more catching up

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
 Before I left the US I had developed a big blister on the ball of my left foot.  This is not good for anyone who is about to launch into the joys of walking the streets of Paris, but particularly not good for a diabetic.  I have been carefully tending to the wound but if you're going to be out and about every day, how much "tending" can you do?  So today I took the day off, stayed in the apartment with my foot up to give it some sweet relief.

In stead of hanging around here Mr. C and Cait took off for an adventure over near Les Halles and that destination cookware store, Dehillerins.  I go there every time I visit Paris.  I don't buy anything, I just want to look at all the beautiful pots and pans and weird little gadgets that I don't even know what to do with.  They both said it was remarkably empty for a Saturday.  Usually it's packed with busy buyers from all over the world, but today they were all somewhere else so thboth the main floor and the downstairs were roomy enough to make it through the aisles crammed with goodies. I'll try to go before we leave, mainly because I want to go over to rue Montorgeuil, a pedestrian-only shopping street very close by.  Shops of all kind, lots of restaurants, great street life.

Mr. C came home and Cait went on to explore the city.  Dinner in tonight as we have a busy day tomorrow.  Foot?  Somewhat better but still needs looking after.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
Off to the bird market (Marché des Oiseaux et des Fleures) on this grey and misty morning.  The market is over by Notre Dame and, as I saw when we got there, far smaller than I remember it back in the '70s.  Then it also had other animals, mainly dogs and cats.  There were some rabbits, mice and fish this time but no other pets.

The birds are there only on Sunday, but the flower market is open every day.  Beautiful plants of all kinds, seeds, books, pots, planters, etc.  Most French apartments don't have any garden area so the balcony ~ or if no balcony, the grillwork outside the window ~ becomes the only place where a bit of green can grace your life.  That's why they all flock to the many parks in the city the moment the sun comes out.

Notre Dame is a couple of blocks away so we walked over to check out the crowds ~ not bad at all for a Sunday morning ~ and paid a visit to this magnificent iconic church.  There was a mass going on and an organ concert at the same time.  The organist had pulled out all the stops and the name was almost quaking with the powerful music.  If that music didn't get your prayers up to God's ear, nothing would!

Next stop was over in the 4th to the Musée du Carnavalete, the museum of the City of Paris.  To our great disappointment, about 99% of the holdings were in storage while the museum undergoes a big renovation.  We have been there before and wanted Cait to see it.  We'll meet back here in 2019 when it reopens!

Over to the Place de Voges, through the very bustling streets of the "other" Marais, and then a great walk home.  Only when you set out on foot do you realize how small this city actually is ~ I think about 3 miles in diameter so unless you are going UP to Montmartre it's all pretty flat.  And of course, only by walking do you discover all of its treasures.  After we got home, Cait took off again to go back to the 4th and rue du Rosiers and other wonderful things to see.

We have a big day tomorrow; Père Lachaise, the cemetery  up in the 20th.  Over a hundred acres filled to the brim with the graves of the famous ~ Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Honoré de Balzacm Colette, Chopin, Delacroix ~ and the not so famous.  See you there next time.