Monday, May 7th
There’s nothing quite like jazz in an old underground wine cellar on a Monday night. I logged that away as another reason I love this city. Two hours earlier I thought I would work late and then go home, but instead, I met my two fave friends Maygan & Kyle near Les Halles for jazz & wine.
Where else could it be? The bowl, the wooden spoon, surrounded by even more desserts? This was visit #2 to Chez l’Ami Jean in one week. And finally, everyone on staff knows me. Dreams achieved.
I’ve talked about crazy hat lady before, right?? She lives in our neighborhood, and she wears epic giant hats that are beyond reasonable belief. And the outfit always matches. And it’s usually crazy bright colors. With giant multi-layered necklaces. My favorite part is that I usually see her all decked out like this at the grocery store of all places, the least likely place for a person to be dressed up wearing a crazy hat, as I caught her here, in the coffee aisle. Look at the size of that thing!! Anyway, Jillian and I are obsessed with her. We just want to know more. What does her closet look like? How many hats are there? Where does she get them made?? I must know.
#usinghashtagswheretheydontwork
Saturday, May 12th
Get ready to be grossed out, and then GET OVER IT. On a beautiful Saturday, I finally got to eat pied de cochon at the famous Les Halles restaurant called…wait for it…Pied de Cochon. And yes, if you have not guessed by looking at it, pied de cochon = pig’s foot. Ok, go ahead, freak out…be grossed out…are you done? Are we good? I’ve had pied de cochon before, and it’s delicious (hello, it’s pork!), but it’s usually just like shredded pork, so I was actually a little surprised that the whole thing just comes out on your plate like this. But really, is gnawing on a chicken leg ANY different? No. It’s not. And again, was it good? It’s PORK. Is bacon good? Am I currently eating straight from a jar of Nutella with a spoon? What, irrelevant?
Sunday, May 13th
Holy crap, the most marvelous day. Again, this deserves its own full expansion, and I shall expand later indeed.
M&K and I sat on the point of Ile de la Cité watching the sunset and remained in a general state of flabbergasted-ness over the fact that we are so freaking lucky to live here and get to see things like this. Lucky, lucky, lucky. Flabber flabber gasted.
Hate to end on a note like “flabber flabber”, so I’ll just say this: I love underground jazz and backpack hugs and Chez l’Ami Jean and hat lady and Pierre and pork and sunsets.
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pierre sounds dreamy. and seriously how ironic his name is pierre. and how even more ironic that you left your umbrella there. or was that totally on purpose? 😉 the pig’s foot doesn’t look so appetizing but i would’ve probably eaten it all the same had you just stuck with pied de cochon. everything just sounds delicious in french. i could be eating insects and wouldn’t know it but bec it “sounds” pretty in french, i’d eat it. whoever’s feet/legs that is in the middle, seriously CUTE shoes.
Just when I thought this transatlantic love affair was beginning to take shape, Pierre with his uber-Frenchness, derails the whole thing. I had a long discussion with Jego about this and we agreed that we would rather keep this sordid love triangle the way it was.
So was the place near Les Halles a place you have been before or was that a first? Was the music any good? I will be in Paris in a few months and am doing all the research I can to ensure that I have the best time possible. I love jazz, especially in Paris while drinking wine!
Great post! I definitely want to see more of hat lady… I’m very excited about Pierre too. The old forgetting the umbrella trick, eh… well played. 😉 For your first date, you’ll have to fill your bicycle baskets with baguettes and flowers and ride around the Eiffel Tower seventeen times. Striped shirts and berets are a must.
Jeanne