Ah, yes, the $60 bowl of soup. Last night we had dinner at Gaya, which is a wonderful seafood restaurant located downstairs at the front of our apartment building. Extra convenient. I managed to successfully call in advance and make a reservation (in French), which was a minor triumph for me. Brad’s starter was a bowl of creamy artichoke soup covered in a thick layer of black truffles. I’ve never seen such a generous portion of truffles, except once at Biba in Boston when Lydia Shire, the chef there, brought an entire fist-sized white truffle to our table for inspection before grating it over some risotto. Staggeringly rich food last night. The soup was worth the 45 euro price tag. I had wild sea bass carpaccio and risotto with grilled shrimp and a parmesan crisp. Brad was full after his soup, but had already ordered curried monkfish with white beans and ginger. We shared a peach melba dessert with whipped cream that had almost too much (crunchy) vanilla bean in it. After dinner we walked to the Seine and along the river to let our food settle before the aerobic exercise required to get home.
I think we’re on French time now. We went to bed around midnight and I woke up shortly after nine. Brad slept until noon while I did my homework, so he’s definitely in happy vacation mode. I went to class and stuffed my brain full of all the complicated various ways to talk about time and duration in the past and the future (depuis, combien de temps, il y a, pendant, en, dans, etc.). It’s a different form when the question is about an event that was a single moment in time in the past versus an event with duration in the past, and something else entirely for the future. And of course all of the instruction is in French. A new word, chomage, is defined by the teacher as seeking work and not being able to find it, distinct from voluntarily removing yourself from the workplace, for example to stay home and care for children. My dictionary defines chomage as “unemployment.” My brain is tired. I’m amazed both by how much I’ve forgotten since college, and how much I’m remembering. I did my homework tonight and read the newspaper out loud for 30 minutes. Good Amy. I’m in the phase where my English is deteriorating rapidly; but I still can’t speak French. Soon I shall be mute.
Brad met me at school after class, voluntarily wearing his gorgeous new Armani sport coat (thank you, Raj and Stef for the Andriesen Morton store referral) and Paul Smith shoes. He had shaved and was even wearing a tiny bit of Hermes cologne which I brought from him in my toiletry kit. I think he’s entering into the spirit of the Parisian way. I shall reward him (in)appropriately.
We had Asian food for lunch and then went to Le Bon Marche to find Q-tips and dishwasher soap. It’s a beautiful place to shop. We came home with Marriage Freres Earl Grey tea sachets, Swiss muesli cereal, black and white striped squid ink pasta, and Q-tips and dishwasher soap. We’re figuring out how much we can carry up to our place. The rue de Bac, which is where our apartment is located, stretches through some of the most interesting shops I’ve ever seen all the way to Le Bon Marche. We walked past an espresso store that was like a Zen garden, and a couple of stationery stores, and fancy linen places. Lots of exploring to do.
A quiet night at home tonight. Brad is reading his second book of the day. We’re listening to Melissa Etheridge on the iPod, drinking tea, relaxing. We stood out on the terrace and watched the incredible flashing lights covering the Eiffel Tower for awhile after the sunset. It really is Paris here.
Amy - I've been enjoying these posts from Paris immensely (other than the twinge of jealousy that I get every time I think longingly of being in Paris again, that is . . . ). I also think it’s great that you’re blogging and Brad is not. Tell Brad that Chris and I haven’t fucked things up too badly (yet). Have fun! Bon chance!
Posted by: seth | Friday, March 18, 2005 at 07:27 AM