My most notable achievement today was not artistic, but linguistic - participating in my first ever gym class in French!
I can't say I'm very proud of what I'm doing to this noble and lovely language, but I seem to be getting by surprisingly smoothly so far. The Parisians I've encountered have been incredibly patient and competent at deciphering my garbled outpourings.
Here are some of the things I encountered on my way to and from this momentous occasion today:
This bizarre and quite freakish Papillion a la Marie Antoinette (or maybe I mean Marie Antoinette au Papillion?) in a textile shop window on Rue Ledru-Rollin.
Reflections in the windows of the grand but derelict Art Nouveau Samaritaine Department Store near the Pont Neuf, as it awaits - refurbishment, demolition, who knows?
A gorgeous blue and white Deux Chevaux, with an elegantly hand-written envelope addressed to the owner (?) on its windscreen drew lots of attention from other passers-by too.
A colourful bistrot on Rue de Faubourg-St Antoine - "Ferme pour le mois d'Aout" - like so many shops and restaurants (the ladies at the gym told me it was unusually quiet there too - at least I think that's what they said).
