I did not witness the Hunchback of Notre Dame... only 1,100 tourists. And I almost got kicked out for walking in with an EMPTY cup-o-joe. "It's empty, see?" As I tipped it upside down. "No no no!!!" So I jammed it in my purse and carried on. French security guards are angry little toads...
I feel Like my brain is one big chandelier and when I see all of this art, the little bulbs turn on one by one... such a beautiful church, inside and out. It is remarkable how creative and whimsical they were back then. My favorite are the bronze women climbing up the top of one of the pointed tops outside... that sounded really educated I know... after all those years of art history, my professors would be so proud... I wonder if you can RENT Notre Dame? What would THAT cost? Can't you imagine one of those little J.A.P. (Jewish American Princess) brats from MTV's My Super Sweet 16... "Daddy I want my wedding in Notre Dame (butchering the pronunciation) and I want golden geese to fly out of the windows when we walk out, dropping roses from their beaks..."
I grabbed a pan au chocolate and a cappuccino and continued on down the cobblestones of Rue le Saint Louis... fantastic store fronts featuring jewelry and fabrics from Indonesia and Israel, cheese and meat shops that were closed for "lunch hour," and men playing pianos and accordions on the corners. It's the same background music that plays in 98% of romantic scenes filmed in Paris- makes me want to put my tap shoes on, if I had some.... and knew what to do with them.
I wanted to find a flea market, so I asked a woman picking out flowers with her daughter and she politely pointed me in the right direction. Though when I arrived, no one knew what market I was talking about. Plan B: I've been told I HAVE to visit Harry's bar, near the Opera, as it was the first bar in Europe- American non-the-less. It took me 2 hours to find it, and along the way I found an Irish pub called Kitty O'Shea's... I swear they are like homing devices- when in doubt, an Irish pub will appear with all the answers. So I chatted with some great Irishmen while they screamed at the rugby on television, and decided to continue on my journey to find Harry.
It was full of french people, they didn't know how to make a martini and it was over-priced. But I did find ancient Montana State and University of Montana flags on the wall which made me grin. I'd worked up an appetite from walking around all day- in the freezing rain mind you- so I stepped right across the street into Saporros Japanese Restaurant that was BUSTLING. I found a seat at the bar, opened the menu, saw Japanese and French, closed my eyes and pointed to something that said "ramen marine"... sounds like seafood with noodles, right? Well it was ramen noodles with pork, bean sprouts and seaweed in a broth and it was yummo. And I watched them prepare everything... I love watching people cook. It's safe to say I have an obsession with food. I GET Julia Childs... And I always sit at the bar for that reason, and you get better service from bartenders here... and I like to see how other people in my "field" handle themselves. Waiters get annoyed if you ask them for sugar or a glass of water- it's like you are interrupting their staring contest with the wall. P.S. The Opera is a remarkable building... I noticed when I walked around it 4 times, in both directions...
The French are BEAUTIFUL people. Dark haired, chiseled features, great style.... I stick out like a sore thumb. They love walking around markets and streets as much as I do.... On Saturday evenings, they go get everything they'll need for brunch with the family the next day... you won't see an Parisians out of their homes on a Sunday, or working, everything is closed.
A tisket, a tasket, I'm off to fill my basket at the market tomorrow!
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No one could call you a "picky" eater! Can't wait for more photos! B.
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