A walk through old haunts, Wednesday, 30 December

More spectator sport this morning as the cars outside the flat were impounded. We checked the amount of time it takes to put the straps under the car, lift it onto the back of a truck and drive off. From the moment the truck arrived until the time it departed with the car was just under three minutes. And we thought the process today took a bit longer than usual!

It is a beautiful day with the temperature around 12 degrees - so we decided to take a walk through some of the places we had been in previous years but had not visited this time. We took the Metro to Madeleine and then walked over to the Opera Garnier along the Boulevard de la Madeleine.



From there we headed down the Avenue de l'Opera with a diversion along rue Daunou where we stayed the first time we came to Paris in 1996. Oddly enough it was terribly cold on that short visit; so cold that the water of the fountains froze in their arcs. It hadn't changed much although one of our favourite eating places was gone. Harry's American Bar, where Hemingway and the other expats drank in the 1920s, however remained there at 5 rue Daunou.


Back along Avenue de l'Opera to Palais Royal where we had lunch at Cafe Nemour on Place Colette right next to Comedie Francaise. This is one of Virginia's favourite watering holes. It is definitely the kind of place where you don't sit down, you install yourself in a very tight little corner.



After lunch we strolled down the rue de Rivoli which was crowded with tourists taking advantage of the fine weather while being taken advantage of by the many shopkeepers. We popped into Angelina's to purchase a chocolate gift for friends. It was, as usual, very crowded and the only language that seemed to be in evidence was English. Then on to W. H. Smith to get some reading matter for the trip ahead.

Later in the afternoon we went down to our local shops where we watched people buying up for New Year's Eve with great interest. Wonderful goods on display, particularly shellfish and foie gras which we are told is a New Year's Even tradition. The French seem to celebrate the Reveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (New Year's Eve) far more seriously than they do Christmas day itself. The celebrations go on until la fete des Rois or twelfth night when the special pastry, la Galette de Rois is eaten and a game to be selected as King and wear the Crown is played.