Our string of fabulous weather seems to have ended with Noodle. Since we lost her the weather has got cooler and greyer. We even had a squall on the Marne a few days ago and we worried about losing the Bimini. I held onto it to stabilize it but in retrospect it was silly because if it blew off I would have probably parasailed away with it. Now the weather has settled in to grey days, a cool wind and occasional light showers. But do we care? Hell no, we’re in Paris!
A month ago we were worried that the weather would be too hot here as the Port d’Arsenal is set down below the surrounding city and can be stifling in hot weather. So this weather is great for us. Armida is slotted in at the northern end of the port where we 
can see the people getting on and off the Metro at the Bastille station but we really can’t hear the trains. Rates have gone up since last year so we may not stay as long as we had thought but it is still a lot cheaper than a hotel. After five nights we still pinch ourselves every time we go out in the streets.
On Tuesday we had a long day of shopping and schlepping so opted for an early dinner on the boat . After dinner I decided to go out for a walk and as I emerged from our secret hollow I was surrounded by throngs of people and music everywhere. It was June 21st, the summer solstice, which has been the “Festival of Music” in France since 1982. Anyone who wants can perform, and there were all sorts. We got Rosie and made our way over to the beautiful Place des Vosges where the medieval arched ways were filled with all sorts of musical groups and appreciative people. There was a new group every 20m or so. Rather than compete they seemed to transitions seamlessly. It was a magical evening which we finished at 11PM with Champagne and people watching in a street side brassiere. But wait, there’s more. We sat down next to a distinguished older couple and exchanged pleasantries. After people kept coming up and talking to them we had to ask, and discovered that he was Edgar Morin, a famous French philosopher. France must be one of the few countries left that has philosophers at all, let alone appreciates them.
Our friend Patricia (from SLO) came to visit us yesterday. Many years ago she lived and worked in Strasbourg and has kept up a friendship with a French girl from 40 years ago. Her daughter is getting married in their home town of Versailles in the 14th century church of Louis IV and a reception for 200 at a hill top Abby. Sounds delightful.
This morning Terry is headed to an antique fair a few blocks away in the tiny Saint-Paul area. Rosie and I will accompany her, but she will undoubtedly outlast us.
That time constraint I talked about at the top of the blog may be adjusted – Terry wants to stay forever! It is supposed to get hot (35C/92F) on Monday if you can believe the notoriously unreliable forecasts here, so we will see. So much more to do!
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