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April 6, 2002, 2412 hrs Well, the date really should be 7th but that would probably prove confusing to those of you actually reading this diary. Got to solve the problem of updating the site regularly. It's up-to-date on my laptop but that doesn't help any of you, does it? Later today (tomorrow) I'm visiting a new friend with whom I may be able to access the Web. Here's keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Got a late start (woke up at 9:30 'cause my alarm didn't work). The bed is so small I scraped my arm on the wall last night and woke up with a big sore spot on my elbow. Comfy otherwise, just tiny. Went by the local Marche FranPrix and bought lots of supplies. Paper plates and plastic knifes and forks. Laundry detergent. Chocolate with 70% cocoa (!!). The essentials. Came back, munched half a baguette (still hot from the oven, man that was good!). Lay on my bed a bit daunted by the enormity of the task facing me - I hate looking for a place to live and then I've got my language difficulties on top of this. That stopped me for about 1/2 hr then I got up and went downtown. Got by the Internet cafe and mailed a bunch of you (if I haven't gotten to you yet, email me 'cause I haven't heard from you either!). Took my camera today 'cause it seemed the best way to share some of my thoughts. I'll explain what I was thinking as I took the photos (hot off the presses!). Found a couple of places to live on the web (www.lodgis.com) and went to check out the closest. The Marais isn't as I remember it. A lot of businesses seem to have gone out of operation there lately - lots of empty spaces "a louer". I didn't think much of the neighborhood of the 3rd arrondisement to tell you the truth - not after having spent a couple of days in the 7th. Much nicer. Tomorrow I go to check out the 10th and 11th arrondisements where I've found a couple of apartments and the aforementioned friend with the Internet connection. Along the way today, I took a bunch of photographs. Let me start at the beginning.. It was a lovely day today. Bright and about 60F with quite a wind. So I bundled up in my sweater and flight jacket (security blanket). As I left, I turned around and snapped an exterior shot of the street on which I'm living. My residence (part of the National University for Agriculture) is on the right: Next, I remembered to photograph these three small, very old houses immediately on the street. Odd juxaposition (Paris is full of them) of these apparently 17th or 18th century homes on a street with totally modern (70s something) block housing: This is a detail of the one on the left.. fascinating old structure: After making my way downtown to the Montparnasse area (where the Internet cafe and the Alliance is), I went by the Jardin du Luxembourg where I picnicked last night and took this photo: On the way back, I saw this amazing small car and thought of Billy and his eco-conciousness (and willingness to drive tiny deathtraps). Here is the ultimate cool small car (except maybe the Austin Mini I show later): Here's the same model of car, dressed up in new livery. It says that "we will deliver to your home".. basically the concept of home delivery of fresh food seems alive and well here in France (or maybe they haven't heard of our numerous failures like WebVan). This particular chap delivers cooked pasta so it's not quite the same thing - I did, however, see a bunch of fresh food delivery cars: Next up, was a collection of four stores at the end of the Rue de Fleurus (you can find it on a Paris map). One the far right is Bagels and Brownies, home of the 6E smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel I picnicked with yesterday. Just to the left of it is the more conventional neighborhood grocery store. To its left is a place vending hi-tech Internet-type stuff, and finally, to its left is a place selling stylish furniture. It seemed to me all of a sudden that this photo encapsulates so much of all the influences on modern Paris that I had to take it: Note that this shot was just around the corner from the major shopping street of this section of Paris, leading up to the Tour Montparnasse (the second tallest building in Paris after La Tour Eiffel). Amazing, really. I was so amazed I had to stop for a crepe. A crepe with lots of lovely Nutella and the gentlemen didn't mind at all if I could take a photo of his apparatus: It was even tastier than you just imagined. Boy I missed that. About 2.5E. And worth every penny. Just as I finished my crepe, I saw this "traiteur" (another one of those faux amies - false friends - words that look similar to English but mean something else entirely) across the street. The word means "caterer". Not particularly remarkable except that it had been in business for over 100 years. That kind of blew me away.. Lots of businesses in Paris beat this by a mile.. Then I was into the subway (St. Placide) and across the Seine to check out this apartment's neighborhood in the 3rd. There seems to be a story down about every street in Paris (at least in the original city). Probably due to having long memories and cramming 2000 years of history into a couple of hundred square miles. I found this little plaque on the street I was investigating (a totally unremarkable street one block long) and had to take a snap. I'm tempted to go and see what the history behind it is: It says this young woman died for France. Not a lot of detail though. I suspect its another artifact of WWII. I saw another plaque yesterday on the spot were some Resistance fighters were shot by the Germans in 1944. On the way south to Les Halles (I decided to catch a movie having been virtous most of the day), I passed by the front of Centre George Pompidou (named after the French president who reformed much of the country's transport system amongst other things): I learned on my last trip that it is an architectural "in joke", in that the color-coding of the pipes on the building actually reflects their function (standard practice on some architectural drawings). I think it's a pretty cool buildiing, though better looking from the plaza/fountain side. Then I passed this Austin Powers-looking Mini Cooper that I would like to own.. Had a great Union Jack painted on the roof: Finally, two last shots. One represents the new style in ladies shoes (don't say you haven't been warned - expect it in the States in a year or two), and a great sign warning owners that they may be fined up to 500E for letting their dogs poop without cleaning it up (which is probably why Paris is so clean now): I should mention that I found the phone card that Adrian Leeds wrote about in her column, at a little Chinese-owned store in the 13th. 15E for 753 minutes of phone time to the States. Heck of a deal if I can figure out how to use it. On the way back I found a charming little cigar store and bought some petite Punches (Cuban!). Heck of a kick to buy (and smoke) them legally. About 3.5E each!!! Well, I'm beat, and my bottle of Bordeaux Superior (Chateau Le Paradier, 2000) is dead, so I'm off to bed. The Paris marathon is tomororw and I've found a great jazz station. So life could be worse (providing I don't get caught in Marathon traffic looking at apartments). My best to all of you..

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