Mon and Tuesday 7th and 8th

Monday.  Ups and downs,

I started the day feeling good. But.. I had noticed the shower head in the shower recess the day before. No where to hang it up. But it was not till I came to wash my hair on Monday morning that I realised that how I have been washing my hair for 73 years relys on having 2 hands free, not 1,holding the shower head. Also the temperature control was extremely sensitive. The water went quickly from freezing to scalding with only 1 mixer tap to control it. I managed. Next I found there was no hair dryer. At least the heater was easy enough for me to lift onto a table and crouch in front of. But the cord across the floor was not ideal. M

I went to a nearby bistro for my morning coffee and croissant.  It was good to think " Ah, I like doing this in Paris," watching people start their day . I am just around a corner from a large intersection - a sort of oval shape with 7 roads coming off it. The several bistros near me are fairly expensive so I went exploring around all 7 wedges of buildings. I could not find anything significantly cheaper. I kept wandering. Gertrude Stein held her literary and arty salon in a building about 7 along the same street as me. I had a nice lunch but it was too much - I must not eat 2 big meals in successive days.

Tuesday

This morning I went to a different bistro for coffee and croissant and stopped at a market on the way home. I bought some cheese. Each was labelled with a sign with a little drawing of either a cow or sheep or goat to indicate its origin . i also got a few huge pears and some clementines ( half way in taste between an orange and a mandarin but peel easily like a mandarin)  then came back here to try and sort out what I am going to do when over the next few weeks. At least now I have a list of things that I would be disappointed if I didn't see, so I will start on that list tomorrow. I forgot.  - this morning I concentrated on getting the shower temp right before I got in. Fairly obvious really. 

I met an Australian friend  who is also in Paris now for lunch at a nearby , well 1.3 km away, cafe. It was very pleasant. On the way back i went into le Bon Marche, a parisian institution. It was the first department store in Paris, founded in 1838. It had fixed prices, allowed returns, offered a reading room for husbands and set up a dorm for unmarried female employees. It also had and there still is lots of art all over the place. The store is built round a central atrium 3 ( or maybe 4) stories high. I only went up and down the escalator once but stood for quite a while taking it all in. There were lots of a attendents standing around. I picked 1 ( admittedly expensive looking fabric and cut) dress at random to look at the price of. ( Sorry for this and future poor english) The tag said E995. Almost $2000.  In one largish area I counted 6 middle aged to older women actively looking, I.e trying on jackets and things.  3 had a man with them. 0

Then I wandered home via a stop for a coffee and a biscuit and a wander around a small park. Next I have to sort my photos from berlin and Norfolk out. Or maybe go for a walk while it is not raining.