The Professor has gone overnight to Lyon in southern France to give a lecture. So I am on my own for 1 1/2 days. Since I am here alone, I decided not to wander too far from home.     I went to the open air market that is under the Metro tracks at La Motte Picquet - Grenelle.  Only one Metro stop away.  And I confess that I did use my monthly pass to hop on the Metro on my way home.

It was such a windy and cold day.  The wind periodically would blow extra hard and you could see and hear the canvas from the market stalls billowing.   I didn't buy much.  Some clementines.  

I went into Monoprix and  got some soup and ham and cheese.  I also bought some really expensive peanut butter that was half the price of the Skippy.  It is called Sun-Pat and comes from Leeds in the U.K.  It is a tiny jar that is only 227 grams.  I guess it looks like 8 ounces or a cup but it seems so tiny.  

I brought my purchases back to the apartment and went out again to get some bread.  Just when I headed for home, it began to rain.  I would have been fine if I was not worried about my loaf of uncovered bread.  

It is so strange to be here without the Professor.  Going out and shopping alone, I realized that I was way out of my comfort zone.  We are going to Barcelona on Monday.  I am sure that will feel even more as I am out of place.  We'll be gone for just a few days.  

Up market sweaters

I am sorry.  I cannot tell you what kind of eggs the white ones are sitting next to ordinary 

brown chicken eggs

Nothing but nail polish

Olives

 I admit that I was not even tempted to look at the clothes.  

This stall has all sorts of odds and ends for your house.  You can get a scissors here or a plumber's helper.  I have come to the conclusion that one thing they do not sell in Paris is large or small plastic cups or pitchers.  We are making Crystal Light in a 2 litre soda pop bottle.  And it really does work.

Of course I was too self-conscious to take a picture of the man pouring snails from a large bucket to a small container.  Now of course, I wish that I had.

There are also meat stalls were you can buy food that is already cook.  All you have to do is warm it up when you get home from work.  

On the first Sunday of each month many of the museums in Paris are open to the public without any charge.  Since the Professor had not been back to the Pantheon since the late 1960s AND he had recently read an article about it, we decided that it would be our first stop on our first Sunday of February.

The Pantheon is so vast that it truly does leave one in awe.  We looked around at the upper part of the building (which has its dome being repaired) then walked down to the crypt.  Marie Curie is the only woman who is buried here.  I don't think that she is the only woman of note that France has produced, but the reality is that history seems to belong to the men.  Women have had very little voice in the world until the last few centuries.  Maybe that is part of why I have always been a fan of Joan of Arc/Jeanne d'Arc.  Although her remains are not interred here at the Pantheon, her likeness is portrayed.

Record of those who died at the guillotine.  No reason to smile.  

Later in the afternoon we visited Saint Chapelle, the Conciergerie and a small bird market that is held each Sunday.  

The conciergerie started as the residence for the king's guard but evolved into a prison.  It was the type of prison where prisoners with money could pay for a room with only one person or perhaps a private one.  Also with money they could arrange to have meals brought to them.  It is thought that Marie Antoinette spent part of her last days housed here.  

Years ago I visited Saint Chapelle on my own.  I had a museum pass and was seeing everything that I could fit into my two or three days.  At that time I was struck by how light and airy the upper chapel was.  I don't think that any of these photographs captures the light that enters the chapel.  After going to many dark and heavy churches, it was almost a joyful experience to come to a place of worship where the light coming through the stained glass windows lifted my spirit.  

When we were on the Metro traveling towards the Marais area, we discovered that neither of us was carrying a camera.

I have visited the Musee Carnavalet (the History of Paris museum) at least twice, but I felt as if I saw different periods of time or objects today.  Part of the museum is closed off for "security" reasons.  I wonder if some of my memories are from the unavailable parts of the museum.  This is the first time, that I have come back from visiting the museum with a desire to know more about the history of France and of Paris.



I think that part of my interest was piqued because I was in the company of the Professor (without a group of students along).  He frequently pointed out paintings on the wall of buildings or places in Paris that we both are familiar with.  The painting of the Conciergerie looks as if it could have been done within the last few months.  Another one of the Pantheon shows acres of wilderness surrounding it that are now covered with buildings and the Sorbonne painting has buildings shown that no longer exist.  There was a painting listed as being of Belleville where we recently ate Chinese food.  Circus performers were the center of the painting.

France has had a turbulent history.   One uprising in the middle of the nineteenth century arose because of a siege of Paris by the Prussian army.  The siege lasted for about four months.  In the meantime, Napoleon III was defeated.  The Upper and Middle classes of Paris fled the city leaving a remnant of soldiers and refugees to face starvation and bombardment.  Following the siege a new French government was formed.  (Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War).



This picture of the Place Vendome is typical of much of the art work displayed.






Other paintings display moments in the history of the city such as fires or conflicts.   Still others are of entertainers from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

After visiting the Carnavalet, we walked over to the Place de Vosges.  Even in the winter it is a pleasant spot to sit on a bench for awhile.











Victor Hugs's house is in a corner of the square.  Along with the Carnavalet, it has no fee to enter.  Next time we'll  visit Victor Hugo's small house first and the Carnavalet with all of its rooms and information second.  Hotel du Sully is close by here as well.  I think that only the exterior is open to the public but it is worth a visit.

It must have been on a program on BBC America that I first heard the word "courgettes."  I definitely had to look it up.  The British seem to think that zucchini squash needed a little more sophistication. All of this leads to the fact that we had couscous for lunch today.  The broth over the couscous contained carrots and celery and lots of courgettes.

The Professor had been doing research on where the best places in Paris for couscous - a dish of stew over small pasta made from semolina.  In the 60s and 70s places serving this Moroccan and Algerian dish were plentiful.  Now it is no longer the case.  Immigration patterns have shifted.

Last Saturday, February 1st, we set off to find a restaurant called 4 Freres or 4 Brothers.  When we located the address that the computer gave, the doors were locked and the place seemed deserted. After studying the signs on the door, we discovered that one of the notes gave an address on another street.  We were actually at the back door.  The front door was easily located just around the corner of a block that was pie shaped.

The reviews on the food warned that the place might be crowded and it might be difficult to get a table.  We were fortunate enough to be there just before lots of hungry customers stopped by so were able to be seated.  I ordered beef and the Professor ordered chicken.  We were not disappointed.

This is definitely a place we will return to.  And now we know it is not really situated on Boulevard de la Villette as the computer sites say but around the corner on rue de Sambre et Meuse.   There were lots of young families having lunch at the restaurant.  As we were leaving I noticed that the restaurant is open seven days a week, but serves only dinner on Fridays.  It is refreshing to know that during part of their day of worship the restaurant was closed. 

Unfortunately I took the picture of the food when it is not arranged at its best and there are no courgettes in sight.  This picture of Moroccan couscous is very much like the servings that we received except that this is served with lamb. After my extravagance of drinking Coca Cola the other day, you would think that I would not rush into any more purchases of drinks.  However, les 4 Freres sold the same can of soda pop for 1.70 Euros instead of 4.50. 

After leaving the restaurant we started walking up the boulevard de la Villette and discovered that it turns into one named Belleville which is part of Chinatown in Paris.  We had forgotten that it was the beginning of the new lunar year until we heard drums in the distance.  It is now officially the year of the horse. 

As we approached the drumming, we saw several young men running up the street wearing very interesting pants on.  It took a few minutes for me to realize that these unusual legs were part of the dragon - the only part of the young men that is visible under the huge costume.  

We actually started our day by going to the Marche du Puces.  Unfortunately neither one of us was impressed and it had nothing to do with the rain.  Mostly stalls with men's clothing and shoes.  We did drift into the area with the antiques for awhile.  This is what we ended up taking pictures of.  And no we did not intentionally photograph the entrance to the toilets.  

What would Sunday be without a protest here in Paris?

1. Sky News Australia

   French conservatives march against government 'family-phobia'

   Reuters-by Tom Heneghan-12 minutes agoShare French law currently allows assisted reproduction for married couples with... He said a "French Tea Party" was being formed, referring to the ...

   French protest against gay marriage draws thousands

   GMA News-4 hours ago

   Abortion laws prompt French protests

   Sky News Australia-49 minutes ago

When we were riding on the crowded Metro, it was announced that it was extremely difficult to get out of the Metro stations at both Concord and Champs-Élysées.  We changed trains at Concord without any problems but on the surface we encountered not just the parade but roads closed everywhere.  Most of the roads where blocked by CRS (Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS), special mobile French police force) vans parked side by side facing any possible onslaught.  Needless to say, I am a coward so I did not take a picture of the police casually waiting around in case of trouble.  Therefore,  this picture is from someone else's blog on the internet.  Notice the shields, helmets and leg protection.  The shields look dark but they are clear so that the police can see through them if they are raised to protect their faces. They also carry gas masks. They would be a formidable sight for any protesters to face.