Sun May 16th: My Last Week in Paris

I'm about to begin my last week in Paris. Today is quiet. A bit cooler and cloudy. Good day for a load of laundry in the mini washer and dryer that doesn't dry. The last load of socks (load = six pairs of cotton crew socks with padded bottoms) took more than eight hours to dry.

Bird Show at the Champ du Mars
After prepping the trash, I decided to take my old baguette pieces to the champ du Mars and feed the birds. The pigeons came over as I pulled out the first piece of bread. They seem to enjoy small bits rather than chunks. The black birds are aggressive. After about five minutes, there were 6 pigeons and 20 + blackbirds gathered. The blackbirds were able to catch a piece of bread while in flight. I had a lot of leftover bread (I think there's a law that you can't eat old baguettes in Paris).

I didn't realize that there was a small group gathered for the bird show. The children cheered as the blackbirds caught bread while in flight and sped off to enjoy it as they relaxed under a distant tree. If I lived in Paris, I'd eventually become known as the bird lady of the Champ du Mars.

This evening, I had dinner at a local brasserie (something with Tour Eiffel in the name). The entree was a veal dish with mushrooms and vegetables. Very good meal. I am consistently impressed with the quality of the house red at the local bistros and brasseries. In the states, house red is typically barely drinkable (especially at a busy place in a touristy area). Not in Paris.

When you walk into a brasserie, after exchanging the required "Bonjour," the first question is meal or drink? If you're having a meal, you can typically select any table you'd like. Drinks only, you won't get a window seat.

Bonne Nuit