Last week in Paris 2

Things are starting to wind down for us now as we head into our last weekend in this city. The rail strike is slowly coming to a close (maybe) but now on the horizon lies the possibility of air controllers strike starting on the day we are set to fly out to Estonia!!!

 There are so many things that are charming and enjoyable about la belle France but the attempt at resolution (sort of) of issues through frequent strikes is not one of them!At least not for me... to me it is more like throwing a tantrum at the grocery store. Sigh...guess I'm not French enough to get it.

Over in the Quartier Latin the other afternoon we rode past the Sorbonne

...many years ago I got a Maitrise ès lettres there where I had to defend my theses orally in an amphitheater open to the public...seems such a long time ago!

We passed by the fountain at the end of rue Soufflot on our way to rue Mouffetard (which is in "A Moveable Feast" by Hemingway).

We were going to see a movie at the Épée de Bois theatre so we walked around until it was time to buy tickets.

I looked in shop windows of course!!! What about that interesting dress in the back...it is double layered knits, stitched and then sliced between stitching to create the stripe effect.

The movie was titled "Les yeux jaunes des crocodiles" based on the novel by Katherine Pancol...it is a good film about two sisters. Here is another film showing at the theatre...looks intriguing!

Speaking of clothing....I took these two photos of French women wearing some interesting outfits:

can you see the tiny ruffles on the bottom of her trousers which look like sheer silk:

This woman was in a silk charmeuse kimono style top over a tank top and leggings and laced espadrilles with double soles:

 It was still daylight when we came out of the movie so we walked around like a ton of other people. Those who were not strolling were sitting at bistros watching a World Cup game...you could hear cheering and shouting everywhere! Some of the bistros had TV screens set up outside!

This statue is over by the Pantheon...it depicts a sumo wrestler. I did not have time to read the entire inscription because the bus came...maybe I'll get a chance to go back and see:

On the two buses we took home I saw these signs which go with the one about strollers:

Who uses a cellphone discreetly makes more than one traveler happy.

Who validates their ticket travels with a light heart.

Remember a few posts ago I wrote about a movie that was being filmed in the neighborhood? Well, this cafe/restaurant was being used for some of the scenes...

the name is actually a play on words which means at the right time or early...it also rhymes with the word for happiness or joy or good luck "bonheur." (This is in case you don't know French)....

The inside of the restaurant is filled with clocks all telling a different time and can you read the two inscriptions over the bar?

"Si vous êtes à l'heure à la bonne heure, je vous la montre."(If you are on time at the bonne heure I will show you...referring to the clock as well...and maybe your watch)

"Le bonheur, c'est de savoir que la bonne heure existe." (Happiness is to know that la bonne heure(the restaurant)/joy, happiness, luck exists...) I know this will be easier to get for a French speaker but I just thought it was so clever! Plus they are really very nice in this place.

Since we are thinking about good things to drink...here are two posters I had to photograph...especially since I had to miss the trip to Provence which is what they make me think about (besides the MORE important things/people of course):

I wish I could find this Pastis poster somewhere...it would be a great one for a kitchen I think!

And look at this nice rosé ad with the two dishes of olives and the time...so true!!

 Sigh...at least I know I will get to go back for a few days in July before we return to Portland!!!

Walking up the street from the Bonne Heure café was this window display...

these are Charentaises which were the slippers worn in the countryside to keep feet warm inside the house on tile floors...they used to be not too cool but they are now in style and these variations are very modern indeed!!Plus, they really are comfortable even if they look a bit clunky...I like them! Especially the pink cable knit pair.

Not far from this window were a pair of electric cars plugged in:

Free as air

I wonder if the driver popped into the donut shop while waiting for the charge???

One morning last week we realized we had no coffee or anything else left for breakfast...horrors...so at 8 am we went over to a café in the neighborhood for café au lait and tartines...here are two pictures...look how colorful this place is:

Morning regulars at the bar

...terrible picture of me but check out the "tartines au beurre!" We got apricot jam with them.

When I first came to France as a student I thought "tartines" were some kind of little tarts and I tried to order them for dessert in a bistro...they gave me a really strange look and said "we only serve this at breakfast." Can you see why???

Every day that we step out our door we see this box of geraniums at the concierge's window...look at the dogs in the lace curtains I think they are golden retrievers:

When we return we see the tile floor in the hallway leading to our door...it looks like a sweater design from Estonia to me:

Soon we will leave rue Legendre and head for Tallinn. I probably will not write again until then so have a good weekend and keep your fingers crossed that there WILL NOT be another strike here! A bientôt!