A Beautiful Day Under the Eiffel Tower

Sunday was the first truly sunny day in a while, so I took the opportunity to walk around after church. I bought a Croque Monsieur and a patisserie 'symphony' at a boulangerie and then ate on the bench pictured, which is on the edge of the Champ de Mars, by the Eiffel Tower. In the garden behind the bench, there are some flowers which are just starting to bloom -- crocus flowers, I think.

La Grippe Aviaire

Are people in the US worried about us over here because of the Bird Flu? I don't eat too much meat because it is so much more expensive here, but in fact this week I ate only ham and seafood, and maybe it keeps me from worrying too much. I feel badly for the farmers who have to kill all of their birds because most of them seem like innocent victims. My impression from people here is that most are worried primarily for their pets for the moment.

My new home

I have my own apartment in Paris now, on the border between the 13th and 14th arrondissements. It is not very big and it's only a studio, but it has a balcony and a huge window. There is plenty of light and it feels pretty spacious for just one person. It's my first experience in apartment living; the best thing is that the superintendent, Madame Lamare, is really friendly and helpful.
Here you can see the view whan you first enter the apartment. There is a hallway with the WC on the right, a mirror, and then the bathroom (with a tub, what luxury!) and on the left a little kitchen.

Montmartre

I had the pleasure of spending a Saturday afternoon and evening with a student visiting from UCSB, and we strolled around Montmartre. My digital camera is not too high quality, but here you can see how Montmartre overlooks the rest of Paris. We took the bus from Pigalle to the Trocadero, where we saw the Eiffel Tower glittering, which it does on the hour for about five minutes. It was beautiful! Then we ate moules-frites (steamed mussels and fries) at a place in the Latin Quarter. My moules were cooked in gueuze, which was interesting, but it didn't win me over from the more traditional preparation methods.