Another Day in Paris

It's Tuesday, so now what? Time to just wander about. I got on a bus and went to the end of the line. That turned out to be the Parc Montsouris, which had been familiar to us when we first arrived in Paris in 1971. I walked through the park, possibly in a straight line, of which there are few! I admired the concrete tree branches that serve as stair railings and saw some real trees that had been upturned in a storm a few years ago. There were joggers, picnickers, kids playing, cafés on the edge, birds, and of course, chestnuts. I had wisely taken some antihistamines, so the trees had less effect on me and I got to kick some “conkers” along the path as I went.
The reason we knew that park well was that it is next to the Cité Universitaire, where we stayed first, that Sorbonne winter in Paris, before we moved to Choisy-le-Roi because of Kevin’s impending birth. My feet were beginning to complain, so I did not go to tour the Cité or the Canada House, but I know they are still there. I simply took the Metro (technically the RER or regional railroad) up to the Latin Quarter, which is the centre of Paris for me. I window-shopped, wandered, visited the Canadian bookstore, Abbey Books, on rue de la Parcheminerie. I had lunch in a café with a view of Notre Dame and a waiter who teased all the customers. The food was good and not extremely expensive. The sky was still bright blue and the sun shining brightly. I strolled along the quais of the Seine and browsed –and even made a purchase—at the book stalls there. How Parisian can we get?
Of course I stopped by the Fontaine St Michel and the Musée de Cluny just to say hello to my favourite monuments. Then I tried on some shoes—not the right shape for my feet, malheureusement—and continued my stroll down the Blvd. St Germain and the little streets behind. Window shopping, sitting down to rest my feet and watch the people: I have seen about every kind of footwear on women, most of them looking quite impractical for any walking.
At the church of St Germain des Prés, I found my bus to go home. It is a longish ride but I saw lots of interesting people, places, and shops, including the shoe store I really want to go to, Arcus. Maybe later?
Back at the hotel, I found another good soak in the tub restored me. I waited for a call from Neil as to the time and place for dinner, and had nearly given up and was preparing to go to a movie, when Cynthia called and gave me the facts. Unfortunately, I left the info on the desk and so I turned up on the wrong street and finally had to take a taxi to the right place, La Closerie des Lilas, which was posh, traditional, etc. PSC was entertaining a woman from Cameroon who had done research for them, plus her thesis supervisors, from U. Laval. Very pleasant dinner.
Neil packed his stuff for our next move. I left that till morning.