Archimboldo and Marshmallows

Saturday, October 20. I bike over to r. Vaugirard to meet Janet and Debbie outside the Musee du Luxembourg for the Archimboldo exhibit which I have been eager to see. This museum is private so the entrance fee is 11 euros and another 4 if you want the audio guide. (I prefer museums where the state subsidizes my attendance!) The exhibit is fabulous. I have fun listening to a mother describing the paintings to two little girls (one is her daughter, the other a friend from school). She has brought them, she tells me, to see portraits with fruits and vegetables but what do the little girls get fixated on? A portrait of Salome holding the head of John the Baptist! Later, I have a chance to listen to her again as I'm holding up one of the little girls to see the reversible portraits.


Conversation with French man who apparently doesn't dislike Bush and isn't against the war in Iraq. He says: when Hitler was commiting atrocities, the governments of other countries did nothing. So should we stand by again and do nothing? Food for thought.


We walk through the Luxenbourg Gardens on our way to St Etienne du Mont which Janet wants to see. Along the way, we happen into a boulangerie/patisserie called Piccadis which has La Fameuse Guimauve de Paris in many different flavors. Guimauve is the French word for "marshmallow" but believe me, these are not like any marshmallows you've ever held over an open fire! There are cherry, mandarine, vanilla, coffee and violet flavored marshmallows here. Also, wonderful meringues. Needless to say, we indulge and proceed to give ourselves a sugar high!


In the course of our walk up the hill to the Pantheon, we encounter a small triangular park on the r. des Fosses Saints Jacques. From this little square, there's a view down to the front of the Pantheon. We walk around the Pantheon, taking in the view down r. Soufflot to the Eiffel Tower, and around to St Etienne du Mont. This is such a lovely church that I'm happy to have a reason to visit it again. This time, I just sit and admire the roodscreen and let Janet wander off to investigate the shrine to St Genevieve!

Back down winding streets where we find a little shop selling beautiful alpaca woven and knitted items. We surprise ourselves by actually buying things: a soft red cape for me, and an adorable striped sweather with matching hat, gloves and mittens for Janet's new grand-nephew.


We cross to the Ile de la Cite and try to visit Sainte-Chappelle but it has closed early today along with a lot of other things we've noticed (Parthenon, Memorial to the Deportation). Is this because of the Rugby World Cup final being played tonight or the transportation strike? We walk through Notre Dame which, again, is very crowded but I never tire of seeing those rose windows. Over to the Right Bank and through the lower part of the Marais back to my apartment to rest.

L'Alivi. The three of us have dinner at L'Alivi, the Corsican restaurant where I have dined before, and it is wonderful. Janet and I share an entree of leeks with a Corsican cheese, then Janet has dorade with eggplant, I have duo de deux poissons with red cabbage and Debbie has a goat cheese puff pastry with salad. Janet and I share moelleux a la creme de marrons for dessert. A wonderful bottle of white wine. We have a great time talking to two of the young waiters: Vincent and Olivier. After coffee, they pour each of us a small glass of liquer made from myrthe. Have to find that stuff to take home with me! Thoroughly sated, we walk down to r. de Rivoli where Janet and Debbie get into a cab, and I walk home.


Final Rugby Outcome: South Africa: 15 England: 6 So it's all over, and the Eiffel Tower will be lit in the colors of green and gold for the Springboks' victory.