jour no. 23 - the final days: the checklist

Another lovely, delicious day in Paris. Warm and sunny and breezy, lively and bustling, and filled with fattening temptations.

Since Thursday was yet another fête (Feast of the Ascension, third holiday this month), and since kids had Friday off as well, there seemed to be a lot of out-of-town Frenchies on holiday in the big city, as well as lots and lots and lots of Americans (Memorial Day weekend, maybe?). It was kind of a pain in some respects (those damn lines at the museums), but also kind of fun - like the city was a big carnival.

I got out of the house relatively early (for me) - around 12:30. I stopped by Eric Kayser for croissants (note usage of the plural) and a loaf of fig bread. These ouvriers were picking up baguettes and sandwichs (for some reason, in French, the plural of "sandwich" is "sandwichs" instead of "sandwiches"; the copy editor in me flinches every time). I love the universal appeal of really good bread in France; Eric Kayser is not the cheapest place in the world to get a baguette, but you'll get one of the best baguettes of your life, just like these guys, who were amused at having their (blurry) picture taken.



I will miss Eric Kayser...



I went over to the 7e to hit the posh Bon Marché to find a gift for my hosts in absentia. While perhaps not as grand as Galeries Lafayette, Bon Marché is no slouch in the Gorgeous Department Store category, and not only did I find a lovely gift, but I had a very enjoyable hour amongst the accessories. You really don't understand the art of shopping till you've watched French women shopping for scarves; it's awe-inspiring. And I was of course giddy that there was a hat section and a glove section and a scarf section, as opposed to a shelf of hats, and a counter for gloves, and a rack of scarves.




I bought a few more gifts, then lugged my loot over to Jardin du Luxembourg to kill some time. I hadn't been back since Jour No. 4, and whaddya know: I've been in Paris long enough for there to be a complete change in flora at the gardens.

Then to Hélène Darroze, to meet Katie and her visiting friends for afternoon tea. But that gets its own post...