I'm back in Show-knee town and all alone! Norman's in Canada, Ruth's in England, and I'm here in a non-English speaking country. Makes sense, right?
MacKenzie flew back to New York this morning after a speedy whirlwind trip in Chauny and Paris. We spent two nights here and four nights in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. We rented a two-bedroom apartment from a young French dude named Alexandre (hotel alternative: rent someone's apartment for a few days from this site (any city!) Super recommended! Our host provided everything: wifi, towels, sheets, use of his olive oil, cleaning supplies, taxi numbers, and so on. I cracked one of his glasses while doing dishes and he seemed not to care at all about that. Good dude.)
Chanois pastries.
Dictatorship or democracy. It's always capitalism that fattens. (I bet there's a more eloquent translation)
5th floor walk-up
I love rainbows. And ambiguity.
Many white vehicles on the street below
Le view
Mac munching on some gummies under the chandelier
Our first meal. Scrumptious.
Bonding
We saw lots and lots of wall art!
MORE RAINBOWS. CAN'T GET ENOUGH.
Teardrop-shaped guy by the Canal de Saint Martin
M and I were into this green door
The canal in our neighborhood
Working on postcards. Some creepy "street performer" with a cane touched MacKenzie's crêpe the night before, so she was telling the story via postcard (written in French, with my shoddy translation services). Hopefully the recipient is as amused as we were.
SO PRETTY
Sidewalk heads
During a visit to the Palais de Tokyo and the Museum of Modern Art, we did a few black-and-white photobooth sessions. I got really into the strips posted on the side of the booth. Beautiful and anonymous.
This killed me. Gorgeous.
WHAT'S UP MY LOVE
Serious coupling
I know this face so well
Shaggy locks
The clouds were parting, the skateboarders were doin' their thing, the art students were sketching, and this graffitied gal was sunbathing. Perfect scene next to the Seine.
I do not own the Museum of Modern Art or the black star. Okay then!
I forgot to note the artist! But I liked it.
Dufy detail
Later that day, we went onto some eiffeling. A nice older woman took our photo. She missed most of the tower, but I don't mind. Next time I'll be wearing heels or stilts!
Later that day: we dined at Le Petit Café, which is owned by a 70s something lady named Arlette. MacKenzie had lunched there back in 2007 when she studied abroad, and I'd read a good review of this place on the 'net, so we tried it out. It was about 4pm and I approached Arlette at her counter, admitting (in French) that is wasn't exactly lunchtime nor dinnertime, but could we maybe eat something? She said she'd fix us a plate of crudités and some quiche. She also asked who'd sent me to her café and I told her that I had seen her picture on the internet. I don't know if I was just really hungry or what, but this meal was really really wonderful. We chatted with her awhile and I explained that MacKenzie had been there a few years ago, and that I lived in Picardie (she made a disgusted face at that), and that MacKenzie was a teacher in New York. Arlette was very friendly and offered us apple pie and coffee after our meal. She smiled a lot and said "D'accord!" during the awkward silences. Ooh, I just found a video of Madame Arlette! Check it out. She's owned the café for almost 60 years?!
Arlette had cool decorations and lots of pretty flowers everywhere
COFFEE
AND SUGAR
Apple pie!
Whew. This trip was too much fun to be contained to one post. More very soon!
XO
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