Getting Here

The trip was fairly uneventful, I slept better than I thought because I was firmly asleep the flight attendants turned on the lights, I hate that!  We did have to fill out Grippe Porcine (Swine Flu) forms.  And there were a few people on the plane with masks on, most of the time.  That made me laugh!  Like wearing it part time is going to protect them if they are exposed! To my surprise, while breakfast on the plane stunk, my pasta for dinner was reasonably good.  I was hungry though and that does tend to taint my judgment.

The taxi driver brought me straight to the back entrance to Cour Damoye, and Elmer was there to greet me and assist me with my bags.  He gave me the low down on all the appliances, amenities and even a cup of coffee!  Then while he finished up from the previoius guests, (I asked that he sleep in and not rush here early on my behalf!) I went to the market out the back door.  I purchased some cheese, the most lovely strawberries, crème and butter for in the morning.   I also purchased some Lilly of the Valley for the apartment; I thought it fitting as, today in not only Mothers day (Happy Mothers Day Mom) but also my grand mother’s birthday.  She had a huge bunch of those fragrant white blossoms on the table each May.  The guy who sold the strawberries flirted outrageously; maybe that is why they are so luscious!  LOL There are some non-food items in the market as well, that will require closer scrutiny next time I go. 

I got back just as he was finishing up and after he left I headed for a nice relaxing bath!  The apartment is everything I had hoped; the windows open to the Cour.  It is bigger than the first apartment Jodi and I rented but not as large and the one we had last time we were here with the kids, but it is MUCH more charming!  Jan is a great photographer, but her photos do not do it justice, it is the feel of the pale in addition to the look, I think.   The stairs area a piece of cake, though, maybe because of all the practice I have done over the past nine months!

After freshening up I headed off to St. Germain to the opening events of a Jazz festival.  I got there and could not find it.  What a hoot, it was right behind me, but it is so under stated ant I had missed it.  I had lunch at Bonaparte, just to the north of the Place St. Germain.  I ate a salade chevre, a glass of Cotes du Rhone and a cup of café au lait after listening to the opening act.  A trio of men sat next to me and I got tickled when I overheard one of them say that he had just been to Texas and that the people in Texas sis not like President Obama!  I giggled ad he asked if I were from the states.  So we chatted off and on until they left.

Then I started wandering my way back to the apartment, up rue Dauphine, had a look in my favorite shoe store, our purse store and then up the Quai, past Notre Dame, through the flower and bird market and across the other side f the Seine.  As I was crossing the bridge I had my first glimpse of (as Jodi calls the Eiffel Tower) my girlfriend.  She was peering over the top of the Conciergerie.  As I paused to take a photo of her, I noticed a sign that says Paris respire (breathe) and I thought "Yeah, that is what I am going to do on this trip, BREATHE"!"