Last week we decided to give a final answer (yes of course) to the following question :
Did you see Jim Morisson grave in Paris?To find the place, we just had to follow the crowd bound to the sanctuary.But is Jim Morisson the only one you should pay a tribute to? Of course not.
Earlier, as we were in the Montparnasse cemetery, we had hand picked a few places to honor.
This time we just walked randomly and ran into some Hall of Famers.
Victor Schoelcher for example, everyone in the universe knows him for his fight.
If you do not belong to the category “Everyone”, click on the link above, you will understand why tou should revere his memory.While we are in a remembrance moment, let us pay a tribute to the non French who fought, with courage, in France, to save Liberty and Democracy.
Here, and do not think that I am overly chauvinist, let me ask you to join me and, together, pay a tribute to the Czech people.

After leaving the Père Lachaise, one of the two major Paris cemeteries, we walked down the rue du Chemin Vert and made two encounters. To be honest only the second one was planned.First stop.
To maintain the glamour reputation of Paris, this shop sells erotic books.
The shop was closed so we did not bring back a sample to share with you.The second stop is more emotional.
Here lived someone who will never be replaced in my memory.
Because our mothers were High School friends, with Patrick, we have shared good and excellent times for the last seven decades.
From cradle to the present moment. Can you say better?Susan loves art, so we made a stop in Barbizon. Please note that even the Post Office is Art.Art did I say?Probably yes.Barbizon is not far from Fontainebleau famous for its Château built by François I (pronounce François Premier). Here Napoleon abdicated the first time in April 1814.Back to Paris for a last walk before Susan returns to Florida. Of course a last fine lunch in our Tuxedo like attire.As a final smile, a forbidden picture.

Susan returned on August 15, we shall reunite in 5 weeks for a French family reunion in Florida in October.

Second Week in the Paris area

Now that Susan has become an expert in public transportation, ie the Paris Metro, she travels by herself and begins discovering Paris on her own.

Along the right bank of the river Seine, East of Paris was a large estate dedicated to wine trade. By the end of the fifties, the area was reassigned: on the left bank a Science University, on the right bank, a park. Vanessa, my daughter and Salomé met Susan for a discovery of the park.Sculptures, ponds decorate the park.As everywhere in this world, shopping booths pop. Some elements of the previous architecture remain, so do the rails of the train that moved the goods around.Last year, Susan discovered China Town, we had a dinner at this restaurant.
As a celebration to this Anniversary, we did an encore.
By the way, she is not the only person with whom I spent a dinner there, my Buddy Claude will recognize the place, it has been there for at least 30 years.On the way to the restaurant, we ran into one of the Fontaine Wallace that ornate Paris, and not only Paris, ever since the end of the XIX century. But let me be square, even though wine is a French common beverage, these fountains offer water only.Paris tries to keep the original artefacts, here an Art Deco Metro station.

Another day in le Marais

A promise was made to Susan a long time ago: a visit to the Musée Picasso. Here we are enjoying, on the ground floor, a common exhibition Calder-Picasso.
Abstract of slightly figurative art offers a large space for naming the works. Here Calder named his word “Wooden Bottle with Hair”. To my point of view, I would have rather called it “Rock attracting Fishes”.As we left the Picasso Museum, we ran into a feather covered bike.
The designer must have smoked untested substances.As we were hungry, in the Plaetzl of Paris, the Jewish quarter, we made an attempt to enjoy Fallafel. The lines were too long, we gave up hoping to find another place.During our search, a Rabbi asked me if I was Jewish and if I had done my daily Mitzvah.
Of course I had was my answer My Mitzvah was to visit the Picasso Museum with Susan.
As a matter of fact, the guy wanted me to lace the Tefilin and do the prayer with him.
I will not get into the details but, after a Pilpul, he understood that it was a lost cause.
Susan looked at us silently during the discussion and could not stop laughing as soon as we left.Facing the restaurant was a shop named “The Trouser”, the motto of the shop is
“You’ve got beautiful legs, you know?”
This of course makes a reference to a 1938 movie called “Quai des Brumes” and if you read the previous Susan’s Weeks, you will smile.

On the way back to the Metro we ran into two shops.The first one is a famous Gay shop.The second one is the world famous Mariage Frères that sells teas,
Susan could not leave without a can of local Earl Gray.Paris is not exempt of vandalism.Neither is the suburb of American invasion. We had to shop in the only COSTCO in France.
The good news is that if Susan falls into a home sick moment, a run to COSTCO will give her a shot of Americana. If the prices were not in Euro, it would be easy to beleive that you are in North America.On Saturday, a visit to the market where we bought Shrimps to prepare Flambé with Pastis for lunch and scalops for tomorrow.

Here comes the Sun(day)

You may have the Greatest Pinocchio, we have the Greatest Flea Market.
Susan had to discover this incredible mix of Schmatte and superb antiques.An example of weird way to spend money: a toy for 20k$.A booth more in line with Susan’s point of focus (desires).After grazing for over two hours, the stomachs cried famine.
An artichoke for Susan, a breadless hamburger for me.On the way back to the Metro, we ran into the French equivalent of Big Bird, a thing named Casimir. Every kid over 30 and berlow 50 knows the show that was the signal to bed time.A first for Susan and me, a ride in the Tramway.
In French the Tramway means a train in the streets.Last but not least, I tried to activate the speed trap an X-Ray Kodak machine.
Even if I had been successful, as I am not registred, I would not have received the moving violation ticket.

Home tonight, Scallops with a white Burgundy. You should have joined us.
May be next time.

Last week of Susan’s second month. A Parisian week, so Parisian that we bought a weekly metro pass and Susan graduated, Cum Laude, from “Find your way in the Paris Metro maze”.

The week had begun with a visit to the Louvre.
Susan tried to show the famous Mona Lisa enigmatic smile. SUCCESS!Unfortunately we were not able to reserve the Louvre for a private visit. Susan had to share.
Next time, who knows.

I know, this number 73 rue de Vaugirard does not ring a bell for you.
At this very address I spent the first 40 years of my life. This area was my village.
A pilgrimage was needed. DONE!As we were in the Montparnasse area, we paid a tribute to the great men (and women too) burried in the Montparnasse Cemetery. For stupid reasons we missed the 100th Anniversary of Citroën, the car manufacturer, not stopping by the founder’s grave would have been an insult to his memory.Some graves of unknown wealthies are overly Baroque. This one does not lack an ounce of bad taste.Most Cemeteries have a Jewish quarter, Montparnasse has at least four.Here a famous film maker, Gérard Oury and his wife Michèle Morgan. She had a superb career and she leaves an immortal trace in the French cinema. In the movie “Quai des Brumes” Jean Gabin seduces her with a “You’ve got so beautiful eyes, you know”.

Did I fool you? Moving even in French.Talking about love, sorry LOVE, this deserves an Upper Case, the most famous couple of French intellectuals, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre.
Simone de Beauvoir, a Path finder in the Women’s Lib said, “You are not born Woman, you become one”.
As for a tribute to the great woman, Susan too left her mark too.We went to l’Orangerie where Monet’s Water Lillies are on a permanent display. In the lower part of the building another exhibit was waiting for us.This modern abstract painting by Alex Katz, inspired by Monet’s Water Lillies, needed a close inspection.Soutine was also part of the exhibit that included, but not only, Matisse, Renoir…
Two hours well spent.We left the Orangerie for, as Bankrupt Pinocchio would say, the most touristy picture in the Galaxy: from le jardin des Tuileries the alignment of la Concorde, les Champs Elysées and l’Arc de Triomphe.Saturday was dedicated to my perversion, Arts and Technologies. This Museum hosts a collection of technological objects such as clocks, measuring standards, communication equipments, mechanical devices, looms (I just discovered this word) and technological cathedrals that will never be number crunching again.Here a Cray 2. In my presence, should you wish to avoid a three hour lecture on the beauty of super-computing, do not even mention the name.