Do zebras have striped feet?

Going back to this entry to add pics.....

This is what macaroni and cheese is like in Paris (that's goat's cheese)...
Pretty flowers in a window....

Closing the shop door here means, for many places, rolling the the storefront inside...

One of my pics from visting Centre Pompidou -- in that whole plaza, I saw only one of these little red things... what is it, I wonder?

Cool clock in the Pomp...

Owee! Somehow I don't know how this is sexy, but I guess it takes all types...

My first view of the Eiffel Tower this trip!

Going up the people movers at the Pomp...

Outside view of the Pomp's people movers...

Across from the Pomp, fhis Monoprix store has such a small store front that they decided to abbreviate, rather than use a smaller font...

Loved this big gold pot outside the Pomp....

Crowds enjoying the entertainment outside the pomp...

Entertainer guy at the Pomp, he was actually pretty good!

Pomp!!! I actually love these....

My first view of Centre Pompidou....

OK, this is the 'surprise' from yesterday that I wrote about below....

I've heard of soap on a rope, but how about soap on a peg? You just rub it, guess it lasts for a year or something.....

Do zebras have striped feet? I want to know. Because I might be turning into a zebra.... as I look at my bare feet I can now see rather darkish tan lines starting to appear between where the straps of my sandals usually sit.... an "interesting" development.

Other random reflections and a summary of day 2:

• Europeans are so much smarter when it comes to appliances, I think. The washer in my flat here, which fits under the kitchen counter and is about the size of a dishwasher, is both a washer and a dryer. For small spaces back home, why do we need a whole closet with stacking pairs? Or, better yet, why not a washer/dryer instead of a dishwasher? Think about it, what's the most effort to do without the appliance? In my place in Aix, the washer was even smaller, though it did not dry as well - but very efficient for a small space. And much of the time one can air dry clothes here anyways.


• I love the mix of languages here... today at breakfast I had around me Korean (I think), German (I think), French and English. I had a lot of respect for the waitress who was trying to communicate with them all.


• I also love glancing over at the tourist next to me, seeing them reading their guide book, and trying to spot what language it is in...


• Yesterday I encountered, um, a squat and aim toilet, not far off the beaten track. It was in a little bar, and when he pointed to the little door behind the bar, I thought, wow, how did they fit a toilet in there? Well, I got my answer! After a moment's hesitation, I laughed at myself, and said, "C'mon girl, don't be an uptight North American, you can handle this". The place was superclean, so what the heck. And more than 1/2 the world's population uses facilities lesser than this. Shan't say much more, except that no major traumas were suffered. And the flush sure makes certain the entire area is doused. LOL. And, yes, I took a picture of it. LOL.


• Tonight, just back from seeing the Kandinsky exhibit at the Centre Pompidou. Wow, it was pretty awesome. But, wow, am I tuckered out. The Pomp is only a 10-15 minute walk from here, and when I arrived I spent lots of time just enjoying the crowds and entertainment outside. And much time admiring the building, and snapping pics. Apparently there was quite a controversy when the building was built, SO modern in such a historic part of the city. And it is "out there". But I gather the Parisians have warmed to it since. As it is the last weekend of the exhibit, it was quite crowded and there was a long wait. But I stuck with it, and was well rewarded... splurged for the audio-guide (something I have learned to do in recent years), so even as I drooped, I still learned as I soaked it all in. Took me about 2, maybe 2.5 hours to see it, once I finally got in, and I wasn't doddling. Or rushing. Just taking it all in. When it was done, I really was drooping, so dragged myself to their little cafeteria and bought a water and a cookie, which disappeared in an instant. Revived, I stopped for a bite to eat on my way home (more about that in a sec) and just got in at 9:30pm and I am ready for a shower and to bed....


• Tomorrow will be an un-art day, I need time to let that digest. I also plan to go back to the Pomp to see the rest of their exhibits at some point.


• You know, museums and galleries would sell a lot more stuff at their exhibit shops - tucked so neatly between the end of the exhibit and the exit - if they had a small revival area (toilets, places to sit, water)... as it was, I bought 2 postcards and a magnet and was outta there....


• Dinner. Well, I just had my most expensive meal on my trip so far. 26.10E... I'm really trying to eat on the cheap, but by the time I found my spot and ordered a beer (and, no, I didn't just have one), I realized just how hungry I was. So, for 15.50E I actually ordered macaroni and cheese! LOL. Actually, it was "gratin macaroni fromage chevre"... turns out that was enough for them to come clean my table and put down a white tablecloth. Ah, free bread, most welcome...


• Oh!! And I got my first view of the Eiffel Tower this trip, from the 6th floor at the Pomp... can't wait to go hang out with it steadily in my view... and to go up again. Once you've seen it, there is a nice open deck on the 1st level up and you can sit IN the Eiffel Tower for ages, just hanging out...


• That all said, it's off to watch The National from yesterday, then do some reading until I doze off... as I typically do with the lights still on, thinking I'll be awake longer.