Paris Day 5 (so far) Kristine comes reeling in thirteen hours after leaving hotel and a night cruise of the Seine and drops like a stone. Dont bother me - see you tomorrow. Well tomorrow was my call and my healthy brood of FB friends who remember their trips to Paris and the good old days. So I determined first stop should be the flea market at Porte de Clignancourt. Im not big on these kinds of cluster gabs but today I live for you. At one time the market was a wonderful trading centre for people who possessed something wonderful and wanted to trade or sell up. Not no more. This is the Algerian version of upscale market. Sort of how Doug Ford sees his Toronto. Cheap sneakers, denim pants with holes, pink girly bags, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! I seriously would have settled for fleas. Not all is lost. There is an indoor antique market where you can pay 5,000 Euros for a hair brush that once cleaned dandruff from Maurice Chevaliers jacket. I did think about that lovely item. More or less - this stuff was so far off the reality price list, youd have to be in that 1% to consider such frivality. The real deal was the trip to the Opera National de Paris where Richard Wagner hangs around century after century collecting SOCAN checks. The structure is marvellous and ornate. The ceiling painted by artist Marc Chagall. A women nearby informed me a host of great composers were on the ceiling. I couldnt spot them. I looked through the Bibliotheque-Musee De LOpera library to see if I could find any scores for those Drake and Rhianna sides. For ten Euros this is a must. Not as large inside as imagined but stunning in all ways. I always imagine opera houses coated in resplendent eye popping reds. This didnt disappoint. Our dear friend Nancy Boutin sent along 1 hundred Euros with the express condition that we spend on a wonderful lunch in a beautiful hotel. Tough call. Kris picked the Le Grand Paris. This is where you encounter the real deal waiters. Handsomely coiffed and manners the butler polish. I wore my best plaid Marks Work Warehouse formal attire. At first I thought it was eye catching until a sheik like dude strolled in wearing converse footwear. This is something weve learned while here. Converse good, all else bad! Lunch was most excellent - red wine superb. This coming from a guy who spends most wine dollars on Australian. You go to the LCBO and theres a handful of French wines. In my new neighbourhood you cant calculate the number of French wines on shelves with prices beginning around 3.5 Euros. And they are all very good. We are back in the room and baby is down for the count. I dont hear her breathing and Im afraid to check her pulse. I do know this. Before collapsing she stopped by a pastry shop and bought two chocolate eclairs. I know one is for me and maybe the other depending on when night creeps into the room.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:53:15 +0000
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