In 1906 France established Sunday as a mandatory day of rest. I love the French.
It's springtime in Paris, chestnuts in blossom (right outside my window). I can see boats on the Seine out another window. Heading over to Champ du Mars to take some Eiffel Tower photos.
The vendors and gypsy women near the Eiffel Tower can be a bit pushy. The vendors seem to be harmless, just trying to sell you Eiffel tower souvenirs they carry on a large ring. There are just so many of these guys. They swarm lke locusts on anyone approaching the Eiffel Tower area. Walking across the plaza, it's not unusual to be approached 5 or more times. They race to see who can get to you first.
I gotta give these guys credit. They're trying to make an honest living, they arrive early (some are out at 7am) and they are here until past midnight. When I am walking up Rue de L"Universite toward the front door to my building, there are typically 4-6 of the souvenir vendors at the end of street/ entrance to Champ du Mars. They get so excited, then I enter the building.
The gypsy women are another story. I have no time for them, they are close cousins to the gold ring con artistes and will do anything to engage you in conversation. "Do you speak English?" is always met with a loud, surly, "Non."
It would be convenient to cut through the Eiffel Tower plaza but I have avoided it because of the souvenir guys and gypsies. Today, I decided to try an experiment. Since I get to look at the Eiffel Tower most of the time, what if, as I walk through the plaza, I'm the one that doesn't look at the tower. I scan the plaza, don't even head toward the ticket lines and periodically talk into my collar. What would happen? It was amazing. Not a single souvenir vendor, one gypsy lady started to approach then ran off. Think I'll go back tomorrow.
The thing I don't understand is why the Paris police haven't cracked way down on the con srtistes (gold ring, 3-card Monty, gypsy women, string bracelets guys, etc.) and packs of gypsy thieves. There are periodic sting operations in the Metro, but beyond that, the city seems wide open to cons.
On Friday, lookng down from my balcony, I actually saw a gold ring con artiste try his spiel on an Asian tourist sitting on a bench. Les con artiste finally bummed a cigarette and walked off. What about the poor schlub that comes to Paris and actually loses his gold wedding band. He'll walk into the police station and be very confused when everyone starts laughing.
I do have to give kudos to Paris and the Parisians for the clean sidewalks (very little doggy doo). When we were here in 2005, that wasn't the case. With little Davey and his stroller, there seemed to be a road hazard every few feet.
Mother's Day Cruise
It was a beautiful afternoon so I decided to take a cruise on the Seine. The have a little shuttle train (like something from Disneyland) that takes you from the Eiffel Tower area to the boat. The cruise was awesome, lasted a little over an hour. I decided to walk back (about 1.5 mi) along the Siene. Stopped at the gold statue near the tunnel entrance where Princess Di crashed. It was so relaxed walking along the Seine, stopping to take photos as the mood struck.
Cooking Practice
For dinner, I made risotto with mushrooms and artichoke hearts (the recipe I learned at the Cordon Bleu). I also prepared a duck breast; scored the skin, rendered the fat as it cooked in the pan to a beautiful brown and crisped up the skin, then finished it in the oven. By the time it was cooked (still rare in the middle) the duck was pretty lean with crispy skin, The risotto was phenomenal. Can't wait to prepare it wen I get home. This was as good as any meal I have had in Paris.
Bonne Nuit
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