Santa's Villages
Christmas lights are up, and little sidewalk villages of seasonal vendors have appeared. These clusters of little wooden booths show up at this time of year along wider sidewalks and in squares. They feature an odd assortment of specialties, not all obviously seasonal: there are woolly scarves, foie gras, fair-trade knick-knacks, baked treats, ceramics, and so on.
This transient shopping centre has appeared in the square in front of St. Sulpice, and features a gospel choir in one little hut.We went on a little shopping trip Saturday afternoon, that started at Bon Marché, where we scoured the food halls for samples. Pickings were slim however; I guess they don't need to lure people in the door at this time of year. We strolled towards the Boulevard St. Germain, stopping for a drink in a little bar on a side street. I need to work on my pronounciation of "Pernod" since I am unable to make myself understood by a French bartender while she is talking to her boyfriend on the telephone. A necessary skill. The challenges of the French language are deeper than you would first imagine.
We met for dinner our friend, TP, who is passing through Paris on business. We had a coupon for a small bottle of champagne at L'Arbuci, a jazz-themed (although they didn't actually play any) bistro where the food was forgettable but the atmosphere and service lively.
posted 3.12.06
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