Paris in the Winter

It's Sunday and I'm again in the Falstaff Bar...thinking how sad it is that I only have about 9 days left in Paris, but then again, it also means that I get to see gatito and el Don soon. Besides, I'm already coming up with a plan to return avec famille for 6 months! (unbeknownst to them).

Intensive language courses work. I am understanding more, and making mistakes-- such as telling people where I live when they really asked how long I'll be in Paris--much less often.

The best part of this time, though, is friends. I've got to be the luckiest lady on earth. Dinners with Judy and family, shopping with Judy at the haute couture Bon Marche where I did NOT buy the gorgeous skirt for 300 euros (on sale, half price, or was the 600 euros the half price?! We weren't sure), dinners with Stephanie and friends in which we speak Spanish (but could just as well speak English because they all speak that too). In fact, last night we were out and I understood that one man was from Great Britain but really he was from Brittany...and since we were all speaking Spanish and then I heard him speak to the German woman in German and then he spoke also some English (he lives in Canada), when he finally was speaking to Stephanie, I said, "Shit, this guy is really good. He sounds so native." So I ask him where/when he learned French and of course everyone burst out laughing.

This week the agenda is: the picasso museum, the D'Orsay, more avoiding of Marc (the frenchman who keeps calling me) and Caberet on Thursday, more french blunders.

The writing, you ask? Hemingway inspiration? Don't. It just isn't happening. I wish I could just give up this urge to write altogether, but of course when gatito overheard me tell the Don that, he said, "Why mommy? I can't WAIT to read your new book!"

Sevilla-Barcelona-Paris

What can I say??? We had a fabulous time with friends for Christmas in Sevilla, lots of amazing good food cooked by The Don. Then, we jetted off to Barcelona where we stayed in a prime-location apartment, ate MORE good food (cooked again by The Don...in case you're wondering it was fish stew catalan style and then duck for new year's eve). The city, though, was crowded. Italians like the plague. French a close second. Everything Gaudi was over-run. I've decided the city would be NOTHING if not for Gaudi. He brings in thousands, probably millions of tourists per year and think of all those tourist euros.

La Sagrada Familia: Gatito said, "This church is impossible." I would have to agree. He has decided to return in exactly 50 years when he is The Don's age to see if it's done.

Now, here I sit in nothing less than the Falstaff cafe next to the Bastille. They have free internet (for 30 min), but my espresso cost 3.20 euros (that would be $4.00), but then again, what does a stupid Starbuck's in SLC cost? And all you get is a paper cup, no Parisians smoking at the next table saying "oui oui" (at least this is mostly what I understand them saying), no Bastille or guillotene history, AND no free wifi! Besides, I WANT to be in Paris drinking expensive coffee.

Tomorrow I start THE FRENCH COURSE (Time out: I just saw a small mouse run across the floor in the outdoor part (but enclosed) of the cafe). Soon I will say more than bonjour and oui oui.

Met up with ma amie, Stephanie, yesterday. She speaks English like a native; then we went to meet another friend, Alexandra. They began in Italian; When Alexandra realized I couldn't understand she switched to French saying Do you prefer French or do you speak Italian? Then she tried in Spanish and finally realized English would work best. (Stephanie, of course, speaks ALL of these languages beautifully). Okay, so much for my linguistic envy.

A bientot mon amis!!!