Rollerblade Parade (Eighth Sunday in Paris)

Sunday, October 28. We got an extra hour of sleep last night so we're up early for breakfast chez moi, then off to the Musee de la Poupee which is right around the corner to see if we can fit in at least one museum before church!

Le Jardin de Anne Frank. Just before the end of the little dead-end street (Impasse Berthaud) and before the entrance to the doll museum, there is a park, Le Jardin de Anne Frank. Somehow it manages to be stark (evoking feelings of a concentration camp) and beautiful at the same time. Lyn notices that it just opened in June. It is directly behind the Musee d'Art et d'Histoire de Judaisme, located in the splendid 17th century Hotel de St-Aignan, which you can see at the far end of the park. There is a tiny chestnut tree planted there that is a graft from the chestnut tree that Anne could see from the window when her family was in hiding. How wonderful is that?

Musee de la Poupee. What an adorable idea for a little museum. The base of the collection is over 200 dolls dating from 1860 to 1960, amassed by a father and son! Equally as interesting is the collection of toy stoves, kitchens, epiceries, carriages and on and on. There is a temporary exposition there based on the "model little girl" that many dolls portrayed throughout the years. There is also a didactic room, showing how dolls are made and all the different parts. It's very interesting but a little weird to see eyes sitting there by themselves!


Notre Dame. We hurry off so as not to be late for the International Mass at Notre Dame, but we are a few minutes late anyway. As usual, there's a line of people waiting to go in but I figure, since we're here for the service, we have priority so I just merge us right into the front of the line. No one seems to object. And the place is packed with worshipers. We find seats over on the side where we can see nothing but can hear the service. Later, as people leave during the service, we are able to move over to the center section so we can see the altar. There is a girls choir from England performing today so the music is wonderful. During the service, there is a constant stream of tourists around the side aisles. The gospels and prayers are printed in the program in five languages: French, English, German, Spanish and Italian. I can understand a little of the sermon as it is based on one of the texts. If I were closer and could lip read, I could probably understand even more! Lyn had a great suggestion which is that going to church services is another (free) way to practice oral comprehension!

Musee du Moyen Age. After church, we walk over to this fabulous museum that contains myriad treasures from the Medieval period, is housed in the beautiful Hotel de Cluny (former residence of the Abbots of Cluny) and is on the site of the ruins of a vast Gallo-Roman bath house. It's a triple header! The star attraction of the museum, of course, is the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, displayed in a darkened, circular room. The light must be kept low to keep the tapestry from fading.

There's a very interesting display of objects found in the river. During the 19th c., the city wanted to moderize the transportation capacity of the Seine. As part of this effort, the river was dredged, and 4000 lead objects as well as many of their moulds were found and are now displayed here. Fascinating! There's also a new acquisition entitled "Buste porte serviette" which Lyn says looks like a medieval paper towel holder!

After a turn in the bookshop, we have a hard time finding a place for lunch as it is Sunday, it's late and the restaurants are no longer serving. First, we try Le Mediteranne on the Place de l'Odeon where Lyn remembers dining with her family. We then try Bouillion _____ but it too is finishing its lunch service. So we hike back to the Blvd St Germain and have lunch at the Cafe Mondrian, which is just fine. We both have salade de crottin de chevre, cuisse de lapin and red wine, and we can sit and watch the world go by. On this particular day, the world going by includes a giant Rollerblade Parade sailing down the street. I had heard that this happens frequently in Paris, on Sundays but also at night, that rollerbladers gather at a particular spot in the city and take off en masse. It is amazing to actually see it.


After lunch, we wander down the r. St Andre des Arts and have the requisite crepe. Lyn's is cinnamon and sugar (kind of like the French version of that all time great comfort food "cinnamon toast." Mine is the usual creme de marrons (so boring, I am). We walk back to the apartment for a nap so we'll be well-rested for dinner!

Dinner at l'Alivi. Needless to say, this has become my favorite restaurant in Paris. We are greeted so warmly, and have the same young waiter that Janet and I had last Monday. Turns out last Monday was only his second day working there! He's going to school in Paris and working at the restaurant to earn money. Naturally, he's from Corsica. Lyn has the Sardines with fennel as a starter and I have the Mousse de coppa. We both have the Eggplant with tomatoes and corsican cheese. We have the house red wine which is wonderful. For dessert, Lyn has the assiette de fromages and I have the tarte aux raisins which turns out to be kind of like creme brule with grapes. After our coffee, we are again offered the wonderful Liqueur de Myrthe. No trouble sleeping tonight!