back in Paris

These are the keys to our apartment and there is a spiral staircase with 37 steps before we can use them on our door. (The larger key actually is for the armoire in the bedroom but I like the looks of them together.)

We slept late because we were tired out from hauling the suitcases through the train station, the metro and up and down all the stairs. Susie/Ange and Neecie had to do most of the work of carrying those cases up those 37 stairs and they had such an energetic morning with their bike ride that bedtime could hardly wait.

But that was yesterday...today we spent a lazy morning doing laundry and eating bread and jam and coffee. Strolled over to the Montparnase Cimeterie and paid our respects to Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sarte, Jean Seeburg and Constantin Brancusi, the sculptor.   Took the Metro down to the old Jewish section to show Susie what it is like. Forgot that today is the Jewish sabbath so the place we wanted to eat was closed, then walked to the Jewish Museum and it too was closed and then walked to the Picasso museum and .....yes, it was closed also. We did get to eat in the Jewish quarter...at an Eastern European shop and shared a lunch of pastrami sandwich, potato latke and a small aubergine and roasted pepper pizza. Ummm Delicious!

Rather than go home we went on to the Pompidou Center...that is a fantastic building.  All the electrical, plumbing and supports are visible on the outside of the building..it looks as if it was turned inside out! We toured the modern art museum located inside but I think what I will remember is the view from the top overlooking Paris and the patio areas below.  The grounds seem as if they are a meeting place for young people to sit on the bricks (!) and are entertained by musicians, mimes and all sorts of entertainers.  We sat in a sidewalk cafe and had a beer...so good after such a hot day and a hot walk.  Amstel (no alcohol) is darn good.
Home on the Metro, stop at Monoprix for groceries and then home again.  Bread and cheese for supper....that sounds as if we didn't have a lot but it is so satisfying, so good!
Katie