Feasting on the sights in the 15th

The Allée des Cygnes. 

June 28, 2017 -- Translated literally, "femme de menage" means "woman of the household," but what it really means is "cleaning woman."  I prefer "housekeeper," although housekeeping extends far beyond cleaning.

Maria is the "femme de menage" for the apartment where we stay in Paris -- except for the several weeks in July and August when she returns to her native Portugal for vacation.  Monday at mid-day was her time to take over the apartment to clean it, so after we all chatted briefly, Tom and I vacated the place so that we could walk and run some errands.

The weather was gorgeous again, and Monday traffic was in full swing.  We walked to the Allée des Cygnes (Swan's Way) for a peaceful stroll on that island in the Seine, with no cars.

The island also has no water, so all of the grass was a crispy light brown.  The trees, however, were just fine.  The trees give the Allée  its grace, beauty, and shade.  Almost every one of the trees are described by a plaque placed nearby.

Dog owners like to use the Allée  as a dog park.  Many dogs there are set free, off their leashes, although that is almost surely against the law in Paris.  Owners make sure their dogs behave, so that law enforcement will not be called to police this little doggie paradise.

Memorial flowers were attached to the fence in a spot about mid-way down the Allée.  We do not know who is being remembered here, or why.

Most summers, we do not see any swans around the Allée .  But on Monday, one large, lovely swan was swimming on the left bank side.

When we’d finished a circuit on the Allée , we decided to dine at the pleasant intersection of the rues Saint Charles and Rue du Theatre.  I indulged in a big, healthy salade niçoise, and Tom had a croque monsieur.  Our entertainment was a young man at the table next to us.  He was trying to sell supplemental health insurance to a young professional woman.  He talked non-stop, in fairly good, well-enunciated French.  I took this as an opportunity to work on my French listening comprehension.  The young guy was a terrible salesman because he talked too much, and he didn’t listen to his customer – or even give her much of any opportunity to speak about what product(s) she and her business might need.  A good salesperson always takes time to learn about his/her customers and their businesses.

Tom with his croque, I with my Nicoise salad  adorned by a tiny French flag.

 They eventually departed; we then ate our lunches in peace.

After lunch, we traced our steps back to a shoe store on the rue Saint Charles.  This was no “shop”; it was a real, sizeable “store.”  I enjoyed browsing around while Tom shopped the sale.  Some items were marked down 50%!  He eventually decided on some sturdy, real leather walking shoes with lots of beautiful stitching.  These were made for a French company in India.  The craftsmanship is impressive.  The price?  A mere 27 euros!

Then it was time to pick up the sheets at the French laundry on our way back to the apartment.  The young woman running the laundry could not have been nicer. 

Next was the bakery for Tom’s daily baguette (well, almost daily), and after that, we ducked into the fromagerie just to buy some butter from Brittany.

Another walk took us down to the Parc André Citroën, in the more southerly part of the 15^th.  I decided that the best way to walk to that park is down the rest of the rue Saint Charles, turning toward the park just after passing the historic Grenelle cemetery

Looking into the Grenelle cemetery.

The open air market operates on several blocks of the rue Saint Charles on Tuesdays, so we strolled slowly through the busy shoppers, taking in the sights and smells of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a mind-boggling array of fresh fish.

Between the cemetery and the Parc André Citroën, we stopped in the walled Caroline Aigle garden.  This calm and serene spot is named for the first female French fighter pilot who would have become an astronaut if cancer had not killed her at age 33.

In the Parc, we sat for a while, looking at the magnolia trees that have been trimmed so carefully in that utterly French way.

Magnolia trees in the Parc Andre Citroen.

Our next walk (yesterday afternoon) was in the 7^th arrondissement, up the avenue de la Motte Picquet to the rue Cler, which has a couple pedestrianized blocks that are always fun to explore.  We strolled down the rue de Grenelle and up the rue de Bourgogne to the Place du Palais Bourgogne.  Inside the Palais, the French legislature had just begun a new session.  The area was abuzz with activity.

We began our walk back to the apartment as it started to rain.  When we reached the Esplanade des Invalides, the rain intensified, so we descended to the line 8 of the metro there – as did many other people!  We managed to fit into the full subway car.  By the time we reached our stop at the Place du Commerce, the rain was lighter.

We took shelter in Le Commerce Café, where we ate hamburgers.  Tom’s was called a “Napo” burger, and mine was the “Obama” burger.  I chose the Obama burger because it has the kind of pickles that I like, and because it has that “sauce Americaine,” something that is unlike anything you’ll find in the U.S.

Now the weather is pleasantly a bit cooler than it has been, so more adventures are in store.  Stay tuned!