Adieu Paris

Getting Terry to write a blog post is like pulling teeth – but for those of you who didn’t get her latest email here is an extract:

“It’s been a long time since I’ve sat down to write.  Bout time.  We left my lovely Paris yesterday and already I am reflecting on how nice it would be to live there, on the boat, for a few months.  Before we left I went to the Bastille open market that is just one block away from the Arsenal.  It’s held every Thursday and Sunday from 8AM-1PM and quite popular with locals and tourists alike.  There are all kinds of stalls, but most importantly a place where you can buy great meats, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread and an array of different prepared foods.  I stocked up as we will be traveling the River Seine for two days before we get back into the canal system and shops.  I bought enough meats for five meals that fit nicely in our shoebox size freezer, fruit and veg for three days and some baked goods.  Cheesy bread, brownies (rare) and cookies.  Such fun to do it all in the stammering little French I know.  I don’t get much of a chance to try as Rob speaks well and does all of the “French” talking. 

The last few days in Paris gave us beautiful mild weather after the debilitating heat wave of 100F.  We’d hoped to find a good movie playing as we haven’t seen one in months.  All that was showing in English was summer time garbage.  Rob and I took turns staying on the boat with the dogs.  He did the things he wanted, The Pantheon, Paris City Museum and walking.  I did Gallery Lafayette, little shops, bought Rob a couple new shirts for the boat, a cold drink (a Diabolo which is a slightly sweet soda and Grenadine) in a café to people watch and read some of my book, “The Angel Games”, an odd good well written Gothic novel.  The prequel to one of my favorite books, “Shadow in the Wind” by Carlos Ruis Zafon.  The dogs had plenty  of walks too and got to go out to a fine old café where we met Nigel and Anna that we met last year while in Paris and who took the train from Meaux to meet up with us.  The evening was long with good conversation and three very nice French bottles of wine.

Rob is up top driving, I’m down below writing and the dogs are napping on the sofa.  I look out the window every minute or so to see miles of absolutely amazing country houses with big yards full of mature trees (many with boats moored in front) owned by the rich who can afford such a place on the Seine 30 minutes or less by train to Paris.  This is after passing through the industrial outskirts just outside the city and a couple boring towns with the not so pretty old area on the water and blocks of apartment buildings behind them.”

We are now in Samois sur Seine, a favorite mooring from last year, behind an island on the Seine backing onto the forest of Fontainebleau.  There are not many mooring on the Seine so if we can get one of the two spots here we are lucky. This is the town where Django Reinhardt lived out his last years.    The mooring is right by the narrow road with houses and a couple of restaurants.  In front of the house opposite us a couple are sitting playing a double base and guitar and singing soulful tunes.  They are American but they still sound good and we are loving it.