.  Boulangerie Pichard was in the top five in the croissant contest for 2013.  It was quite a walk, but Theo was napping, and it was good exercise for me and Claire.  When we got there, we ordered croissants, pain du chocolate and a pistachio roll.  And we got there just in time too, because as we left, they were rolling everything inside and closing for the day.  And it was only a little after one.  Then back to Claire and Alex’s and the sandwiches were great, as were the croissants.

After relaxing for a while with Claire, we got back into a car, and had a much easier trip back to the 10th arrondissement and home.  David laid down for a few minutes, and I ran out first to get a chair for the shower.  I wasn’t sure where I would be able to find one, and thought the Pharmacy would be a good place to start.  I asked at the counter if she could speak English, and she said a little, but really, while better than my French, her English was not good, and I had to struggle with my French.  She understood “Chaisse pour le douche”, and we were off to the races.  They didn’t have one, but would have it “demain”, and I selected the one that I thought would work.  When I picked the chair up, “aujourd’hui” the man behind the counter asked if I was American and shared that he loved Obama.  I told him that I did too!

After the Pharmacy, I went to the market just down the street.  It was very nice and I picked up some pates to go with the baguette we had, and thought that might be dinner.  We had a pretty big lunch with the sandwiches.  I had to mangle some more French to order, but got what I wanted, which was great.  Lots of pointing and gesturing, obviously.  Then home.  We ate and then went to be relatively early, but not before I figured out how to change the language on the TV from French to English.  We watched Friends, The Big Bang and La Petite Maison dans le Prairie.  Not sure if it was really worth the trouble.

This morning, I slept later than normal, and we got a late start, but strolled around the Marais for a while.  Took the bus down, and drove a car back.  Both trips were very good.  It rained a little and we stopped at a little bar for lunch, and felt like we were very typique.  There wasn’t a tourist in sight, and the waiter spoke no English.  Ordering food and wine (particularly wine) is pretty easy for me.  Not really sure what we had but there were frites involved and that is OK with me!

Tonight we went to the ballet at the Palais Garnier, which was really spectacular.  Our seats were perfect, and the only things that were missing were fans and opera gloves.  There were three new ballets, and the first and third were good.  The second, not so much.  There was no music, and the dancers performed in front of four screens where photos were projected and changed during the dance.  I found the pictures distracting and honestly, didn’t see much of the dancing.  The first had smoke puffing form spots on the floor, and the dancing, at moments, reminded me of Elaine’s dancing in Seinfeld or Ed Grimley’s happy dance.  I mean this in the best possible way.  The last one though was really beautiful.  First the set was very effective.  There was a structure that hung over the stage that looked like a huge, floating, amorphous sheet that would move during the dance and three traps in the floor that would raise and lower the dancers and singers.  The music was Monteverdi, and was performed A capella by a group of singers who were also involved in the performance.  There were also a few moments in the dance when the dancers would disappear from the stage through the traps and they would be projected on the stage, live, and perform under the stage.  Very interesting and clever.

Anyway, a great evening, and here are some pictures.

The ceiling is always impressive

Our view from the box where we sat. Not bad!

I can’t believe I didn’t bring my opera gloves!

The title tonight is inspired by Vivien Leigh’s 100th Birthday and Paris.

Today we braved the rain and took not one, but two buses to get to Musée d’Orsay.  Again we were greeted by an immense line at the door, and again we were whisked past the wet, huddled masses and into the lobby of the museum.  When I went to get on the line inside to get a free ticket, I was told that we didn’t need to do that, and we could just go in, which is what we did.  We saw two of the special exhibitions Masculin/Masculin, which was very interesting, and at moments sort of comical.  Then we went to see a collection of paintings by Hungarian modernists and Béla Bartók that was really great.  Most of the artists were new to me, and I thought they were great.  The colors and intensity were incredible.  We then made our way through the crowds in the impressionist galleries, which are always nice, but would be nicer with fewer people to navigate through.  At one point, there was a woman who was meandering in front of me and I was trying to avoid hitting her, and I did a good job, until as we were passing behind her, she decided to meander backwards into the wheelchair.

When we left the museum, the rain had let up, so we walked across the Seine to the Palais du Louvre and caught a bus home from there.  Once home, we had some sandwiches we picked up in the park by the Louvre and then David laid down for a nap, while I went out to do some shopping that needed to be done.  I also got the badge for the Autolib’, so tomorrow, I promise, I will drive!

Made dinner, then read the blog, book and some news items.  Tomorrow we are spending with Claire in the early part of the day.

Now, I bet there will be very few who will know where this lyric is from, and it has nothing to do with a waiter.  We have arrived, safe and sound in Paris and hit the ground running yesterday. Actually, I think we bit off too much yesterday, and will break today up a bit more. Yesterday we went to l’Orangerie and saw both the permanent collection and the Frida/Diego exhibit, then strolled through the Jardin Des Tuileries, then a stroll to the Palais Garnier, but stopping before for a bite to eat at Café de l’Olympia. Once at the Opera House, we purchased tickets for the ballet on Thursday, and then off to get my card for the Autolib’ so I can begin driving in Paris and make is just a bit more dangerous for pedestrians! We didn’t get the card, because they were having some computer problems, but then tried out Uber, and it worked just as well, if not better, than in New York. I also didn’t mention that we took the bus to l’Orangerie, which was also seamless. The ramps for the wheelchair are similar to those in Monaco, and very easy and quick. Today, we will cover all the transportation options available, and drive – I am determined!

We did get a surprise at the Musee l’Orangerie when we arrived.  Well, two surprises.  First, when we got there, there was a line winding quite far from the entrance, and I saw that there were steps, so rather than get in the line, I walked to check to see where there was a ramp, and before I knew it, we were whisked into the building through a side entrance and I went to the cashier to buy tickets, and she handed me the tickets, and I asked “Combien?” and she said “Gratuit”.  It seems most, if not all, the museums in Paris are free if you are handicapped.  I would prefer paying the 10€ but, it is a little silver lining.  The ballet tickets were not gratuit!

When we arrived in Paris, we got to the apartment, and it is beautiful.  The neighborhood is varied and interesting.  Lots of wedding dress and men’s clothing stores.  On our first evening,  Alex met us and we went to the café on the ground floor of the building for a bite to eat.  Not great, but serviceable food, and I am sure we were become regulars for a coffee and bite in the morning.  Then, the next day, Alex, Claire and Theo came over and we relaxed at the apartment for a while and then headed off to a restaurant recommended by Ida, who we are renting the apartment from.  Terminus Nord was a typical Parisian brasserie, and was a great way to start with Alex, Claire and Theo.  Across the street from the Gare du Nord, it was bustling with folks coming and going from the station.  After lunch, we strolled with them for a while and then headed back, leaving them to find their bus.

We did hit one little hiccup when we arrived at the apartment – David’s wheelchair doesn’t fit in the elevator with him in it.  Ida had taken measurements, and if the doors weren’t accordion doors, it would fit, but the doors are the problem.  We decided to see if we could find a more suitable option, but have come up short.  Looked at two places last night, but they both had issues – one had the same elevator problem and the other the bathtub was too high for David to get in and out of. I think we will stay put, but David wants to go home earlier than we had planned, and we might go back just before Thanksgiving.  David is missing the warm Palm Springs sun!  Until then, I am planning our days and nights as best I can, around the raindrops!

Well, we had a great day in Monaco.  Visited the palace, the Oceanographic Museum, walked by the casino and wandered around Monte Carlo.  The event at the museum was nice, but a bit overwhelming.  Lots of fish!  But, it was an Oceanographic Museum.  We took a tour of the palace in Monaco, and David was not pleased with the 35 steps that he had to walk up.  It was worth it though.  Mostly for the portrait of the Princess Grace and Prince Ranier and Family.  It was very interesting, and reminded me of some family photos that I have seen that are kind of embarrassing.  It was painted in 1981 and is very much of its time and you realize how so much of the art of the 80’s will not survive to be classic.

David liked Monaco best of all our visits, but mine is still Nice.  Well, to be honest, David says it is a tie between Monaco and Cannes.  I don’t think Cannes makes the cut.  We sailed in the evening, and David slept while I went to the show for the evening.  It was Broadway themed, so right up my alley.  It is kind of strange going to something like this alone, but as luck would have it, a single lady was sitting in front of me.  At a certain point, she turned around to me and asked after each song “what show this one is from?”  I told her – A Chorus Line, Chicago, West Side Story, Evita and Les Mis.  One of the strange things about this cruise is that our cruise director has insinuated himself into many of the performances onboard.  I almost typed his bio in the daily newsletter a few days back, but spared you.  It was quite humorous, but will let you know that he had a song that was #12 on the UK gospel charts.  So, when he was singing “This is the moment” I jumped the gun and tapped her on the shoulder and said, “This is from Jekyll & Hyde and probably nobody in the audience knows what show this one is from, and that is a good thing.”  She asked, “Was it that bad?”

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Now, the last night on the ship, and tomorrow night we are back in Paris, so the entries will be more regular!  Also, sorry there are no pictures, but we were having such a good time looking that we didn’t take the time to take pictures.  Selfish, I know.

I have a lot to cover, so I won’t waste any time.  Our last day in St Tropez was nice.  We went ashore again, and this time while we were waiting, there were two couples who were talking behind us.  One of the couples was from New Orleans and the other was from Toronto.  The gentleman from New Orleans felt that since he was talking to Canadians, he was safe to talk about politics and started talking about the Affordable Care Act, or as he kept saying Obamacare.  He was telling them about how he felt for them because, you know the Canadians are having to rush across the border to get quality healthcare, and now those days are over.  His wife, at a certain point, told him that he should stop or he was going to get in trouble.  He told her that he wasn’t ashamed of his political views, and had a guy he knew who voted for Obama twice, and while they didn’t speak or see each other often, he would still consider him a friend.  The Canadian woman told him, at this point, that she wished she was American so she could have voted for Obama.  He also told them that they should come to New Orleans because it is all better now, and then whispered, it was actually better because of lot of the bad folks who were in New Orleans have been displaced to Texas and weren’t coming back.  The ugly American continues to rear it’s ugly head.  It amazes me that Republicans are always saying stupid things about Canada, like recently I heard one say that because of Obamacare, he thought he would have to move to Canada to get out of this socialist country.

Folks who asked about our luggage are now finding out that it has arrived, and they seem genuinely happy for us.  Two ladies at breakfast told us how we are always the best-dressed men on the cruise.  It was nice to say, but I have to admit that compared to many of the men (and some of the women) that isn’t saying much.

St Tropez didn’t change much from my impression the day before.  It is a cute town, but totally overrun.  And not by tourists, but I guess locals.  It seems that it isn’t a festival, really, but rather an entire weekend of sales because most of the shops close for the season today.

Wedding in Park in Nice

First attempt at asking someone to take our picture

Us looking down at the promenade in Nice

David and Nice

We sailed overnight to Nice, and we have been there before, and enjoyed it.  In the morning we took a walk along the promenade, strolled through the antique market and then took the elevator up to the sight of the old medieval city.  Lovely views, and lots of children out and about.  It is still a school holiday – Claire is off these two weeks in Paris.  The weather was lovely, and it was a nice stroll.  When we got back to the ship, we had lunch and then I went off the ship again to mail some postcards and walk a bit more on my own.  Walked along a park in the center of town that was very nice.  It all looked very new, and it wasn’t until later, when I took David to stroll in the park that I discovered (and translated) that the park opened on this past Saturday.  It was packed with families as well and there were some really delightful playground equipment all in the shape of sea animals – a huge whale that was a jungle gym with a slide out of the whales mouth, whales tails that had swings hanging from them and octopi that had tire swings hanging from them.  All completely covered with children!

We arrived in Cannes this morning, and got out for a walk on the Criosette and through the main shopping district and then back to the ship before it began raining.  We had about three hours of hazy sunshine, which was nice.  Warm, but very humid.  David likes Cannes better than I did.  I prefer Nice. I like Nice a lot.  It has an urban feel, but it very open and light.  David was concerned because the sea was pretty rough, and transferring to the tender was not as easy as it has been.  They carried him on and off the tender from the ship in the wheelchair.  I don’t think he liked it much, and might have preferred to stay on board, but was glad that he braved it and made it ashore.

We have just pulled up anchor and are sailing to Monte Carlo and arrive there at ab out 7PM and we have a special evening at the Oceanographic Museum for the ships passengers.  We hear the museum is very nice, and I am looking forward to it.