Summer Weather, Artists and La Crise, Tuesday, 29 December

Spring has arrived, if you can imagine spring in the Northern hemisphere in the middle of winter. All the cafe terraces are pumping with people sitting outside enjoying a temperature of a mild 12 degrees. Up on the Place Du Tertre all the "artists" were out spruiking for business and being well rewarded for their efforts during this spring weather. The bad news is that snow is forecast for the end of the week and the day before we depart.



The winter sales do not start until the 6th of January (twelfth night) and at the moment the papers are all asking why the delay in light of the financial crisis (La Crise). The papers are also reporting that the French are very pessimistic about the future in light of La Crise; a view which has been expressed by a number of economists including some friends of ours who believe we are now only at the start of a serious financial fall rather than at the end of it.

Ignoring the financial bad news and taking advantage of the good weather, we walked down to the area around Abesses to do some vegetable shopping. Even in the small shops food is beautifully displayed. We bought beans from Kenya, blueberries from Argentina and raspberries from Spain. The quality and variety of fruit and vegetables here is quite incredible. Even a small shop such as the one we went to today will have at least five different varieties of mushrooms. While it might be possible to get such variety in Hobart, it would require going to a specialist shop whereas here, just about every greengrocer will have such a selection.

Christmas Lights and the Eiffel Tower, Monday, 28 December

Time is now drawing in on us and we have only a few more days before we leave Paris. As you will have gathered, dining out is something we quite enjoy; so today we headed down to the area near the University so we could get a couple of books at Shakespeare and Co., to read on the flight back and to have a meal at Chez Clement. You may remember we mentioned this restaurant chain before; having eaten there with different friends on two separate occasions. This time we were on our own and went to a different one of the chain. Very posh, indeed. Very Bel Epoque inside and the food was every bit as good as we remembered it at the other two restaurants in the chain.

In the evening we decided since the weather was a bit milder, to go out to see the Christmas lights. We got to the Champs Elysees and strolled about half the length up to the etoile. All of the trees were decorated with blue lights and the store fronts ranged from sensational to magnificent. Hopping aboard a bus we went down to Concord, where the great ferris wheel is located and then came back on the same bus to the Rond Point des Champs-Elysees.



From there, we wandered down toward the Seine, to the Place d'Alma along the rue Montaigne where the trees were all red lights. Everything there is very classy and very understated.



From there we had a terrific view of the hourly light display of the Eiffel Tower. While not as sensational as the New Year's Eve display on the Harbor Bridge, it was pretty spectacular and not even New Year's Eve.

Chateau de Vincennes, Sunday, 27 December

Chateau de Vincennes

I think we spoke too soon, again. While the temperature is warmer, today we had cold winds which seemed to rip through us. We decided, in the expectation of quite nice weather, to visit Chateau de Vincennes. This is amazingly easy to get to being the last stop on the Metro Ligne 1. The Chateau is in the southeast corner of Paris and is in what is a most elegant neighbourhood just outside the peripherique or ring road which surrounds the older part of the city. Here one finds a park of almost 1,000 hectares with lakes, paths and, of course, the great chateau.



The Chateau de Vincennes is is a royal chateu with fortifications and a moat surrounding it. There is a dungeon there that dates from 1369 and a magnificent Chapelle Royale. Unfortunately, due to the biting cold and limitations of time, we didn't have the opportunity to explore it in any great depth, but it is definitely on our "must do" list for the next time we are here.

On the way back we stopped at the Hotel de Ville where the outdoor ice-skating rink is set up and watched for a while before hopping a bus to a Metro station and then home.

Boxing Day, Saturday, 26 December

There is no public holiday on "Boxing Day" in France. Normal Saturday services, including postal deliveries, resumed. We spent the morning doing routine chores and taking care of some matters on the computer and then went for a long walk around Montmartre. Paris is always full of surprises. We turned down one street only to find ourselves in what must be the fabric district. Shop after shop with cloth of all different sizes, shapes, quality, colour and variety. We turned another corner and found ourselves on the street where Tati is located. Until now we had been getting there by bus or Metro and suddenly we found it was only ten or fifteen minute walk from our flat.

In the afternoon we went to M. Vaucanson for a glass of champagne to celebrate Virginia's birthday. Well, M. Vaucanson does these little goute (tasting or afternoon tea) with considerable elegance. Apple tarts, those elegant French Macaroons which are flavoured little meringues sandwiched with delicious paste, super chocolates ( and, by the way, France has just been named as having the best chocolates in the world) were followed with some lovely champagne.

Progress has also been made on the use of prenoms. Mme Rosen is now Virginie, M. Rosen is now Bruce and M. Vaucanson has been gradually becoming Rene. And all that after only four years!

Everything, as they say, is relative. Now that temperatures have climbed up to a hardy 2 or 3 degrees above zero, we feel as if summer had practically reached us. Fortunately we have not yet decided to throw off our clothes and try swimming, but it does seem quite pleasant after the very cold weather to which we were subjected for the previous few weeks.

Christmas Day, Friday, 25 December

Ho, Ho, Ho, and a merry Christmas to one and all!

Life here goes on even on Christmas day. Most of the shops were open including the bakery, the cafes and the general grocery store. Newspapers were being published and public transport was running.

After a rather slow morning admiring what Pere Noel had brought for each of us, we went for a late lunch at Cafe Francoeur just across the road. Since it was Virginia's birthday they made something special of it - much to our surprise - by bringing out a lovely little cake with a huge sparkler attached. Everybody applauded and several people seeing the cake decided that they too would order them (but without the sparkler).

Although we had some plans for the afternoon, being somewhat sated after a very nice meal, we napped, read and decided that we didn't need any dinner. Thus ended a delightful Christmas day.

Christmas Eve, Thursday, 24 December

It seems that a large number of places close on Christmas Eve during the day. For example on the door of our local pharmacy it says "fermature exceptionelle le 24. Ouvert a 16.00 - 20.00. Why the chemist should be closed all day and then open for four hours in the evening, we have no idea. If you know, please share the knowledge with us.

Today is called Le Reveillon de Noel (Christmas Eve). The weather has turned better and as everywhere in the Christian world it was on for young and old alike. Shopping, food, etc. but for our Muslim friends in the smaller shops of the area it was just another day and their shops will be open tomorrow. Oddly enough, however, their shops are often the most heavily decorated with Christmas motifs; Santas, sleighs, christmas trees, etc.

Parisians seem very keen on environmental issues. Recently when Virginia and I went to the pharmacy, we made our purchases and since they were small, when we were offered a plastic bag, we said it was not required and just pocketed our purchases. You would have thought we had saved the world. The pharmacist launched into a "thank you for thinking ecologically" speech that would have done justice to the most fervent environmentalist. Oddly enough, at the same time, when you go to the grocery store there are no "green" bags for sale and the plastic bags are handed out with what virtually amounts to wild abandon! This seems to be one of the few blind spots since when we take our garbage down to put it into the big bins they are clearly labelled and there are three distinct categories in which your garbage is to be placed.

The weather has turned milder and we went for a long walk this afternoon with the temperature seeming warm at one degree above zero. It's amazing how quickly you become accustomed to the colder weather. Now, anything above zero seems warm to us. Our walk took us to the Place du Tertre where we had lunch in a small shop. The shop's cat was sound asleep on the table next to us and we both thought how this would have been frowned upon in Australia.



Later we did a bit of shopping and had some seafood and a very small Christmas log for Christmas eve dinner.



We send season's greetings to all who are reading this blog and best wishes for the New Year.

Plumbing and Cigarettes, Wednesday, 23 December

Another frustrating day waiting for the plumber who, surprise, surprise, did not arrive again. This is growing old. No need to say any more except that it is especially frustrating during Christmas week when we have shopping to do. Once again we did the separate bit which is not nearly as much fun as going out together. Virginia went out early and found that it was a madhouse on the streets with everyone trying to get their last minute shopping done.

She came back looking somewhat frazelled around 1.00 and I then went out. My experience just confirmed hers. Buses and the Metro were jammed full although most people seemed to take it all in their stride and were quite cheerful about it. You may remember some time back I mentioned the "illegal" cigarettes. Well, down around TATI, there were dozens of street sellers who, in addition to selling knockoffs of well known perfume brands and belt buckles hawked these cigarettes.

Lunch, Tuesday, 22 December

Happy Birthday Susan!

It is not as cold at the moment although because it is very bleak and overcast, it feels as if it is. Today we decided to go out to lunch. On our way we wandered past Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite and its great Christmas tree.



Very classy! I was surprised to see the line of people waiting to climb to the top of the church tower, having done so a few years ago and knowing how bitterly cold it would be up there. Besides, they only let a few people in at a time and the line was long. I would think those at the end would be waiting for up to two hours before gaining entry. We did notice, at the front of the church, among the various saints was St Denis who, you will remember, walked to Paris with his head "tucked underneath his arm."



We then walked over to the Ile St Louis. Although we passed the ice-cream shop where Tina Arena who lives in the neighbourhood is said to buy her treat, we did not see her. Still, it is nice to know that there is a little bit of Australia there.

Virginia and I then strolled to Place St Michel where we had discovered a network of narrow lanes with a wide range of interesting restaurants offering special bargains at lunchtime. This is not particularly surprising since it is the area around the university and the cheap meals are also, we suspect, a product of the lack of the hordes of tourists who descend during the warmer months.



Anyway, we found a very pleasant little restaurant where, for 9 euros each we had a three course lunch. I had pate to start, followed by chicken in a mushroom sauce and finished with a really wonderful apple tart. Virginia started with a salad of tomatoes followed by fillets of fish and fragrant rice and she too finished with the apple tart. Considering that the bill was the equivalent of under thirty Australian dollars we thought it was great value. The service was excellent, there was lots of bread, and unlike many French restaurants where they are loathe to provide ordinary tap water (hoping to sell you the bottled stuff) our waiter was a bit perturbed when we asked for plain water saying that it was "automatique."



Only two more shopping days until Christmas and despite the cold, the heat is on. It is on for young and old alike. And as soon as Christmas is over it is only a few days to the New Year and the great sales. Virginia keeps telling me that there is a particularly elegant pair of boots calling her name from a shop called Andre on the rue de Rivoli. Funny thing is that I can't hear it. And besides which we will be on our way back to the heat of the Antipodes where such luxury would be of little value in Adelaide in the summer.

Plumbing, Monday, 21 December

Hardly worth an entry today. There has been a bit of a plumbing problem in the flat so we spent the day going out separately so that one of us would be here when the plumber arrived. Like plumbers the world over, his schedule was on track with ours and it now looks as if the day after tomorrow may be a repeat of today.

Since this week will include both Christmas and Virginia's birthday, our separate excursions were probably connected with "secret birthday" and "secret Christmas" business!

Shopping, Sunday, 20 December

It is now the Sunday before Christmas and it is snowing again. Despite this, as all the shops were open (and warm) we decided to go to Bon Marche which is the very elegant department store on the Left Bank and about which we have already written. It was quite elegant the last time we were there but even more elegant, if possible, this time. As you wander around, there is lovely classical music being played and there are places to sit. We sat and watched "the beautiful people" doing their Christmas shopping. Well, if not beautiful, at least well off as this is not a bargain hunter's paradise. Virginia kept pointing out lovely things that she would like to have for Christmas; an Hermes scarf, a Luis Vuiton bag, etc. I suggested possibly a new husband who could afford such gifts.



It was particularly good fun when we contrasted it with the hustle and bustle of that "cheap" paradise, Tati about which we have also written. No hawker or spruikers out side Bon Marche trying to sell you knock-off Chanel perfume; only security guards. Of course, no trip to Le Bon Marche would be complete without a visit to La Grande Epicerie, the food hall. And while that is quite good, we still find that they do not have Vegemite. For that, it is back to W. H. Smith, the booksellers in the rue de Rivoli.

One thing that is of interest here is that there appears to be no pattern of night stocking. Carts of goods to be placed on shelves are constantly pushing through the crowds which, at Christmas time, is not merely frustrating but a hazard to one's ankles and knees. But that, like the pattern at the checkouts where customers always pack their bags of purchases before digging through their purses to produce their credit cards which seem to take ages to process, is the French way. And while it seems, in the latter instance, to require long waits, when we actually timed it, it seemed to be only a few minutes longer than we would have stood in line in Australia.

As we had been invited to a "gourter" or "tasting" which is the equivalent of afternoon tea, we returned to the flat just after mid-day. M. Vaucanson is the "Chef du Syndicat" or the chairman of the Strata Title Management. He is a lovely gentleman of the old school who speaks no English but has been very kind to us over a number of years now. He is a former actor and as a result has beautiful diction which makes it a pleasure to speak with him. He had invited us and another couple and this was a test of our language skills. Virginia passed with flying colours while I sank never to be heard from again! We had been invited by M. Vaucanson in the past and knew this would be a fairly formal occasion which, indeed it was, but very enjoyable.

Paris gardening, Saturday, 19 December

Christmas Markets on the Champs-Elysees

It is the last Saturday before Christmas and just as in any city where the holiday is celebrated, it is on for young and old alike! We, being in the latter category, had an easy morning at home and then, after lunch, headed down via our local bus, to the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysees. From there, on both sides of the great boulevard and extending down to the Place de la Concorde are hundreds of petits Chalets de Noel. The style is different from those we saw in Strasbourg, but the good are much the same; the main one being food, food, and more food. At one of the stalls, we watched as magnificent sides of Salmon were cooked on boards, to be sold to eager customers. We walked the length of one side of the Champs-Elysees and returned on the other while munching on Churros. These are deep fried morsels of dough which are coated in sugar and eaten hot out of the oil.

Cooking Salmon

It remains very cold with today's temperature hovering around a bone-chilling seven below zero. Still, rugged up in overcoats with scarves, hats and gloves, wandering around Paris remains a great joy. However, it needs to be taken in small doses as there is still nasty ice on the ground and after an hour's promenade, the cold has penetrated shoes, socks and long johns to at least the knees which now share a lack of warmth one usually associates with one's nose and the tips of one's ears.

We are told the weather will be warmer next week and we look forward to days which are anticipated to reach a balmy 2 or even 3 degrees. As soon as these "Adelaide Summer" temperatures are achieved we will be going out to look at the lights at night.

In past years we have talked about "gardening" in Paris. Of course, when one lives in a flat, there is only so much one can do. Nonetheless, it is quite amazing what Parisians seem able to cultivate. Window-boxes can contain the most magnificent displays and it is not uncommon to see trees growing on rooftops and tiny balconies. Geraniums are very popular and seem to be quite hardy. It is only this last cold snap that led the "gardeners of Paris" to take measures to protect them. We noticed this morning that several of our neighbours had wrapped their plants in plastic thus protecting them from the somewhat unseasonable cold.

The chooks aren't headless, Friday, 18 December

There was a slight thaw overnight and the early morning snow did not pitch. Even so it was trecherous underfoot with lots of black ice. Our early morning shopping was undertaken rather carefully.

It has been thirteen years since either of us spent any part of winter in Europe and we had forgotten just how cold it could get and how trecherous it can be when the beautiful white snow turns to dirty slush and then freezes into black ice. Even so, life goes on in exactly the same way it does, for example, in Adelaide when the temperature goes into the forties. People still have all the requirements of life to fulfill, shopping, school, housework; you name it.

In a tiny flat such as the one we are renting it is very easy to get "cabin fever." So, in order to avoid ripping each other to shreds, we took a metro trip to the Carousel du Louvre which for those who may not be acqainted with this is an underground shopping centre actually in the Louvre. Needless to say all of the shops, not just those in the Louvre Carousel are full of Christmas goodies. The boucherie have ducks and geese and chickens and swans. Unlike the poultry displayed in Australia, these are complete with their heads and feet and feathers still on. When you buy a fowl here, you know what it looks like in its "unsanitized" form. Virgina says that it is not for those with delicate constitutions.



We found the shops in the Carousel very over-heated and wandered out to street level and on to the Hotel de Ville where they are opening the winter ice-skating rink. Then it was on to the bus and back to Montmartre.

Snow, snow and more snow, Thursday, 17 December

We awoke this morning to a totally white world. The snow had fallen and with the temperature well below zero, it covered everything. Quite lovely - but quite a problem. Buses were re-routed and people were slipping and sliding in the streets. This is what it looked like from our window.



Virginia decided discretion was the better part of valour and stayed in but I with all the confidence which stupidity breeds decided to go out and take some pictures. Just outside the door to our building a bicycle sat, cold and snow covered; epitomizing the day!



I staggered down to the Metro at Jules Joffrin, caught the train to Abbesses. That was the easy part. From there I had the walk to the funicular which would take me to the top of the butte. That was very slippery. But the funicular was running and I got up to the Place du Tertre which was covered in snow and made for some rather nice photos (see below).




Coming back I worked my way down the 190 or so steps to our street. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be since the steps had been sprinkled with ashes. Anyway, here is a view of our "corner" taken from the steps.



I made it back to the flat without having a major - or even a minor - accident and spent the rest of the afternoon, as did Virginia, reading and writing.

The Place du Tertre wasn't deserted, but considering the usual throngs there, it was pretty empty. Here are a couple more photographs from there.

One of our favourite restaurants - but not a day to eat outside

We did make it to the Cafe Francoeur to do our internet stuff but can assure you we are no longer dreaming of a white Christmas. It seems to have already arrived.

People care, Wednesday, 16 December

Another very cold day and I stayed warm by going to the Louvre. There are many things worth saying about the Louvre, but two things are that perhaps of particular interest. First, it is not just the contents of the building that are what one goes to see, it is the building itself. This was a huge royal palace with immense rooms many of which are museum pieces in their own right.

The second thing worth commenting on is the collection of paintings. There is a tendency to think of the Louvre as a museum; but it is also an art gallery. Everyone knows that it houses the Mona Lisa, but in addition it has thousands of other paintings which, if not equally famous, are magnificent in their own right. Today I spent all morning just looking at the French paintings from the 18th and 19th century.



Meanwhile Virginia was out doing "her own thing," also known as Christmas shopping. Another trip to the Champs Elysee (Gucci, Louis Vuiton, Dior, etc.) We had arranged to meet friends for lunch at Chez Clement near the Arc de Triomphe, and found we had run into the season for office Christmas lunches. Great fun to watch people from another culture enjoying themselves in exactly the same way as Americans, Australians, Brits etc. do at any festive season. Different language,same songs.

We have been very touched that friends and acquaintances here in Paris have been concerned for our well-being in such frigid conditions. The proprietor of our local Alimentation or grocer store gave Virginia a good ticking off for being out in the early evening without a hat and said he did not want to see her at this time of night without one as it was very dangerous. We had a telephone call from a concerned friend in the south of France advising us about heating in the flat. The Boulanger (baker), knowing how hot it is in Australia at this time of year was concerned to know how we were coping.

The forecast for the next several days is that the weather will deteriorate further and there will be enough snow to cause what the French refer to as "perturbations." It looks like we just might have a white Christmas! We remember that when we were here last year, we had snow at Easter and a French saying goes, "If it doesn't snow at Christmas, it will snow at Easter." The Christmas before our last visit, we were told, was mild. Whether that makes the saying true or not, only your weatherman can say.

The Students are Revolting, Tuesday, 15 December

We woke up this morning to a temperature of -7 degrees. Surprisingly the flat still needs little heating being protected above and on two sides by other flats in the building and getting some heat from the restaurant below. The one exposed side is in a narrow street which probably means that it is a bit warmer (or at least less cold) than it would be on a wider avenue.

Because of the cold we didn't venture too far although we went to get some second-hand books at Shakespeare and Company. When we got off the bus at Place St Michel a demonstration was brewing. It was all very orderly with tons of gendarmes there, marshalls to see that the march stayed where it was supposed to and signs, flags and megaphones. Lots of noise and music to get people going, but very orderly. The TV people were there to cover it. This kind of "political" statement is very French and most of those participating were students from the Sorbonne which is only a street or two away. Very interesting.



When we got home we watched the coverage on the TV. We are getting better at understanding what is said on "le box". Tonight they were requesting people to use as little excess electricity as possible because of the need for it for heating. Whether this will have any impact or not is hard to say. We all know how much good such pleas do in Australia in the intense heat of summer!

By the way, if you wonder what else we do during the day; the answer is that there isn't that much day. This is the bleak mid-winter of the well known Christmas Carol. In the morning it isn't light until nearly 9.00 and the sun sets and darkness covers the land just after 4.00 in the afternoon. Tant Pis!

A Trip to Neuilly, Monday, 14 December

This morning I spent working on the Summer School which was probably as much an excuse for staying in from the cold as anything else!

We went out about mid-day, and headed for the Singapore Airline office to check a few things. After that we hopped on a bus practically in front of the Airline's office to go out to Neuilly. This is a very upmarket area. Very "Sarkozy!" It is also the site of the American Hospital. There are very few private hospitals in France, but this is one of the rare exceptions.

Neuilly is outside the Perepherique, a road which circles Paris. There is a tendency to associate the areas outside the Perepherique with high-rise public housing, but that is certainly not the case in Neuilly. Coming back on the bus we changed buses at the Champs de Mar which offers one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. I had just remarked to Virginia that we hadn't been approached by the "ring" trick. This is where someone bends down and appears to pick up a ring from the road and then comes over to ask you whether you dropped it. Without going into all of the details, it is a very clever confidence trick, and no matter how many times you see it done, it is almost impossible not to be persuaded that the trickster has not actually thrown the ring on the ground only to discover it later with apparent surprise. Anyway, just as I commented on our not having been approached that to Virginia a chap walking towards us bent down, "picked up" a ring and came towards us. I'm afraid we both burst into laughter, leaving the con man more than a little bewildered. Bonne Chance!

The weather has already caused at least one death in Paris and Sarkozy has gone on television to ask people to be kind to the poor and homeless. Basically that means allowing them to sleep in phone-boxes and in the warmer metro stations. He is asking the public and social services to be tolerant and lenient. Well should he - since he has been the primary force in cutting back on many of the social benefits.

A Walk in Montmartre, Sunday, 13 December

Today the temperature never got above zero. Even so, it is always easier to stay warm than to get cool and we both agree that this is preferable to the 40+ temperatures that have been afflicting Adelaide. Despite the cold, we took a long walk through some of the areas of Monmartre we have not visited this time.

Montmartre was once well known for its windmills. It is from this that the Moulin Rouge, the red mill, takes its name. There are however two of the old mills still in existence and we went to look at these. One is now a very classy restaurant and we toyed with the idea of going there for Christmas lunch but finally rejected it because of the size of the meal. It is about seven courses and both of us agreed that it would not do our systems any favour!

There is also, that wonderful sculpture of the man walking through the wall which is based on a French story.



We've been quite interested in the impact that la crise economique has had in France. Certainly unemployment is up and prices are way down. In fact, just within the last few days we have noticed that it is possible to have a three course meal - and they are quite substantial courses - with choices at each level for as little as 8 euro, 50 centiemes which translates, in Australian to less than fifteen dollars! Ah well, perhaps Santa really has come early this year (as seen in Rue Lepic).

Lunch with George, Saturday, 12 December

The weather has certainly changed, and it is very cold. Whether it was the cold or the fact that we had been away and needed to do some basic house cleaning as well as catch up on our laundry, we puttered around the flat most of the morning.

Before we left to go to Strasbourg, we had agreed to meet Georges for dinner in Montmartre, which we did last night. We ate at a rather quaint old place, La Mere Catherine, in the Place du Tertre. The restaurant has been there for several hundred years and while the company was great, we all agreed the food was a bit "touristy". Still, as we keep saying, Montmartre remains a fascinating village. At dinner, we agreed to meet Georges for lunch today in Montparnasse.

The cold seemed to have increased by the time we got there and walked to his hotel but we struggled on and after meeting Georges, went to a local bistro where the food was truly excellent. Lunch, with a bit of wine, lasted for almost four hours. Ah, C'est la vie Francaise. By the time we left to head back to the flat, the winds coming from Russia and the East were keenly felt. It would be nice to say the weather was "bracing," but bitter seems a bit more appropriate. Any way, we made it home after sadly wishing Georges a good flight back to Australia.

Strasbourg, 8-11 December

We went off for a few days to Strasbourg in Alsace on the German border. The trip, by train, which used to take 4 or 5 hours is now less than two and a half hours on the TGV (high speed) trains. These trains have a top speed in excess of 300 km per hour and are very smooth. It almost seemed that by the time we got seated at Gare d'Est, we were arriving in Strasbourg.

Alsace has been in the hands of both the French and the Germans with it being considered a prize in various conflicts since at least the Franco-Prussian War in which Germany took possession of it and the northern part of the present region of Lorraine. After World War I, the area was returned to France until the Second World War when it was again annexed by Germany. After the war, it was again returned to France. Possibly as a result of such geo-political changes, one is soon aware of the high level of political correctness in the City. Phrases such as "when the city was bombed in the last war" are used without any attempt to identify the parties involved.

Strasbourg is a prosperous and cosmopolitan city with a population of around half-a-million and an international student population of about 40,000. It is the site of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights where, at the moment, they are hearing a very important case brought by five Irish women seeking the right to have legal abortions currently denied in Irelands. The buildings in the city are beautiful, old, timber framed structures, and towering over the city is the great medieval Cathedral of pink sandstone. In the square in front of the Cathedral are hundreds of stalls of the Christmas Market. At the side of the Cathedral is an ice-skating rink which seemed particularly popular with the young of the city.



We were extremely fortunate with the weather as the temperature hovered around ten degrees most of the time we were there and locals told us this was virtually a heat wave for the time of year when the temperature was normally around 0 to -2 degrees. We took advantage of the fine weather to do a lot of walking and to visit the many amazing Christmas street markets with their emphasis on Alsatian goods. But there is much more than the markets. Many of the streets are brilliantly decorated for the holiday season with lights and streamers and shop windows are filled with Christmas goods.

Christmas Market Stall

There are at least a dozen Christmas markets, all of which appear to have different themes. We visited many of them including the book market which, no surprise here, was in Place Gutenberg. Some of the markets were very large, covering squares or several streets and some consisted of only a dozen or so stalls but one thing was true of them all - they were neat and clean and very un-tacky! If you are seriously into Christmas, you really have to visit Strasbourg in December.

Somehow, they seem to be able to get it right; mixing the religious with the playfulness of the season. Musicians play on street corners, people sit outside bistros sipping hot mulled wine and the city is full of the sounds and smells of the season.

The old city is surrounded by the river and we took a very pleasant bateau ride on it. It is a splended way to see the city and to make it even more enjoyable we were greeted, at the end, by St Nicholas who distributed the spiced bread of the region. And speaking of spiced goodies, a very popular drink which we sampled on more than one occassion was the hot spiced wine sold at many of the stalls in the open air markets.

Strasbourg has a fine and modern tram system which we used to explore some of the more distant reaches of the city. Like any large city once we left the centre we saw lots of high-rise low-cost housing; something not normally on the tourist track.

If you are in France during the Christmas season, a visit to Strasbourg is an absolute must!

Strasbourg Tram

A Working Day, Monday, 7 December

A day of work for me while Ginnie went out to Petit Batou, a delightful baby clothing shop... With a new grandchild on the way, need I say more?

Recently we had a question about French education and thought a French friend and colleague in Adelaide might be able to answer it for us. When we called and spoke to his wife, she told us he was in Paris and gave us the contact information which allowed us to reach him and organise dinner. We had a very pleasant dinner with him and all agreed that it really is a small world. We made arrangements to meet later in the week after our return from Strasbourg.

Going to Museums, Sunday, 6 December

The Pompidou Centre

What a day! It is the first Sunday of the month and most of the major museums are open and free. We had decided to go to the Pompidou Centre which was showing the early twentieth century impressionists. So, on a cold and wet day we battled our way across Paris and it was quite apparent that everyone seemed intent on doing exactly what we had planned.

After several changes of Metro, we finally arrived and discovered that because of a strike the museum was closed. Undeterred, we got back on the Metro and headed for the Orangerie to see the "images of children" exhibition. The museum was open but the line was very long and they were admitting people in groups of ten or so. We waited for a while but it had begun to rain again and the line was moving at a snail's pace so we packed it in.

By now we were soaking wet and felt that some sort of treat - or at least recompense - was in order so we went to Angelina's, a sumptuous tea rooms, on the rue de Rivoli. Apparently everyone else in Paris had the same idea as the line stretched down the rue de Rivoli for what appeared to be miles although probably not quite that far.

We headed back to W. H. Smith's where we had discovered that they carried vegemite in their little grocery section. That provided the warm glow that was needed to continue onward. We went from there to the Place Vendome to look at the Ritz Hotel and all the very famous jewellery shops in this most elegant square. Surprisingly the Christmas decorations were nowhere near as nice as in many other sections of Paris. And then it started raining again. Throwing up our hands in despair and muttering French obscenities we worked our way back to the Metro, got out at Abbesses, rode the funicular up to the Place du Tertre and discovered some delightful Christmas markets which were free. Spirits revived, it was now nightfall, so we returned home.

Decorations at the Ritz

If there is a moral to this story, it is not to rely on the first Sunday of the month for museum going!

Maisons-Laffitte, Saturday, 5 December

Chateau de Maisons

Saturday arrived wet and cold - an ideal morning for housework. Surprisingly the afternoon turned mild and dry so after lunch we decided to go to one of the very attractive towns on the Ile de France, Maisons-Laffitte. There are three things that are noteworthy here. First, it is a very popular residential area for executives working in Paris, being less than thirty minutes away by RER. Second, it is horse country and third, and probably from a visitor's point of view, it has a magnificent chateau.

The town seems to be divided into two areas, by the rail line. On one side is the work-a-day French village. Nice enough, with some attractive older buildings. But it is the other side which really stands out. A beautiful tree lined boulevard leads to the main gate of "Parc." which is the old grounds of the chateau and which now offers housing af all types set on tree lined avenues.

Constructed in 1646, the chateau de Maisons is a wonderful example of the French classical style of architecture.

I was wrong....Friday, 4 December

I was wrong. As much as I hate to admit it, and as difficult as it is, I have to say, "I was wrong." You may remember how impressed I was with the windows at Bon Marché. Well, what I didn't say was that Virginia, at the time, said "wait until you see the ones at Gallerie Lafayette and Au Printemps." And she was right, but don't tell her I admitted that, otherwise I will never hear the end of it.

The Christmas season is now in full swing and the shops are full of the most beautiful goods. Both of the Grand Magasins, which are practically next door to one another compete with their windows. Immediately in front of the windows are little platforms for really young children; and don't they just love it. We watched a gorgeous child of three or four years hugging her teddy bear and dancing to the music of one of the animated displays. Virginia felt that the windows at Au Printemps were more elegant and sophisticated than Gallerie Lafayette, but inside it was just the reverse. It would be hard to top the tree displayed under the magnificent dome in Gallerie Lafayette. And the view from the roof terrace must be one of the best in Paris.



As you may know, we have a friend who is receiving treatment at La Pitié Salpêtrière hospital in the southeast of the city. We had been told that it was well worth a visit so, after lunch we headed there. This is the hospital where Princess Diana died or where her body was taken following her death, depending upon what you choose to believe. The hospital is a long way from where the accident happened but is Paris' largest hospital and probably the best equipped to deal with both the possible medical and publicity problems that such a death would have entailed.

In the early 1600s a small aresenal on the site manufactured gunpowder from saltpetre, hence the name. In the middle of the century, Louis XIV established a hospital for the poor in the saltpetre works hoping to clear the streets of the 60,000 beggars known to exist in Paris at the time. A few years later, 10,000 pensioners were taken in and the buildings enlarged. In 1670 a church was added and the hospital began to take in the mad, the infirm, the orphaned and prostitutes becoming virtually a prison with everyone subject to the same harsh regime. At the centre of the old part of the hospital is the Saint Louis Church surmounted by its octagonal dome. The plan of the church is unusual with a rotunda encircled by four aisles forming a Greek cross and with four chapels at the angle of the crossing. Eight areas were thus formed in which various inmates could be placed separately. At the end of the 18th century Philippe Pinel began the work on a treatment of the insane which was to win him and the hospital wide acclaim. One hundred years later Charcot under whom Freud studied was to further the hospitals reputation with treatment in advanced neuropsychiatry. The hospital is huge, covering an area which must be the equivalent of the entire CBD of Hobart and is the centre for the most advanced medical treatment and research in France.