Rites of Spring and the Broken Dishwasher
It broke cold today, the kind of cold that turns your bones to into weathervanes and ears into china cup handles. Gayle kept bemoaning not wearing her “cuddle duds”. But we were on a mission to locate and report on our Associate Pastor’s hotel room and neighborhood, take a book guided walk in the Latin Quarter, and locate the best baguette in Paris. Ralph’s hotel is 50 feet from the starting point of our walk into the past and thus is abundant with charm and history.
After we noted the area, read about the ups and downs of the Seine we came to a little park that was loaded with people. A closer inspection found it full of adults and living paper flowers and trees. Some quick French identified the event as a kindergarten school outing where the kids dress up as spring and bring little helium balloons with their name and information about them to be returned by a lucky recipient when the balloons are freed. Our pictures captured these tender moments, harried teachers, lovingly frigid parents, and tiny dynamos of flower power. When you think about it these were not French families, just families full of love and hopefully a quick thaw!
We continued our walk which eventually lead us to the queue for the bakery. I must have made a terrible error in judgment by photographing the bakery. I got a waving finger and “non photo” from a lady bread clerk. Doesn’t she know that I am a blog journalist?
We went home to defrost and consume our bread and prepare some ravioli we bought from an Italian street vendor. We topped our meal with a splash of Bordeaux and we feasted like Mimi and Rodolfo in La Boheme.
After lunch we went to the Saturday outside art market. Gayle got into a lively discussion with a French artist who turned out to be Italian. I’m not sure about what all was said, but who cares as my ravioli’s were still emitting waves of pleasant warmth.
Our walk brought us by several more churches, the Hotel Sully courtyard, and what trip could be ended without another “puggy” (doggy that is) in the window.
When we finally returned to our retreat I warned Gayle that the dishwasher was broken. She handed me a green scrubby and a drying towel and said, “Voila it’s fixed!” This is very fast action for a French repairperson!
Picture Set 1
Picture Set 2
Candid Moment
posted by Bob and Gayle @ 3:20 PM
3 Comments:
Gayle: You are to be congratulated on your resourcefulness in locating the necessary alternative for a dishwasher in a foreign country!! C'est bon!
Candid moment is just the greatest picture!
B&D
I loved the doggie in the window shot.
You seem to be in food heaven there. It's sounds so wonderful. Cheeses and pastry and bread and even hot chocolate-it really is better in France.
I think the photos are fabulous! I remember trying to take some pictures of "the French" when I was there. They were not so happy with me. Especially one bearded guy in Monmarte. (got him with an ugly look of his face anyway).
Everything seems to appeal to the senses more there doesn't it?
Food, music, the brick of the buildings, even the light.
What a great experience.
Rebecca
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