but it is quiet here. Like so many things, the French make life so much more... livable. From 10p to 7a there is a blanket Quiet! law in effect. It gets busy outside at 7:01a however. We are less than 75 feet from the entrance to the Metro!
On the other hand, there seems to be no "common area" maintenance requirement in this 150 year old complex: the staircase up to the apartment may not have been painted or repaired in 150 years. Inside, our apartment is great! The bedrooms and living room are large, the bathrooms and kitchen are almost new. The high ceilings, original wood floors, modern wiring, WiFi faster than at home, and hi tech entertainment center (where are Trevor, Rollin and James to figure it out?) make the "worn" edges seem charming and cozy. But the entry staircase outside the apartment takes some getting used to. Donna says - correctly - it looks like a US slum.
The weather is going to be great throughout the long-term forecast. Minimal chance of rain, mostly sunny, highs in the high 40s and low 50s, lows in the high 30s. We are going grocery shopping again today (since we walk back carrying our loot we don't buy a lot at one time) and to see the oldest French cathedral - St Denis - which is about a mile from here.
Our street - Boulevard de la Chapelle - is nothing special. The streets surrounding us on this side of the tracks are filled with small shops: bakeries, telephones, clothing... The cross-street, however, is very different. About 75 feet from us is Marx Dermot which is almost exactly like the French Left Bank was the first two times I visited: 1965 and 1973. Now the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) is like Park Avenue NY. We are already enjoying shopping for groceries on MD!
Time to go do it! I miss our kids. And I miss "my" kids at Hasty and Canton. A special "hi" to them and Ms McFarland and Ms Dixon!!
Alan, Melissa, Eugene & Claudia - we are greatly looking forward to seeing you in a week!!
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