Mostly tourist-area places are open today, although one of the boulangers near here is, fortunately. Need one’s baguette for those tartines.
We walked through the Latin Quarter area. Being cordoned-off for a large “anti-racism” march scheduled for later today. The gendarmerie were mobilizing, ironically, in front of the Sorbonne and Montaigne statue.
Listening to CBC 2 online as I write, funny hearing Tom Allen, the news, etc.
Our friends, Norma and Jeremy, arrived for a few days. Our place where we had reserved dinner was,naturellement fermé, despite my having specifically asked if they were open, so we ended up the Pudlo-overrated (“an excellent bouchon-style restaurant”!) Le Bistro d’Henri, 16, rue Princesse, in the very busy area just next to Saint-Sulpice. After some 1966 Calva (Sandy and Norma smartly refrained) which we brought back from Normandy, we called it a night.
- Place St. Michel.
- On rue des Grands St. Augustins, the atelier where Picasso lived with Francoise Gilot and painted Guernica.
- Place Furstemberg, once the Abbey St. Germain des Pres stables. The interesting Delacroix museum is in one corner.
- The Abbots’ palace across the way.
- Cour de Commerce St. Andre. Dr. Guillotine invented his slicer here.
- Le Procop, supposedly the oldest cafe in Paris, now a dodgy tourist attraction.
- Courtyard in rue du Jardinet.
- Part of 3rd c. Roman baths along rue St. Michel.
- The fascinating Cluny Middle Ages museum. Some lovely old tapestry here, The Lady & the Unicorn.
- Saint Severin churchfront.
- Rue St. Jacques, once the main north-south route into Paris.
- St.-Julien le Pauvre churchfront.
- Old well.
- Rue de Bievre, looking like the medieval street it once was.
- Montaigne statue. If you rub his right foot while saying, “Salut, Montaigne,” your wish will apparently come true.
- The sadly, now-underwhelming Brasserie Balzar on rue des Ecoles.
- Some resto PDA.
- Bemused.
- Le Bistro d’Henri.