Day 8

Wednesdays are going to be good, too. Even though the kids aren't in school on Wednesdays, I don't have to work until 4:30, just like any normal day, which is quite a good deal.

So today was kind of a lazy day, though I got up at the reasonable time of 9:20. I had Special K for breakfast (I got some the other day, but I wasn't expecting to find it here!), along with my morning cup of tea, and then went back to my room to research directions to the Shakespeare & Company bookstore, which I've been meaning to go to since I've arrived. After researching & writing down the directions, I set out on my journey. I made the first two parts of my trip just fine, but turned the wrong way down Blvd Saint-Germain, and was heading south, away from the Seine (which was, essentially, my final destination). I realized my mistake, turned around, and then finally found where I was aiming for.

Isn't it so cute & quaint?

The Shakespeare & Co. bookstore is a lovely little treasure in Paris, & a haven for an English speaker, like me. The moment you walk in, the smell of books (dusty, kind of dry, slightly sweet) immediately envelops you. You then wander around the small store, amazed that the store can fit so many books into such a small space. There's a general comforting presence about the store, and then you notice the soft sounds of music (I think it was jazz, of the American type), and the faint smell of lavender wafting throughout the store. Go upstairs, and you'll find an array of children's books, as well as a collection of books that are there to be read in the store, not for sale. There's even a tiny little booth with a typewriter & a chair in it, waiting for someone to pop in a piece of paper & start a masterpiece.

The only-for-reading book room has a gorgeous mirror topped table...I couldn't resist taking a picture!

There were so many books to choose from, but I wound up settling on "The Adventures and Memories of Sherlock Holmes," by Arthur Conan Doyle. There was no real reason to this decision, just the fact that I knew the general premise of any Sherlock Holmes story is to find a case, investigate, and solve it. So, serious reading? Not really, but well-written enough to keep my attention, even with the small font. I normally would've reached for Jane Austen, but they didn't have my favorite book, so I decided to look for something else & venture out a bit.

After reading the first of these short stories, I walked past a small park, and had lunch at a restaurant right across the Seine from the Notre Dame. Lunch was nothing special (a huge slice of ham quiche with a salad, bread, & water), but I think I got my money's worth from the view alone. After lunch, I went back to the small park, sat on the ground leaning against a tree in dappled shade and read some more about the adventures of Mr. Holmes & Dr. Watson. Before I knew it, several hours had passed, and I began to head back to the apartment.

The view from my reading tree :]

I had a quick nap, and then it was time for me to take care of the kids. As usual, we went to the park, and they played for about an hour & a half. The kids would come find me for their snack, and then run back off to continue playing. After their time at the park, we came back home, and Eldest had to do his homework. (I should correct an earlier statement about homework- I think they check it on Mondays & Thursdays, since the kids have a day off in the middle of the week.) While he was doing his homework, Youngest & I played a matching game, and then when Eldest was done, I attempted to play chess for the first time in oh, I don't know, ten years? Needless to say, I lost, but that gave me an excuse to start dinner. Tonight, it was pappardelle pasta (with pesto for me, with ketchup for Eldest, & with cheese for Youngest), salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette, some nice, chewy bakery bread, and some cheese afterwards.

The mother came home a bit early today because there's a close family friend that is staying the night, so the kids & I were eating when she & her guest arrived. Somehow, she managed to find smooth peanut butter (my favorite!) here in Paris, and so she got some for me, which is a gesture, as with the Oreos, that goes a long way. I now have the makings for a potential midnight snack, if I so desired! :]