Edith Piaf's Birthday

Today, December 19th, is Edith Piaf's birthday. It was a song of hers, "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien," that I requested at La Mere Catherine on the evening of my own birthday. As I said to the singer, France Fannell, afterward, it's a perfect song for a birthday because it's not something I achieved but an ideal I always keep in mind. (That being the case, she proceeded to sing to me, before the entire restaurant, "Joyeux Anniversaire.") Thank you, Edith Piaf and France Fannell.

A few photos from our recent trip

Sacre Coeur (top left); Bernard and yours truly in front of the Boutique des Anges (right)

At Merci: Bernard admiring a couple of old schoolroom desks

A few friends in a gallery on Blvd. St. Germain.

Bibliotheque des Litteratures Policieres

For the second time this trip, we went to the Bibliotheque des Litteratures Policieres, 48-50 Cardinal Lemoine. The first time, the Hammett exhibit was still in preparation but by no means complete.

Librarian Katrina Chauchard was most hospitable -- even sent to archives for the issues of Le Saint Detective Magazine that my stories are in so I could have the kick of [re]reading my work in French. What a way to brush up on a language!

Having promised Katrina we'd go back when the rest of the Dashiell Hammett exhibit was in place, we went again today. We were sorry Katrina wasn't on duty, but her colleague, Michelle Witta, whom I'd previously met there a few years ago, promised to give her our regards. She also wrote down everyone's name, including that of Dominique Floirat, who'd worked on the Hammett exhibitiion. Excellent!

Merci beaucoup encore a Katrina et Michelle pour vos acceuils.

Here I am in Paris!

And I'm almost out of time at the hotel computer! More soon!

Things to do in Paris (this time, anyway)

Hard to believe we're leaving this very Sunday, November 1st! We've only been looking forward to it since, well, since we came back last year!

Some of the things we plan:

1) At least two meals with Antonia -- already booked for dinner 11/3 & lunch 11/6, my birthday.

2) To visit the Rodin Museum on November 12th, Rodin's birthday, and see if they do anything special for him.

3) To visit the Boutique des Anges in Montmartre -- you can't have too many angels.

4) To visit Merci, the new department store, which identifies the givers of merchandise with tags on them: "Merci, Mme Deneuve," "Merci, Mme. Adjani."

5) Dinner and singing on the night of my birthday, at La Mere Catherine.

6) Dinner for Bernard's birthday (11/8) at Le Procope.

7) Dinner for our "honorary" anniversary at Le Boeuf sur le Toit (as I can never actually be away from my job as late in the year as 12/21).

8) To explore Butte aux Cailles (Quail Hill) as well as the nearby Chinatown

9) To explore rue de Grenelle and find #7, the building in both THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG and GOURMET RHAPSODY by Muriel Barbery.

I'll think of lots of other things after I've saved this, and improvise a lot after we get there, but this is a good start!

Happy [Almost] Bastille Day!

In honor of the about-to-come Bastille Day, I offer you the photo here of the Bastille column, and the following quote by Jean Gabin:

"Vive la liberte, surtout la mienne."

("Long live freedom, especially mine.")

Movie: "Shall We Kiss?"

I recently saw and enjoyed this new release of a 2007 French movie, written and directed by, also starring, Emmanuel Mouret. A Parisienne (Julie Mayet) visiting another town on business, meets a kind stranger (Michael Cohen) when she asks him about taxis. He offers her a ride, then invites her to dinner. She spends most of the movie telling him why she isn't going to kiss him: a cautionary tale about her friend Judith (Virginie Ledoyen) and an ill-advised kiss that changed forever her long-term platonic friendship with Nicolas (Mouret). This is romantic in that the movie gives more thought to an as-yet unbestowed kiss, than do most movies in recent decades about all-out sex. Other good performances: Stefano Accorsi as Judith's partner Claudio, and Frederique Bel as the ex-girlfriend Nicolas and Judith try to fix up with him. The only disappointments in the whole thing: it doesn't show much of Paris, and Emilie doesn't say which of Judith's exes she married. On the whole, I enjoyed it immensely!

"Chateau" by Rita St.Claire

I'm mentioning this here because (a) the author is one of my best friends, and (b) this story, published in the March/April issue of New Love Stories, available in Borders stores, is set in France and therefore is not without relevance to this blog. Any ending that involves an apartment in Paris - and one with good plumbing at that! - is a happy ending.
Congratulations, Rita!

There wasn't a "diem" we didn't "carp" the hell out of!

I didn't post for months because the camera had me so discouraged, but here's a quick rundown of our joyous week "chez nous."

Tuesday: Arrived, went to Galeries Lafayette, back to our "home" stop and dinner at Le Bosquet.
Wednesday: Musee Jacquemart-Andre for the Van Dyck show, Bon Marche, Passage Choiseul, dinner with Antonia at Chartier...and visits to the Virgin Megastore with her both before and after dinner.
Thursday: Rue de Rivoli (lunch at Angelina), the stamp market, Champs-Elysees, dinner in Montmartre at La Mere Catherine.
Friday: Met Antonia at Shakespeare & Co., lunch on the Ile St. Louis at Cafe Med, shops along St. Louis en L'Ile. After Antonia went home we went to Gibert Joseph on Boul' Mich, and had dinner in our neighborhood at Cafe du Marche.
Saturday: Lunch in Montmartre at Le Ronsard, shops and the Funiculaire, the Pompidou Centre area for the record/DVD shops, dinner at Le Procope.
Sunday: Met Antonia at Metro St. Paul, brunch at Pitchi-Poi, walked around the Marais and Place des Vosges. After Antonia went home we went to dinner at Le Boeuf sur le Toit.
Monday: St. Germain for lunch at Les Deux Magots and shopping at L'Ecume des Pages, Palais Royal, Rue de Rivoli, dinner at Le Bosquet.
Tuesday: Back to New York.

A bientot!